Ken Levine has returned to the spotlight with his upcoming game, Judas, which aims to revive the classic gaming experience. In a recent discussion, he asserted that the game embraces a traditional single-player approach, emphasizing that players will get the complete package upon purchase. There are no online components or live services attached, refining the focus on storytelling.

“Judas is a very old-school game. You buy the game and you get the whole thing. There’s no online component, there’s no live service…”

The Love for Single-Player

Levine noted that the industry often overlooks narrative-driven experiences, despite a continuing appetite for single-player games. He highlighted recent successes like Baldur’s Gate 3, which showcases that players still reward developers who prioritize engagement over monetization strategies:

“Large parts of the industry have unwisely decided that traditional single-player experiences make insufficient returns, but successful titles continue to emerge.”

He expressed gratitude toward 2K Games for supporting Ghost Story Games, allowing his team to focus solely on crafting enjoyable single-player narratives without external pressures.

Levine pointed out that the Judas trailer, released in January 2024, will react to player decisions, a feature he believes reflects the future of gaming design. Meanwhile, the much-anticipated fourth installment of the Bioshock series is in development by another team. Through all these developments, Levine aims to ensure that players gain complete experiences devoid of ulterior monetization motives.