Skip to main content

Ken Levine discusses BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea Episode 1's ending

Eurogamer's analysis and Levine's hints for Episode 2. SPOILERS AHEAD.

Warning: This article includes detailed ending spoilers for BioShock Infinite and Burial at Sea Episode 1.

"It's a nice, light, happy ending, right?"

A long six months since have passed since we inhabited the shoes of Booker DeWitt. As Burial at Sea opens we find ourselves back in control of BioShock Infinite's hero, but in a completely different setting and guise. So which version of DeWitt is this, and how does his relocation to the doomed underwater metropolis of Rapture fit with Infinite's narrative? Answers to these questions are slowly teased throughout the DLC's brief but absorbing first episode, before another mind-bending finale from BioShock creator Ken Levine that pulls the rug out from under players entirely.

Infinite's ending involved three versions of DeWitt. There was the aged Comstock, Columbia's creator and Elizabeth's kidnapper - who was eventually drowned by 'our' Booker, as controlled by the player. Infinite's final twist saw this version of DeWitt die too - drowned by a multiverse of Elizabeths to pre-emptively stop all versions of Comstock from ever existing. Which was a bit of a raw deal.

But there was another version of Booker as well - the one who briefly appeared after Infinite's end credits, once the dust had settled on the game's reality-changing antics. With the timeline reset, this DeWitt was back in his old life - possibly with his infant daughter, too - in a reality cleansed of Comstock's interference. As you begin Burial at Sea it's fair to assume that it can only be this version of DeWitt you are now playing, albeit for some reason transported from Infinite's Columbia to Rapture. He certainly didn't originate there - when recalling how he arrived in the city, DeWitt experiences another nosebleed, just as he did in Infinite when his mind created memories to fit the surroundings of a foreign reality.

Watch on YouTube

But - and here we nosedive deep into spoiler territory - Burial at Sea Episode 1's finale reveals this DeWitt to instead be another version of Comstock, one who somehow escaped Elizabeth's purge at the end of Infinite. This Comstock's attempt to kidnap baby Elizabeth ended in tragedy - rather than losing a pinky finger in the struggle with DeWitt, the infant Liz was left decapitated. Distraught and guilty, this Comstock had the Luteces send him to Rapture where he might find refuge. There his memories reset, he had a shave, and he returned to his former persona.

"The trouble of explaining anything when you start to cover off the mechanics is that the true linear understanding of events gets very, very, very complicated."

Ken Levine, BioShock creator

So, how was he able to escape Elizabeth's cull of all Comstock realities - and indeed, how he is he able to still exist now the Columbia he came from presumably does not?

"The trouble of explaining anything when you start to cover off the mechanics is that the true linear understanding of events gets very, very, very complicated," BioShock creator Ken Levine tells Eurogamer when we press him for more concrete answers. "Chronology gets very, very complicated. As Einstein says, 'The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once'. It's a way we perceive something."

Our theory? In moving to inhabit another reality (one previously free from any form of DeWitt) Comstock was saved when Elizabeth pruned the multiverse of all DeWitt-inhabited branches. Elizabeth's appearance in Rapture to end this last backwater of his existence is simply her finishing the job. She's in the debt collection business, she says, here to repay the damage Comstock once caused her by scrubbing reality clean of any remaining versions.

Elizabeth knew this version of Comstock's identity from the start, it becomes clear. This is a much colder form of the once-innocent character who only wished to see Paris, a version whose worldview has been warped by the events of Infinite. Compare her carefree dance with DeWitt on the sandy shores of Battleship Bay with her sad waltz in the dark setting of Cohen's Club, her cold-blooded plot to kill Comstock now in full swing.

Glimpses of where Comstock died appear through Episode 1, which subtly hint at his real persona.

"Elizabeth has a demonstrated ability to be able to see behind and access all of the doors," Levine reminds us. "She's capable of existing in any reality." This ability allows her to play the master manipulator, able to prey on Comstock when he is most vulnerable: in the dank depths of Rapture that foreshadow the city's fallen future and after forcing him to remember the pain of losing a child.

She guides him down there to discover what became of Sally, the little girl who used to come into his place of work and - due perhaps to some stray memory of twice losing a daughter - that he began to take of. Elizabeth has had no hand in what Sally has become - Rapture itself is responsible for that - but Liz makes sure Comstock stares it in the face, and in doing so finally triggers the memory of what he did to her. And only then does she let the Big Daddy's drill bore into him. It is the very opposite of a clean kill. It's calculated, bloody murder designed to inflict as much pain as possible on mind and body.

"You look at the journey of Elizabeth from the girl you met in the tower to the woman standing in front of you at the end of this, with Comstock's blood all over her face," Levine says. "That's a very different person who has been changed by events. To me the question is - what has Elizabeth just done? What kind of person has she become and where is she going? She's concocted this scheme to have Comstock murdered while at the same time nearly burning a little child, leaving Sally to her fate.

"Where does Elizabeth go from there? How does she react to what she's done, when she has time to think about it? That's what is interesting to me - watching the character evolve over time, change from one person to another due to events. You tell me - I don't think she's going to just wake up the next day and it feel like Animal Crossing from now on. There's nothing wrong with Animal Crossing. But the story will continue from there."

We've seen Liz stumble down a dark path before - and that didn't end well.

We've known for some time that Elizabeth will take over the game's protagonist role in Episode 2, but only after seeing Episode 1's ending is it made clear how much the whole of Burial at Sea is about her. "Even though this is based in Rapture it is part of the BioShock Infinite story, and really it is Elizabeth's story in a lot of ways," Levine agrees. The revenge mission of which you are the target is a plot device to show how far Liz has been altered. But that's not to suggest DeWitt's presence will be absent from Episode 2 overall. Their story - Infinite's story - has shown their fates to be so closely entwined that it seems unlikely his half is completely done.

It would also be a surprise not to again glimpse Columbia - Infinite's airborne setting that we never really said goodbye to. How about an 'after the fall' version of that? Or a final glimpse, at least, just as Rapture appeared in Infinite? "How do I answer that..." Levine laughs. "Erm, next question? People used to ask me with Infinite if there would be Rapture Easter eggs. The answer was no, Rapture was in it. It was a critical tool we used to explain so much of what was going on in that universe. In the same way, any time we return to something it has to be critical to what's happening in terms of the story and the characters. So I'll say this - if something is critical, it will appear, and if it's not, it won't."

If the story of Burial at Sea is about Elizabeth, then it seems inevitable we'll end up back in Columbia at some point - it's where the character was formed, if not first born. And it would bring a certain amount of closure to the whole Infinite saga, which has to date ended on two satisfying but particularly melancholy notes. Might a more upbeat finale await in Episode 2?

"Booker and Elizabeth's struggles that they go through... the notion of finality and closure get very challenging in these stories because of their infinite nature..." Levine pauses. "I'll say this. I think you'll get a deep level of closure that you don't expect... To be incredibly vague!"

Read this next

seductrice.net
universo-virtual.com
buytrendz.net
thisforall.net
benchpressgains.com
qthzb.com
mindhunter9.com
dwjqp1.com
secure-signup.net
ahaayy.com
tressesindia.com
puresybian.com
krpano-chs.com
cre8workshop.com
hdkino.org
peixun021.com
qz786.com
utahperformingartscenter.org
worldqrmconference.com
shangyuwh.com
eejssdfsdfdfjsd.com
playminecraftfreeonline.com
trekvietnamtour.com
your-business-articles.com
essaywritingservice10.com
hindusamaaj.com
joggingvideo.com
wandercoups.com
wormblaster.net
tongchengchuyange0004.com
internetknowing.com
breachurch.com
peachesnginburlesque.com
dataarchitectoo.com
clientfunnelformula.com
30pps.com
cherylroll.com
ks2252.com
prowp.net
webmanicura.com
sofietsshotel.com
facetorch.com
nylawyerreview.com
apapromotions.com
shareparelli.com
goeaglepointe.com
thegreenmanpubphuket.com
karotorossian.com
publicsensor.com
taiwandefence.com
epcsur.com
southstills.com
tvtv98.com
thewellington-hotel.com
bccaipiao.com
colectoresindustrialesgs.com
shenanddcg.com
capriartfilmfestival.com
replicabreitlingsale.com
thaiamarinnewtoncorner.com
gkmcww.com
mbnkbj.com
andrewbrennandesign.com
cod54.com
luobinzhang.com
faithfirst.net
zjyc28.com
tongchengjinyeyouyue0004.com
nhuan6.com
kftz5k.com
oldgardensflowers.com
lightupthefloor.com
bahamamamas-stjohns.com
ly2818.com
905onthebay.com
fonemenu.com
notanothermovie.com
ukrainehighclassescort.com
meincmagazine.com
av-5858.com
yallerdawg.com
donkeythemovie.com
corporatehospitalitygroup.com
boboyy88.com
miteinander-lernen.com
dannayconsulting.com
officialtomsshoesoutletstore.com
forsale-amoxil-amoxicillin.net
generictadalafil-canada.net
guitarlessonseastlondon.com
lesliesrestaurants.com
mattyno9.com
nri-homeloans.com
rtgvisas-qatar.com
salbutamolventolinonline.net
sportsinjuries.info
wedsna.com
rgkntk.com
bkkmarketplace.com
zxqcwx.com
breakupprogram.com
boxcardc.com
unblockyoutubeindonesia.com
fabulousbookmark.com
beat-the.com
guatemala-sailfishing-vacations-charters.com
magie-marketing.com
kingstonliteracy.com
guitaraffinity.com
eurelookinggoodapparel.com
howtolosecheekfat.net
marioncma.org
oliviadavismusic.com
shantelcampbellrealestate.com
shopleborn13.com
topindiafree.com
v-visitors.net
djjky.com
053hh.com
originbluei.com
baucishotel.com
33kkn.com
intrinsiqresearch.com
mariaescort-kiev.com
mymaguk.com
sponsored4u.com
crimsonclass.com
bataillenavale.com
searchtile.com
ze-stribrnych-struh.com
zenithalhype.com
modalpkv.com
bouisset-lafforgue.com
useupload.com
37r.net
autoankauf-muenster.com
bantinbongda.net
bilgius.com
brabustermagazine.com
indigrow.org
miicrosofts.net
mysmiletravel.com
selinasims.com
spellcubesapp.com
usa-faction.com
hypoallergenicdogsnames.com
dailyupdatez.com
foodphotographyreviews.com
cricutcom-setup.com
chprowebdesign.com
katyrealty-kanepa.com
tasramar.com
bilgipinari.org
four-am.com
indiarepublicday.com
inquick-enbooks.com
iracmpi.com
kakaschoenen.com
lsm99flash.com
nana1255.com
ngen-niagara.com
technwzs.com
virtualonlinecasino1345.com
wallpapertop.net
casino-natali.com
iprofit-internet.com
denochemexicana.com
eventhalfkg.com
medcon-taiwan.com
life-himawari.com
myriamshomes.com
nightmarevue.com
healthandfitnesslives.com
androidnews-jp.com
allstarsru.com
bestofthebuckeyestate.com
bestofthefirststate.com
bestwireless7.com
britsmile.com
declarationintermittent.com
findhereall.com
jingyou888.com
lsm99deal.com
lsm99galaxy.com
moozatech.com
nuagh.com
patliyo.com
philomenamagikz.net
rckouba.net
saturnunipessoallda.com
tallahasseefrolics.com
thematurehardcore.net
totalenvironment-inthatquietearth.com
velislavakaymakanova.com
vermontenergetic.com
kakakpintar.com
begorgeouslady.com
1800birks4u.com
2wheelstogo.com
6strip4you.com
bigdata-world.net
emailandco.net
gacapal.com
jharpost.com
krishnaastro.com
lsm99credit.com
mascalzonicampani.com
sitemapxml.org
thecityslums.net
topagh.com
flairnetwebdesign.com
rajasthancarservices.com
bangkaeair.com
beneventocoupon.com
noternet.org
oqtive.com
smilebrightrx.com
decollage-etiquette.com
1millionbestdownloads.com
7658.info
bidbass.com
devlopworldtech.com
digitalmarketingrajkot.com
fluginfo.net
naqlafshk.com
passion-decouverte.com
playsirius.com
spacceleratorintl.com
stikyballs.com
top10way.com
yokidsyogurt.com
zszyhl.com
16firthcrescent.com
abogadolaboralistamd.com
apk2wap.com
aromacremeria.com
banparacard.com
bosmanraws.com
businessproviderblog.com
caltonosa.com
calvaryrevivalchurch.org
chastenedsoulwithabrokenheart.com
cheminotsgardcevennes.com
cooksspot.com
cqxzpt.com
deesywig.com
deltacartoonmaps.com
despixelsetdeshommes.com
duocoracaobrasileiro.com
fareshopbd.com
goodpainspills.com
hemendekor.com
kobisitecdn.com
makaigoods.com
mgs1454.com
piccadillyresidences.com
radiolaondafresca.com
rubendorf.com
searchengineimprov.com
sellmyhrvahome.com
shugahouseessentials.com
sonihullquad.com
subtractkilos.com
valeriekelmansky.com
vipasdigitalmarketing.com
voolivrerj.com
zeelonggroup.com
1015southrockhill.com
10x10b.com
111-online-casinos.com
191cb.com
3665arpentunitd.com
aitesonics.com
bag-shokunin.com
brightotech.com
communication-digitale-services.com
covoakland.org
dariaprimapack.com
freefortniteaccountss.com
gatebizglobal.com
global1entertainmentnews.com
greatytene.com
hiroshiwakita.com
iktodaypk.com
jahatsakong.com
meadowbrookgolfgroup.com
newsbharati.net
platinumstudiosdesign.com
slotxogamesplay.com
strikestaruk.com
trucosdefortnite.com
ufabetrune.com
weddedtowhitmore.com
12940brycecanyonunitb.com
1311dietrichoaks.com
2monarchtraceunit303.com
601legendhill.com
850elaine.com
adieusolasomade.com
andora-ke.com
bestslotxogames.com
cannagomcallen.com
endlesslyhot.com
iestpjva.com
ouqprint.com
pwmaplefest.com
qtylmr.com
rb88betting.com
buscadogues.com
1007macfm.com
born-wild.com
growthinvests.com
promocode-casino.com
proyectogalgoargentina.com
wbthompson-art.com
whitemountainwheels.com
7thavehvl.com
developmethis.com
funkydogbowties.com
travelodgegrandjunction.com
gao-town.com
globalmarketsuite.com
blogshippo.com
hdbka.com
proboards67.com
outletonline-michaelkors.com
kalkis-research.com
thuthuatit.net
buckcash.com
hollistercanada.com
docterror.com
asadart.com
vmayke.org
erwincomputers.com
dirimart.org
okkii.com
loteriasdecehegin.com
mountanalog.com
healingtaobritain.com
ttxmonitor.com
nwordpress.com
11bolabonanza.com