Irrational introduces 1998 Mode to BioShock Infinite DLC

Get your stealth on

One of the biggest and most widely-held criticisms of BioShock Infinite had to do with all the violence. Many thought that it did a disservice to the narrative by being too over-the-top. Irrational aims to make amends of sorts with a new mode for BioShock Infinte: Burial at Sea — Episode Two.

Dubbed 1998 Mode, a take on the game’s “hardcore” 1999 Mode, it tasks the player with only using non-lethal tools. Creative Director Ken Levine said “In Burial at Sea – Episode Two, we put a focus on balance and stealth mechanics. As we were developing this new style of gameplay, we started to see people self-impose non-lethal playthroughs. Given the fan reception of 1999 Mode, we thought it would be cool to give them another way to play Burial at Sea that challenged their mastery of stealth tools.”

If nothing else, this announcement basically outs the fact that the DLC will have some new tools to fiddle around with. But, it’s always fun when developers give players the option to play their content with constraints that change the entire experience. 

Announcing 1998 Mode [Irrational Games]