2K Marin announced today that a partnership had been formed with Digital Extremes (of Dark Sector, Unreal and Unreal Tournament fame), who would be helping to develop the multiplayer mode in the upcoming BioShock 2.

“The fans asked for a multiplayer experience and we answered,” said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K, in today’s press statement.

“They did?” we replied, skeptically. The only people I seem to recall asking for such an “experience” were a certain faction of dense gamers who viewed BioShock as “just another shooter” to play while biding their time for Master Chief’s return in Halo 3. Critics and the vast majority of fans I’ve spoken to personally agree that they neither needed nor wanted to see a Team Deathmatch shoehorned in. But I digress. There are some interesting bits of news about how this mode will tie into the game’s lore.

It seems that multiplayer will be set during the fall of Rapture itself with players thrust into the roles of test subjects for Sinclair Solutions, the premiere Plasmid and Gene Tonic providers. The release also touts an experience system that will allow players to unlock new weapons, plasmids and tonics which can be combined in various configurations. Sounds like a take on the CoD4-style perk and load-out system. Hrmmm.

Fans will also get to see Rapture in a new light – before chaos and the intruding oceanic depths began to decay her grandeur. Kashmir Restaraunt and Mercury Suites are just two of the locations listed that have been re-worked for online matches.

“With Digital Extremes delivering a multiplayer experience for BioShock 2 that features all of the things that make BioShock unique, we’re holding ourselves to a high standard so that we can deliver the depth and variety that fans of the BioShock universe demand,” Hartmann continues. Sounds like a tall order, indeed. Just make sure you know what you’re getting yourselves into, 2K – multiplayer isn’t the be-all, end-all some think it to be.