Free is good: BioShock content, widescreen fix, and 360 achievement available

9:29 AM on 12.04.2007   |   Nick Chester

33 comments

We like BioShock, and we like free things. That's why we like today's BioShock update, which includes some cool freebies, as well as a "fix" for a "problem" some of you were crying about. 

First, the good stuff: Four new plasmids, and one new Gene Tonic are now available. This includes the Force-like "Sonic Boom," which allows you to hurl "creatures and objects back with a blast of force," along with "EVE Saver," "Vending Expert," and "Machine Buster." Xbox 360 owners will also be treated to the last of the game's achievements, "Brass Balls," which can be obtained by beating the game on the "hard" difficulty without dying. Have fun with that one. 

Additionally, the game now has a widescreen option, which will grant a wider horizontal field of vision. See, 2K were listening, and now you have nothing to complain about ... although I'm sure you will. It makes our jobs easier, which is why we love you. 

The full press release and announcement can be found after the jump.

2K Games Releases Downloadable Content and Enhancements for BioShock

BioShock players can elevate their gaming experience with new Plasmids, achievements and widescreen options for free

New York, NY – December 4, 2007 – 2K Games, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), announced today that BioShock, its top-rated title exclusively available for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Games for Windows®, has released new downloadable content for players on both platforms. The content includes new Plasmids and Tonics, achievements and interface upgrades, and is now available as free downloadable content from Xbox LIVE® Marketplace, through an Xbox 360 Title Update, and as part of a PC patch.

“As one of the highest rated games of the year, we wanted to continue to connect with the fans that made BioShock such an overwhelming retail and critically-acclaimed hit,” said Christoph Hartmann, President of 2K. “We are excited to offer new downloadable content that will extend and enhance the replay value of this title.”

New downloadable content includes:

Four Plasmids and Gene Tonics:

·         Sonic Boom: Hurls creatures and objects back with a blast of force

·         EVE saver: Enables Plasmids to use less EVE

·         Vending Expert: Reduces prices in the vending machines

·         Machine Buster: Increases the amount of damage players deal to cameras, bots and turrets
 

Achievements (exclusive to Xbox 360):

·         Xbox 360 players can gain 100 points for “Brass Balls,” by beating BioShock on the “hard” difficulty setting without dying

In response to gamers’ requests and feedback from the Cult of Rapture (www.CultofRapture.com) community forums, fans of BioShock now have a widescreen option, granting a wider horizontal field of vision, as well as additional enhancements to the game. The Xbox 360 Title Update will be automatically applied at the game’s startup when users log into Xbox LIVE. PC owners can access both the additional content and gameplay improvements via a downloadable patch, available at www.2Kgames.com/bioshock/support.

Developed by 2K Boston and 2K Australia and rated M for Mature, BioShock is a "genetically enhanced" first-person shooter that lets players do things never before possible in the genre. Gamers enter the game as a castaway in Rapture, a decaying art deco underwater utopia torn apart by civil war. Caught between powerful forces and hunted down by genetically modified "splicers" and deadly security systems, players have to come to grips with a deadly, mysterious world filled with powerful technology, fascinating characters and morality defining choices. To make it to the end, players can turn everything they encounter into a weapon, biologically modify their body with Plasmids, hack devices and security systems, upgrade weapons, craft new ammo variants, and experiment with different battle techniques. No encounter ever plays out the same and no two gamers will play BioShock the same way.