(Note: The review contains spoilers for pretty much the entire Bioshock series. I'll try to be as vague as possible, but tread lightly if you haven't finished the series yet)

As I scrambled to escape my pursuers on The First Lady Airship above the floating city of Columbia, I couldn't help it - I had to peer off the edge and look at the once utopian city below me one last time. It was sort of bittersweet leaving Columbia one last time as Bioshock Infinite had been one of my favorite experiences in gaming in recent memory. That being said, Burial at Sea: Episode 2, which serves as a final chapter to the saga of Booker and Elizabeth fixes everything that the first chapter did wrong - it's more fleshed out and much longer and it also introduces some key new gameplay elements that force you to approach the game differently. Most importantly though, it offers up a satisfying and fitting conclusion that wraps up the entire world of Bioshock nearly perfectly; and every fan of the franchise should play it.

"...an interesting, and somewhat bittersweet journey..."

Episode 2 picks up directly after the events of Episode 1. Elizabeth has traveled back to Rapture to eliminate what she believes to be the final Comstock in the world. We learn shortly after beginning the game that she's less than successful in this and as a result, she's left to find the little girl Sally without having access to her tear abilities (you'll see why). This is an interesting, and somewhat bittersweet journey through Rapture that takes more than a few unexpected turns and will leave you guessing for the majority of the game.

You'll play as Elizabeth this time, which actually does change a lot about the game and how it feels. Elizabeth is a lot more vulnerable than Booker or Jack before her and as a result, you're going to have to approach situations much differently to survive. Episode 2's focus is much more on stealth than the previous games, which makes Rapture, a setting that I myself was disappointed the DLC focused on feel new. Key to this feeling is the inclusion of a new crossbow with specialized tranquilizer, gas and noisemaker ammo along with some fun new plasmid abilities. The peeping Tom plasmid allows Elizabeth to sneak through areas undetected and also see enemies behind walls; these may be tried and true staples of stealth gameplay but the folks at Irrational Games have done a great job making them fit into the Bioshock Universe.

"...it is satisfying, especially for long-time fans."

The story of Episode 2 takes the player to places they're not likely to expect. It becomes apparent early in the game that this isn't a standalone adventure in the "infinite worlds" idea presented in the finale of the original Bioshock Infinite, this is a connected world and that the events of Episode 2 tie directly in to the events of the entire Bioshock series. It's kind of neat to see how your perception of the whole series changes when the credits roll. Okay, this may not be the mind-blowing twist of the original Bioshock infinite, but it is satisfying, especially for long-time fans. It does seem however that so much happens in Episode 2 that it makes Episode 1 feel almost unnecessary. Just add a bit to Episode 1 and you'll have one hell of an experience without the four month wait in between.

Bioshock Infinite: Burial at Sea (Episode 2) does what any concluding chapter should - it reminds us why we love a game and gives us a clear and satisfying conclusion. Beyond that, it introduces new ideas, mechanics and concepts that change the way you'll play the game. With the recent changes at Irrational Games, this would seemingly be the end for Bioshock as we know it and Ken Levine and crew have delivered a remarkable, fun and satisfying end to the story of Elizabeth, Booker and Jack.