In a move that hopefully indicates BioShock Infinite (Game Rant's most anticipated game of 2013) really is coming out at the end of March, publisher 2K Games has unveiled a new package to (re)introduce gamers to the BioShock legacy. BioShock: Ultimate Rapture Edition packs the first two BioShock games together, along with a bevy of bonus content, all for the wallet-friendly price of $29.99.

The real surprise is just how close at hand the BioShock: Ultimate Rapture Edition actually is. Announced just this morning (but rumored last June), the compilation is scheduled to go on sale in North America little more than a week from today, on January 14th. That should give interested gamers plenty of time to brush up on the sad history of Rapture before they journey to the world of Columbia in BioShock Infinite, which - if everything goes as planned - is due on March 26th.

Nothing says "history" quite like a museum, and BioShock: Ultimate Rapture Edition is packing one of its very own: The Museum of Orphaned Concepts, which is stocked with early BioShock concept art and character models, in addition to other as-yet-undisclosed treasures. What else do curious gamers get for their $29.99? Check out the details on the Ultimate Rapture Edition's bonus content, straight from our friends at 2K Games.

  • Museum of Orphaned Concepts: Take a tour of a never-before-seen BioShock museum and view early concept art, character models and more set within the halls of Rapture.
  • Plasmids Pack: Includes four additional Plasmids and Gene Tonics — Sonic Boom, EVE Saver, Vending Expert and Machine Buster — for use in BioShock.
  • Challenge Rooms Pack: Previously exclusive to PS3â„¢ and now available for Xbox 360 for the first time, the pack tests the player’s mettle by requiring them to utilize the skills learned while traversing the halls of Rapture to survive three separate puzzle rooms in BioShock.
  • Sinclair Solutions Tester: Contains a number of customization features that allow players to further their character’s development in BioShock 2 multiplayer modes and provides a deeper multiplayer experience.
  • Rapture Metro: Includes six additional multiplayer maps, an additional multiplayer gameplay mode and a rank increase to level 50 for BioShock 2 multiplayer.
  • The Protector Trials: Features frantic combat and fast-paced action designed to push players’ mastery of weapons and Plasmids in a BioShock 2 single-player experience spread across six maps.
  • Minerva’s Den: A substantial narrative experience that puts players in the role Subject Sigma and introduces new characters, locations and mystery to the world of Rapture in BioShock 2. Set in a new environment, Rapture Central Computing, Minerva’s Den adds a gripping new storyline to extend the BioShock 2 experience.
  • Also included, is an exclusive collectable sticker pack from BioShock Infinite’s world of Columbia to get gamers ready for the next chapter in the BioShock universe.

It's quite a package. According to 2K Games, the bonus content alone is valued at over $40. True, BioShock 2 has been a part of PlayStation Plus' Instant Game Collection since the beginning of December, but even subscribers who've downloaded it might want to give the Ultimate Rapture Edition a shot. All the BioShock 2 DLC (especially the excellent Minerva's Den), plus BioShock, plus the Museum - there's an awful lot of content here, much more so than some other "definitive editions" we could name.

What do you think, Ranters? Will you grab a copy of the BioShock: Ultimate Rapture Edition to get yourselves ready for BioShock: Infinite and its unprecedented ending? Let us know in the comments below.

BioShock: Ultimate Rapture Edition releases January 14, 2013, for Xbox 360 and PS3.

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