GB Feature: BioShock Interview

We bring you an interview with Irrational Games technical art director Nate Wells about their underwater FPS/RPG hybrid, BioShock. Enjoy!

GB: BioShock has been labeled as the “spiritual successor” to System Shock 2. Obviously the storyline will be completely different, but what similarities should SS2 fans expect to find in BioShock?

Nate: SS2 and BioShock are two very different games. But I think what they really share is a focus on player-choice and emergent gameplay. System Shock 2 was the first game we ever made as a company and of course we are all still very fond of it. But, like all first-efforts the greatest value we got from System Shock 2 was a learning experience. Much of what defined SS2 was a great deal of depth that was often hidden from the player. With BioShock we had the resources and the time to bring all that depth out from (under-the-hood) and give the player a deep experience that plays-out right in front of their eyes. The sheer number of powers and weapons and environmental interactions is staggering. BioShock is without a doubt the most ambitious game I have ever been involved with.