Irrational Games Presents BioShock Infinite

When folks from Irrational Games first mentioned that they were up to something, they didn't exactly iterate on the scope or share magnitude of what they were up to. Thanks to their public relations agency in New York, AccessPR, a grand event was held at the famed Plaza Hotel for the unveiling of BioShock Infinite. A side from a simple snag, the event was a complete success leaving many of the select few that were invited to partake of this goodness, awe-struck.

The event was not without its bigwigs to commemorate this early unveiling since the game isn't scheduled to be released until sometime next year. Ken Levine, Christop Hartman, to name a few, were on hand to assist with the unveiling and stuck around for the baffled questions after. Let me just say that this game deserves all the supposed "hype" that's going to be generated. You're talking about a franchise that's already won the fans over 2 folds and now that the original team that brought us the first BioShock is back in the driver seat, one can only expect brilliance.

2K games officially announced the other day that BioShock®Infinite, a first-person shooter, is currently in development at Irrational Games, the studio behind the original BioShock® which has sold over 4 million units worldwide. Set in 1912, BioShockInfinite introduces an entirely new narrative experience that lifts players out of the familiar confines of Rapture and rockets them to Columbia, an immense city in the sky. BioShockInfinite is currently planned for release during calendar 2012.

Originally conceived as a floating symbol of American ideals at a time when the United States was emerging as a world power, Columbia is dispatched to distant shores with great fanfare by a captivated public. What begins as a brand new endeavor of hope turns drastically wrong as the city soon disappears into the clouds to whereabouts unknown.

The player assumes the role of former Pinkerton agent Booker DeWitt, sent to the lost city to rescue Elizabeth, a young woman imprisoned there since childhood. He develops a relationship with Elizabeth, augmenting his abilities with hers so the pair may escape from a city that is literally falling from the sky. DeWitt must learn to fight foes in high-speed Sky-Line battles, engage in combat both indoors and amongst the clouds, and harness the power of dozens of new weapons and abilities.

"We are excited to expand the world of BioShock, which is one of the industry's most critically acclaimed and beloved franchises," said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. "We believe that Irrational Games will lend their meticulous attention to detail and unique storytelling expertise to make BioShock Infinite an incredible entertainment experience that will immerse new and diehard fans of BioShock alike."

With the original BioShock, Irrational Games won "Game of the Year" awards from Game Informer, IGN, G4's X-Play, and BAFTA and redefined what players expect from a first-person shooter. "But when it came to begin work on BioShock Infinite," said Ken Levine, creative director of Irrational Games, "we only had one rule: No sacred cows. This game is both true to what people love about the series and unafraid to question every assumption."
Levine continued, "In order to explore the floating city of Columbia, we needed an entirely new engine. To bring Elizabeth to life, we had to build brand-new animation and AI systems. To create wide-ranging indoor and outdoor firefights at 30,000 feet, we had to rethink, rebuild and expand the BioShock arsenal. The only thing gamers can be certain of is this: the rules of the BioShock universe are about to change."

BioShockInfinite is in development for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Games for Windows®, and is not yet rated by the ESRB

As the months draw closer expect to see more updates on the development of this title. I can completely agree with some of the words one of the media analysts said after seeing the presentation, "I literally got excited." Irrational Games is no stranger to eliciting emotional responses in their games. In-fact the very fabric of the BioShock series in my opinion is based strongly on that.

GET EXCITED. This "aint" your "typical" BioShock game. You will simply have to learn to expect the unexpected because this is a game that promises defy gravity - literally!
By Chad Chamberlain