Firstly a quick message: As the second post to this blog, I thought I'd make the exact opposite to my first post; as well as give a bit of an idea how I will approach posts in future.
Grinding My Gears in my mind will be an occasional series with writing about things in entertainment and media that are irritating me, typically with a slightly more serious bent.
Video Game Details will consist of shorter, more silly posts spotlighting details in Game design and their brilliance or stupidity (or both in the right situations). I've got more plans for other regular posts which I'll reveal as I go, if you've got any recommendations or criticisms leave a comment, I'll read all of them.
Bioshock Infinite's Columbia is pretty heavy on symbolism and arguably the biggest, bar the lighthouses that feature prominently in the final sequence, is Baptism (and related concepts of course). As such water features quite prominently, most noticeable in the opening sequence: water covers the floors, offering reflections of the candles and stained glass windows that make up the area. The first dream like moment was induced by near drowning during a baptism, but in reality you'd find it hard to make it that far alive.
What am I talking about? The fact you'd likely die during the initial ascent? The fact that any town quite as paranoid about an intruder as clearly branded as Booker would have a guard when you first arrive at the Church like entrance? No, but both of those would be far more legitimate reasons than the one I'll discuss (and far to legitimate for these posts). No, I'm talking about the poor design of the area's plumbing and the staircase that would likely leave you in a broken pile at the bottom.
Sure, it might look nice, having an endless stream of water running down a stone staircase lit only by the occasional window and a quantity of candles significantly larger than anyone could realistically replace each day, but that is one hell of a dangerous staircase if ever I saw one.
Notice that this system isn't only dangerous for you, new visitors or the constant rotation of candle-replacers that must inevitably populate this church, but also for the priest/ official welcome. He is standing in robes that are wet, constrictive and likely heavy and is expected to walk down these poorly lit stone steps with a constant stream of water running down them? Perhaps this is Father Comstock's notion for population control, or an underpaid architect's petty revenge, but truly this pretty little introduction would cause more than a few issues in the real world.
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