BioShock Infinite was one of my most anticipated games of 2013, and it filled me with an odd mix of awe and disappointment.  The world of Columbia was gorgeous and detailed, and the story of Booker DeWitt and Elizabeth was a fascinating and moving ride.  Unfortunately, there was a video game in the way.  The reliance on combat completely broke the spell, and it brought into stark contrast how the business demands of AAA gaming (i.e. loads of violence) can be at odds with the long-form, visually immersive world only a video game can provide.  Having beaten the game, I was curious to see where the DLC would go, and the results are somewhat disappointing.  Today, Irrational Games has announced that the "Clash in the Clouds" DLC is now available, and will present players "with a series of unique, intense challenges and a whole new gambit of combat opportunities."  Huzzah.  As for story DLC, the two-part "Burial at Sea" takes place in Rapture, and looks like fan-fiction.  Gameplay wise, part one is from Booker's perspective, and part two is from Elizabeth's.

Hit the jump to check out trailers for both.  "Clash in the Clouds" costs $4.99 and "Burial at Sea" costs $14.99 a piece (both are included for those who bought the Season Pass).

Via CS.

This first add-on pack puts an intense focus on BioShock Infinite combat. Combine weapons, Vigors, Gear, Tears, and Sky-Lines in ways you never thought possible as you square off against impossible odds. This pack features 60 challenges in four brand-new maps. Complete Blue Ribbon Challenges and unlock concept art, Voxophones, Kinetoscopes, and more in The Columbian Archeological Society. Climb the Leaderboards and earn new achievements.

Please note that BioShock Infinite: Clash in the Clouds will start rolling out to all platforms today, but may take a few days until it has reached all platforms and regions.

Come back to Rapture in a story that finds Booker and Elizabeth on the eve of the underwater city's fall from grace. Developed by Irrational Games, the developer of the original BioShock and BioShock Infinite, this DLC features Rapture as you've never seen it before—a shining jewel at the bottom of the ocean, built almost entirely from scratch in the BioShock Infinite engine. Gameplay has been modified to give the player an original BioShock combat experience that merges the best parts of BioShock and BioShock Infinite.

Explore the city when it was at the height of its beauty, meet some old "friends," and make some new ones, all through the eyes of Booker DeWitt. Why are Booker and Elizabeth in Rapture? What was the city like before everything fell to pieces? The answers to these questions and more will be found in BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea -- Episode 1. This pack is included in the BioShock Infinite Season Pass.

Here's what BioShock Infinite director Ken Levine had to say about the DLC:

“We are really excited to offer our fans the content that they have been asking for,” said Ken Levine, creative director of Irrational Games. “With Clash in the Clouds, people get a pure action experience that takes BioShock Infinite combat to its highest challenge and intensity level. With the Burial at Sea episodes, we are building a Rapture-based narrative experience that is almost entirely built from scratch.”