Bioshock Infinite Burial at Sea Elizabeth Cigarette

Irrational Games is keeping the story of BioShock Infinite's first story-based DLC, "Burial at Sea" to themselves for the time being, but thankfully, a few hints have managed to escape in the form of achievements.

Those wary of story spoilers - and if "Burial at Sea" is anything like Infinite's campaign, there will be plenty - needn't worry, since the only mild spoilers concern the combat, not plot. There are ten achievements in all, aimed squarely at players looking to master the game's combat while taking in the sights of the underwater city of Rapture once again.

Behold the achievements below:

  • Down in the Briney
    • Took a Bathysphere ride in Burial at Sea - Episode One.
  • Burial at Sea
    • Completed Burial at Sea - Episode One.
  • Audio Enthusiast
    • Collected all Audio Diaries in Burial at Sea - Episode One.
  • Fully Equipped
    • Purchased any two upgrades for Old Man Winter or Radar Range in Burial at Sea - Episode One.
  • Confirmed Luddite
    • Destroyed ten Turrets in Burial at Sea - Episode One.
  • Cook and Serve
    • Made 5 enemies explode with the Radar Range in Burial at Sea - Episode One.
  • Chain Reaction
    • Damaged fifteen foes with an exploding enemy, using the Radar Range in Burial at Sea - Episode One.
  • Break the Ice
    • Shattered 5 enemies who had been frozen with Old Man Winter.
  • Snowball Effect       
    • Froze 2 enemies with the same Old Man Winter trap.
  • Going Places
    • Rode the tram in Burial at Sea - Episode One.
Bioshock Infinite Burial at Sea Irrational Games 2K

Fans have been downright expecting the chance to ride a Tram or Bathysphere throughout the as-yet-undestroyed underwater city, so no spoilers where either of those achievements are concerned. What does stand out is the apparent achievements to what look to be new traps; Irrational had confirmed that the gameplay of "Burial At Sea" would be much more slow-paced than Infinite's, and would return to the original game's reliance on setting up traps before triggering enemy encounters.

We speak, of course, of the weapons seemingly name 'Old Man Winter' and 'Radar Rage.' Old Man Winter was mentioned some time ago as a concept for a new Plasmid similar to 'Winter Blast' from the first BioShock, but delivered in the form of Infinite's 'Vigors' instead of injected Plasmids. No word yet on what 'Radar Range' refers to, but Old Man Winter seems to let players set ice traps which freeze Splicers - exactly the kind of tactical planning Ken Levine promised would be emphasized in the DLC.

Given the extended (and quantum mechanically-informed) fiction of the BioShock universe, the presence of a Vigor that closely resembles one of the first game's Plasmids could be telling. Is this an alternate take on Rapture? What impact that would have on explaining Booker and Elizabeth's presence in the doomed city is also up for discussion.

Make what you will of these achievements, but we're most excited by the storytelling in store. What's your take?

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BioShock: Infinite is available now for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360. “Burial at Sea: Episode 1” is expected to release by the end of 2013.

Follow Andrew on Twitter @andrew_dyce.