GR:
"Jordan Thomas has been in the games industry since 1998, and has worked on some of its most famous games. He created the infamous Shalebridge Cradle level in Thief: Deadly Shadows, co-developed Bioshock's Fort Frolic with Stephen Alexander, and was Creative Director on Bioshock 2. After parting ways with Irrational post-Bioshock Infinite, Jordan and Stephen founded their own games company named Question and recently released The Magic Circle, a satirical send-up of the game development process."
In a podcast with Wassup Conversations, Jordan Thomas, director and the writer of BioShock 2 reveals his initial ideas for a new rapture and how they were shut down by 2K.
"My first proposal was about a little sister, it was playing as a little sister and it was much more horror-oriented pace and about vulnerability, closer to Thief frankly, but I was told no, we want it to be our Gears of War, this need to be a big shooter franchise with an emphasis on the shooter element, and so what I think of the protagonist of a shooter as is a big lumbering sort of porthole on a stick with guns sticking out in front like you’re almost a vehicle."
And he also wanted it to be above the sea or in space. What a wasted opportunity.
It's surprising the game turned out to be good with this guy at the helm. The combat mechanics were actually the biggest improvement in the sequel as much as he wouldn't want to hear that, everything else was inferior.
Jordan Thomas says he’d like new game to surprise players
I didn't really like infinit, it was too happy and bright, should return to its darker roots.
I haven't had the chance to finish infinite yet. I got to the part where I was doing favors for the rebellion. The gameplay felt extremely tight and the vibe was surreal as can be. It was such a privelage to play imo. Plus at 1440p the graphics look amazing.
It started light because it was showing one person idea of utopia.
But as the story moves on, it gets darker.
I found it interesting how the racism of the early 20th century real world below was just being reproduced in this new ideal world.
Yeah I like my Bioshock the darker the better. Infinite had adult themes but it wasn't twisted in the same way.
I think it was supposed to be bright. It was supposed to contrast with the darkness which lay beneath with all that utopia covered in envy, racism, and xenophobia, then turned itself all upon itself with the revelation of Booker's place in all of it.
No more Rapture, please. I loved the setting when they used it in the first 2 games. And it was nice to revisit it in the Infinite DLC, but it's going to be aesthetically tiresome seeing it a 3rd time in a row in a full game.
An essential member of the teams behind BioShock and its sequels, Thomas tells VICE about aiming for Aliens but producing Pitch Black.
