Irrational Reveals the First BioShock Infinite "Heavy Hitter"

[Andy Chalk]

Irrational Reveals the First BioShock Infinite "Heavy Hitter"

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Irrational Games has unveiled the Motorized Patriot, a BioShock Infinite enemy that crosses George Washington with the Terminator.

In the first of a new BioShock Infinite "Heavy Hitters" video series, Irrational Creative Director Ken Levine, Art Director Nate Wells and Lead Artist Shawn Robertson take the wraps off the Motorized Patriot, a mechanized murder machine with a porcelain face, a minigun and absolutely no fear. The Motorized Patriot is the first of the "heavy hitters," a group of enemies that Levine says aren't just more powerful than traditional BioShock bad guys but that will also augment their powers.

The Motorized Patriot is fearless and relentless, which Levine said embodies the "very clear system of beliefs" of the founders of Columbia. "He doesn't have a sense of self-preservation," he explained, "so he'll just keep coming at you and coming at you." Its weapon, a gatling gun called "Peppermill," packs a nasty punch, but players will be able to pick it up and use it themselves once they've knocked the Patriot out.

As dangerous as the Patriot is, it's also pretty creepy. The face was intentionally designed to be a poor, clown-like rendering, an effect heightened by its crumbling condition, and as it takes damage the face will slowly break away, revealing the robotic metal skull beneath. It also spouts appropriately patriotic phrases as it comes, which Levine described as "both funny and kind of terrifying."

"He's got this incredible sense of heaviness, he's relentless," he said. "He's a deadly, deadly enemy."

BioShock Infinite [http://www.amazon.com/BioShock-Infinite-Xbox-360/dp/B003O6EB70/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1331225095&sr=8-1] comes out on October 16 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.


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[theonecookie]

I don't mean to ***** since it look really cool but throwing in a slow moving enemy with a chain gun is hardly a new idea and I don't know why you would put out a video about it

 

[Kapol]

I don't mean to ***** since it look really cool but throwing in a slow moving enemy with a chain gun is hardly a new idea and I don't know why you would put out a video about it

I think it was more about the design of the enemy and the sort of 'signal' it gives off more then 'this is a slow moving enemy with a chain gun.' It talked about the insperation behind it, what it represented, why it fits into the world, and why it's different then any other enemy... namely that it's obviously not something that can be reasoned with and will come at you no matter how much damage it takes. It was an interesting look at the enemy.

 

[DioWallachia]

"crosses George Washington with the Terminator"

That needs its own game/movie........oh wait, too late, The Simpsons did it before.

 

[Zhukov]

Sweet.

Someoneat Irrational, or more likely several someones, knows their visual design. I really like the US flag angel wings and the clockwork animation. Although it doesn't look as intimidating as they seem to think.

I'm glad to hear more of their signature creepy/hilarious enemy chatter as well.

 

[theonecookie]

I don't mean to ***** since it look really cool but throwing in a slow moving enemy with a chain gun is hardly a new idea and I don't know why you would put out a video about it

I think it was more about the design of the enemy and the sort of 'signal' it gives off more then 'this is a slow moving enemy with a chain gun.' It talked about the insperation behind it, what it represented, why it fits into the world, and why it's different then any other enemy... namely that it's obviously not something that can be reasoned with and will come at you no matter how much damage it takes. It was an interesting look at the enemy.

Yeah but that's not what I was on about I like the design It just that he started off by saying how they've come up with a group of enemy's that provide a unique challenge and then thay show off something we've seen in pretty much every shooter ever. A slow moving enemy with a big gun that doesn't know when to stop

 

[Osaka117]

Yeah but that's not what I was on about I like the design It just that he started off by saying how they've come up with a group of enemy's that provide a unique challenge and then thay show off something we've seen in pretty much every shooter ever. A slow moving enemy with a big gun that doesn't know when to stop

"What I personally would have liked to see in a Bioshock game..."

Yeah the slow moving enemy with a gatling gun is something seen in lots of shooters, but not Bioshock. Look at Bioshock 1, you got low tier enemies like splicers, sentries, and turrets, then the Big Daddy boss fights, nothing in between. So this concept is a new thing for Bioshock.

And plus, as was said, it's more about the design of the mobilized patriot, and less about it being a tougher enemy to fight.

 

[theonecookie]

Yeah but that's not what I was on about I like the design It just that he started off by saying how they've come up with a group of enemy's that provide a unique challenge and then thay show off something we've seen in pretty much every shooter ever. A slow moving enemy with a big gun that doesn't know when to stop

"What I personally would have liked to see in a Bioshock game..."

Yeah the slow moving enemy with a gatling gun is something seen in lots of shooters, but not Bioshock. Look at Bioshock 1, you got low tier enemies like splicers, sentries, and turrets, then the Big Daddy boss fights, nothing in between. So this concept is a new thing for Bioshock.

And plus, as was said, it's more about the design of the mobilized patriot, and less about it being a tougher enemy to fight.

Fine then I'll let it drop, its just that I expected something a bit more

 

[Andy Chalk]

I'm kind of with onecookie here, in that this isn't exactly a revolutionary new design. On the other hand, how it interacts with other enemies in battle remains to be seen, and that would seem to be what makes the Heavy Hitters interesting: they're tough in their own right but it's how they work with other, lesser opponents that really provides the challenge. I wouldn't dismiss them out-of-hand just yet.

 

[Dominic Burchnall]

Sweet.

Someoneat Irrational, or more likely several someones, knows their visual design. I really like the US flag angel wings and the clockwork animation.

Damnit. Ninja'd. But picking up that this is designed to be one of a pantheon of the "Heavy Hitter" class, I'm very much looking forward to the other designs they will hopefully be showing us before too much longer. More robotic presidents would be cool, but I'm just waiting to see them thinking muscles flex.

Idea of my own; How about something like the Smilers from Doctor Who The Beast Below? Something that would interact normally with those deemed "suitable" to live on Columbia, but change to a different face when it encountered an undesirable?

 

[TheMann]

Well, at least they didn't go with a robotic metal Teddy Roosevelt. That'd pretty much be the end of the game right there.

I'll say, Bioshock Infinite is one of the very few games that is a must-play for me in 2012. There's really not a lot I know is coming out that I want immediately this year/].

 

[bobmus]

'Deadly, deadly enemy'

*Is shown being disabled by 3 pistol shots and a bit of machine gun spam*

Deadly indeed.

 

[Sartan0]

'Deadly, deadly enemy'

*Is shown being disabled by 3 pistol shots and a bit of machine gun spam*

Deadly indeed.

I think it was fairly clear they were cutting away and then back to the action again. This is more like a taste. It's not a full out game play video.

OT: Love the look of it. Creepy awesome. I am looking forward to this game!

 

[Elementary - Dear Watson]

I'm definately looking forward to this! Although the think I liked about Bioshock was the claustrophobic feeling, and the constant tension that the place could fall down around you... I hope this game will somehow keep that feeling of being controlled as well as controlling!

 

[Fuhjem]

I like the wooden jaw.

 

[Otaku World Order]

Now we need to see the Motorized Patriot sales demo where into blasts a Benedict Arnold robot into scrap.

 

[Dogstile]

I'm more... concerned about the "I need a turret over there!" *one materialises* design choice. Did I miss something?

The enemy itself? I think they were showing off that the design, almost the entire video was about how he'll just come at you, shooting, never stopping, never slowing, forever, until its dead.

Which, is a tad creepy if you think about it. But this is a game where you have lots of guns, so I suppose we'll be fine.

 

[Dominic Burchnall]

I'm definately looking forward to this! Although the think I liked about Bioshock was the claustrophobic feeling, and the constant tension that the place could fall down around you... I hope this game will somehow keep that feeling of being controlled as well as controlling!

From some of the earlier playthroughs, it looks like they were keeping that up quite well, but sort of juxtaposing it against a society rigidly adhereing to, or being terrorised into, a facade of "The Perfect America". In one of the parts I've seen, you hear a church bell tolling in the distance, then when you get closer you realise it's because the systems keeping it aloft are failing, and you have to move quickly to avoid being crushed. A little later on, you see a shop being gutted by an inferno, and it's owner sweeping dust off the step in front of it. Instead of embracing the downfall like the Splicers in the original Bioshock, those feelings come more from daring to break the silence about the downfall.

 

[Elementary - Dear Watson]

From some of the earlier playthroughs, it looks like they were keeping that up quite well, but sort of juxtaposing it against a society rigidly adhereing to, or being terrorised into, a facade of "The Perfect America". In one of the parts I've seen, you hear a church bell tolling in the distance, then when you get closer you realise it's because the systems keeping it aloft are failing, and you have to move quickly to avoid being crushed. A little later on, you see a shop being gutted by an inferno, and it's owner sweeping dust off the step in front of it. Instead of embracing the downfall like the Splicers in the original Bioshock, those feelings come more from daring to break the silence about the downfall.

That sounds great! Definately will get it now! I like those set peice parts... keeps the excitement up! Old games used to do it all the time, rising lava, coridoors with shit chasing you... I like having those bits to keep the blood pumping!

Not embracing the downfall... sounds quite 1984-esque?