IndustryGamers - Informing the Games Industry

BioShock Infinite is Irrational's New Game

Posted August 12, 2010 by M.H. Williams

Update: We've now received the official announcement, which notes that the game is slated for calendar 2012.  “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.”

Ken Levine, BioShock creator and creative director of Irrational Games, added:  “But when it came to begin work on BioShock Infinite, 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. 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."

Original story follows below:

The renamed Irrational Games skipped out on BioShock 2 to work on a title studio head Ken Levine called “substantially more ambitious than BioShock.” After teasing its new project at whatisicarus.com earlier this week, Irrational revealed its new project as… a sequel to BioShock. The new game is called BioShock Infinite and looks to be a first-person shooter taking place in an alternate reality or distant future. And this time, gamers won’t be underwater as BioShock Infinite is changing venues to the wild, blue yonder.

The synopsis on the official website says: “BioShock Infinite is a first-person shooter currently in development at Irrational Games, the studio behind the original BioShock (which sold over 4 million units worldwide). Set in 1912, BioShock Infinite introduces an entirely new narrative and gameplay experience that lifts players out of the familiar confines of Rapture and rockets them to Columbia, an immense city in the sky.”

“Former Pinkerton agent Booker DeWitt has been sent to rescue Elizabeth, a young woman imprisoned in Columbia since childhood. Booker 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.”

The official website lists the game as in development for Xbox 360, PC, and PlayStation 3. No further information has been released.

M.H. Williams has been writing in some form or another for ten years and has been a hardcore gamer since the NES first graced American shores.  You can catch him on Twitter as @AutomaticZen, Google+ as himself, or on his personal Facebook page.