The opening scene of BioShock was one of the most memorable parts of that newly-classic game. A dramatic plane crash, fire on the open ocean, and a mysterious landmark that leads to a formerly glorious underwater dystopia.

For BioShock Infinite, Irrational Games is taking players back to that memorable place with an opening scene that recalls many of the same tropes. Instead of a silent protagonist, though, this time players will assume the role of Booker DeWitt, a cavalryman tasked with bringing a woman named Elizabeth to New York.

Today Irrational and 2K Games released a video fo the first five minutes of BioShock Infinite. Obviously, it contains quite a few spoilers, and some spoilery analysis can also been found below the video.

So, BioShock Infinite begins in the Atlantic Ocean like BioShock, except in 1912 – 48 years before the events of the first game. And, instead of descending to the watery depths of Rapture, players will rise to the floating city of Columbia. The religious overtones in the opening moments heavily reinforce the symbolism of the “ascension to heaven” seen at the end.

Also, the Dewitt speaking from a first-person perspective will certainly make the character more interesting. However, it’s clear that Irrational will also be using the feature to “subtly” prompt players’ actions throughout the game (“Well, maybe there’s someone inside” or “Looks like they expect me to sit in their fancy chair”) – something that could become annoying further along in the game.