Ken Levine’s Judas Promises Bioshock-Like Experience With Player-Driven, Open-Ended Gameplay

Ken Levine’s upcoming first-person shooter, Judas, promises a Bioshock-like experience, with player-driven and open-ended gameplay.

Speaking during an interview on the Last Stand Media YouTube channel, Judas director Ken Levine that the game will have much in common with its spiritual successor, Bioshock, as it will offer a player-driven experience and open-ended gameplay. He mentioned that it carries over familiar mechanics, such as combining gunplay with special powers, as well as new gameplay elements, such as the protagonist’s engineering and hacking abilities. The latter are said to add new layers to gameplay.

Furthermore, Levine revealed that his focus with Judas is to have open-ended gameplay and meaningful player choices. He aims to empower the player with choices that significantly impact the story. This approach is designed to reflect upon the moral and ethical complexities within the game’s setting. During an earlier interview, he had used the term “narrative Legos” to describe the aforementioned element, which is said to be much more reactive to the player than in his previous games.

The Judas director also mentioned that the game is set on a generation ship, a vessel designed for long-term space travel, fostering unique societal and ethical dynamics. He said that this setting allows exploration of confined community life and its pressures. The protagonist was born on the ship, and he will face both distinct challenges and moral choices.

In response to a question regarding his design philosophy, Levin stressed on the importance of creating immersive and believable worlds. He said that he prefers the first-person perspective for its ability to more deeply immerse players into the experience, making it more personal. He further stressed on the importance of external feedback from players and journalists, which has been instrumental in shaping Judas’s core elements.

Towards the end of the interview, the Judas director mentioned that he looks forward to his ongoing engagement with the community as well as seeing how the game is received.