Third Bioshock Installment Fully Embraces the Steampunk Aesthetic

I just got wind of this moments ago, so unfortunately I have little information – but what I do see is that the third Bioshock game, Bioshock Infinite, will take the immensely popular, beautifully produced and wonderfully written franchise in an entirely new direction.

The last games were hailed for their intense steampunk style; though it could also be classified as dieselpunk or atomic-punk due to the series taking place in the 1950s.  The third installment, set in an alternative 1912, embraces the  Victorian/gilded age style of steampunk, and it does so to the extreme.  No longer are you underwater but now up in the sky in a floating city.  And according to the trailer – flailing about desperately…

According to the Official Website the synopsis of this third game is also an entirely new narrative completely removed from the Rapture mythos.

BioShock Infinite is a first-person shooter currently in development at Irrational Games, the studio behind the original BioShock (which sold over 4 million units worldwide). Set in 1912, BioShock Infinite introduces an entirely new narrative and gameplay experience that lifts players out of the familiar confines of Rapture and rockets them to Columbia, an immense city in the sky.

Former Pinkerton agent Booker DeWitt has been sent to rescue Elizabeth, a young woman imprisoned in Columbia since childhood. Booker 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.

As someone who is far from a casual or hardcore gamer, I must admit that I am excited to see or play this game. I highly suggest that anyone out there with the time and hardware to pick this up look more into it as I’ve never been disappointed by a Bioshock game yet. And to see it get more and not less Steampunk is even more exciting to me.  Bioshock Infinite is slated for release in 2012 for PC, XBox 360 and PS3.

Best!
-The Lord Baron