Thu, Aug 12, 2010 | 20:26 BST

Irrational’s BioShock: Infinite revealed – all details, video, screens

bioshock infinite

Irrational has revealed Project Icarus and the trailer for it is now live.

Finally, the name of this mystery game can be revealed as BioShock: Infinite.

Shown to press in New York last night, BioShock Infinite is a first-person shooter set in 1912. It introduces a new narrative and gameplay experience that “lifts players out of the familiar confines” of Rapture and sets them in 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 the city which 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.

During the coming weeks, the demonstration given to the press will be released by Ken Levine and company, but just when is not exactly known just yet.

Note from Pat:

We’ve been advertising today that we were going to put an impressions piece from yesterday’s New York event live at 7.00pm BST. At 2K’s request, we will not publish this content until tomorrow, August 13. A 2K spokesperson has given us the following statement:

“While VG247 wasn’t part of exclusive partners program for this reveal, we’re sure you’ll look forward to their impressions tomorrow. You can also look forward to an exclusive from VG247 in the future.”

Here’s some links to impressions and interviews regarding BioShock: Infinite from around the net:

The game is slated for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 in 2012. Enjoy the trailer below courtesy of Irrational’s YouTube Channel, as well as the screens.

The PR is posted below the video in its entirety as well for further reading.

2K Games and Irrational Games Announce BioShock(R) Infinite
Creators of original BioShock(R) look to the sky in the next chapter of the award-winning franchise

2K Games announced today that BioShock(R) Infinite, a first-person shooter, is currently in development at Irrational Games, the studio behind the original BioShock(R) which has sold over 4 million units worldwide. Set in 1912, BioShock Infinite 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. BioShock Infinite 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.”

BioShock Infinite is in development for the Xbox 360(R) video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation(R)3 computer entertainment system and Games for Windows(R), and is not yet rated by the ESRB.

53 comments

Newer Comments

Axelander
12/08/10, 6:50 pm

Awesome! Irrational will have a Hit once again~!!

Gekidami
12/08/10, 6:51 pm

Rapture in the sky?

daytripper
12/08/10, 6:52 pm

was hoping for a new i.p, nevermind

onlineatron
12/08/10, 6:52 pm

BULL FUCKING SHIT..

Another Bioshock game, don’t get me wrong, the first was a great game and the series is strong… I just wanted a new IP to look forward to.

Pysk
12/08/10, 6:54 pm

AirShock?

SkyShock?

AHA-Lambda
12/08/10, 6:55 pm

Should be good but so much for a new IP!!

Question, is this a “new ip” in the same sense that in IW’s eyes MW2 is a new ip or is it just a flat out lie david jaffe style??

thank god for the trailer here vg247 the irrational link dont work, they should have known this and compensated for it. Samn thing happened with the gta 4 reveal =(

KrazyKraut
12/08/10, 6:58 pm

holy shit……..the style and ideas in the trailer are awesome
and so Bioshock Infy will be

Johnny Cullen
12/08/10, 6:59 pm

I like the first trailer.

Makes a change from Rapture itself.

It should be great anyways. It’s Levine, after all.

deanimate
12/08/10, 6:59 pm

I really did think it would be a new IP but Bioshock 1 was such an immense game I can’t help but feel they will pull it off and deliver much awesomeness. Great trailer as well. Can’t wait to see how the game actually plays though.

Hopefully not just an FPS set in some clouds.

#10

deanimate
12/08/10, 6:59 pm

#11

_S_E_R_G_
12/08/10, 7:01 pm

@4 +1

#12

Phoenixblight
12/08/10, 7:01 pm

Well this will be interesting.

#13

onlineatron
12/08/10, 7:03 pm

Really cool trailer!

Would’ve been more impact if we hadn’t known what the title was before hand.

Better yet, imagine if it had opened with that Bioshock-esque intro… and then turned out to be a completely new IP.

In fact… the whole thing looks like a new IP, with the Bioshock name tact on so it will sell.

#14

Gheritt White
12/08/10, 7:04 pm

So, I suppose this is the steampunk alternative to BioShock’s dieselpunk and System Shock 2′s cyberpunk visions.

Levine is travelling backwards through time!

#15

JimFear666
12/08/10, 7:05 pm

that doesnt look bad at all

#16

Psychotext
12/08/10, 7:07 pm

Interesting. Hopefully the chance of location will help the game feel as fresh as the first did.

#17

Erthazus
12/08/10, 7:07 pm

Not impressed. I have a feeling that they are going to make a standard Bioshock game just in the sky.

Not impressed by trailer too. I’m not saying that thats it. Project is dead or whatever, but i’m not hyped at all.

I liked Bioshock 1 btw. I thought that they are going to make System Shock game.

#18

AHA-Lambda
12/08/10, 7:09 pm

how is this a bioshock game if it is a new setting and its a prequel? Only the bioshock name remains. Now i know why they said new ip but thats kinda sneaky and untruthful.

point is why is this a bioshock game? O_o (maybe similar thing with what happened when IW wanted to take out the CoD title?)

#19

Johnny Cullen
12/08/10, 7:10 pm

Statement from 2K added: we’re not going live with impressions tonight.

#20

Herlock
12/08/10, 7:16 pm

Again…
Bio is boring, need a new SWAT dammit

#21

Freek
12/08/10, 7:18 pm

Ah good, now we can pretend Bioschock 2 never happend, with this being the actual sequel

#22

Patrick Garratt
12/08/10, 7:19 pm

Date added there. It’s 2012.

#23

2plus2equals5
12/08/10, 7:20 pm

Another bioshock?
Wasn’t bioshock 2 a failure?
Awesome trailer but i’ll pass.
PS: windows made of fragile glass in the middle of the sky? Not so smart…

#24

LOLshock94
12/08/10, 7:24 pm

its bioshock 2 but with a different setting now this game will just fail

#25

Patrick Garratt
12/08/10, 7:26 pm

The first BioShock was amazing. I’d be pretty surprised if this wasn’t.

#26

LePlatypus
12/08/10, 7:37 pm

/sigh you’ve seen a trailer for a game which is two years away and you’re slagging it off without seeing some raw footage of it in action. People on the internet astound me

#27

Stephany Nunneley
12/08/10, 7:40 pm

What Pat said.

#28

Johnny Cullen
12/08/10, 7:43 pm

I’m sorry, but this can’t fail. It feels fresh for an existing IP, it’s from Levine and it has Around the World in 80 Days meeting Titanic (not the movie) in some way.

This just looks absolutely perfect.

#29

Phoenixblight
12/08/10, 7:44 pm

@20

Thats not possible being the publisher of Swat is sierra which was absorbed by Activison.

#30

Herlock
12/08/10, 7:46 pm

@Phoenixblight

#31

Patrick Garratt
12/08/10, 7:55 pm

I’ve just watched that three more times. I really am excited about it. Lovely setting.

#32

ExclusivesMostly
12/08/10, 7:58 pm

This looks imteresting. Fresh take on the series.

#33

LOLshock94
12/08/10, 8:01 pm

hopefully this game wont have online cause bioshock+online= pile of shit

#34

Bleak Harvest
12/08/10, 8:04 pm

I am not Bioshocked in the least.

However, I loved the reveal trailer. Back in Levine’s hands!

#35

The Hindle
12/08/10, 8:15 pm

Wow, Levine has never let me down before so this should be amazing.

#36

KAP
12/08/10, 8:23 pm

Was hoping a new IP but hey, good on ‘em.

A game thats out in 2012 isnt really worth mentioning now really is it? or is it the fact that Bioshock 2 flopped that there trying to redeem the name?

What ever the reason is, personally i liked bioshock 2 but the PR camp for this is a little obvious isnt it.

This early reveal will only bite this game is the bum when 2 years later people will tire of waiting for this and expect way too much that they’ll get disapointed by the finale product.

Lets just hope thats not the case though.

#37

Stephany Nunneley
12/08/10, 8:27 pm

Added a note from Ken Levine in there. It’s at the top of the links list.

#38

The Hindle
12/08/10, 8:29 pm

This techinally is a new ip, it just shares the Bioshock name.

#39

AHA-Lambda
12/08/10, 8:32 pm

that to me doesnt make any sense =/

#40

The Hindle
12/08/10, 8:40 pm