This is something of an odd announcement. The original BioShock is set to go portable but not in the way that many would like it to, because rather than making its oft-rumored debut on the PS Vita, it will instead be coming to iOS devices.
The announcement was made via developer 2K Games’ official Twitter account, with the post reading: “Prepare to return to Rapture! #BioShock is coming soon to iOS devices.”
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According to Engadget.com, who managed to get their hands on a preview copy of the game, it will require a newer iOS device such as the iPad Air, iPad Mini 2, iPad 4, iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C or iPhone 5. 2K has confirmed that the game won’t work on earlier iOS devices.
Engadget states that the game utilizes a control method similar to those featured in the portable GTA games, with you pressing virtual buttons that appear on your touchscreen device in order to control your character’s movement and interact with the environment. The visuals have also inevitably received a major downgrade, and considering that the aesthetics of Rapture are such a huge part of what made the game so memorable, it’s difficult to understand why an iOS version of it would have made it past the drawing board. Taking a look at the above screenshots of the game show just how ugly Rapture is being made to look on the iOS, and we can’t see anyone familiar with the original game plumping down the cash to play a sub-par version of it.
Unfortunately, given that the original BioShock PS Vita game that Ken Levine and the now-defunct Irrational Games were working on was cancelled, this is now the closest thing handheld gamers will get to experiencing Rapture on the move.
The below preview footage of the game from AppSpy shows how the game looks on the iPad, and while it does look notably better than the iPhone screenshots, we still insist that if you’ve yet to venture into Rapture, the console/PC versions of the game should absolutely be your first port of call.
BioShock iOS is set to release later this year on select iOS devices.
