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Tag: BioShock

  • Final ‘BioShock Infinite’ DLC Out Today

    Final ‘BioShock Infinite’ DLC Out Today

    2K and Irrational Games today released the final DLC installment for BioShock Infinite. The content is the second episode of the Burial at Sea story DLC and wraps up the dimension-spanning tale of BioShock Infinite.

    BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea – Episode Two continues right where Burial at Sea – Episode One left off. The DLC puts players back into Rapture, the underwater city first introduced in the first BioShock game. The content mixes character made famous in that first game with the protagonists from BioShock Infinite in a swirled mix of alternate history and science fiction.

    In Episode Two players will take on the role of Elizabeth, as she desperately attempts to save a little sister named Sally. A few glimpses of what the finale might hold were released today via a launch trailer for the DLC:

    “I think the work the team did on this final chapter speaks for itself,” said Ken Levine, creative director at Irrational Games. “We built something that is larger in scope and length, and at the same time put the player in Elizabeth’s shoes. This required overhauling the experience to make the player see the world and approach problems as Elizabeth would: leveraging stealth, mechanical insight, new weapons and tactics. The inclusion of a separate 1998 Mode demands the player complete the experience without any lethal action. BioShock fans are going to plotz.”

    This final story for BioShock Infinite may also wrap up the entire BioShock franchise. Last month Irrational Games announced that it would be shutting its doors for good.

    Instead of leading the large studio, Levine has taken less than two dozen former Irrational employees and founding a “smaller, more entrepreneurial endeavor at Take-Two.” The team that Levine has created will be making smaller titles for a core gaming audience, suggesting that the spectacle that was the BioShock franchise may now be a thing of the past.

  • Irrational Games Shutting Down, Levine To Form Smaller Team

    Irrational Games is one of the most celebrated developers of all time. Its most popular games – System Shock 2, BioShock and BioShock Infinite – are always brought up when discussing narrative in first person shooters. Its games also happened to be major blockbuster hits so a new game from the studio was assumed to be a sure fire thing. Well, not anymore.

    Ken Levine took to the Irrational Games front page today to announce that the studio he founded 17 years ago would be “winding down Irrational Games as you know it.” In other words, Levine is shutting down the studio in favor of a “smaller, more entrepreneurial endeavor at Take-Two.” He says that this means laying off all but 15 of Irrational’s staff as he forms a small team that makes games “for the core gaming audience.”

    As you can imagine, the news was quite a shock. You usually only hear about studio closures when the games they make perform badly. Irrational’s last game – BioShock Infinite – was quite the opposite as it was one of the best selling games of 2013. Irrational Games’ owner Take-Two had no reason to shut down the studio so it appears that this is a decision made by Levine. He himself says as much by revealing that he contemplated leaving Irrational and Take-Two to form an indie studio, but was told by Take-Two that they would support any endeavor he wanted to pursue.

    So, what does this mean for the BioShock franchise? Levine says it’s now in the hands of Take-Two. That means that we may see a new BioShock game in the future, but it won’t be made by any of the guys at Irrational. Of course, this wouldn’t be the first time that’s happened as the generally well received BioShock 2 was developed by 2K Marin as Irrational worked on BioShock Infinite.

    This is definitely a weird situation and feelings regarding the closure are all over the board. Some are wishing Levine the best while others are questioning the logic of shutting down a successful studio just because its head wants to pursue smaller, more personal projects.

    Image via Irrational Games

  • ‘BioShock Infinite’ DLC Coming March 25

    Just last week 2K released a new preview for its upcoming BioShock Infinite DLC. The preview teased returning BioShock characters and a new, intriguing situation but was light on the details when it came to the content’s release. Today that oversight has been remedied.

    2K today announced that BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea episode two will be released for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC on March 25. The content will be available for $15 or as part of the BioShock Infinite DLC season pass.

    Of course, March is the worst possible month for gamers to have more content announced for. The month is already packed with South Park: The Stick of Truth, Dark Souls 2, TitanFall, Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, Infamous: Second Son, and a few other great-looking niche games. It might be easy for gamers to forget the second half of the Burial at Sea story in the midst of such a big month for gaming, especially given the lackluster reception of the first half of the story.

    Even so, BioShock fans who paid up for the season pass will get the conclusion to Burial at Sea and get the opportunity to spend even more time in rapture. 2K is promising that the new DLC will involve aspects from both BioShock and BioShock Infinite, providing a piece of fan service worthy of the BioShock series’ twisted storyline.

    “In Burial at Sea episode two, we are delivering a story that involves nearly every major character from the original BioShock and BioShock Infinite,” said Ken Levine, creative director of Irrational Games. “It is a story that will give gamers a new perspective on the BioShock universe and conclude the story of BioShock Infinite and Burial at Sea.”

  • New ‘BioShock Infinite’ DLC Previewed

    It has been nearly one year since the release of BioShock Infinite. Since that time the game has received numerous mentions on game-of-the-year lists and just this month was one of the free games features through Sony’s PlayStation Plus service.

    Back in November, around the time new consoles and big annual titles were making their debut, 2K released Burial at Sea episode 1. The content was the first real story DLC for BioShock Infinite and brought players back to the undersea world of Rapture seen in the original BioShock.

    Fans of the game have been waiting months for the second installment of Burial at Sea, and 2K today released a new video to tease them. The video shows a cut scene from the second episode, depicting both Elizabeth and Atlus in a BioShock mash-up packed with fan service:

    In episode two of Burial at Sea players will take on the role of Elizabeth as she tracks down a little sister named Sally. The DLC features new areas of Rapture for players to explore and, according to the video, should be out “soon.”

  • ‘BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea’ Episode One Out Today, Launch Trailer Released

    Nearly eight months after the release of BioShock Infinite, 2K and Irrational Games have released the first campaign DLC for the game. Bioshock Infinite: Burial at Sea part one is now available for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC.

    Players will once again take on the role of Booker DeWitt, though this time they will navigate the underwater city of Rapture. In the noir style, DeWitt is now a private eye who is hired by a sultry, mysterious woman named Elizabeth. In a parallel to the full BioShock Infinite game, DeWitt sets off in search of a girl with many questions still unanswered.

    For anyone who’s still unsure about the content, 2K today also released a launch trailer for Burial at Sea. The preview suggests that the add-on will bring back at least some of the characters and extra-creepy elements that made Rapture such a memorable setting:

  • First ‘BioShock Infinite’ Campaign DLC Out November 12

    When BioShock Infinite released earlier this year, publisher 2K Games also began selling season passes for upcoming DLC for the title. Fans waited months before a stop-gap challenge map pack DLC was released. The first DLC may have been disappointing to BioShock fans, but 2K also used that occasion to tease what players really wanted – a new story-based campaign, complete with a nostalgic return to Rapture.

    Today 2K finally revealed that gamers have less than one month until they can dive into the Burial at Sea DLC. The first of two episodes in the Burial at Sea story will appear on consoles and PC on November 12. The episode will cost $15 by itself, or gamers can get it as part of the BioShock Infinite Season pass, which costs $20 and will come with the eventual second episode of Burial at Sea, in addition to the Clash in the Clouds challenge maps.

    The new content will take players back to Rapture, though a semi-functioning Rapture as it was before the events depicted in the original BioShock. Booker and Elizabeth from BioShock Infinite will be back, though their roles will be significantly different from those in the full game. The story has been teased as a noir-style mystery, with Booker now a private dick and Elizabeth the sultry woman who comes wandering into his office with an odd request. 2K teased in today’s announcement that the second episode of the story might take place from Elizabeth’s point of view, with an emphasis on stealth.

    “This is a love letter to the fans, but it’s also the beginning of a story that will give gamers a new perspective on the BioShock universe,” said Ken Levine, creative director at Irrational Games. “With Burial at Sea, we built a Rapture not from BioShock and BioShock Infinite scraps and pieces, but with environments almost entirely crafted from scratch.”

  • See a Functioning Rapture in New BioShock DLC Clip

    Though BioShock games can certainly be fun to play, the titles are lauded more for their story than their first-person-shooting. The two episodes of BioShock Infinite‘s Burial at Sea DLC, then, are much more anticipated than the already-released Clash in the Clouds.

    The story DLC will take player back to Rapture, the setting of BioShock and BioShock 2. A teaser mockumentary released last week shows that the characters may play just as big of a part in Rapture as they did in Columbia.

    Irrational and 2K today released a five-minute, un-cut look at the beginning of the first episode of the DLC. It shows an alternate-universe Booker as he is approached by the sultry alternate-universe Elizabeth. She leads him on a short tour of a pre-disaster Rapture, complete with bystanders throwing out Randian quips. On close inspection, however, not everything seems perfect and it becomes clear that Burial at Sea might just detail how Rapture fell in the first place.

  • ‘BioShock Infinite’ DLC Video Teases Return to Rapture

    Early this year, Irrational Games released two Mockumentaries previewing the world of Columbia, the floating city that served as the setting of BioShock: Infinite. The docs were made in the style of old 70s documentaries on paranormal or mysterious topics. The series was titled “Truth From Legend” and subtitled “Columbia: A Modern Day Icarus?”

    Now, with an all-new DLC story campaign set to take gamers back to Rapture (the underwater-city setting of the original BioShock), Irrational has brought back the “Truth From Legend” series with a new topic: “Rapture: A Modern Day Atlantis?” The video teases a noir-style poster of Booker and Elizabeth from BioShock Infinite, both re-cast in 1950s roles in Rapture.

    The release date for BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea has not yet been announced. The add-on will come in two parts, and will tell the story of Booker as a private eye in Rapture. Elizabeth will play the classic role of the sultry woman who sets the case in motion – a case that appears to be linked to the eventual fate of Rapture.

  • Bioshock Infinite DLC Launches Today, Next Up Is a Return to Rapture

    Bioshock Infinite DLC is here, and more is coming. Starting today, the decidedly less-exciting Clash in the Clouds will be beginning its rollout. And soon, episode 1 Burial at Sea will launch, taking us back to the underwater city of Rapture right before the fall.

    “This first add-on pack puts an intense focus on BioShock Infinite combat. Combine weapons, Vigors, Gear, Tears, and Sky-Lines in ways you never thought possible as you square off against impossible odds. This pack features 60 challenges in four brand-new environments. Complete Blue Ribbon Challenges and unlock concept art, Voxophones, Kinetoscopes, and more in The Columbian Archeological Society. Climb the Leaderboards and earn new Achievements and Trophies,” says an Irrational Games blog post.

    This DLC is beginning its rollout today – but you’re asked to be patient. It may take a few days for it to hit all platforms.

    If this looks a bit underwhelming to you, fear not. A much more immersive, narrative experience is one the way. Burial at Sea will be launching soon (specific date TBD), and it takes Booker and Elizabeth back to Rapture – a couple of years before its epic collapse.

    We’re promised new plasmids/vigors, tears, Big Daddies, and even some Rapture-based sky-lines.

    “Gameplay has been modified to give the player an original BioShock combat experience that merges the best parts of BioShock and BioShock Infinite,” says Irrational.

    Check out its trailer:

    Both packs will be $14.99, and Burial at Sea will be included in the Bioshock Infinite Season Pass.

  • Do Want: Bioshock, Portal, and Skyrim as Little Golden Books

    If there are two things that my future children will be acquainted with at an early age, its Little Golden Books and Bioshock.

    One artist has put the two together (along with Portal and Skyrim) to create some killer mashups.

    “As the sun sets on this current generation of video games, I’ve been thinking about some of the classic games that people will still (hopefully) point to years from now and hold them up as games that made a difference, and possibly, for some child out there, Portal or Skyrim will be a memory from their early childhood,” says the artist, Joey Spiotto.

    Right on. Hopefully, my kids will sleep with a Mr. Bubbles. Maybe even a Dovahkiin doll. Maybe, if I have a daughter, she can don the orange pants and white tank-top of our Portal heroine for Halloween. Those are the kinds of thoughts that occur to me while looking at these wonderful little prints. Bravo.

    You can purchase the 3-print set for $50 over on Etsy.

    [Joebot via Kotaku]

  • BioShock Infinite Trailer Reminds You That It Launches Tomorrow

    BioShock Infinite – one of the most anticipated game of 2013 – finally launches tomorrow.. To make sure that you don’t forget, Irrational Games have thrown together one final trailer for the title:

    There’s not much new in the trailer as we’ve already seen pretty much everything that doesn’t fall within spoiler territory. The game still looks incredibly fun though, and the reviews so far are confirming it as the first must-have game of the year.

    BioShock Infinite will be available tomorrow, March 26, for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. Those who have preordered the game on Steam will be able to start playing it tonight when it unlocks. GameStop is also holding a number of midnight release events across the country for those who can’t wait to start exploring Columbia.

  • BioShock Infinite Dev Diary Details The Creation Of Elizabeth

    Elizabeth and her role in BioShock Infinite is still largely one big question mark. That’s not going to change until the game launches next week, but the developers are providing an in-depth look at how the developers brought her to life. More specifically, this latest dev diary focuses on the four women who helped bring Elizabeth to life.

    BioShock Infinite will launch across the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC on March 26.

  • Skyhooks May Prove More Deadly Than Guns In BioShock Infinite

    Painkiller wouldn’t be what it is without its titular weapon – the Painkiller. It’s a small device with three spinning blades that causes all kinds of havoc on the battlefield. I’m not saying that BioShock Infinite flat out copied anything, but its Skyhook, which up until now was used to traverse the sky rails of Columbia, has proven itself to be just as deadly as the Painkiller.

    BioShock Infinite continues to look more and more polished each time we see it. It’s making the wait until its launch later this month that much harder to bear.

    BioShock Infinite launches across the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC on March 26.

  • New BioShock Infinite Mockumentary Delves Into The Origins Of The Songbird

    Late last month, the folks at Irrational Games started up a mockumentary series about Colombia, the fictional floating city in BioShock Infinite. The first episode covered the origins of Colombia as a marvel of American engineering gone rogue.

    The second episode, released this morning, delves into the origins of the Songbird and what it means to the people of Colombia. Those wary of spoilers need not worry as the mockumentary keeps things intentionally vague while offering small clues as to its purpose to the overall world of BioShock Infinite.

    With this latest “trailer,” I think we can say that the hype train for BioShock Infinite is reaching all new heights. This is the kind of world building that gamers like myself absolutely adore, and I can’t wait to see more.

    BioShock Infinite will release on March 26 for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.

  • New BioShock Infinite Trailer Brings Blood, Drugs, and a Fallen Angel

    The first teaser trailer for BioShock Infinite was tantalizing. After spending two games traipsing around below the ocean in Rapture, seeing the sunlight through the clouds surrounding Columbia was a shock.

    Now, with the release of the game less than two months away, 2K and Irrational are spilling all of the game’s secrets. The entire opening scene of the game can be viewed, and the mockumentary trailer released earlier this week reveals some of Columbia’s origins and history.

    The latest trailer for the game shows off even more of the city in the sky. It shows, more than past videos, just how the political and religious factions of Columbia will influence the game and deepens the mystery of who or what Elizabeth (“the girl”) might really be.

  • BioShock Infinite Mockumentary Explores The Origins Of Columbia

    I may not have been the biggest fan of the original BioShock, but I absolutely adored the world of Rapture. I was more concerned with finding the audio logs from its residents more than I was the central narrative because I had to know more about the underwater hell I was exploring. BioShock Infinite’s Columbia inspires similar feelings of awe and wonder, but now we have a documentary to fill in some of the pieces before the game launches in March.

    2K Games released a mockumentary today titled, “Columbia: A Modern Day Icarus?” It explores the origins of the floating city of Columbia with some expertly edited photos and video footage from the late 1800s/early 1900s. It’s probably the best trailer released for the game yet. Check it out:

    If you’re like me, you’re probably wanting an entire short feature done in this mockumentary style now. The world of BioShock Infinite looks compelling enough to deserve a short film exploring its world. Maybe the troubled BioShock film can be converted into a BioShock Infinite film. The themes and iconography of the game would probably play better to an American audience instead of the Ayn Rand drenched world of the original.

    BioShock Infinite will be available on March 26 for the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.

  • BioShock Infinite Prequel eBook is Coming, Free with Pre-Order

    2K Games and Irrational Games today announced that an eBook prequel to the upcoming BioShock Infinite video game will soon be released.

    BioShock Infinite: Mind in Revolt will be released for the Kindle bookstore on February 12. Readers can pay $3 to download it, but a free copy of the novel comes with every BioShock Infinite pre-order as well. The book is written by Irrational writer Joe Fielder with the help of Irrational’s creative director, Ken Levine.

    “Since we first announced BioShock Infinite, our fans have asked for more information about Columbia and the complex cast of characters that inhabit the floating city,” said Fielder. “After reading the e-book, players will have a better understanding of BioShock Infinite‘s world, the struggle between its factions, and the motivations of key characters, like rebel leader Daisy Fitzroy, without spoiling the mysteries of BioShock Infinite.”

    That’s Daisy in the picture above. The full poster, seen below, shows her as the leader of the Vox Populi faction in the game.

    In addition to a free copy of Mind in Revolt, gamers who pre-order BioShock Infinite get the “Industrial Revolution Pack,” which includes three in game items that “boost combat abilities,” 500 bonus in-game currency, five lock picks (in-game, presumably), and a puzzle game that is somehow tied to Facebook.

    BioShock Infinite's Daisy Fitzroy

  • BioShock Infinite Will Be A Proper PC Game When It Launches

    Being a PC gamer used to be a horrible experience. Developers would focus solely on the console version, and port over an ugly mess that only served to insult PC gamers who invested hundreds of dollars into a machine just so that they could play better versions of games. Thankfully, more developers are beginning to prioritize PC development and make better versions of their games. To that end, we can now add Irrational Games to the list of PC friendly developers.

    Irrational Games, the team behind the original BioShock and System Shock 2, announced today that they’re making an extra effort with the PC version of BioShock Infinite. Everything from the controls to visuals will be optimized to the expectations of the core PC gamer. Add on to that the already announced 1999 mode and BioShock Infinite might just be the best PC game of the year.

    First up, pretty much every control option will be customizable. Players can remap all the default key bindings, and mouse smoothing will be turned off for those who have high-end gaming mice. Those who favor controllers will not be left out either as the game features three controller layouts for every kind of player. Funny enough, the gamepad can be switched to legacy mode which makes the game playable on only one analog stick ala Goldeneye.

    Controls are nice, but PC gamers really care about visuals. We paid $400 for a video card, and we want to get our money’s worth out of it. BioShock Infinite isn’t going to disappoint as it supports DX11 out of the box. It also fully supports multi-monitor gaming. Even better, the game will ship with high resolution textures to ensure the game looks its best on the PC.

    Last but not least, the PC version of BioShock will feature a whole suite of Steam features including cloud saving and Big Picture mode. It also has been optimized for integrated graphics so those using an Ultrabook or other powerful, but graphically gimped, machines can still play the game.

    All of this sounds good, right? So what kind of machine will you need to play the game. Here’s the official specs courtesy of Irrational Games:

    MINIMUM

  • OS: Windows Vista Service Pack 2 32-bit
  • Processor: Intel Core 2 DUO 2.4 GHz / AMD Athlon X2 2.7 GHz
  • Memory: 2 GB
  • Hard Drive: 20 GB free
  • Video Card: DirectX10 Compatible ATI Radeon HD 3870 / NVIDIA 8800 GT / Intel HD 3000 Integrated Graphics
  • Video Card Memory: 512 MB
  • Sound Card: DirectX Compatible

    • RECOMMENDED

  • OS: Windows 7 Service Pack 1 64-bit
  • Processor: Quad Core Processor
  • Memory: 4 GB
  • Hard Drive: 30 GB free
  • Video Card: DirectX11 Compatible, AMD Radeon HD 6950 / NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560
  • Video Card Memory: 1024 MB
  • Sound Card: DirectX Compatible

    • As a PC gamer, it’s always a delight to see a developer treat the platform right. 2012 featured a number of high profile games that shined on the PC. If BioShock Infinite is any indication, the PC will be treated right in 2013 as well.

  • BioShock: Ultimate Rapture Edition Coming Mid-January

    2K Games and Irrational Games today announced that a bundled re-release of BioShock and BioShock 2 will soon be available.

    BioShock: Ultimate Rapture Edition will be released in North America on January 14 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. It will cost $30 and 2K has stated that the bundle will be available in other countries “at a later date.”

    In addition to the first two BioShock games, the bundle will have all of the DLC released for the games, including “Minerva’s Den” and all of the BioShock 2 multiplayer maps. In addition, new content for the original BioShock called the “Museum of Orphaned Concepts” will be included. 2K states that the add-on is a “tour” of never-before-seen “early concept art, character models, and more set within the halls of Rapture.”

    The bundle is, of course, an introduction pack for gamers who haven’t yet experienced the BioShock franchise. As such, there is a sticker pack themed around the upcoming BioShock Infinite included in the packaging.

    It’s unclear whether 2K would have had the time to release the Ultimate Rapture Edition if Infinite had not been delayed again. As it stands, it’s not entirely clear what connection Infinite may have to the previous BioShock games, but some knowledge of the original title (which can be found for under $20) will almost certainly help gamers get some in-jokes and references.

  • BioShock Infinite Opening Scene Revealed

    The opening scene of BioShock was one of the most memorable parts of that newly-classic game. A dramatic plane crash, fire on the open ocean, and a mysterious landmark that leads to a formerly glorious underwater dystopia.

    For BioShock Infinite, Irrational Games is taking players back to that memorable place with an opening scene that recalls many of the same tropes. Instead of a silent protagonist, though, this time players will assume the role of Booker DeWitt, a cavalryman tasked with bringing a woman named Elizabeth to New York.

    Today Irrational and 2K Games released a video fo the first five minutes of BioShock Infinite. Obviously, it contains quite a few spoilers, and some spoilery analysis can also been found below the video.

    So, BioShock Infinite begins in the Atlantic Ocean like BioShock, except in 1912 – 48 years before the events of the first game. And, instead of descending to the watery depths of Rapture, players will rise to the floating city of Columbia. The religious overtones in the opening moments heavily reinforce the symbolism of the “ascension to heaven” seen at the end.

    Also, the Dewitt speaking from a first-person perspective will certainly make the character more interesting. However, it’s clear that Irrational will also be using the feature to “subtly” prompt players’ actions throughout the game (“Well, maybe there’s someone inside” or “Looks like they expect me to sit in their fancy chair”) – something that could become annoying further along in the game.

  • More BioShock Infinite Gameplay Revealed

    It’s not clear when the Spike Video Game Awards became premiere night for early 2013 release titles, but this weekend’s award ceremonies were packed with exclusive looks at upcoming titles.

    2K Games and Irrational Games were in on the action, releasing a nice chunk of gameplay footage for the upcoming BioShock Infinite. This new video comes just days after it was announced the game will be delayed again, this time to March 26.

    While the game’s world does look highly interesting and full of detail, it remains to be seen whether the game will encourage exploration and strategy in the way the first BioShock did. Judging from the video below, it appears that Irrational may have taken a step down the generic shooter path. The set pieces in Infinite look to come early and often, and the encounter with the Handyman doesn’t appear to have been carefully chosen the way an encounter with a Big Daddy would have been in BioShock.

    Still, this is only a glimpse into what BioShock Infinite may offer, and shouldn’t be used to fully judge the game. 2K can’t be blamed for advertising the game in a way that might appeal to some of those gamers who threw $1 billion at Call of Duty: Black Ops II.