Ahead of tomorrow’s public reveal of the gameplay footage that was shown at GamesCom, Irrational Games has been posting a series of ‘things you should know about Bioshock Infinite’ snippets.
These have included quite a few interesting pieces of information, such as the disclosure that Infinite will be using an entirely new engine (Unreal Engine 3,) reusing none of the assets from previous Bioshock games. This change should support improved interaction with Non-Player Characters and in-game companion, Elizabeth.
Speaking of Elizabeth, it has also been confirmed that she can handle herself rather well in a fight. The sentence “Elizabeth can take care of herself, with no need for escorting” is one which will no doubt come as a blessed relief to many.
Since player-character and former “extremist” Pinkerton agent Booker DeWitt won’t be having to babysit anybody, that will give him plenty of chance to zip around the airbourne city of Columbia on sky-lines. Apparently, “you can jump on and off Sky-Lines at your will, rapidly transferring between routes that criss-cross vertically and horizontally.” These transport routes will be useful for both movement and combat, as enemies can be picked off from on high.
Indeed, the game is promising that “well over a dozen” enemies may be coming at DeWitt at any given moment. Furthermore, that the title’s combat encounters are liberated from the claustrophobic corridors of rapture, adding an extra tactical edge. Your foes will “take advantage of the same opportunities you have,” however, making use of the sky-lines for a flanking advantage.
It has also emerged that the two main competing powers in the game will be the Vox Populi anarchist front and the deeply nationalistic (as shown by the promotional art below) Powers That Be.
Check back tomorrow when we’ll have the in-game footage shown at GamesCom to share with you.
