In 2007, BioShock was released and found both critical and market success with a narrative and aesthetic more complex than the usual action fare. For creative director and lead writer Ken Levine and the others at Irrational Games, that meant extra pressure to follow up with something fresh. They began thinking about a spiritual successor.
“What is a BioShock game? It came down to the kind of world you would be in, the kinds of themes you would explore,” says Levine. “Taking a moment in history and really digging into that and fictionalizing around it.” Bioshock Infinite takes place in 1912, with former Pinkerton agent Booker DeWitt going to a floating city of religious fundamentalism and American patriotism to rescue a young woman named Elizabeth.
Levine shared with Co.Create the process of writing a modern video game that balances visual narrative, cinematic plotting, and player-controlled action.
Read the full article at Co.Create.