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Soldier's Field Earnest Eagle sign
Soldier's Field: For Pint-Sized Patriots
― Welcome Sign[src]

Soldier's Field is an amusement park district of Columbia. It features shops, boardwalks, museums, and cafes with access to each of the area's different venues.

When Booker DeWitt and Elizabeth arrive here in 1912, parts of the park are shut down due to the occupation of the Vox Populi, led by the former Founder soldier, Captain Cornelius Slate. Citizens still mill about in Main Street, but the atmosphere is uneasy.

History[]

Tank Facade
BioShock Infinite - Battleship Bay - Soldier's Field Welcome Center entrance f0807

The entrance to the Soldier's Field Welcome Center.

Soldier's Field was conceived and designed by Zachary Hale Comstock in 1903.[1] Years after the death of Lady Comstock and the beginning of the rise of the Vox Populi, Comstock wanted to indoctrinate the young children of Columbia with military and national service to the Founders' ideals and cause. This involved the characters Dimwit & Duke, boy scouts who represent both the ideal and non-ideal Columbian child. Propaganda also included xenophobic and racist cartoons, depicting certain races as scoundrels that ideal children like Duke must defend against.

The park was built with many attractions and stores such as the Battleship Bay Arcade, Dimwit & Duke Ice Cream Shoppe, Founders Books, Toy Soldiers, Patriot's Pride, First Lady's Aerodrome, and the Hall of Heroes, all of which were designed as propaganda to impress the need for Columbia's military service upon the children. The Hall of Heroes, however, attracted controversy from those who were present at the events it depicted, namely Cornelius Slate, who was present at the Battle of Wounded Knee and the Boxer Rebellion.

The Hall of Heroes glorifies Comstock and promotes the idea that he was the hero of the Battle of Wounded Knee and the Boxer Rebellion. Slate, who had been present in both battles, accused Comstock of lying about his role, unaware of Comstock's former life. Comstock subsequently stripped Slate of his rank, who was then forced into Finkton as a laborer. Due to his attitude and predicament, Slate soon joined the Vox Populi. While in Finkton, Slate also uncovered the personal diary of Lady Comstock, one that revealed the truth of Elizabeth's conception, proving the First Lady's memorial in the Hall of Heroes to be a lie as well.

By July of 1912, the Vox Populi was growing. Slate's personal goals led him to escape Finkton and lead some Vox and fellow disenfranchised veterans to occupy the Hall of Heroes and desecrate it. Vandalizing its exhibits, Slate renamed it the "Hall of Whores" but remained unaware of the Founders planning to strike back. While this section of Soldier's Field was closed, the rest, including Battleship Bay, the Arcade, the Aerodrome, and the main street of Soldier's Field, remained open to the public.

BioShock Infinite[]

Soldiersfieldmap bsi

Map of Soldier's field.

Main article: BioShock Infinite

When reaching Soldier's Field, the Booker and Elizabeth discover that the gondola to the Aerodrome requires electricity, namely the Shock Jockey Vigor. The Vigor is advertised to be in the Hall of Heroes, so Booker and Elizabeth make their way through Soldier's Field to the Hall to obtain the Vigor, where they are forced to confront Cornelius Slate. The two fight their way through the exhibits of the Battle of Wounded Knee and the Boxer Rebellion, giving Slate's men an honorable death, and discovering the myth Comstock created for himself.

Booker and Elizabeth then make their way through to the First Lady's Memorial, discovering the birth of the "Seed of the Prophet", and the death of Lady Comstock. In this memorial, they discover that Elizabeth is Comstock's daughter and is intended to follow in his footsteps. They head to the gift shop and then return, combating Slate's men and using Elizabeth's power in combat. The two reach Slate and subdue him to get the Vigor. They return to the gondola and Aerodrome, fighting through Comstock's men, and reach the Airship. Booker betrays Elizabeth by attempting to take her to New York City, but Elizabeth knocks him unconscious and takes the Airship instead to Finkton.

Battleship Bay[]

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Just a day at the beach.

Battleship Bay is a man-made beach located near the base of Monument Island. It is comprised of a small, artificial bay supplied by pumps and rain-catchers[2] and a sandy shore. The beach features simple attractions, such as "Dancing at Dusk" on a small dock, boating, surfing, and various food stalls. The upper boardwalk features curio shops, food carts, and a view of the beach.

Arcade[]

Bioshockinfinitearcade

Fun and merriment.

The arcade is a colorful area filled with theater cabinets, featuring various installments of the Dimwit & Duke series. It also features the game's first Motorized Patriot, on display in a glass case.

The Soldier's Field Welcome Center[]

Soldiersfieldearnesteaglejpg

The statue in the Welcome Center.

The Welcome Center is an atrium featuring mechanical eagles, with a jaunty Columbian tune "The Readiness is All" playing in the room as ambiance, with lyrics that warn young Columbians to be aware of the threat from other races and classes of people, especially those that did not espouse Columbian ideals. The mechanisms that run the area's technological features are powered by Shock Jockey crystals, which burst when Elizabeth and Booker first enter the area.

Main Street[]

BioShock Infinite - Soldier's Field - Main Street Entrance f0816

The entrance to the Main Street outside the Welcome Center

The Main Street of Soldier's Field connects all attractions of the area, acting as a hub by connecting Battleship Bay and Arcade, the Ferris Wheel, the First Lady Aerodrome and the Hall of Heroes. Main Street holds an ice cream parlor, hotel, book store, toy shop, stage performance, carousel, and gift store. Near the gift store, a vendor is showing off a plush toy of Songbird to a small group of children.

Patriot's Pavilion[]

Patriot's Pavilion is a subsection of Soldier's Field. It features a ticket booth, a Patriot's Pride confectionery store, a pub called The Fellow Traveller, and the gondola leading to the Hall of Heroes. It is here that Booker finds the Bucking Bronco Vigor and also witnesses a small meeting concerning Cornelius Slate.

The Fellow Traveller[]

The Fellow Traveller is a bar used as a front for hiding contraband weapons for Cornelius Slate and the Vox Populi. It is taken over during a Police raid.

Patriot's Pride[]

Patriot's Pride Confections is a business that makes candy and other sweets.

Hall of Heroes[]

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Debased statuary at the Hall.

The Hall of Heroes is a museum dedicated to historical events important to the history of Columbia. The exhibits within reinvent history to extol the actions of Columbia and its leader, Zachary Hale Comstock. It also features racist caricatures of Chinese citizens and Native Americans, and has displays meant to demonize the Vox Populi.

The Hall of Heroes has been closed, overrun ,and extensively vandalized by Slate and his men.

First Lady's Aerodrome[]

Firstladyareodrome

The First Lady's Aerodrome at sunset.

The First Lady's Aerodrome is a floating docking station for the airship The First Lady. Comstock has his own personal zeppelin stationed in the Aerodrome.

New Discoveries[]

New Vigors[]

New Weaponry[]

New Enemies[]

Voxophones[]

  1. Daisy Fitzroy - A Place in the World
  2. Zachary Hale Comstock - I am His Mirror
  3. Rosalind Lutece - Viewing the Infinite
  4. Cornelius Slate - Never Seen the Face
  5. Vivian Monroe - A True Soldier
  6. Leander Manley - Vox Contraband Inventory
  7. Daisy Fitzroy - Their Sun is Setting
  8. Cornelius Slate - A Final Stand
  9. Preston E. Downs - Calling You Out

Kinetoscopes[]

  1. A City in the Sky? Impossible!
  2. Mighty Songbird Patrols the Skies
  3. Who are the Vox Populi?
  4. Who Needs the Power Company?
  5. A City Mourns

Gallery[]

Concept Art[]

In-Game Images[]

Behind the Scenes[]

BoardWalk LE litho-480x340

A framed lithographs of Soldier's Field concept art.

  • The map for Soldier's Field shows a gondola going from the Main Street to the Ferris Wheel. However no such gondola can be found by Booker.
  • During the conversation about the history of Soldier's Field, Elizabeth quotes from Proverbs 22:6.
  • The Soldier's Field doors concept art was made by Chris Chaproniere.[4] The early Battleship Bay and Labyrinth of Love concept art were made by Ben Lo.[5] The concepts for the Battleship Bay assets, the Earnest Eagle gazebo and the Soldier's Field Welcome Center were made by Jorge Lacera.[6] The early "Boardwalk Park" concept was made by Josh Kao.[7]
  • Framed lithographs of concept art, including Soldier's Field concept art, were sold in limited quantity on Irrational Games' online store.[8]

References[]

  1. Conversation between Booker and Elizabeth in the Soldier's Field Welcome Center:
    "Soldier's Field, built in 1903 by the hand of our Prophet."
    "What interest does a prophet have with a bunch of carnies and carousels?"
    "The place is themed to acquaint children with national service."
    "You mean the military."
    "Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it."
  2. As per Elizabeth's commentary
  3. Murray Kraft's Portfolio
  4. Chris Chaproniere's ArtStation Profile
  5. Ben Lo's ArtStation Profile
  6. Jorge Lacera's Tumblr
  7. Josh Kao's ArtStation Profile
  8. Games Adds More BioShock Infinite Girth to Their Online Store on GameZone
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