Levine: BioShock Was Never Just About Rapture

[Logan Westbrook]

Levine: BioShock Was Never Just About Rapture

BioShock isn't about a specific place, says creator Ken Levine, it's about an idea.

What makes a BioShock game? Is it Andrew Ryan's philosophy, or the undersea city of Rapture? Is it the inextricably linked Big Daddies and Little Sisters? Is it plasmids, ADAM and Splicers? According to Ken Levine, it's none of the above, and he says that Infinite is just as much a BioShock game as the first two, despite its significant differences.

To Levine, what characterizes a BioShock game are the themes and ideas, rather than specific details. He said that elements like the Little Sisters and Rapture were just an expression of the concept that BioShock games try and communicate, and there were only two things a BioShock game had to have: a setting that was fantastical, but grounded enough in the human condition that it felt like it could be real, and a suite of abilities so that players could drive how they made their way through the game.

He said that it made sense to use the name, because the feel of BioShock Infinite would be so familiar, people would almost expect it. Levine said it was Irrational's mission to make some similar, but different at the same time, and judging from the reaction to the teaser trailer, more BioShock, but not set in Rapture, is exactly what a lot of fans want.

BioShock: Infinite is scheduled for release sometime in 2012.

Source: VG247 [http://www.vg247.com/2010/08/19/levine-we-never-thought-of-infinite-as-bioshock-3/]


Permalink

 

[Jack and Calumon]

With a name like BioShock, I thought the game was about altering people's bodies.

Calumon: The World ends when Rapture dies.

 

[Shru1kan]

As much as I disagree with the creator (how this is even possible without sounding pretentious is beyond me), I do see his point. I mean to him, it may be an idea, but for his base, they interpreted it in a rather different way. Losing all of the above options such as big daddies and splicers and ADAM will be a difficult concept when it is so thoroughly ingrained as a gameplay mechanic and even the backstory of the city (which is also not present).

I will think of this as a spiritual sequel. Not exactly Bioshock, but close enough to earn the same title.

 

[Dorkmaster Flek]

I see his point, but I don't buy it personally. Not to say that the new game will be bad, but I think the name is just riding on coattails.

 

[Loonerinoes]

If it'll feel like a Bioshock game, play like a Bioshock game and seem like a Bioshock game when I get my hands on it.....then it's a Bioshock game. And damn all the high-browed critics and logic-poking people who try to convince me otherwise through their justifications to the opposite rationale.

Words are cheap when compared to feelings.

 

[Marik2]

More BioShock, but not set in Rapture, is exactly what a lot of fans want.

Yup so true I wasnt looking forward to Bioshock 3 if we were going back to the same place, but now I can safely say Im going to get this game as well.

 

[Necator15]

That's a fair point on their end. If they're able to follow through with Bioshock Infinite, and make it still have the feel of that first time entering Rapture (A mix of fear and absolute curiosity), then I will be massively impressed. If not, then I'm sure the graphical style and story will be good, just won't be up to my expectations.

 

[Marik2]

[sub]Now, can we please have System Shock 3?[/sub]

Well heres a fan made trailer.

 

[Casual Shinji]

The trailer actually made me excited for this franchise again.

I seriously dig the whole "castle in the sky" concept.

 

[The Austin]

The game is called Bioshock. It's quite clear that the game was about severely and dangerously altering biotic structures, as seen in it's title, Bio-shock.

The game could be placed in San Fransisco, and all of the missions could revolve around eating Rice-a-roni and driving Hybrids, and as long as you had plasmids, it would still be Bioshock.

 

[qbanknight]

I can't believe I have to wait till 2012 for this! Ah oh well, please make it amazing Irrational!

 

[Cynical skeptic]

Okay, saying it. What a pretentious dick.

Whew, now that thats out of the way, what a pretentious fucking dick. The problem with bioshock 2 is it followed up all the poignant observations of bioshock with answering the question "what would it be like to play as a big daddy?" Also dull multiplayer and retcons.

Now we're taking the series from fighting walking symbols of everything wrong with objectivism and current societal models to (pretending big sisters didn't exist, as they were completely meaningless) supersoldiers with exposed internal organs. Whoopie.

How can anyone be excited for this? Unless all they really want are easy games with random aesthetic design to blow through.

 

[chickenlord]

i say if bioshock was never just about rapture then why didnt bioshock one have a caption like "bioshock: rapture" or to that extent... i think they just realized a city underwater would have limits to story so they changed their minds. I think the idea in infinite is too out there, even for bioshock, i mean a floating city? ok a(singular) huge ass hot air balloon can only carry a twine basket and a few people, what makes it realistic that what...6 hot air balloons can fucking lift a 50 story building, not to mention that if they could lift the buildings they would need constant fuel to stay up in the air... at least rapture was believable...it seems to me like they've just skiped sci-fi and went straight to fantasy.

ok, the game's setting is in the 1910s... in America... and one of the new plasmids(or whatever they are calling them now) can summon birds to kill your target...ok if people in america were that smart in the 1910s...well...they would have done that for real! in the original bioshock it was in a more believable time where our tech was getting more modern AND it was made by a collection of the worlds smartest and most eccentric. this place is just made with americans?! yeah, we are pretty innovative...but not to that extent...

 

[ProfessorLayton]

BioShock 2 should have been proof to everyone that BioShock needed to get out of Rapture and explore new ideas. What this basically means is that BioShock could (and probably will have) and extended universe and might end up getting really big. This is very good news, but let's not judge it until we try it for ourselves, ok?

 

[JediMB]

I do not handle heights well. I have a strong fear of falling.

This game will be interesting.

 

[Woodsey]

Okay, saying it. What a pretentious dick.

Whew, now that thats out of the way, what a pretentious fucking dick. The problem with bioshock 2 is it followed up all the poignant observations of bioshock with answering the question "what would it be like to play as a big daddy?" Also dull multiplayer and retcons.

Now we're taking the series from fighting walking symbols of everything wrong with objectivism and current societal models to (pretending big sisters didn't exist, as they were completely meaningless) supersoldiers with exposed internal organs. Whoopie.

How can anyone be excited for this? Unless all they really want are easy games with random aesthetic design to blow through.

1. You realise Levine created the first game and had nothing to do with the second game, right?

2. You've seen a few screens and a fucking trailer, don't pretend you know all themes of the game. Or much about the game at all for that matter.

[small]I'm really starting to dislike other gamers.[/small]

 

[TimeLord]

I'm glad the new BioShock is not going to be in Rapture. It seemed like that story arc was over and done with anyway at the end of B2.

As long as B3 still 'feels' like a BioShock game then I am happy!

 

[Ghost]

So it'll be a very different game, but using the Bioshock name to attract lots of pre-orders from people who enjoyed Bioshock. Will probably be a good game, although not as universally loved as the first in the series.

 

[Lillowh]

As much as I disagree with the creator (how this is even possible without sounding pretentious is beyond me), I do see his point. I mean to him, it may be an idea, but for his base, they interpreted it in a rather different way. Losing all of the above options such as big daddies and splicers and ADAM will be a difficult concept when it is so thoroughly ingrained as a gameplay mechanic and even the backstory of the city (which is also not present).

I will think of this as a spiritual sequel. Not exactly Bioshock, but close enough to earn the same title.

Well it takes place before the original Bioshock...and well...this may actually be an explination on how Rapture came to be. 2 reasons to back up my opinion.

1. The teaser site was titled "What is Icarus." In mythology, Icarus tried to escape from crete using wings made of feathers and wax made by his father, but flew too close to the sun and the wax melted so he fell into the ocean to his death. This city could fall into the ocean after a catastrophic event and then eventually be turned into rapture or be the source of an idea for rapture by Andrew Ryan.

2. The city underwater is called rapture. This is interesting, considering Rapture (according to wikipedia) is "The Rapture is an event in the futurist interpretation of Christian eschatology, in which it is posited that Christians will be gathered together in the air to meet Christ at his return." Keywords there are gather together in the air. This city could be filled with a bunch of radical christians, hence the over the top American theme going on there, and then they meet their doom there somehow.

Overall, theres some evidence that the two games are almost certainly connected, but we'll have to wait to see exactly how until the game comes out.