Take-Two Interactive has finally pulled the curtain on Bioshock 2’s rather controversial multiplayer mode, and I can officially say, for maybe the first time ever, I’m excited for a multiplayer mode in a game that I previously thought could only be single player. 2K Games, the publishing label of Take-Two handling Bioshock 2, announced a partnership with Digital Extremes – who have entries of Unreal and Unreal Tournament under their belt – to develop the sequel’s multiplayer. “The fans asked for a multiplayer experience and we answered,” said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. “With Digital Extremes delivering a multiplayer experience for BioShock 2 that features all of the things that make BioShock unique, we’re holding ourselves to a high standard so that we can deliver the depth and variety that fans of the BioShock universe demand.”
2K promises that the multiplayer mode will add to the lore of Rapture and the game’s overall narrative, placing players in a prequel-esque setting of a Rapture not yet crippled. Players will take on the role of a plasmid lab rat, with access to plasmids, tonics, and all the good stuff that made the original game so engaging in its combat – using them to survive a Rapture that is spiraling into madness. Take-Two is touting the mode as an expansion to the game’s fiction, allowing players to see and experience the downfall of the underwater utopia. In addition, this means players will get to see Rapture in its prime, visiting locations from the first game before they were flooded with water and overrun with creepy-ass residents. Take-Two says these locations “have been reworked from the ground up to deliver a fast-paced multiplayer experience”, which I’m alright with, if it truly improves the gameplay.
To add a bit of depth to the experience, players will also get experience points that they can use to access new plasmids, weapons, and tonics, which can all be mixed and matched in a hundred different ways, allowing each player to customize their character as they choose. If 2K delivers on the world-building aspect of the multiplayer, then Bioshock easily becomes one of my most anticipated games of the year. Any return to Rapture – in any era – is sure to deliver to the fullest. Bioshock 2 is currently scheduled for release on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC.
