New Single-Player DLC for BioShock 2, Protector Trials, to Test Players’ Combat Prowess August 3, 2010
New York, NY – July 1, 2010 – 2K Games announced today Protector Trials*, an all-new single-player focused downloadable game add-on for BioShock® 2 that puts players back into the boots of the Big Daddy as he defends his Little Sister against swarms of corrupt Splicers who are hell-bent on stealing the precious ADAM that she gathers from corpses. Available starting August 3, 2010, this exciting and action-packed addition will challenge players to use the full arsenal of the BioShock 2 tool set as they dispatch their foes and unleash their wrath on enemies across six different areas from the single-player experience.
“The team at 2K Marin has been working hard ever since the launch of BioShock 2 to develop ways for gamers to extend their time in the single-player world of Rapture,” said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. “I’m proud to announce the first of these experiences, the Protector Trials, which takes players back to some of their favorite places from the original game and features some of the biggest challenges that fans of this series have ever experienced. This is just the beginning. More single-player content is on the way that will deliver more of the intense action and story-driven gameplay that fans have been craving.”
Protector Trials is being developed by the core team behind BioShock 2’s single-player experience. It contains a series of challenges focused on frantic combat and fast-paced action that are designed to push players’ mastery of weapons and Plasmids. The goal is simple, but tough to achieve: players must keep their Little Sister safe from the intense onslaught of Splicers as she gathers ADAM from corpses.
The pack includes:
Six new maps: three unique difficulty levels, each based on favorite locales from BioShock 2;
New unlockables, including never-before-seen concept art and videos;
Seven new Achievements/Trophies.
Protector Trials will be available starting August 3, 2010 from the Xbox® LIVE Marketplace for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Games for Windows-LIVE for 400 Microsoft Points, and from the PlayStation®Network for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system for $4.99.
In the coming months, 2K Games will publish more downloadable content that extends the single-player experience, providing new insight into the world of Rapture. The next package will expand the narrative, and introduce new tools and new challenges that extend the lore and fiction of the failed utopia under the sea.
BioShock 2’s first two downloadable packages, Sinclair Solutions Tester Pack* and Rapture Metro Pack*, are currently available for download from both the Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360 from Microsoft and Games for Windows-LIVE, and from the PlayStation Network for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system.
The pack, which is for the game’s single-player, sees you “in the role of an all-new character who has teamed up with Brigid Tenenbaum to unravel a dictator’s stranglehold on a key district in the distinctive city under the sea.”
“Minerva’s Den is a substantial addition that will give players more of what they’re looking for: more story, more narrative, more gameplay and more of Rapture,” said 2K president Christoph Hartmann.
“The core team has created an exciting product that further enhances the mystery and allure of the world of Rapture. Minerva’s Den will be a fitting conclusion to the BioShock 2 saga.”
The DLC will also feature new weaponry, a new plasmid and a “never-before-seen type of Big Daddy”.
Minerva’s Den releases this fall for PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Marketplace and Games for Windows Live Marketplace.
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.