Summary
Ken Levine and Ghost Story Games’Judasis already set up to be one of the most distinctive experiences in gaming thanks to its unique world and narrative system. InJudas, players control Judas, who has recently awakened the machines aboard the Mayflower, a spacefaring city on a mission to save humanity, to their own artificial makeup, sending the city on a path of destruction. Now, players must work together with the three leaders of the Mayflower to achieve whichever outcome they deem is best.
Judas' narrative LEGO systemclaims to give players an unprecedented amount of control over the game’s story, and that alone may be enough to give it the edge it needs to stand out. That being said, the ease in which onlookers can compareJudastoBioShockmeans it should do whatever it takes to lean into its most defining elements — its Roguelike gameplay being one of the chiefest among those.
Judas Should Lean Into Its Roguelike Gameplay
Judas Has Already Been Labeled a BioShock Clone
Judasmay have a lot of unique gameplay elements that have already been unveiled byKen Levineand his team at Ghost Story Games, but that hasn’t been enough to keep it from being labeled aBioShockclone. The comparisons are understandable, to say the least, asJudas' dark, dystopian vibes are highly reminiscent ofBioShock, and its first-person combat looks nearly identical as well. However, only small, out-of-context glimpses ofJudas' gameplay have been shown so far, so these similarities may only appear as such and be far different on a deeper level.
The problem withJudasinitially appearing to resembleBioShockis that it could be dismissed if both its appearance and substance end up being too much like its spiritual predecessor. Additionally, althoughBioShock 4is supposedly still in development,Judascould potentially be regarded as little more than a placeholder forBioShock 4until its release. As such,Judaswill need to do whatever it takes to distinguish itself from the acclaimed franchise, especially considering it is a brand-new IP.
Fortunately,Judas' Roguelike elements might be able to set it apart fromBioShock, but it will need to ensure it takes full advantage of those features in order to do so.
Judas Leaning Into Its Roguelike Gameplay Would Help Set It Apart
TheBioShockfranchise has never featured Roguelike elements before, which makesJudasa first for Ken Levine. Although Levine has confirmed thatJudasis not a Roguelike game by definition, it nonetheless has substantial traces of Roguelike gameplay sprinkled throughout its chaotic world. More specifically, when players die inJudas, they are “reprinted” in a machine similar to a 3D printer and are given an opportunity to upgrade Judas' stats and abilities before continuing. Players are also allowed frequent opportunities to modify the Mayflower with each run, placing an even greater emphasis on Roguelike gameplay.
It’s unclear just how muchJudaswill lean into its Roguelike elements, but it’s arguably all but necessary that it do so if it hopes to avoid furtherBioShockcomparisons. Levine seems to be largely unphased byJudas' comparisons toBioShock, and that may be because he simply knows more about it than those who have merely seen its trailers. Hopefully, that much is true, andJudasis far different from anyBioShockgame released before it. At the very least,Judasshould take advantage of its most unique features, among which is its Roguelike gameplay.
Judas
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Judas is a sci-fi first-person shooter game made by BioShock creator Ken Levine that’s set on a massive spaceship called the Mayflower.
