As the developers of a sequel to one of the most highly acclaimed games of this generation, 2K Marin did a great job of picking up where Ken Levine and co left off.

We now have news from 2K Marin that Bioshock 2 will be getting DLC next month, in the form of a new mode that puts you back in the shoes of a Big Daddy as you work to protect your little one.

The Protector Trials DLC pack will be adding more than just the new mode though.

Along with the new mode, the pack will now include 6 new maps based on popular areas from the single player campaign as well as three difficulty settings to go with them.

For the Achievement and Trophy whores out there, 2K Marin are also chucking in 7 new achievements/trophies for ya’ll to unlock. Speaking of unlocking, there will also be some new unlockables in the game, including extras like art.

Check the press release below for all the info.

New Single-Player DLC for BioShock^® 2, Protector Trials, to Test Players’ Combat Prowess August 3, 2010

New York, NY – July 1, 2010 – 2K Games announced today Protector Trials*, an all-new single-player focused downloadable game add-on for BioShock^® 2 that puts players back into the boots of the Big Daddy as he defends his Little Sister against swarms of corrupt Splicers who are hell-bent on stealing the precious ADAM that she gathers from corpses. Available starting August 3, 2010, this exciting and action-packed addition will challenge players to use the full arsenal of the BioShock 2 tool set as they dispatch their foes and unleash their wrath on enemies across six different areas from the single-player experience.

“The team at 2K Marin has been working hard ever since the launch of BioShock 2 to develop ways for gamers to extend their time in the single-player world of Rapture,” said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. “I’m proud to announce the first of these experiences, the Protector Trials, which takes players back to some of their favorite places from the original game and features some of the biggest challenges that fans of this series have ever experienced. This is just the beginning. More single-player content is on the way that will deliver more of the intense action and story-driven gameplay that fans have been craving.”

Protector Trials is being developed by the core team behind BioShock 2’s single-player experience. It contains a series of challenges focused on frantic combat and fast-paced action that are designed to push players’ mastery of weapons and Plasmids. The goal is simple, but tough to achieve: players must keep their Little Sister safe from the intense onslaught of Splicers as she gathers ADAM from corpses.

The pack includes:

• Six new maps: three unique difficulty levels, each based on favorite locales from BioShock 2;
• New unlockables, including never-before-seen concept art and videos;
• Seven new Achievements/Trophies.

Protector Trials will be available starting August 3, 2010 from the Xbox^® LIVE Marketplace for the Xbox 360^® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Games for Windows-LIVE for 400 Microsoft Points, and from the PlayStation^®Network for the PlayStation^®3 computer entertainment system for $4.99.

In the coming months, 2K Games will publish more downloadable content that extends the single-player experience, providing new insight into the world of Rapture. The next package will expand the narrative, and introduce new tools and new challenges that extend the lore and fiction of the failed utopia under the sea.

BioShock 2’s first two downloadable packages, Sinclair Solutions Tester Pack* and Rapture Metro Pack*, are currently available for download from both the Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360 from Microsoft and Games for Windows-LIVE, and from the PlayStation Network for the PlayStation^®3 computer entertainment system.

Source: VG247