Preview – The new project of the godfather of BioShock in many aspects recalls the atmosphere of the cult game of 2007. Ken Levin, the creator of the famous series, is working on a game that perpetuates the atmosphere of the BioShock games while creating a completely new world. With his announcement, Judah has generated huge anticipation among fans, who can't wait to get their hands on him.
More than a decade after the release of the last BioShock game, although no official sequel has been announced, fans of the series still have reason to be excited. The upcoming shooter, Judas, has all the elements that made BioShock unique, and the project comes from Ken Levin, the legendary creator of the series himself. Judas was first introduced at the 2022 Game Awards, and since then interest in it has been relentless. Here's everything you need to know about the spiritual successor to BioShock from Levine Studio, Ghost Story Games.
When and on what platforms will Judas be released?
There is currently no official announcement on the release date of Judas. The latest information available comes from a February 2023 statement Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick made to IGN. According to these plans, I would like to release the game in March 2025. However, since it has been a year since this announcement and no recent official information has been received from the developers, the release date is uncertain.
Regarding the available platforms, Judas will be available on PC via the Epic Games Store and Steam, in addition to Xbox and PlayStation 5. There is no information about the Nintendo Switch version yet. If Judas is indeed released in 2025, it may appear on the subsequent Nintendo Switch console.
History and development of the game
Judas's plot unfolds on the spaceship Mayflower, which is transporting humanity's last survivors to Proxima Centauri. The spaceship is controlled by three individuals representing different viewpoints: Tom, who strives to preserve the original state of humanity; Nefertiti, wife of Nobel Prize winner Tom, who aims to realize human existence in the form of perfect, flawless robots; And Hope, their adopted daughter, whose life's goal has become denying her existence. In a society where computers decide who is a model citizen and report those who behave differently, Judas, the game's hero, manages to break free from this control and start a revolution aboard the Mayflower.
Judas is the first project from Ghost Story Games founded by Ken Levine after the closure of Irrational Games. The idea for the game came in 2014, when Levin spoke at the Game Developers Conference about the types of “narrative LEGOs” he would like to work on to create a highly replayable game with multiple outcomes. Levin announced the following year that the project would be a first-person science fiction game similar to the System Shock series, inspired by Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor's Nemesis system. Levin stressed that the game will be more difficult than BioShock or BioShock Infinite. In early 2022, Bloomberg News reported that development was struggling, in part due to Levin's work style, which left employees burned out. Later in the year, at The Game Awards 2022, the game debuted a presentation trailer, which received a positive reception.
Judas game
Based on the short gameplay trailers we've seen so far, it's clear that Judas is heavily inspired by the BioShock series. This is not surprising, considering that Ken Levin is the one behind the project. Based on the scenes shown in the State of Play trailer, Judas will be a first-person action game, bearing all the characteristics that were typical of BioShock games. It can be seen that in the game, the protagonist handles weapons with his right hand, while his left hand launches energy-based attacks very similar to BioShock Plasmids. Throughout the game, players are expected to find a balance between gunfighting and abilities that interact with the environment and enemies in new ways as they explore and master them. Overall, if you liked the BioShock series, you'll probably like Judas' gameplay as well.
Via the PlayStation Blog, Levin mentioned that Judas' story will be much less linear, giving players more options to shape the story. “We wanted to create an experience where these decisions and the unfolding of the story are up to you. Because you, as Judas, are the driving force behind all the events in the story you can meet new characters – and change them – in a way you haven't experienced in our previous games.
All indications are that Ken Levine and the team at Ghost Story Games appear to be working on a game that will once again take narrative-driven first-person shooters to a new level while drawing inspiration and innovation from the BioShock series.
First impressions from the head of The Game Awards
Geoff Keighley recently shared his thoughts and impressions on the upcoming Judas game. Levine, creator of the BioShock series, has now embarked on a new initiative with his studio, Ghost Story Games, that follows in the footsteps of his previous work. The studio allowed a few members of the press, including Keighley, to test the game.
According to Kelly, Judas' story is steeped in mystery and uses science fiction elements much more heavily than the BioShock games, reminiscent of the System Shock series. The action takes place in the dark corridors of the Mayflower spaceship, where residents watch and whisper to each other, while machines scan all areas. Kelly stated that the main character in the game, Judah, begins an uprising that radically changes the regime.
According to the report, Judas is a story-driven first-person shooter that may be familiar to BioShock fans, but it also adds new elements to the genre. Players have the opportunity to interact with the ship's three captains and their decisions shape the outcome of the story. Levin calls the story structure “narrative LEGO,” referring to how the player's choices build on each other throughout the adventure.
Kelly shared his first impressions in a video, noting that the game is still under development, the adventure is not linear, and includes some rogue-like elements. He confirms that the game contains all the features that people expect from the BioShock series, including special abilities, hacking, cutscenes, attractive characters, and a rich story.
-Gergely Herbay (Bad Sector)-
