Book Review: 'The Art Of Bioshock Infinite'

I loved the game and I've seen some of the stunning concept art around the internets and I'm surprised I didn't get this deluxe hardcover book sooner, which was languishing in my Amazon wishlist for a while before I finally got round to buying it, and now that I have, it's a very welcome addition to my art book shelf!

Published by Dark Horse, each of the 184 pages are jam packed with gorgeous concept art from the game. The artwork, of course, speaks for itself, covering a full page and often spread over two, but never looking messy or as if it's been squeezed to fit on the page, and is accompanied by some commentary and annotated handwritten text, although not much. This is definitely an art book!

The early part of the book, after the introduction from lead writer on the game, Ken Levine, starts with the concepts of the main characters Elizabeth and Booker DeWitt, along with early art of Songbird, the population and items of Columbia and the heavy hitters. I always find it fascinating to see the original concept art of characters and environments and the way they sometimes evolve until you see them in the finished game or movie. And this is no different in 'Bioshock Infinite'. It seems they had a clear vision of who Elizabeth and Booker were from the off, with not too many changes from the original concept art. The heavy hitters seemed to go through the biggest changes, as the original concept art came across as much more gory and a bit far removed from the enemies you finally encounter in the game.

I have a thing for vintage art and advertisements, so I enjoyed that section of the book. A whole chapter on the advertisements and propaganda posters, with most of the images being full page spreads and looking very nice too, with lots of detail!

I have The Art Of The Mass Effect Universe, also published by Dark Horse, and this book follows in it's footsteps with a superb exploration of the art and design that went into creating one of this year's best games, 'Bioshock Infinite'.

If you're a fan of the game and enjoyed it's visuals, you'll enjoy flicking through these pages. Don't forget to take a peek under the slipcover for an embossed vintage engraved style on the hardcover, an extra visual treat.

***** out of 5