Skip to main content

BioShock Infinite’s second Burial at Sea DLC features non-lethal ‘1998 Mode’

bioshock infinites second burial sea dlc features non lethal 1998 mode infinite
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The second part of BioShock Infinite‘s Burial at Sea DLC surfaces (groan) on March 25, and it’ll be anchored (GROAN) by a newly revealed difficulty setting called 1998 Mode. Modeled after the main game’s hardest 1999 Mode difficulty setting, which you can unlock with the Konami code, the new option challenges players to complete Elizabeth’s adventure through Rapture using only non-lethal tools of survival.

We haven’t seen Burial at Sea – Episode Two in action yet, but the final bit of add-on content for Infinite – and possibly the last-ever piece of BioShock overseen by Ken Levine, now that Irrational is shutting down – stars Liz and features a new (for the series) focus on stealthy play. Given the abundance of blood-letting that factored into Infinite, it’s nice to see an option built into BioShock that encourages you to avoid thrusting your spinning sawblade-like Sky-Hook into some poor dude’s neck.

Take note: based on Irrational’s description, 1998 Mode exists specifically for Burial at Sea – Episode Two, not for the rest of the game.

Topics
Adam Rosenberg
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Previously, Adam worked in the games press as a freelance writer and critic for a range of outlets, including Digital Trends…
Volgarr the Viking 2 will take you back to your Ghosts ‘n Goblins days
A viking slashes a tree in Volgarr the Viking 2.

Developer Digital Eclipse is working on a surprising project: Volgarr the Viking 2. The 2D retro sequel will launch on August 6 for PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

The news is an out of left field reveal. The first Volgarr the Viking game released in 2013 and was made as an ode to 1080s classics like Ghosts 'n Goblins. Despite being a small release, it sold over 1 million copies over the past decade. As revealed during today's Guerrilla Collective stream, the series is coming back with a new sequel by Digital Eclipse, the team behind this year's Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story.

Read more
3 Days of Play PS Plus games to try this weekend (June 7-9)
Key art for Streets of Rage 4.

June 2024 is shaping up to be a pretty great month for PlayStation players. Not only are we coming off an entertaining State of Play showcase, but a new Days of Play initiative surrounding all the video game showcases this month is bringing a lot of new PS Plus additions with it. Many of those games hit PS Plus this week, and three in particular stand out to us.

For owners of Sony's oft-neglected PlayStation VR2, the first game is one of its rare exclusives that take full advantage of the headset's eye-tracking by seeing how often players blink. The next is a new PS Plus Essential game that's a revival of Sega's classic beat-'em-up series for the modern gaming era. Finally, the last title is an atmospheric and eerie fishing game that should entice fans of Lovecraftian horror.
Before Your Eyes

Read more
3 first-party Xbox Game Pass games to try this weekend (June 7-9)
Gears 5 Kait Hero Close Up

Microsoft will hold an Xbox Games Showcase and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Direct. this Sunday. These shows will provide a much better idea of what to expect from Xbox over the course of the next year or two. That's really needed right now, as Microsoft has struggled to keep online discussions around Xbox positive as it went multiplatform with some games, laid off thousands of developers, and outright shut down the developers of Hi-Fi Rush and Redfall. Based on leaks and my personal expectations for the showcase, there are three games you can play on Xbox Game Pass this weekend to prepare for the event.

The first is the latest first-person shooter in a long-running series by id Software that might be getting a medieval-set spinoff. After that, we have the fifth entry in a sci-fi Xbox series that still looks fantastic on Xbox Series X/S even though it came out in 2019. Finally, you can prepare for Avowed with the latest RPG from Obsidian Entertainment, a satirical sci-fi game where player choice is critical.
Doom Eternal

Read more