We've learned to take nothing for granted where mercurial game designer Ken Levine is concerned, but the news that the imminent Bioshock Infinite features a song performed by its two lead voice actors is still a surprise.
Actors Troy Baker and Courtnee Draper, who play Booker DeWitt and Elizabeth in the game, have recorded a version of the 1935 folk standard Will The Circle Be Unbroken for the game's soundtrack. The song was in turn based on a 1907 hymn.
What does it all mean? Levine has made no secret of the fact that the game tackles religious themes in a controversial manner. The song features the line "There's a better home awaiting, in the sky, Lord, in the sky". This ties in rather ironically with the game's storyline, which finds Pinkerton agent DeWitt despatched to the flying city of Columbia to track down Elizabeth. Once there, he finds an idealistic society on the brink of civil war. Levine has promised that the ending will be "like nothing you've actually experienced in a video game before".
The full soundtrack will be included in the game's Premium and Ultimate Songbird editions, along with other bonus goodies.
Bioshock Infinite is out on March 26th for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.