Instead, co-developer Digital Extremes is tackling a new online competitive multiplayer mode that takes inspiration from and the original . What's more, BioShock 2's multiplayer mode is a prequel to the original BioShock -- it will be set in the early days of Rapture, after the discovery of the mutagen Adam and the accompanying civil war over its control. The multiplayer game will showcase the fall of Rapture, leading up to the events of the first game.

In the words of 2K Games' press release:

Multiplayer in BioShock 2 provides a rich prequel experience that expands the origins of the BioShock fiction. Set during the fall of Rapture, players assume the role of a Plasmid test subject for Sinclair Solutions, a premier provider of Plasmids and Tonics in the underwater city of Rapture that was first explored in the original BioShock. Players will need to use all the elements of the BioShock toolset to survive as the full depth of the BioShock experience is refined and transformed into a unique multiplayer experience that can only be found in Rapture.

In BioShock 2's multiplayer mode, you'll play as a citizen of Rapture and earn experience points during your matches, which you can cash in to earn new Plasmids, Tonics, and weapons. 2K Games and Digital Extremes are promising "hundreds of different combinations" of these abilities in a "fast-paced multiplayer experience."

BioShock 2 releases this fall for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. Read our latest preview coverage .