Judas’ creative director Ken Levine has broken Ghost Story Games’ silence on the state of the game, offering the a new look at how the game is shaping up. Instead of waiting months between trailers and “fancy imagery”, Levine says these “lo-fi” updates will give players more frequent insights into development while the team keeps its main focus on finishing the game.
Judas’ Villainy And Relationship System
One of the biggest updates comes in the form of a new feature called Villainy. Unlike BioShock or BioShock Infinite, where the antagonist was fixed, Judas will let players determine who the villains are. The game’s “Big 3” characters can be drawn to the player as friends and allies, but if ignored, they may turn into enemies.
“From there, they will get access to a new suite of powers to subvert your actions and goals,” Levine says.
The update also reinforced the game’s focus on character-driven storytelling. Inspired partly by Shadow of Mordor’s Nemesis System, Judas aims to take things deeper by making relationships with the Big 3 emotionally meaningful. Characters will try to earn the player’s trust through bribes, saving them in fights, gossiping about rivals, or even sharing secrets. Losing one of them is meant to feel like losing a friend.
In contrast to BioShock Infinite’s Elizabeth, who players came to know well but who didn’t really know the player, the Big 3 in Judas will actively observe your actions. They’ll react to how you handle combat, crafting, hacking, and especially how you treat the others.
As for when players can get their hands on Judas, the team isn’t ready to commit. While development is moving forward and milestones are being hit, the studio says it wants to avoid announcing a release date that could slip.
“But we know Judas is not really a game until the players get their hands on it, and that’s a day everyone on the team is working toward,” he said.