Say anything for Irrational Games, creator of the award winning BioShock series of video games, say they know how to please their long-time fans. Today they made an announcement that’s sure to make fans of System Shock, the spiritual predecessor to BioShock, very happy (and enjoyably frustrated in the future!). It’s called ‘1999 Mode’ and it’ll make you cry.
Back in December, there was a survey from us here at Irrational to better understand how you play games. We had a hunch about a new feature for BioShock Infinite, and we built this survey to see if it’s something that our fans wanted. The results of the survey are in and we heard what you want loud and clear, which is why we’re proud to announce something new for the game: 1999 Mode!
BioShock Infinite’s 1999 Mode will feature an especially demanding gaming experience, forcing you to examine your decisions while going through your adventure in Columbia. With every choice you make, there are irreversible implications, and if your choices guide you down a path not suited to your play style, you will suffer for it.
It’s not simply a matter of adjusting the difficulty sliders in the game – the team went much further than that. Resource planning? If you’re to survive this mode, proper planning will be crucial. Combat specializations? You’ll need to develop them efficiently and effectively throughout the story; any weapon will be useless to you unless you have that specialization. Combat? You will need to carefully target every shot, and your health will be set to an entirely different baseline. Game saves? Well, yes, there will be those, but according to Irrational Games Creative Director Ken Levine “there are game saves, and you’re gonna f***ing need them.”
“We want to give our oldest and most committed fans an option to go back to our roots,” said Levine. “In 1999 Mode, gamers face more of the permanent consequences of their gameplay decisions. In BioShock Infinite, gamers will have to sweat out the results of their actions. In addition, 1999 Mode will demand that players pick specializations, and focus on them.”
So, are you ready for it? Or will you play Bioshock Infinite in the regular mode, more akin to what gamers experienced with the original BioShock? I know which mode I’ll be playing.
Learn more about Bioshock Infinite and ‘1999 Mode’ on the official Bioshock Infinite website.
