19 Oct, 2011
It was a very candid interview, as Ken Levine sat down with Joystiq to discuss the resolution of next year’s Bioshock Infinite. “So every game we make, we always say to ourselves — back on BioShock 1, we had that terrible showdown fight at the end — we’re not good at that, let’s not do that again,” he said. “And then somehow, we end up… it’s like… ‘Baby I’ll never hit you again, I’m changed, I’m changed!’ And then we did it!”
Everyone remembers (or maybe they don’t, out of sheer terror) the debacle that was Atlas’ final moments in BioShock the original. Everything felt in place for the sinking Rapture, and then the climatic moments with Andrew Ryan and a golf club. With the battle of Andrew Ryan strapped into a giant machine tossing plasmids at you, that seemed pretty far fetched. Levine couldn’t agree more. “I think the boss battle in BioShock 1 — the real boss battle — is Andrew Ryan,” said Levine.
So how will Infinite handle its final moments? Don’t expect another repeat of a far-fetched boss battle. The majority of gamers would agree that the battle with Atlas was a definite low point in the overall experience of Bioshock. Again, Levine was all nods. “I think we need to stay in our wheelhouse,” said Levine. “We’re not Shadow of the Colossus. Those guys have a genius for that. We don’t have that particular genius.
“There are many ways to do it. I’m not saying we do it in the same way as Andrew Ryan, but there are more ways than jumping on his head three times like we did with Atlas.”
While many would view Andrew Ryan’s demise as a simple cut scene, others would say it was the end of the game, emotionally, and plot wise. Ken Levine aims to do something similar with Infinite, saying that it would be a “missed opportunity” if Songbird wasn’t addressed in this way. Levine strongly believes that a “boss fight” should be emotional, provide resolution, and above all player satisfaction. That is, after all, why you’re building up to a massive confrontation, right?
“I think Andrew Ryan was a boss battle,” said Levine. “I think you felt satisfied afterwards in the same way, or emotionally changed as you would, hopefully more, than boss battles.”
“I think we need to stay in our wheelhouse, and Andrew Ryan was in our wheelhouse,” Levine continued when asked about Songbird’s resolution. “So, Songbird needs to be resolved, but it need to be in our wheelhouse.”
To read the full interview, check it here.
Via Joystiq.
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