It’s been three years since Bioshock introduced everyone to the wonders of Rapture, and only a few months since 2K Marin introduced us to the blunders of their disappointing sequel. You’ll have to wait a few years for the real followup to the first game, which will be a radical departure from the soggy confines of Andrew Ryan’s undersea deathscape:

Bioshock Infinite – a prequel to the first game – is under development at Irrational Games under the watchful eye of series creator Ken Levine. This is great news for people who found the sequel uninspired, and were hoping for the game to make a venue change and incorporate some new ideas.

Set in 1912 aboard the floating metropolis of Columbia, Bioshock Infinite won’t rely on a nameless, faceless protagonist to tell its story. Instead, you’ll be playing the role of a fixer assigned to track down one of the inhabitants of the elusive city. Head over to Joystiq for coverage of the press release event and demo, which further details the themes Ken Levine wants to explore with the game.

Infinite won’t arrive until 2012. The wait might feel about that long.