Latest news with #BioShock
Geek Culture
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Culture
'BioShock' Creator's Upcoming 'Judas' Will Be A Complete Single-Player Game With No Microtransactions
Ken Levine, best known for creating the BioShock series and his work on the 1999 sci-fi classic, System Shock 2 , has revealed that his upcoming first-person shooter (FPS), Judas , will be an 'old-school' single-player experience, and will not include modern gaming troupes like live-service elements or any online component. Speaking during an interview with System Shock 2 developer Nightdive Studios on YouTube, Levine confirmed that Judas will not only feel like BioShock , something that was already obvious from what its trailers have shown, but it will also follow the same format of the games, being purely a single-player adventure focused on 'telling the story and transporting the player', and not on an abundance of multiplayer content or monetisation that's prevalent in many modern titles today. 'I grew up playing single-player games,' Levine said. 'And I grew up before certain types of monetisation existed. I'm not here at all to say this is bad, or this is good, right? That's not really my thing. I know the kinds of games I like to make, and so we never made a [live-service] game.' 'Juas is a very old-school game,' he continued, 'You buy the game and you get the whole thing. There's no online component. There's no live service, because everything we do is in service of telling the story and transporting the player somewhere.' In an industry so plagued with rampant monetisation and the constant push for 'shared experiences' by including some sort of multiplayer component, it's refreshing to see a developer double down on what makes gaming so great to begin with, transporting a player into an immersive digital world in a finely crafted story-driven experience, instead of blindly chasing trends. Let's hope that Judas becomes a great success, so that more developers will learn from Levine's example and return gaming to its glory days, free of live-service and monetisation woes. For now, the game does not have a firm release window, so fans will just have to wait and see how it shapes up. Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise 'duds' like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3 . He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying. bioshock Judas Ken Levine
Metro
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster PS5 review - the horrors of AI
One of the best PC games of the 90s has been remastered for consoles, as Nightdive Studios gives the sci-fi horror sandbox a well-deserved makeover. Ken Levine is an influential, but increasingly forgotten, figure in video games. Starting his career working on Thief: The Dark Project at Looking Glass, he went on to co-found Irrational Games, which made System Shock 2, before leading development of the BioShock franchise. As CVs go, his is not short of highlights, and while the immersive sim genre he helped invent never quite found mainstream appeal, players who enjoy it can be almost fanatical about it. Levine is set to return with the upcoming game Judas, but meanwhile remaster masters Nightdive Studios have been working on keeping his System Shock legacy alive, with a full remake of the first title in 2023. That stopped short of the more ambitious reboot they'd intended in their Kickstarter campaign, but its generally warm reception was enough to ensure the sequel would get similar treatment. System Shock 2 was originally released in 1999, and while Nightdive's aspirations for its 25th anniversary edition once again had to be scaled back – and released a year late – it is finally here. As such, it provides a fascinating window into gameplay that helped shape the current generation, not to mention Half-Life 2, which came out five years later and most certainly owes it more than a nod. Set 42 years after the events of System Shock, you're a solider aboard the UNN starship Von Braun, waking from hyper sleep to find the place overrun by zombie-like human-parasite hybrids, deranged psionic lab monkeys, and killer robots. Your job is to figure out what happened and try and make your way through the carnage to survive. Once again, you find yourself pitted against corrupt AI, SHODAN, but this time you also have to contend with the Von Braun's rogue computer, Xerxes, and in a foreshadowing of BioShock's structure, a single human survivor, Dr Janice Polito, whose disembodied voice issues instructions and rewards from afar. Her vocal delivery is wonderfully cynical, calmly dismissing the ghosts of the recently deceased crew members you occasionally see, as 'self-hypnotic defects', telling you not to let them distract you from the tasks she's assigned you. It's a compelling set-up and prepares the stage for a game where every single word counts. The audio logs that deliver the majority of the game's lore also contain essential tips and passwords to open doors. Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. It means you're always paying close attention to everything that's going on, which helps emphasise the profoundly unsettling atmosphere. Along with the noises and occasional explosions of the decaying UNN Von Braun, the game's fast drum and bass theme music is so jarring it adds to an overriding sense of wrongness. You'll also find the hybrids who continually try and kill you apologising as they do so. 'Sorry', they say, and 'Run', as they lay into you with guns and iron bars. Just as alarming are the lab monkeys, their lurid purple brains exposed through their trepanned skulls, multitudes of whom you'll need to beat to death with a spanner. The more you notice, the more disquieting it is. It makes Nightdive's choice to add four-player co-op with cross-play pretty baffling. For a game so dependent on its sense of creeping dread and the need to dwell on occasionally subtle clues in its environments, adding the knockabout fun that automatically occurs when two or more people get together in a first person shooter seems antithetical. When you're laughing it up with friends, the Von Braun becomes a playground rather than the intended retro-futuristic haunted house. It does help offset the difficulty though, which has in no way been dumbed down from the original. Fights are frequent and often deadly, ammo and medical supplies are scarce, and the packets of crisps and soft drinks you find only heal a single hit point. It's just as well every section of the ship has its own regeneration room, where you respawn after dying, and once you unlock the key to surgical tables that heal you free of charge, you discover things aren't quite as brutal as they initially appear. What really impresses though, are the systems that make up its sandbox. For example, another new addition is your choice of career background, which influences the stats your character has at the start of the game. They provide the foundation for quite different builds, from the gun-toting marine to the physically weak psionic-focus of the OSA. Although inadvisable for a first play through, once you work out which psi powers work best, by the mid-game some of them can become comically over-powered. The downside of the latter approach is that you'll regularly have to navigate the game's over-engineered menus. Finding and selecting a new psionic power is a faff when you're standing in an empty room. In combat, since menus don't pause the action, it's a shortcut to getting yourself battered to death by mutants. Its insistence on mapping the stand-still-and-lean-around-corners button to the one most first person games use to sprint, is similarly inhumane. More Trending Graphically, and in keeping with its status as a remaster rather than a remake, things have been polished instead of reinvented. Cut scenes are much sharper looking, as are enemies, guns and scenery, but they all still have the unmistakable low-poly blockiness of the late 1990s. The most important thing though, is that what made the game such a landmark in the first place is still entirely present. That includes its labyrinthine level design. You eventually discover that sections generously loop back on themselves, creating shortcuts after long and gruelling periods of exploration, and that you can safely dump spare inventory items in the lift that acts as a bridge between those vast floors. That doesn't prevent each new area you discover from feeling genuinely intimidating though. Despite moments of mechanical clunkiness, and the occasional odd design decision, System Shock's 25th Anniversary Remaster is a reminder of how much sophistication was possible even with pre-millennial technology. It's still utterly engrossing to play, and with so many different possibilities to experiment with, invites multiple playthroughs. This is a sensitively made and bug free remaster that should delight devotees of the 90s original and curious newcomers alike. In Short: A meticulous and polished remaster of the classic sci-fi survival horror, which retains the original's atmosphere and complexity while adding new mod cons, most of which enhance the experience. Pros: Level design that feels fresh and refined even today. Wonderfully dark ambience and environmental storytelling. Systems that allow for an inspiring variety of character builds. Cons: Very difficult compared to most modern games. Four-player co-op is fun but annihilates all hint of atmosphere. Menus remain a headache to navigate. Score: 8/10 Formats: PlayStation 5 (reviewed), Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, and PCPrice: £23.99Publisher: Nightdive StudiosDeveloper: Nightdive Studios (original: Looking Glass Studios and Irrational Games)Release Date: Out now (PC), 10th July 2025 (consoles) Age Rating: 16 Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. MORE: The 10 best summer video games to play if you're missing the heatwave MORE: Halo team promises 'official scoop' on series' future later this year MORE: Fans call Steam Summer Sale 2025 'mid' but there's a reason it seems so bad
Time of India
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Elon Musk's cryptic post on Donald Trump's birthday and US Army anniversary: 'No Gods or Kings, only ...'
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has once again started a flurry of online speculation by sharing a cryptic post on X (formerly known as Twitter). The post shared by Musk coincides with the with a military parade celebrating the US Army's 250th anniversary and President Donald Trump 's 79th birthday on June 15. The post featured the phrase: 'No gods or kings, only man', a line famously associated with the dystopian video game BioShock . The quote shared from the popular video game works on the philosophy of extreme individualism , human autonomy , and a rejection of all higher authorities. Read Elon Musk's cryptic post on Donald Trump's birthday and US Army anniversary Tesla CEO Elon Musk shared a post on X which reads, 'Anyone else think of this yesterday?'. The post consisted of an image along with a banner which reads, ' No gods or kings , only man', a line famously associated with the dystopian video game BioShock. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play Chess on Your PC, Free Play Classic Chess Install Now Undo The timing of Musk's tweet was particularly notable. On June 14, as the US Army held a commemorative parade in Washington D.C., anti-Trump "No Kings" protests were simultaneously organised in hundreds of cities across the United States. These demonstrations were aimed at denouncing what protesters perceive as Trump's authoritarian tendencies and a challenge to democratic values. The meaning behind Elon Musk's cryptic post The phrase "No Gods or Kings. Only Man" is a central philosophical tenet in BioShock, associated with the game's antagonist, Andrew Ryan, the capitalist founder of the underwater city of Rapture. In the game's narrative, Rapture, a planned utopia built on these ideals, ultimately descends into dystopia due to unchecked ambition and a widening gap between its inhabitants. Shortly after the initial post, Musk doubled down by sharing a SpaceX Starship test video, again captioned with the same phrase. While he offered no direct explanation, the repetition fueled theories that Musk was emphasising human achievement over hierarchical rule, especially in the context of space exploration. AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Newsweek
16-06-2025
- Automotive
- Newsweek
Elon Musk's 'No Kings' Post Goes Viral
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Elon Musk posted a cryptic message about the "No Kings" protests after activists took to the streets across the U.S. over the weekend. The tech CEO's social media post came after protests were organized in hundreds of cities while a military parade in Washington, D.C, celebrating the anniversary of the U.S. Army's creation took place on Flag Day, which was also President Donald Trump's birthday. Newsweek has contacted Musk via X's press office by email. The Context Demonstrators turned out across the U.S. on Saturday to participate in coordinated "No Kings" protests, aimed at denouncing President Donald Trump's leadership. Many of the events reportedly remained largely peaceful, though several cities saw violent altercations, including a vehicular assault in Virginia and a shooting in Utah. What To Know Late Sunday night, early Monday morning, Elon Musk took to his own social media platform X to discuss the protests. "Anyone else think of this yesterday?" Musk wrote, posting a banner from the video game BioShock, which reads "No Gods or Kings. Only Man." The quote is associated with one of the game's antagonists, Andrew Ryan, the capitalist founder of the underwater city of Rapture, where the game takes place. Ryan's bust can be seen in the image Musk posted, above the quote. Elon Musk speaks alongside U.S. President Donald Trump to reporters in the Oval Office of the White House on May 30, 2025 in Washington, DC. Elon Musk speaks alongside U.S. President Donald Trump to reporters in the Oval Office of the White House on May 30, 2025 in Washington, DC. Getty Images It is unclear what Musk was suggesting with the post, whether he was criticizing the "No Kings" movement or siding with the protesters against Trump. Musk has previously used images or videos to voice dissatisfaction with the White House. After the Liberation Day tariffs were announced, Musk posted a video of economist Milton Friedman condemning the kind of trade policy that Trump had implemented. While Musk clashed heavily with the president earlier this month over the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, going so far as to call for Trump's impeachment, he has since rolled back the rhetoric, and said that he regretted some of the posts he said about his former political ally. Since then, Musk's social media has struck a more conciliatory note. He has shared screenshots of Trump's Truth Social posts, and retweeted several posts from Vice President JD Vance. What People Are Saying The San Diego Police Department said on X, formerly Twitter, following protests on Saturday: "You stayed classy, San Diego. Thank you to the thousands who demonstrated peacefully today. No arrests, and no incidents." Republican congressional candidate Lily Tang Williams said on X, Saturday: "We ran into the first 'No Kings' protest in Fort Lauderdale, FL. It is peaceful so far, police officers are present, traffic is slow. I heard Miami might have bigger one. Be careful out there and stay calm!" Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said on X, Saturday: "30,000 people showed up across our city to exercise their constitutional right to peaceful protest today—that's powerful. A curfew is in effect in Downtown Los Angeles to stop bad actors who do not care about immigrants' rights. Get home safe, LA." What Happens Next Whether more protests are held in response to Trump's policies remains to be seen.
Time of India
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
‘No Gods or Kings': Elon Musk posts cryptic message — Here's the video game that inspired it
. Billionaire Elon Musk shared a cryptic post on Sunday, which read- 'No gods or kings, only man.' He captioned the post, 'Anyone else think of this yesterday?' The post came just a day after widespread anti-Trump protests across the United States, coinciding with the parade on US president Donald Trump's birthday and the 250th anniversary of the US Army. The protests, referred to as the "No Kings" demonstrations, were organised by opposition groups accusing Trump of behaving like a king and undermining democratic values. — elonmusk (@elonmusk) Later, Musk shared another post with a video of a successful flight test of SpaceX's Starship, captioning it with the same phrase- 'No gods or kings, only man.' Musk has not explained the posts, leaving people to speculate. Some see it as a reflection of his focus on human achievement in space exploration. Others view it as a message about individual power without depending on higher authorities or rulers, especially in light of his recent clash with Trump. The image Musk shared with the caption 'No Gods or Kings, Only Man' comes from the video game BioShock. In the game, the phrase is tied to the character Andrew Ryan and the underwater city of Rapture, which promotes human autonomy above everything else. In the game, the words appear on a red curtain with gold letters and have since been widely used in fan art, merchandise, and wallpapers, often in an Art Deco style inspired by the game's design.
