As Judas picks up where P's lie ended with One Enemy Design

Ken Levine's long-awaited return to the world of gaming will soon arrive in form Judasa kind of spiritual successor of his seed BioShock franchise, albeit set in space and with a few key changes to the gameplay loop. Although the available information on Judas not entirely exhaustive, there is enough information to establish a few of its main elements, particularly as they relate to setting and aesthetics.

Some assumed that—perhaps as a result of Levine's work history Judas it will be an experimental and ultimately influential game. While this could very well turn out to be the case, it's also clear that it takes inspiration from a number of other projects, including those that the original BioShock inspired as in 2017 Spoiland even other action RPGs and roguelikes Deathloop or Hades. aesthetic, Judas It appears to continue the ongoing visual theme featured prominently with Round8 Lies Pand it will be interesting to see if this particular artistic tendency produces similar narrative or thematic results.

Judas' futuristic premise could be a blessing in disguise for BioShock 4

Judas has similarities to Ken Levine's previous works, but its futuristic aesthetic might be the biggest help in BioShock 4's quest to stand out.

Judas, P's Lies and the Horror of Villainous Automata

The Lies of P and Judas both emphasize disturbing robot enemies

For a game inspired by the story of Pinocchio, Lies P is surprisingly creepy. Much of its tone can be attributed to its decidedly dark atmosphere: the game certainly adheres to most of the visual tropes associated with the horror genre. But the horror Lies P it seeps a little deeper below that surface level, delving into the players' psyches by playing with their understanding of what it means to be human.

Lies PThe protagonist is, for all intents and purposes, a robot. It's certainly advanced, but it's still a robot made of springs and gears rather than flesh and blood. Different enemies Lies Pwho sled the ups and downs of the uncanny valley, a reminder of the ugly truth behind the hero's very existence, the fine line between man and monster that underpins the game's narrative.

Judas seems to be toying with similar ideas. The game takes place aboard a massive spaceship called the Mayflower, which is controlled by computers and led by three automatons: Tom, Hope and Nefertiti, who have different views on the meaning of life and humanity. Aside from these central characters, there are more common enemies that seem to stick to the nostalgic design of the robots, such as the nightmare versions. The Jetsonswith Rosey. It is through these enemies Judas could raise the same visual and thematic touchstones as Lies P.

Judas could offer a different perspective on the lies of P's machines

With such a fundamentally different story, both in terms of plot and presentation, Judas can be expected to employ his automaton enemies and characters in a far different way than Lies P. One interesting parallel between the games is their recontextualization of technology: JudasRobots are designed for a specific purpose – it turns out that some focus on cleaning, others are cooks, etc. – but they have abandoned these original guidelines and become aggressive. It's similar to how Lies P introduces his robotic companions, subverting their utility and turning them into unexpected killing machines.

But Judas is obviously remarkably different in setting, so maybe he could play with the concept differently. Being so far from Earth, disconnected from the basic knowledge of home, is a premise that lends itself particularly well to horror, so the inclusion of these mysterious, violent automatons and their seeming betrayal can strike a different angle.