You arrive at a lighthouse in the middle of the ocean, its beam circling in the blackness of the night. You are coerced into ascending the spire, eventually arriving only to be shot off to some distant, fantastic city. And, there, the wondrous expanse of the cityscape is … well, nothing short of breathtaking.

Where have we heard that one before? Surprisingly, “BioShock Infinite” ’s opening is just as exciting as the original 2008 release. Instead of sinking into the murky deep that was Rapture, we are instead rocketed off to the floating paradise city of Columbia. Both expose the worst of society’s flaws; both exploit near-magical mutations (now called “vigors” instead of past games’ plasmids) and mechanical behemoths — but it’s clear that “Infinite” is a new adventure.

Taking control of ex-security agent Booker DeWitt, the player is tasked with journeying to Columbia in search of a girl named Elizabeth to “erase the debt,” as emphasized enigmatically over and over again. The world that unfurls upon arriving at Columbia is beautiful in all of the right and wrong ways. This gleaming, cheery boardwalk-city yields to a much more sinister underbelly — a massive steampunk representation of America’s turn-of-the-century exceptionalism. Every nook and cranny hides a secret of Columbia’s past, present and even future. Explorers can feel free to eat their hearts out.

Considering that the gameplay boasts a dozen or so guns and only two slots to place them, average combat would start to get repetitive, but the variety of enemies ensures the opposite. “Patriots,” which can only be described as giant, mechanized effigies of our founding fathers, appear randomly to apply pressure to any situation (and, yes, you’re encouraged to shoot a George Washington-themed automaton in the face. So it goes.) Bosses range from bizarre to legitimately spooky — and without giving too much away, “Infinite” threw a particularly terrifying experience into the mix three-quarters of the way through the story. Keep an eye out for that.

The vigors, on the other hand, don’t particularly change much about the plasmids from the previous two games. A few cool effects are introduced or switched, but for the most part, the system will feel right at home — shock here, set aflame there. Upgrading at vending machines (where you can improve vigors or guns, depending on the type) is a must for tackling more difficult enemies/armies of enemies later on.

But even with the gorgeous graphics and exciting action sequences, “Infinite” clearly excels most in its storytelling. You could breeze through the game and still grasp a solid amount of the intricate, creative plot — but every voxaphone adds another hidden piece of the puzzle. The points of the narrative are difficult to talk about without spoiling, which is itself a testament to the many twists and turns. But even as villains change or persevere, there’s always the subtle reminder that there are much greater forces at work.

The ending is … well, if you’ve beaten it, there’s really nothing to add. The resolution leaves questions over which fans can debate, but it’s definitely satisfying in a “I-didn’t-see-that-coming” kind of twist. In fact, I told my friends that I was pretty sure what the ending would be when I was about halfway through, only to be absolutely wrong. Don’t even try guessing — your brain will hurt more than wrapping your head around the space-time “tears” Elizabeth is able to conjure. Otherwise, enjoy the experience and where it takes you.