Project Icarus is Bioshock Infinite
2K Games has announced that the illusive Project Icarus is in fact the next installment in the BioShock franchise. BioShock Infinite will be set in 1912 on the floating city of Columbia.
Originally conceived as a floating symbol of American ideals at a time when the United States was emerging as world power, Columbia is dispatched to distant shores with great fanfare by a captiaved public. What begins as brand new endeavor of hope turns drastically wrong as the city soon disappears into the clouds to whereabouts unknown.
Columbia is now, “literally falling from the sky.”
You’ll play as Booker DeWitt, a former Pinkerton agent that has been sent to Columbia to rescue Elizabeth, a young woman that’s been a prisoner on the island since she was a child. You’ll need to use your powers in conjunction with hers to escape the doomed city. You’ll combat enemies indoors, outdoors, and in “high-speed Sky-Line battles”. The game will feature dozens of new weapons and abilities.
According to Irrational Games creative director Ken Levine, BioShock Infinite 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.”
While it’s not completely inspired that they went from an underwater city to a city in the sky, it’s hard not to get excited for the game. Ken Levine is a great game developer and BioShock Infinite does sound fantastic. You can check out the trailer below, which shows Columbia in all of its floaty glory.
I assume the next BioShock will feature a city either in the center of the Earth, in deep space, or in a giant monster’s anus. BioShock infinite is being developed for the XBox 360, PS3, and PC.
