In a brief flurry of interviews with CNN and IGN, Irrational Games’ Ken Levine revealed more about the upcoming BioShock Infinite. Levine dished on the inspiration for the game’s setting as well as delving into the characters, primarily Songbird, Infinite‘s heir apparent to the Big Daddy.
Transitioning from Rapture could be a challenge for this title, but Levine expressed confidence as he described the inspiration for Columbia. Drawn from the Columbian Exposition of 1893, which celebrated the four-century anniversary of Columbus’s landing in America, Columbia embodies the ideas of turn-of-the-century thinkers like Nikola Tesla and George Westinghouse in only a way that could be imagined by the Irrational team. For Levine, the city represents the future that could have been.
“Scientific advancement had already taken people on such a ride during that period, it seemed like those kinds of innovations wouldn’t stop, it’d just keep going,” Levine speculated. “This was probably the most transformative period of technology that ever was, and maybe that ever will be.”
When it comes to the mysterious Songbird, Levine has embraced ambivalence, not unlike their approach with the Big Daddies. Songbird serves as a sort of “boogeyman” in Columbia, but his actual role is determined by an individual’s perception, perhaps best represented by the dynamic relationship between Songbird and Elizabeth.
“I don’t think Elizabeth really had a normal, straightforward relationship with Songbird,” said Levine. “Essentially he kept her trapped but he was also her only friend and you see these sort of dichotomies.”
If your interest has been piqued, follow the links below for the full interviews. BioShock Infinite is slated for a 2012 release.
The creative review process at Irrational must be just brutal. The ideas that finally make it through are… well thought out to say the least.
I have a sneaky suspicion that what ends up on the cutting room floor could make critically acclaimed AAA title all on its own.