BioShock creator Ken Levine of Irrational Games feels "almost everything" he's worked on is a "descendent of that feeling" he had playing Ultima Underworld where it felt "like a real place."
His games are "really struggling to create a sense of place" for us to get connected with, he says. Levine has "no patience" with game designers who lecture others how they should make worlds.
IGN: "We spent six hours playing a recent build of Judas, the next game from BioShock creator Ken Levine, followed by a lengthy conversation with the renowned game designer to discuss the long wait since BioShock Infinite, bringing the "narrative LEGOs" concept to life in Judas, what the game is all about, and much more."
YT video : https://youtu.be/aIqmnoo8Ui...
with new gameplay segments
I’m tentatively hopeful for this. Love Bioshock. As far as the narrative Legos we shall have to wait and see. The early trailer for Infinite showed off a lot of stuff that didn’t make it into the finished product, and Levine is notoriously difficult to work for, so if this narrative stuff makes it into the came will be curious to see how impactful it is. I’d be fine with something more in the vein of the first Bioshock. Not much like that now, especially since Arkane’s fall from grace.
I didn’t realize Levine’s new studio was under 2K Games just like Irrational was. What was the point quitting Irrational and then 2K dissolving the studio only for him to open up a smaller studio still under 2K? Why not just downsize Irrational, keep operations going and have the brand recognition. Cuz it’s not like Judas is a departure from his normal style. Must be a story there
DualShockers Writes "One of the most important shooters of all time, BioShock, has turned 15. Playing it today, it doesn’t feel like a 15-year-old game, and I realise that’s in large part because so few games have attempted to really follow in its footsteps. It’s a predecessor to certain genres that would come later – like the ‘walking sim’ – and it was the first blockbuster game that showed the medium to be capable of seriously exploring some high-minded ideas, but that mix of emergent gameplay, eccentricity, and worldbuilding where you piece together the story of a fallen city through desecrated rooms, meticulously positioned corpses, and brilliantly delivered audio diaries hasn’t quite been repeated."
The BioShock director has hinted at his new project but isn't giving too much away.
More and more Levine comes off as that great "ideas" guy, and less someone who should be directing the project.
Infinite came out very little like it was supposed to be, and whatever they're actually working on has been in development hell for years, with nothing to show for it.
Every project he heads is riddled with reworks and reimagining.
He needs to team up with Warren Spector again. They seem to balance each other out.
Just make your game and stop with the stupid food fights. THere is no need to vent this type of gripe publicly. Make your game and gamers will buy it if it is worth it to them.
I agree with Levine. There's nothing worse when you're working on a creative project to have limitations, because the boss has an old recycled idea and doesn't want to hear anything new. That type of company is not for creative individuals it's for construction workers rather than architects.
Absolutely love this guy! He's a fantastic game designer, writer, and human being. I would say he and David Cage are the gentlemen of the gaming industry. :) And possibly Ted Price. But...he's more of the small town nice guy that you'd love to hang out with.
Wow...I think I just wrote a personal ad for Ted Price.
Ken Levine is a straight-up boss. He's the kind of designer that doesn't need to say "do as I do", people just do what he does on the basis that it's consistently polished and engrossing.