Ken Levine, the creative director behind BioShock, won't be returning for the franchise's next entry but has offered a statement about his next project, and it sounds like it will be pushing boundaries in a few different ways. However, the developer didn't reveal many specifics about the unannounced game.
On a recent Gamelab Live panel, Levine revealed part of his mindset when it comes to developing a new game. Levine stated, "I can’t really talk about the new game but there’s some weird s*** in it." He went on to say, "I think if you don’t have people saying, ‘that sounds a little insane,’ you haven’t gone close enough to the edge." Upon its release in 2007, BioShock was received as a revolutionary game, in large part thanks to its narrative elements, which redefined how story works in games.
Levine has talked about his next project — coming from the new studio Ghost Story Games — in the past, but without revealing significant details. The game is said to be an immersive, story-driven sim, but it isn't clear what exactly that will entail. However, it will supposedly borrow aspects from other popular titles, like Shadow of Mordor's Nemesis system.
If BioShock, which has a new game in development, is any indicator of how Levine's next game will push boundaries, fans will likely be met with an experience unlike most others. That isn't a bad thing, and coming from the creative director of one of the most influential games ever made, it could mean there's an exciting new title just a few years down the line.
For now, all fans can do is speculate about what the game developer is working on. Apparently, it will be a highly replayable, narrative-driven title, and in the past, Levine has used the term "narrative LEGOs" as an approach to game design, which may lead to something truly interesting, whenever the project finally sees the light of day.
BioShock is still considered Levine's greatest work, with a BioShock movie even planned once upon a time, so it will be difficult to one-up it. With how much technology has advanced throughout the years, and assuming the game releases on next-gen consoles, Levine may be able to make another genre-defining game.
Source: Gamelab Live (via Video Games Chronicle)