Bioshock Infinite: 10 Important Details You Didn't Notice
9. Cornelius Slate Did Not Recognise That Comstock Was Once Booker
Being a complex, dense, at times overwhelming beast of a game, it should come as no surprise that Infinite confused some people, and one of the most confusing details revolves around Cornelius Slate.
A staunch supporter of Comstock until Comstock painted himself as the hero of Wounded Knee and the Boxer Rebellion, Slate, citing the fact that Comstock did not fight during the Rebellion and was not present (as he believed) at Wounded Knee, quickly grew disillusioned, leading to him launching a full blown uprising.
But Booker DeWitt became Comstock, and he was at Wounded Knee, so why doesn’t Slate recognise him?
Because by the time Slate becomes his follower, Comstock had already suffered the rapid Tear-induced ageing that would render him unrecognisable.
The brilliance of this detail is that the contradiction only exists on a second play through: players who don’t know the truth don’t see the problem, but returning players do, which leads to confusion.
Confusion echoed by any person who travels from one universe to another and who, quote, “desperately struggle(s) to create memories where none exist…”
Whether this was intentional on Irrational Games’ part is up for debate, but one thing is certain: it’s not only Booker’s mind that is being messed with.