2K Games has announced the release date for its much anticipated first-person 'shooter', Bioshock Infinite. The game – available for Xbox, PC and PS3 – will hit US stores on 16 October with an international release following on 19 October.
The company's press release makes no mention of the PS Vita version of Bioshock, teased at last year's E3 exhibition in Los Angeles. However, that title is expected to be an original instalment in the best-selling series.
Created by Massachusetts-based developer Irrational Games, Bioshock Infinite looks set to be one of the most fascinating releases of the year. Set in 1912 in an alternative steampunk version of the US, it follows a Pinkerton agent named Booker DeWitt who must escape the floating city of Columbia, together with a mysterious 'AI companion', Elizabeth.
The game has drawn plaudits for its stunning visuals, featuring the same 'steampunk' universe as the previous two titles, but more-so for its background of domestic political unrest, with an established isolationalist government fighting an emerging culture of grass roots agitiation. Parallels have been drawn with the current Tea Party Movement.
Designer Ken Levine has spoken about the way in which the game explores opposing interpretations of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights – not the usual concerns of an FPS. "BioShock Infinite has been our sole focus for the last four years, and we can't wait for fans to get their hands on it," he said.
You can check out our in-depth interview with Levine here.
