It is hard to describe the level of affection I feel for System Shock 2, and the first Bioshock. They were milestones in gaming. I did still feel that Bioshock trimmed away much of the discrete skill path usefulness, in that there wasn't anything which couldn't be solved by Freeze-Ray > Wrench, until you got to the final boss, and by then you had all the powers anyway. I can't recall if it was even possible to get all the powers in SS2.
Bioshock Infinite falls even further down that descending curve toward utter simplicity, by providing the powers in a specific order instead of giving choices from the outset. The world is pretty enough, but it is stunningly monotonous, to the point where I can't remember which direction I came from after a firefight, and the only way to know where to go is the opposite direction from where the bodies are lain, or toward whomever is next fighting me.
Pretty sure I won't be going back to it. It's a shame; I think I'll pass on whatever Levine is shoveling next.
