Irrational's upcoming DLC for BioShock Infinite, Burial at Sea, will allow players something they've been aching for since the game arrived and wowed gamers and critics alike: the ability to play as Elizabeth. Infinite is a FPS, a genre which traditionally offers very little difference between the way characters play. But Irrational's creative director and co-founder Ken Levine is ensuring that playing as Elizabeth will be an entirely different experience than Infinite's original protagonist, Booker DeWitt.
Both Levine and Infinite's level designer, Amanda Jeffrey, spoke with IGN about the DLC's "Elizabeth experience." First and foremost, while her dimension manipulating powers are certainly God-like, she's not some ultra powerful deity that can wreak havoc.
"We're still trying to work out exactly how extensive Liz's tear abilities will be in the playable Liz sequence," said Jeffrey. "I hesitate to say too much about what we have just now, because it's entirely possible it will change in the next few weeks. I will say, though, that Elizabeth and her tear abilities are not necessarily a 'win button.' She has an understanding of this universe and the various universes that she can visit, and she knows, once again, constants and variables.
"There are some things that she can change, and some things that just won't make a difference if she changes them or not. So she's not entirely godlike in her abilities. She will have far more powerful ways of interacting with the world than we saw in Infinite proper, but at the same time, it won't just be a case of walking to a space and going, 'I'm just going to press a button, and now happy ending for everyone!' Because, on the one hand, that wouldn't be any fun."
Gamers will play as Elizabeth in the second part of the DLC. Burial at Sea takes players back 20,000 leagues under the sea to Rapture, where the BioShock series is rooted like so much kelp. Like Elizabeth once alluded to, this is a story of alternate versions of her and protagonist Booker DeWitt in Andrew Ryan's underwater metropolis.
While Infinite's story certainly centered around the reality tearing maiden who was about as far as a damsel in distress as there ever could be, her part in gameplay was a bit secondary. Booker could utilize her tear ability almost whenever gamers liked, she thankfully never needed protection, and was constantly throwing money she found at Booker. Being able to play as her in the upcoming DLC should certainly help her rise above original role.
Players will play as both Booker and Elizabeth during the course of the DLC. The story isn't exactly clear, only that Booker is working in Rapture as a private eye, and an adult (rather sultry) Elizabeth has sought him out.
Speaking with Eurogamer, Levine noted, "At the very beginning, you're Booker, private detective in Rapture," Levine explained, "in your office and this woman comes in, and you two don't seem to know each other, and we don't explain that. We always like to put people in a place where there's a story that ends up making sense, but we don't want the obvious... We like people immediately having a sense of wondering what's going on."
In past games, players only experienced Rapture on its way to downfall, the result of a civil war sparked by riots on New Year's Eve of 1958. It's during this point when Burial at Sea takes place, so players will finally be able to see Rapture at its peak, and what led to its collapse. A lot of significant events in the BioShock universe take place during this time, and it'll be interesting to see if players will get to experience them in this DLC.
Levine explained the reason for the DLC's return to Rapture: "...we were really excited, having done all the work on the population - a living, breathing population in Columbia - because Rapture was a tomb, y'know? Originally we wanted to show Rapture when it was fully alive, but do it in the context of an interesting story, not just to go back and talk about Midi-chlorians, you know? To do it in a sort of integrated way, but to tell a story we thought was important to tell with these characters as well."
And before you ask, yes, you will fight Big Daddies using plasmids, not vigors. The first part of the DLC is scheduled for a fall release. Season pass holders get it for free, whereas non-holders will have to pay $14.99 or 1200 Microsoft Points for each episode.