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BioShock - post-mortem interview

The past, present and future of Rapture according to Ken Levine, the game's mastermind

Words: Charlie Barratt, GamesRadar US

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GamesRadar: A lot of people see BioShock as a spiritual remake of the System Shock games. How do you think BioShock improves on that formula?

KL: I think System Shock 2 is a really good game but not a great shooter. I think we had the resources and time with BioShock to make a great shooter along with a great game. The level of presentation and polish, obviously, is so much higher - not just because time has marched on and we have better technology, but because we had more resources. Finally, we worked really hard to make sure it was an easy game to get into. We wanted this game to be loved not just by the hardcore PC gamer. We wanted Joe Halo and Joe Gears of War - who love those games because they're awesome shooters, and they scratch that itch - to pick up BioShock and have it be familiar to him. Then we could bring on all the additional depth and coolness in the game, but do it in a way where we really support the average guy. That guy can understand BioShock, whereas he probably couldn't understand System Shock 2 because it was a little too hardcore.

GamesRadar: Do you feel that you had to sacrifice anything to appeal to those fans, or the console audience in general?

KL: No. I think System Shock 2 and BioShock are similar games in a lot of ways. I think what I like more about BioShock is that, instead of things happening in the RPG numbers space, things happen in the simulation space. Fire, water and electricity have an effect on the world, and those things are natural and understandable to anyone, because they understand the rules. I think that's an important space for games to go.