"Bring us the girl and wipe away the debt: that was the deal," says Bioshock Infinite's protagonist, Booker De Witt, in Irrational Games' latest footage of the highly anticipated game.
After a lengthy media blackout, the developer's new "Beast of America" trailer reintroduces viewers to the flying city of Columbia, a metropolis plagued by civil war. Booker, a former Pinkerton, is sent to Columbia to retrieve Elizabeth, a woman who has spent her entire life in the city protected by a mechanical beast known as the Songbird.
Despite fan excitement for the game skyrocketing upon its reveal, the recent resignation of several Irrational Employees, a delay that pushed the game into 2013, and the revelation that a multiplayer mode was cut during development have caused the press and a portion of the franchise's audience to deem Bioshock: Infinite's development as "troubled." Yet, this perception may simply be a result of too much transparency into the creative process rather than an omen of disappointment, explains Creative Director Ken Levine in an interview with the Telegraph.
"A lot of people who come to Irrational as developers, one of the reasons they get excited is that they hear we're very interative. But there's a long range etween hearing that we're iterative and being excited about that, and understanding we toss tons of s*** out. And I'm talking about my own stuff as well. I just toss stuff that isn't working. And I think we're fortunate to have the opportunity to do that, because the odds of any particular thing working are generally remote."
Bioshock Infinite is currently available for pre-order, and will ship in three editions: the basic game, a Premium Edition, and a Ultimate Songbird Edition. The Premium edition is priced at $79.99 and includes a lithograph, an art book, a keyring, extra in-game upgrades, and a figurine for the upcoming Bioshock-themed board game.
The Ultimate Songbird Ediditon costs $149.99 and includes a statue of the Songbird.
Players who pre-order from Gamestop will gain access to Bioshock Infinite: Industrial Revolution, a puzzle game with over 50 levels.
Bioshock Infinite ships February 26, 2013