BioShock creator Ken Levine recently provided insights into his forthcoming game, Judas. During an extensive interview with Nightdive`s Lawrence Sonntag, Levine characterized Judas as an “old-school” title, stressing its divergence from contemporary gaming trends such as online features and live services.
“You purchase the game, and you get the complete experience,” he stated. “There is no online element, no live service, because everything we do is in service of telling the story and immersing the player.”
Levine added that he wasn`t criticizing developers who make such games, acknowledging the significant costs involved and the necessity for companies to see a return on their investment. For himself and his studio, Ghost Story Games, he expressed gratitude for the independence granted by Take-Two`s ownership. He quoted, “We are very fortunate to work at a company that believes in us enough to say, `Alright, you`ve been developing this for a long time, it`s going to cost a fair amount, and we`re not going to pressure you with any of that stuff.`”
He also referenced recent successful games lacking live service or significant online elements, listing titles like Baldur`s Gate 3, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
“These are games that are truly traditional single-player experiences, and they don`t have that kind of monetization,” Levine commented. “I believe audiences reward those games, particularly in the AAA space, because games can become so expensive that people desire alternative monetization methods.” He continued, “I`m just grateful that we are permitted not to do that, as it frees us to design the game purely for the player`s experience.”
Judas was announced several years ago but still lacks a release date or even a release window. The game is currently in development for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
It marks Levine`s first project since BioShock Infinite, which was released in 2013. A Bloomberg report from 2022 indicated the game was initially targeting a 2017 launch but has encountered what`s often termed `development hell.` The report stated Levine was given considerable time and creative freedom for Judas, which developers reportedly found initially ideal but ultimately detrimental due to a perceived `lack of oversight.`
Mike Snight, formerly of Irrational Games and a member of Ghost Story, described Levine as “a very difficult person to work for.” Snight and half of the original team working on Judas departed the company during its development. Levine reportedly told staff that the funding from Take-Two was a `rounding error` for the parent company known for the GTA franchise, and analyst Michael Pachter suggested Take-Two would likely grant Levine as much time as necessary.
Regarding the broader BioShock series, Take-Two`s 2K division is working on a new BioShock game at Cloud Chamber. Levine is not involved in this separate project, and it currently has no release date.