Sometime BioShock boss Ken Levine has opened the first tears to his new development dimension. He effectively closed his long-time studio Irrational last year in favour of working on smaller-scale projects, but still within the protective fortress of 2K. At the time he talked about making narrative-led games with more replayability, and while last night’s sudden flurry of updates is nothing like a reveal, he has a least given out a few big hints, together with a pledge for more open development than was the case on the spoiler-vulnerable BioShocks. What he’s got planned is a open worldish (“but not necessarily outdoors”) RPG, sci-fi, PC, probably first-person, chapter-like structure, brand new setting, add “ins” rather than add-ons, and a Passion System. Missus.

OK, this is going to be a bit of a messy read I’m afraid, as Ken Levine decided to give away the first details of his new thing on Twitter, and his, ah, unusual reply formatting doesn’t help matters, but let’s just do the blast first of all:

RT @Trey_Tice: give us a hint as to what this setting is? Or is that confidential? –We're playing with something sci fi. Or sci-fi ish. — Ken Levine (@IGLevine) January 27, 2015

@krustentier7 i think small open worldish (but not necessarily outdoors) rpg with quest structure coming from passion system. — Ken Levine (@IGLevine) January 27, 2015

@RudyHuxxxtable High level of replayability. Or we have to substantially re-think. — Ken Levine (@IGLevine) January 27, 2015

RT @TheOmnomnomicon: @IGLevine Strictly being developed for PC release or multi-platform? –As of now, developing for pc. — Ken Levine (@IGLevine) January 27, 2015

@CampanionDude not really, because it's add IN, not add on. Think civ expansion packs. — Ken Levine (@IGLevine) January 27, 2015

RT @No0nelmportant: movies that inspired this project? –Stylistically, yes. Been looking at formalism a la Kubrick and Wes Anderson. — Ken Levine (@IGLevine) January 27, 2015

@kevinscheidt A game with replayable narrative that can be added IN to like a civ expansion pack, vs. say a Burial at Sea. — Ken Levine (@IGLevine) January 27, 2015

@mrsambarlow voice actors. But have to write them very differently so smaller chunks recombine in meaningful ways. Lots of headscratching. — Ken Levine (@IGLevine) January 27, 2015

@krustentier7 i think small open worldish (but not necessarily outdoors) rpg with quest structure coming from passion system. — Ken Levine (@IGLevine) January 27, 2015

RT @deadlybit: @IGLevine Still sticking to 3 act structure? –no don't think that's relevant in what we're doing. i think more like chapters — Ken Levine (@IGLevine) January 27, 2015

@scifihifives the narrative lego concept can exist outside of any game system. it could, for instance, work as a diplomacy system in civ. — Ken Levine (@IGLevine) January 27, 2015

@Trey_Tice It's a new universe, not set in any existing. — Ken Levine (@IGLevine) January 27, 2015

RT @braxton_wheeler: @IGLevine what is the game about? will it be first person or third? -Current thinking is first. — Ken Levine (@IGLevine) January 27, 2015

Not sure how clear a picture that paints, though on paper it’s an exciting approach. And perhaps a necessary one, in terms of kicking against the rigidity of BioShock Infinite and Burial At Sea. The add-in/Legos talk suggests to me that in-game conversation, choice and consequence could expand in scope as more is added to the game. He references Civ repeatedly, and that’s a game in which the expansion pack model is to still be playing essentially the same game but with more possible things to do within it. I’m definitely interested in an RPG which takes that approach: different quests, different conversations and different outcomes from the same places. But I doubt the game I’m forming a nebulous idea of in my head will be anything like whatever this actually is. Love, hate or be a well-adjusted human being and have mixed feelings about the BioShock games, it was usually very hard to know exactly what they were going to be until they were right in front us.

Also: it’s hard not to let the mind wander towards System Shock at talk of “not necessarily outdoors” sci-fi roleplaying, isn’t? I am probably entirely wrong-headed here.

A little more can be gleaned from his earlier GDC talk about ‘narrative Legos’ as an approach to systemic world design:

Header photo by Dan Griliopoulos. See his collection of game dev portraits here.