2K Releases Free BioShock Add-On Content

2K Games has announced the release of new, free downloadable content for its "genetically enhanced first-person shooter" BioShock on both Xbox Live Marketplace and through a patch for the PC version. The content includes new Plasmids and Tonics, achievements and interface upgrades. BioShock puts the player in the role of a castaway in Rapture, a decaying art deco underwater utopia torn apart by civil war, and the player uses genetic enhancements alongside traditional weapons to thwart enemies. The new Plasmids and Gene Tonics, which allow the player to use or enhance special abilities, include the Sonic Boom plasmid, which hurls creatures and objects back with a blast of force; EVE saver, which enables Plasmids to consume less EVE; Vending Expert, which reduces prices of items bought at vending machines, and Machine Buster, which increases the amount of damage players deal to cameras, bots and turrets. A new Xbox 360 achievement also becomes available through the new content update; the "Brass Balls" achievement is awarded for beating BioShock on the "hard" difficulty setting without dying. A true widescreen display option is also now available, as opposed to its original cropped widescreen view, which the company says is in response to gamers' requests and feedback on the Cult of Rapture official community forum, along with other visual enhancements and upgrades.