BioShock: The Collection out in September, free upgrades for PC owners

As yesterday’s extensive leaks indicated, 2K have announced the upcoming release of BioShock: The Collection; a ‘remastered’ set of the three BioShock titles. The PC will be getting this Collection (digitally, at least), and those who already own BioShock, BioShock 2 and/or Minerva’s Den (BioShock 2 DLC) on Steam will have the option to upgrade to the newer versions for free.

Both of the first two games are very cheap in the Steam sale right now ($4.00 apiece), so if you want to plan ahead for a free upgrade, now is a decent time to pick them up.

BioShock: Infinite isn’t getting any sort of remastering on PC, because 2K consider it recent enough to hold its own in the graphics and textures department. It is also noted that BioShock 2’s new version will not include the game’s original multiplayer mode.

This announcement is not exactly exhaustive in its details about what, exactly, has been ‘remastered’ in these games. This sentence is the closest it comes: “The weapons, plasmids, levels, and character models that shocked you years ago have been reskinned and retextured to look better than ever.” We may learn more specifics between now and the 13 September release date (16 September internationally).

Here’s what’s in BioShock: The Collection, followed by a trailer. It’ll cost $60.00 USD as a stand-alone, but as noted above there are much, much cheaper ways of getting the bits you want on PC.

• BioShock
  • The video series, “Director’s Commentary: Imagining BioShock,” featuring Ken Levine, creative director on BioShock and BioShock Infinite and Shawn Robertson, animation lead on BioShock and animation director on BioShock Infinite.
  • Museum of Orphaned Concepts: Walk through a Rapture-inspired virtual museum that gives you a behind-the-scenes look at discarded concepts that never made it into the original game.
  • Challenge Rooms: Outside the story of BioShock, tackle puzzles, splicers and Big Daddies. And achievements, of course.

• BioShock 2 (**Multiplayer will not be included)
  • Minerva’s Den: A self-contained BioShock story, presenting a side of Rapture you’ve never seen before. Use expanded combat abilities with the experimental Ion Laser and chaotic Gravity Well Plasmid, unique to Minerva’s Den, as you face off against the Lancer Big Daddy.
  • Protector Trials: Take control of an Alpha Series Big Daddy woken out of hibernation just before the events of BioShock 2.

• BioShock Infinite
  • Burial at Sea – Episode 1 & 2 Add-On Packs: This major two-part DLC pack completes the BioShock trilogy by taking the series back to where it all began. Return to Rapture just before the events of the original BioShock!
  • Clash in the Clouds Add-On Pack: Face 60 waves of challenges across four additional maps for leaderboard glory and unlock areas to explore in The Columbian Archaeological Society hub museum.
  • Columbia’s Finest Pack: Combines the contents of the Industrial Revolution Pack and the Upgrade Pack and includes 500 Silver Eagles, five Lock Picks, six unique Gear items, and two weapon upgrades: Comstock’s China Broom Shotgun and Comstock’s Eagle Eye Sniper Rifle.