Joe Fielder

A short story with decent potential that ultimately falls flat on its face in the rush to get out the door.

"Mind in Revolt" is a short story set a few years before the events of the video game Bioshock: Infinite. Supposedly, it fleshes out some parts of the conflict between the Founders and the Vox Populi, opposing faction in the game. Told as an audio transcript between a doctor and his psychiatric patient/prisoner (which I'll admit is a actually a clever way of telling this story), it reads very much like a screenplay.

Unfortunately, the whole thing falls flat. The characters themselves are dull and lifeless, feeling more like caricatures than anything else. There's no believable development arc for them. They're clearly meant for the screen and aren't compelling sitting on the page. The story itself is also uncompelling when it's even there, and is completely predictable right up to and including the ending. For a story that's based on a game world and franchise that is so rich, detailed, and emotionally drawn, this story really doesn't add much if anything which makes it that much more disappointing.

Ultimately, "Mind in Revolt" feels like it was little more than a way to cash in on the high anticipation for the game. It feels rushed, like it was slapped together meet a deadline and grow the coffers, and it doesn't help this feeling that the price for this short story is rather expensive. In the end, you aren't going to get much insight into the game's world out of this story, and can easily skip it.… (más)