2013's Bioshock Infinite was an undeniably great game. It had a brilliant story, awesome AI, amazing characters, and cool mechanics. It went away from the depths of Rapture and the big drills of the Big Daddies of the first two games and took to the skies of Columbia and haunting screeches of Songbird. It was full of twists that made the gamers who experienced its tale think about its ending for a long time. Like Bioshock's "Would You Kindly", Bioshock Infinite's "Bring us the girl and wipe away the debt" were simple words that defined the genre.

Burial at Sea was an episodic expansion announced in October of 2013. The biggest surprise of which was that the expansion would be set in an Unreal 3 recreation of Andrew Ryan's free enterprise-run city. Next to that in surprises was that one of the two episodes would have the players take the role of Elizabeth, the girl Booker DeWitt was sent to find and retrieve in Bioshock Infinite. Both, however, would combine the combat of Infinite with the exploration and survival elements of Bioshock.

Episode 1 was released on November 12, 2013, shortly after the arena survival-based Clash in the Clouds expansion. Set on the eve of Rapture's downfall (New Years Eve, 1959), players would take the role of an alternate Booker, who's an investigator in Rapture. On New Years Eve, he is approached by an older Elizabeth, who offers him a job. A girl named Sally, who Elizabeth believes has connections to Booker, has gone missing, and Booker needs to find her. The first thing to do, however, is to retrieve her location from Sander Cohen, an artist who Bioshock fans will remember.

The presented story follows Infinite nicely, and the return of characters like Sander Cohen and Andrew Ryan (the latter of which is only mentioned) will please fans of the series. It is required that you play Infinite, however, to get the twist at the end, as well as nods to Infinite. However, the pacing of Episode 1 is rushed. But I'll talk about that in a minute.

Graphically, Episode 1 is brilliant. Using the Unreal 3 engine that Infinite used, Rapture looks amazing and lively, in contrast to its debut in Bioshock. In the early stages of the game, you can see people going around and doing their business. Much like Columbia, it pulls you in. For the most part. Again, the pacing hurt this a bit.

Gameplay in Burial at Sea Episode 1 is a nice combination of Infinite and Bioshock. Returning elements from Bioshock include the weapon wheel and Plasmids (though they act like Vigors and some have the same identity). Returning from Infinite are the Sky-Hook (now called the Air Grabber) and tears. In combination, they work really nice. The game also encourages a stealth approach or limiting wasting ammo, as ammo is slightly rare in Episode 1.

Along with the Air Grabber, Episode 1 has a host of weapons and Plasmids. Along with modified versions of the carbine and shotgun, the tommy gun from Bioshock and a new weapon called the Radar Range are brought in. While the Radar Range is more of a gimmick than anything, the tommy gun is a satisfying delight to shoot Splicers with. Plasmids also appear, though they have the identity of Vigors. The only new addition in Episode 1 is Old Man Winter, which functions like Winter Blast.

The biggest problem with Episode 1 is, as mentioned above, is the pacing and the length. The pacing of Burial at Sea Episode 1 is too fast, and seems to be in a rush to move you through its story. This is a real shame because the story is quite good otherwise. It's also a short game, especially for $15. A run where you try to get everything will likely take you 3 hours, or 4 at the most. Episode 1 could've, and should've, been a bit longer.

Even with these problems, however, Burial at Sea Episode 1 is still a good expansion. The story is compelling and the gameplay tense and exciting. While $15 may be a bit steep for a short game, it is a fun game, and worth a buy if it goes on sale. It is free if you got the season pass, though.

Episode 2 was released on March 25, 2014, and was quickly expected to be good. Along with the announcement of various returning characters, it was announced to be Irrational Games' last title. It was up to Ken Levine and the rest of Irrational to create an experience that would combine everything great they made over 17 years into one. Luckily, they did. Episode 2 is excellent, and it makes up for the faults of Episode 1.

Set after Episode 1, Episode 2 casts Elizabeth as the player character. After Episode 1's ending, Elizabeth wakes up and Sally is taken away. As she is being forced into a game of Russian roulette, a vision of Booker tells her what to do to convince the leader of the group to free her. The leader, Atlas, who is lead to believe that she is a scientist's lab assistant and that she can get them back into Rapture, lets her go and gives her a deal: Help him and his cause, and she will get Sally back.

The story is even better than Episode 1, especially in pacing. The pacing of Episode 2 is brilliant, especially for an expansion. The story's biggest draw, besides it being the conclusion to the Bioshock series (for now), is the connections to Bioshock and the many returning characters. Along with Booker and Elizabeth, Andrew Ryan, Atlas, and Yi Suchong from Bioshock return. Daisy Fitzroy from Infinite also returns. The story is full of twists and turns that combine the worlds of Rapture and Columbia into one and provide backstory into many of the series' events. It all ends with a bittersweet, yet appropriate, ending that ties everything together.

Graphically, Burial at Sea Episode 2 looks just as good as Episode 1. The new areas of Rapture, as well as two familiar areas, look good. Since the civil war in Rapture has begun, its a lot less lively than Episode 1, and provides a atmosphere more akin to Bioshock than Infinite.

Episode 2 has a huge emphasis on stealth. Since Elizabeth is more fragile and less violent than Booker DeWitt, the player is encouraged to use non-violent methods or avoid combat if needed. The weapons and Plasmids are also changed to fit this. The Air Grabber, rather than rip an enemy's head off, will provide a quick knock-out when unseen and a knock-back when seen. The main weapon is a crossbow, which is fitted with knock-out gas, tranquilizer, and noisemakers. When used in combination, they provide for a great weapon. A few lethal weapons are given, just in case something goes bad. The Plasmids also help with stealth. Along with returning Plasmids Old Man Winter and Possession, a new Plasmid called Peeping Tom is brought in. It turns the player invisible and, when still, will allow the player to see through walls. The Plasmid is both fun to use and effective. A new difficulty has been added that is exclusive to Episode 2. Called 1998 Mode, the mode harkens back to Thief: The Dark Project. In this mode, the player is challenged to only use non-lethal methods against enemies.

Episode 2 is also longer than Episode 1. A regular run, with very little optional exploration, will take 5 hours. There is also a lot to find and discover. This, combined with the new 1998 mode, gives more replay value to Episode 2 than Episode 1. However, both are worth a replay or two to discover all of the ties to the series.

While Episode 1 had faults, both of these expansions to a brilliant game make other DLC look like garbage. While there aren't many additions to gameplay in Burial at Sea, both episodes provide great stories to the universe, with Episode 2 providing a great ending to Rapture and Columbia. It's sad that Irrational Games is closing. However, these two expansion are great send-offs to a studio responsible for some of the greatest games ever made.