Irrational: We Had to Fail Before We Could Succeed With BioShock Infinite

[Logan Westbrook]

Irrational: We Had to Fail Before We Could Succeed With BioShock Infinite

The new BioShock looked a little too much like the old BioShock for Irrational's liking.

Irrational Games says that BioShock Infinite's distinctive, early 20th century look didn't just spring fully formed from its collective mind; the studio went down a different path at first and actually had to make some pretty significant changes to give the game its own identity.

Irrational's creative director Ken Levine said that at one point, the game was essentially the original BioShock, but in the sky rather than under the sea. Art director Nate Wells said that once the studio had realized that it was treading rather familiar ground, it resolved to make some aggressive changes to the game's look.

"Ken started literally pushing back the clouds - 'bluer, bluer!'" said lead artist Shawn Robertson. "We were really uncomfortable with it, our initial reaction [was] 'it's a little bit cartoonish' ... but when we saw it in context, that was our a-ha moment." Robertson said that the time that Irrational spent "getting it wrong" had proven invaluable, as he didn't think the studio would have found its way otherwise. "You need that galvanizing idea," he said. "But you can't ... just 'do nothing' until you have it."

BioShock Infinite comes out for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 in 2012.

Source: VG247 [http://www.vg247.com/2011/08/08/levine-bioshock-infinite-looked-like-bioshock-1-in-the-sky-at-one-point/]


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[TheIronRuler]

A different yet equaly great bioshock game?
Where do I buy the collectors' edition?
I want my diving suit/Icarus wings/whatever they conjure!

 

[MightyMole]

You know, I feel like one of the few people that isn't getting all that excited about this game. I just keep getting this "Been there, done that" feeling. I'm going to buy it and more then likely enjoy it, but it's just not giving me no where near the same amount of excitement that BioShock gave me... I guess now I know how it feels to be a System Shock 2 fan :/

 

[uguito-93]

gotta say i respect the developers for trying to make the game feel as different as possible as the first one while somehow making a clear connection between them. When you think about it that sounds almost impossible to do seeing as how its effectively a paradox, but i honestly hope they pull it off well.

 

[Zhukov]

Coo.

I just wish they'd change up the gameplay. For instance, I notice they still managed to sneak cybernetic implants plasmids vigors into the new setting.

Don't get me wrong, I think the game will be really good and I'm looking forward to playing it. But I can't deny that I'm a little disappointed that the basic gameplay is going to revolve around shooting people in the face. Again.

 

[The Lunatic]

Bit early to be declaring success, don't you think?


Not that I think the game will do poorly, but, it might be an idea to hold off on the confetti.

 

[Panzervaughn]

I for one welcome our new shadowy Steampunk winged-grim-reaper overlords

 

[Callate]

Sounds like they made a good move. A significant factor in the atmosphere of Bioshock was the sense of claustrophobia engineered by the underwater setting; putting the clouds close in would likely have felt like a very minor rebranding of that same atmosphere (not to mention possibly bringing back memories of all those games where "clouds" or "fog" was a way of hiding an engine's/hardware's inability to handle significant draw distance.)

So far, it looks promising, and I have hope that the greater emphasis on character will pay off.

 

[Jumplion]

Ken Levine is a smart man and he knows what he's doing most of the time. He's got my respect. If he wants blue, by god, give the man the whole of Neptune! Hell, Uranus is more skyish blue, so give him that to!

 

[scar_47]

They talked several times about how when they started out it was far too close to bioshock and I think that was 2's biggest problems, from what we've seen although their are a few connections like the vigors it looks and probably feels like a very different game from the big open spaces and the skylines and the much more dynamic combat before we had weapons and powers in small controlled corridors now we get them in this new open environment with lots of vertical space. I think the vigors or plasmids are what make it a bioshock game remove those and you've still got a really good game but they just add so much more it would be like halo without the spartans, or mario without the power ups its an integral part of the game.

 

[Ubermetalhed]

They're still failing in my eyes, seeing as this is being made instead of System Shock 3.

 

[pwnzerstick]

Before the E3 demo, I was excitedm after the demo, I was jizzing. I do admit that when I saw the very first trailer I was wary, but once the details came in I began to feel more and more comfortable with it. It feels like this is being made by people who care about games and not just some soulless studio that makes the same game every year entirely for the money.

 

[AlternatePFG]

I really hope the gameplay is actually decent in this one because that has been what's stopping me from liking the series so far. The art direction looks great and the story should be interesting, but I hope it doesn't fail in the gameplay department like 1 and 2 did.

 

[uberhippy]

Thus the value of developmental time & 'playing about' with ideas (thank you extracreditz)

I think this was definatly needed for the games. Bioshock was a great & innovative new burst of an idea, and that really impacted audiences. Unfortunatly Bioshock 2 just seemed like a quick rehash of Bioshock 1.. A step in a new direction was just what the doctor ordered.

Really can't wait for the new game to come out, love the new style from what we've seen so far

 

[benvorbeck]

this i am looking forward to! it makes me think about the anime movie, castle in the sky cant wait for this... it will literally get us out of the water

 

[AetherWolf]

They're still failing in my eyes, seeing as this is being made instead of System Shock 3.

We have EA to blame for that, along with many other things... But at least its spirit lives on in Bioshock and Dead Space, right?

 

[DementedSheep]

Well I hope they change up the game play aswell or at least make it smother than what it was in bioshock.

 

[Shadow-Phoenix]

You know, I feel like one of the few people that isn't getting all that excited about this game. I just keep getting this "Been there, done that" feeling. I'm going to buy it and more then likely enjoy it, but it's just not giving me no where near the same amount of excitement that BioShock gave me... I guess now I know how it feels to be a System Shock 2 fan :/

I feel the same way i mean they like to treat it like it's a different game but it's still Bioshock.

 

[Sightless Wisdom]

When I read the headline I was thinking about Bioshock 2 to be honest. Though I realize it wasn't the same dev team, it still seems like they did too much of the same with Bioshock 2. Either way I'm really exited about Infinite because it really does seem like they remembered that Bioshock(1) was so great because it felt so new and fantastical.