Technical Difficulties

Here's the deal, in as short a version as possible: A Bit of Geek has been plagued with backend and administration issues ever since I started the migration away from blogger in fall of 2011. I won't go any farther into it, because it's a long and stupid story that still makes me angry.

The point of me sharing this information is that we're encountering some perplexing technical issues. Literally all of a sudden, we are unable to add pictures to our posts. One day we could, and the next we could not (hence the white banner up above). You may have noticed that the Captcha system is also affected by this, so commenting on posts is now impossible. I would remove the Captcha, but without it we receive between 200 and 500 spam posts a day. I did not setup the website as it currently stands, and I simply don't have the experience necessary to fix or even diagnose the problem. I'm feeling pretty frustrated over the whole situation, but honestly our current host and content creation system never felt like home to me in the first place.

It is with that information that I will now announce something that I had planned as a surprise (but obviously that's out the window now): A Bit of Geek is getting a make over again! It is true, the current layout and backend were short lived (only been live at this location since June), but like I said, this never felt like home to me. We are currently in the process of having a brand new custom website made, and we hope to launch that in a little over a month.

With this move, I hope to put the technical roadblocks and miscellaneous issues behind us. We will be working with an actual web administrator, and I couldn't be happier about that!

In the meantime, posts here will most likely cease, or at least slow down. (I will check in regularly to see if the situation has fixed itself, but I also won't be holding my breath.) We write a lot of photo-dependent articles, and that's tough to do when our ability to upload images has been taken away. But we will still be active in other places! We post fun and engaging questions on our Facebook page, as well as interesting news articles. We are active on Twitter, and we also have a Tumblr full of awesome geek material. We hope that you'll stick with us through this unexpectedly rough transition, and celebrate with us on the other side when our new website is up!

Keep rolling 20s,

-MJ and the A Bit of Geek team

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5 Reasons I Love Instagram

I feel like I'm kind of alone when it comes to my affection for Instagram. Not in the greater sense of course, obviously tons of people love it, but within my circle of friends I'm the odd one out. I don't know a lot of people who even have Instagram accounts, and many that do don't update very often. But I don't use Instagram to keep up with my friends and family! I have Facebook for that, as well as actual, you know, conversations. Not that I dislike when they post, I mean I'm always happy to see a new picture! My point is that even though a lot of people hate Instagram because of the "pointless filters" (I'm looking at you, Zach!), there are five big reasons that I check the app first thing in the morning as a great way to start my day.

1. Cat Pictures

I just freaking love pictures of cats. It really doesn't matter who they belong to, or how many there are, or what type; they make me really flippin' happy. So when I pop open Instagram and see a new picture of Nala the Cat, I can't help but smile. I currently don't have a kitty (first time in my life), and these cutie pies help to fill the void.

Here are my favorite people to follow for cat pictures:

nala_cat (dedicated)
cats_of_instagram (dedicated)
adamtots (life, comedy, and cats with hats)
thedaintysquid (fashion, life, photography, and LOTS of cats!)

2. Nature and The World

There is a great, glorious world out there around me, and I don't get to see a lot of it. Enter Instagram, where I can get a first person peek at nearly anywhere in the world! I follow some astounding people on Instagram (many of whom I can't even remember how I found), and it's thrilling to wake up to a photo of the sun rising over the Swiss mountains, or the rainfall in Norway.

Here are my favorite people to follow for world photography:

mhairig (life, family, lots of nature, travel, based out of Scotland)
cmoretz (the actress Chloe Moretz, tons of around the world photos and videos)
ellnmllr (travel photography, children, food)
ellenminerva (a college student living in Norway. Tons of gorgeous scenery!)
masquerade78 (frequent, beautiful hiking photos from the Pacific Northwest)

3. Famous People

Alright, when I say famous people, I mean some very specific ones! I follow Chloe Moretz because she posts so much travel photography. She as an actress is wonderful, but I don't much care about her personal life. The famous people in question, here and now, are the stars of the upcoming Starz TV production of Outlander! You see, there is an amazing book series called 'Outlander', written by Diana Gabaldon. It all started back in 1991 or so, and as rabid fans approach the release of the 8th book next spring, we are also gearing up for finally getting a TV series. It looks to be amazing, and so far the cast members are all excited and kind to the fans. The two leads, Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan (who will be playing Claire Randall and Jamie Fraser, respectively) have Instagram accounts, and are already treating fans to the beginning of production.

I am delighted whenever they post a new photo, and it helps to bring even more excitement as the show comes to life! Follow samheughan and Caitrionabalfe to follow the fun.

4. Fandoms

I may already 'like' pages on Facebook, subscribe to videos on Youtube, follow accounts on Twitter and Tumblr, but sometimes just a picture is nice. No extensive hash tag paragraphs, no insane jokes to try and understand (sorry Tumblr, but sometimes I simply can't keep up), just pure, lovely photos to encapsulate a fandom. They're bite sized nuggets of the things that I love, well poised to perk up my day when I pick up my phone after an exhausting data entry marathon at work.

Favorite Instagram accounts for my beloved fandoms:

nintendo (official)
harrypotterfans (movie stills and photo shoots)
nbcparksandrec (official)
thesuperwholockian (compilation images for Doctor Who, Sherlock, and Supernatural)

5. Art

Through various channels I have found wonderful artists on Instagram. They amaze and inspire me every day with their skill sets, and it makes me feel great to know that I get to see their work on a regular basis. And the diversity! From traditional pencil drawings, to 3D creations, to (my personal favorite) paper sculptures, I get a glorious dose of art straight to my eyes first thing each morning.

Here are my favorite artists on Instagram:

badgercreations (perler beads and cross stitching)
lightandpaperali (paper craft)
britsketch (paper craft)
paperbeatsscissors (pencil/paper)
fayeballine (paper craft)
itsbirdy (colored pencil)

My account is abitofgeek, and I post art, friends, animals, and whatever else feels right. Feel free to follow! Do you use Instagram? What are your favorite accounts?

-MJ
*All photos are screenshots from my phone. Images belong to their respective owners! Header image is comprised of my own bitchin' Instagram photos.

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Ten Reasons You Should Have Been At PAX 13

If you didn't get to go to PAX Prime this year, I am truly sorry. You missed out on such a good time; luckily, it comes around every year, so you'll get another chance soon enough! If you need more convincing, here are ten reasons that will seal the deal!

10. Free Swag

Free stuff is always good! Especially when it's merchandise that revolves around your favorite games, characters, and companies. Free swag was in abundance this year. I'm officially set for life as far as lanyards go, I have lots of new comics to read, and I even have some amazing new tshirts to wear!

Really, the free swag is genius incentive to try out new games and products. Sonic Lost World? I'm sorry to say I wasn't all that interested before I laid eyes on the free lanyards they were handing out to anyone who tried the demo. I actually had a lot of fun playing it, and I might want to buy it when it comes out in October! And, not that I needed incentive, but I got another adorable lanyard for trying out Super Mario 3D World (coming out on Wii U November 22nd).

9. Awesome Cosplayers

I thought the cosplayers at Emerald City Comicon were impressive! There were so many amazing costumes at PAX, I don't even know where to begin. My personal favorite was the appearance of The Joker, played by Anthony Misiano. This guy was born for this role.

Ha. Ha ha! Ha ha haha hee hee hoo HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I digress.

Other incredible costumes included the Supreme Dalek (from Doctor Who), Zorg and LeeLoo (from The Fifth Element), Batman, and Mega Man, just to name a few. Truthfully, I really admire the talent and dedication these folks have to represent a genre they are so obviously in love with.

8. Celebrity Appearances

Tom is an expert photobomber.

Yes, that's me, Rachel, with ADAM SESSLER. Can you tell I'm excited about it? Honestly, he is such a nice guy. He was nice enough to sign our PAX badges, as well!

Zach and Tom also got to meet Keiji Inafune, the creator of Mega Man. You guys will hear more about that from Zach soon! Tom also ran into Arin Hanson (aka Egoraptor) which we were all very jealous of.

7. Pre-Gaming (with the Wii U, not liquor)

Step into the Expo Hall and there are yet-to-be-released games, as far as the eye can see, all for your viewing and playing pleasure. It was like being the VIP of the gaming world. Bethesda, Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, Behemoth, Capcom...the list goes on and on. All with arms wide open, saying, "Come, come in to our fortress of crisp, fresh games, and play on to your heart's content!" (not literally though, there is a time limit).

I really didn't mean to make that sound so creepy.

6. Informative panels

Miranda and I attended a very helpful panel on Saturday, and while they're only an hour long, it was definitely chock-full of useful information. Among the other panels offered were The Evolution of a Game Developer, Penny Arcade Q&A, How to Forge the Career You Want in the Videogame Industry, Why Role-Playing Games Matter, and a million more. You can pick, choose, and schedule which ever panels you want to attend, as there are many to choose from, just remember to enjoy the rest of the convention as well!

Who can spot Destructoid in this picture? (It's like Highlights Magazine!)

Psst! Download this awesome app to your phone and it will help you with all of your scheduling needs!

5. Buttons!

Earlier this month Miranda gave you guys a look into our ABOG PAX Prime '13 edition buttons. We had no trouble handing those babies out! In return, we got tons of awesome custom made buttons back! Miranda lined her lanyards with as much as she could, but there were too many to fit! I think each of us will need to buy some bulletin boards to display all of them.

4. Extra activities

An arcade, a paint-and-take workshop, tabletop, tabletop, TABLETOP!! There's no way you'll run out of things to do at PAX. There will always be somewhere to go, something to do, whether it's a bit of shopping, some old-school gaming, or learning a new board game, the convention center is your oyster.

I'd just like to say, in regards to sitting down and playing a game you've never played before with a table full of strangers, the community at PAX is incredibly kind and welcoming. I never once felt talked-down-to, or like I didn't belong. I was happy to be there, even amongst people I didn't know. We were all able to laugh together and have a good time. That, more than anything else (yes, even more than free stuff), is why I'll continue to go to PAX each year.

3. So much merch!

Okay, I could have shopped for days. Oh, I did! My favorite booths were Sanshee, FanGamer, and Pink Gorilla. Sanshee's unique designs and quality materials made for fun and smart purchases. FanGamer had tons of adorable stuff, I couldn't even make a decision. Pink Gorilla, as always, had every vintage game/item you could think of, not to mention plushies galore! I think I made a pretty good dent in my wishlist.

Itty Bitty Dovahkiin from Symbiote Studios.

2. Indie Games

If it weren't for PAX I wouldn't have learned about some great indie games that are out there. Getting the chance to sit down and listen to the creators talk about this project that they worked so hard on and are so passionate about makes me love the game even more. Some great ones include Contraption Maker (from the creators of The Incredible Machine), Mayan Down, and McDroid. I encourage all to give them a try!

1. The ABOG team was there!

You missed all of our lovely faces in the flesh! Too bad. I guess you'll just have to continue to come here to get your fix!

What a good lookin' group of geeks.

Were any of you guys at PAX this year? How about a previous year? Has my article convinced you to attend next year? Let us know in the comment section below!

-Rachel

Header image credit http://twodashstash.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/PAX-Prime-Logo.png

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All Rise For Mighty No. 9

I feel like we've gotten to know each other well enough to share something quite personal about myself.

I love Mega Man.

I do, I do, I do-oooooo!

Alright, so maybe that isn't as dark a secret as I originally let on, given my game collection, various shirts and other merchandise sporting the Blue Bomber, and the fact that my handle on many web pages pays homage to Rock himself... There's just so much to love. Some of my fondest Nintendo-oriented memories revolve around the weekends where my family took a trip to the local video store to rent a movie or a game, and I got to come home with a title from the Mega Man universe. I had a great appreciation for ol' Blue and his games from a young age and it has never once wavered.

My personal favorite, Mega Man 3. Source.

Lately, times have been incredibly troubling for the fans of Mega Man. The creator of Mega Man, Keiji Inafune, had left Capcom for a few reasons, but mostly because he found it a stressful environment to work in. Afterwards, the company decided to scrap multiple projects that he left in their hands. Most well-known among the cancelled titles was Mega Man Legends 3. We are left with shadows of games that could have been, games that had already seen some level of development and that had gathered significant fan excitement. What added most to the shock was that Capcom allegedly

blamed the fans

for these cancellations, saying that there was a lack of support from the community. This sparked quite a bit of outrage. Many people were truly hurt by these words and a few revolutions started to show Capcom that people DO love the series, one of the most notable being 100,000 Strong for Bringing Back Mega Man Legends 3.

Them's fightin' words. Source.

Since these cancellations there has been scant available to the loyal followers, save for a few bastardizations of the character by Capcom's hand. Street Fighter x Tekken boasted an awesome roster of playable characters and Mega Man was to make a special guest appearance in the game. Rather than the traditional character people expected, "Bad Box Art Mega Man" made his debut. While humorous, it seemed like a passive aggressive slam and left many with a sour taste in their mouths. Blue was also completely absent from Marvel vs. Capcom 3.

I've got nothing clever to say that hasn't already been summed up in this photo. Source.

For Mega Man's 25th anniversary, people were expecting Capcom to unveil something special. Every other franchise had always gotten phenomenal treatment for their "birthdays", and the series was due for some positive news. Instead, we were "given" a free download of Street Fighter X Mega Man, which was a

fan-made

game. The creation was in the style of the NES titles, but instead of master robots, Mega Man was up against the characters from the Street Fighter universe. Incredible dedication on the part of the creators who did this on their own, but an incredibly lazy way out for Capcom, who gave nothing else other than some promotional merchandise. It should come as no surprise that, after all that Rock had been through, many fans were very hurt and expected little with regards to the future of the character.

I feels ya, brah. Source.

Capcom was acting like an insanely jealous ex-lover, which only ended up hurting themselves in the process.

ENTER KEIJI INAFUNE.

Source.

I was very lucky to attend a panel at PAX Prime this year where Keiji Inafune spoke with the audience about his career at Capcom. The panel consisted of interviewer Jeremy Parish (of usgamer.net fame), Ben Judd (voice of Phoenix Wright) who served as translator, and the man himself, Keiji Inafune. The whole thing read just like a biography: we learned about Inafune's beginnings with the company, how rapidly he rose to greater projects, and ultimately him leaving Capcom to start his own company, Comcept (disclaimer: website is not in English!). It was truly exciting for me, as a fan, to listen to the creator talk about the development of my favorite video game character.

Tom and I were quite excited to be this close to him.

Straight away, Keiji told everyone in the room that there would be no announcement "of a certain title" at this event, which everyone was probably in the depth of their hearts hoping for. Ultimately, we knew that Inafune no longer has any control over the series. At the end of the panel, he did have a surprise for us. He played a video where he discussed how let down he was about the cancellation of his projects by Capcom, and how he had plans to prevent something similar from ever happening again. It was with that line that he announced his Kickstarter campaign for his new series Mighty No. 9. The crowd went

absolutely nuts

Source.

Though there is no gameplay footage just yet, it is pretty safe to assume that Mighty No. 9 will play just like any Mega Man title, with a few exceptions. Keiji was very happy to express his appreciation for modern technology and what sort of potential that brings to the table. Don't worry, it won't just be a re-skinned clone, there is plenty different about the game to keep people guessing. For instance, the protagonist has the ability to transform to maneuver through obstacles. Bosses, while following the classic "rock/paper/scissors" motif, are not always humanoid in design, which is a far cry from the old days of every master robot being "_____ Man." Not that I'm complaining!

Mighty No. 5 was just supposed to look like "a gatling that looks like it’s actually sprouted limbs." Source.

Keiji made it very clear that he wanted as much fan interaction as he could get when creating this project, which is what drove him to Kickstarter in the first place. Currently standing just below $2,000,000, the initial funding goal of $900,000 was met before two days had passed. Mighty No. 9 has also already surpassed multiple stretch goals, and is well on the way to being released for current and next-gen consoles. In the meantime, the collective Beckers (as Keiji calls us) are perfectly happy with a PC/Mac/Linux release. Keiji Inafune has rallied the fans together like never before with an incredible outpouring of fan art, music remixes, and all around support in what is probably the best, unintentional "F U" to Capcom that could ever be given.

No hard feelings, of course. Source.

At the end of the panel, Keiji had another surprise for the audience: serialized t-shirts. Each of us got our very own unique shirt with our own mighty number. Tom obtained Mighty No. 54, and I was dubbed Mighty No. 195. The man himself got 9, of course. It was pretty cool to see everyone else out and about in the convention wearing their shirts. It was like we were a part of a grand brotherhood. The shirts also came with a postcard with a code that will assign our number to us on the website when Mighty No. 9 goes live. An absolutely fantastic send off. Shortly after, Tom and I met Keiji for a signing/meet and greet. I didn't know what to say that could sum up all the feelings I have about the series, how nostalgic I am for it, all the great memories... I settled for "Thank you. For everything."

While Mega Man's future may be uncertain, his spirit lives on completely through Beck, the star of the new franchise.

How about you? Excited!? AMAZED!? I can't even --

-Zach

Be sure to check out the Kickstarter here!

Header images courtesy of The Megaman Network.

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Wind Waker Paper Sculpt Video

Happy Friday! Today I have a total treat for you: my Wind Waker HD art contest submission! Check it out in all of its roughly two minute long glory.



The last frame is what I submitted to Nintendo for the contest. I made top fifty, but not top five. So, no Wii U/Wind Waker bundle for me, but at least I got to see my work displayed during the Legend of Zelda symphony in Seattle last night! (Check back Monday for a write up of the show!)

What do you think? Are you liking these videos? I have a lot of fun making them!

-MJ

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A Night at the Zelda Symphony

I am extremely fortunate to have attended the Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses Second Quest in Seattle last Thursday night. The evening was filled with excitement, cosplay, beautiful music, and tears (for me, at least).

 
Waiting for the symphony to start!

Upon approaching Benaroya Hall, we could hear Zelda music streaming from the building. Gleeful attendees milled about outside the doors and en masse in the lobby. There was a pretty even spread of people dressed up, people in street clothes, and people in full out cosplay. I'm going to take a guess and say that a lot of the people there don't usually go to symphonies or operas (people were dropping things and making noise during the performance, and no I don't mean clapping). It was a lot of fun to see people in costume though! It was almost like a mini PAX. A lot of the ladies were wearing Zelda themed jewelry (me included!), and it made me super happy.

Try as I might, the lobby area was just too full for me to find the five winners of the Wind Waker HD art contest. I would have loved to see the pieces in person! I got to see them on the big screen though (before the symphony started and during intermission). There was a slideshow happening on the projection screen that contained the top fifty fan art submissions, including mine! It was a really awesome moment to see my paper sculpt float across the screen.

 
Sorry the pictures aren't better! Low light + iPhone + front facing camera = yeah, this xD

Once the conductor hit the stage (a lovely woman in a wonderfully sparkly top), we were taken straight into the most stunning overture. As images from Ocarina of Time, Skyward Sword, A Link to the Past, The Legend of Zelda, The Legend of Zelda II, and more danced upon the projection screen, and the music soared and changed, and the lights went up and down and shifted in hue to match the emotion of the orchestra, I couldn't help but cry. I smiled to myself over this game series that means so much to me. I smiled to myself over being in a sold out concert hall full of thousands of other people feeling the same things. I smiled wondering if the seasoned violinists thought that an orchestra for video game music was silly. I smiled over the Zelda games I've finished, the ones I'm still working on, and the ones I have yet to play. I smiled over the ones that made me angry, the ones I hold most dear, and the years of joy that I harvested from playing Ocarina of Time. I sat entranced and fulfilled, while tears pumped out of my eyes. It's a fascinating thing, to cry when we're happy. I wiped away a few tears, and Morgan squeezed my hand.

Next we were treated to two pieces dedicated to handheld iterations. The first was a fantastically done Link's Awakening movement, and the next was for Spirit Tracks. As someone who knows the story of Link's Awakening, but has yet to complete it (SO DIFFICULT), I was particularly enthralled while watching the game's story play out in (a very) compressed form. I couldn't help but tear up again as the Wind Fish awoke and Koholint slowly faded from the screen, and I thought to myself, "I must finish this game."

The King of Red Lions boat was there! You may remember it from PAX.

When the show runners came on stage to announce the start of the traditional four part symphony itself, I had a startling realization: I was in for some Skyward Sword spoilers! I mean, it's my own fault that I haven't finished the game yet. But that's what I do! I get a game, play it hard for a few days, and then stop playing for an indeterminate amount of time. Oh well! The first part was dedicated to Ocarina of Time, my favorite (ties with A Link to the Past) Zelda game. Once this was finished, the conductor took an untraditional break to switch out her conductor's stick for an actual Wind Waker! The crowd went wild. Every game segment that they featured showed the game from beginning to end (severely truncated of course). I haven't played Wind Waker in ages! They also used all HD footage from the Wii U remake, and now I am feeling even more anxious to get a Wii U and play Wind Waker all over again.

During the intermission we headed straight for the lobby (being seated next to the doors and in aisle seats was a real score) and he bought me a Symphony of the Goddesses t-shirt, and a gorgeous tour poster! I was giddy and giggly and full of delight. I had hoped there'd be merchandise to help commemorate the evening! Everything went by so quickly. The show started at 7:30, and before I knew it we were in the lobby for the intermission. We had just enough time to look around and hit the bathrooms before hustling back to our seats.

Wind Waker HD and A Link Between Worlds were playable in the lobby! The shirt is a pretty slick green. Very comfy, too.

The third part of the symphony started, and in no time we were whisked away to A Link to the Past, and I felt both shivers and trepidation: this is yet another Zelda game that I'm working on finishing. I have been attempting to beat it for years, but every few dungeons I get horribly stuck and I rage quit! I watched with curiosity and delight as the end of the game played out before me. In a way it was nice to finally see how the game ends, and if anything it encouraged me to finish it sooner! There were no feelings of, "Well, I've seen the ending so what's the point?" The fourth and final part of the symphony was Ocarina of Time again. No complaints from me! I could sit on a whole symphony for just that game. This one was dedicated to Gerudo Valley. I had forgotten how involving the fortress was! I also got very smiley and reminiscent thinking about how great I used to be at horseback archery. I suppose I should add "replay Ocarina of Time" to my list!

The symphony ended with three planned encores. The first was for Majora's Mask, the second was Dragon Roost Island from Wind Waker, and the third was for Skyward Sword. I'm disappointed that I dislike Majora's Mask so much. It is just too damn difficult, and I absolutely hate having to do the same thing over and over again in a game (that really sealed the deal). But... watching Termina and Skull Kid on the screen I thought that maybe, perhaps, it was time to give it another try. I haven't played it since 2001, afterall. I was extremely pleased to see the dedication to Dragon Roost Island, because that is hands down my favorite song from Wind Waker! And, even though it's my fault, I was a little sad (but certainly not surprised) that they did a segment for Skyward Sword. I braced myself for spoilers, reminding myself that I have had plenty of time to finish it. And then, I watched in awe as the story unfolded in front of me. Then I got SO. EXCITED. to actually play all the way through it!

 
Symphony of the Goddesses poster! Can't wait to frame it!

The entire evening was wonderful. Added entertainment bonus points go to the incredibly drunk girl who was sitting next to Morgan. It was unreal. I received a compliment on my blooper tattoo while waiting in line for the restroom, and I got another peek at the King of Red Lions boat! If I could change anything about the symphony, I would request that they do a segment dedicated to the songs that are learned in Ocarina of Time. Especially the warp ones! Oh, they're so lovely and magical! At some point in the performance there was a piece dedicated to Twilight Princess, but I can't remember where it fell timeline wise. There were a few scenes shown from the end of the game that I do not remember, even though I definitely finished that one. Guess I need to replay it, too! But damn the snow sledding part. That nearly caused me to quit!

Did anyone else attend the Seattle show? Did anyone go last year? Will any readers be heading to other symphony stops over the next few months? I want to hear more first-hand experiences! :D

-MJ

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Video Game Character Spotlight: Elizabeth

Spoiler warning: The following article contains revealing knowledge about Elizabeth from Bioshock Infinite. Said knowledge that could ruin the game's surprise ending....that she was a ghost the whole time! …..that Darth Vader is her father! .....that she IS Kira! (Ok, I'm done)

“Bring us the girl and wipe away the debt.” These are the words that first introduce us to the mystery that is Elizabeth. A girl with more secrets than Gretchen Weiners's hair, the story of Elizabeth is one that is not only central to the plot of 2K's masterpiece, Bioshock Infinite, but one that is also a journey of her own self-discovery. Starting as a mere distressed damsel locked away in a gigantic angel tower, she soon grows in character, becoming something more as the plot thickens and she is forced to change her perspective for the sake of progression. She learns about herself, the reality of the world and the depths of bonds she forges over time.

"Spoiler alert: it's basically the plot of “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants,'" Source.

When we first come upon Elizabeth, we do so as the protagonist and rogue-extraordinaire, Booker DeWitt. A man of a shady past involving many people mysteriously dying at the end of his gun, Booker is the one tasked with the job to capture Elizabeth to bring her to New York, thus wiping away said debt previously mentioned. But Booker soon learns that kidnapping Elizabeth proves harder than expected when he is sent to her hometown of Columbia, a massive city floating in the sky.

"Where we're going, we don't need roads," Source.

Quickly making his way to Monument Island, Booker finds Elizabeth in her tower, where she has been locked away for protection her whole life. Isolated from the rest of the world, Elizabeth only had her books to keep her company, very a la Belle from Beauty and the Beast. Because of this, Elizabeth is very knowledgeable in many different subjects, from lock picking, medicine and quantum physics. But on the inverse of this, she first appears very naïve, instantly trusting of most people. This proves invaluable at first as Booker helps her escape the tower to get her to New York, all the while promising her that together they'll discover the truth about Columbia, like how they managed to float a city.

"No one solves mysteries like Booker!!!" Source.

But along the way, we discover that Elizabeth is far from ordinary, possessing the innate ability to open “Tears.” These Tears allow Elizabeth the ability to see and pull things from parallel dimensions, where often everything is mostly the same except for one change that alters everything. This ability is useful to both the player and Booker as Elizabeth is able to pull needed supplies and constructions from other dimensions to aid them in combat. Using these portals, the dynamic duo manage to plow their way through Columbia while they sort through the lies, solve the puzzles of Elizabeth's past, and avoid a near all-present megalomaniac prophet just to ensure that by the end they're still alive.

"If you haven't been catching our allusion by now, maybe this will help," Source.

Introduced to the outside world, Elizabeth learns that it is not like the romantic tales of adventure that she once thought it would be. Watching enemies die at Booker's hand and entrusting people that inevitably betray her, Elizabeth grows harder over the course of the game. She starts using her tear ability more intensely to further their goals, causing even greater changes that start to snowball near out of control. But all the while, Booker keeps a protective eye on her, at first protecting her out of obligation. However, this changes over the course of their adventure as Booker begins to genuinely care for Elizabeth, even as he learns the truth about her powers, her past and even her connection to him.

"It's better if you don't get too friendly with that hand, Booker," Source.

Building up to the climax of Bioshock Infinite, many mysteries are revealed that have been plaguing Elizabeth her whole life. These discoveries change Elizabeth, fulfilling her internally and bringing a new sense of meaning to her being. It is the culmination of her journey, both physically and metaphysically. Because of this path of self-discovery, Elizabeth is a powerful example of a video game character full of depth and dimension. This kind of character is a shining beacon not just to modern video game storytelling, but to all video gaming in general. A mysterious character such as Elizabeth who begins naïve and who grows over the course of the story is someone storytellers should aspire to write about if they wish their story to have meaning.

"We don't have a final joke here, we're just leaving you with this nice moment," Source.

-Tom

Header Image Source.

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