BioShock

First revealed at 2022’s The Game Awards, BioShock writer-director Ken Levine’s upcoming narrative-driven RPG, Judas, is still shrouded in mystery. Developed by Levine’s new studio, Ghost Story Games, Judas was almost immediately labeled as “BioShock in space” by fans. But as the game’s launch draws closer, it’s become clear that although Judas certainly draws inspiration from the series that made Levine a household name, it’s not just BioShock with a futuristic coat of paint. Judas has its own identity.

While the details are still relatively sparse, trailers, preview events, and developer interviews have painted a much clearer picture of what players can expect from Levine’s latest creation. If you’re interested in decoding this enigmatic RPG, keep scrolling for a breakdown of everything we know about Judas, from plot details to gameplay features and everything in between.

When does Judas launch?

Judas was originally slated for a March 2025 launch, but March came and went without a peep from Levine and the developers at Ghost Story Games.

Currently, there is no official release date for Judas. The game’s Steam page lists its release date as “coming soon.” In a recent earnings report, Take-Two listed the game’s launch date as “to be announced.”

What platforms is Judas releasing on?

Judas will launch on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.

What is Judas about?

The game’s description on Steam reads, “A disintegrating starship. A desperate escape plan. You are the mysterious and troubled Judas. Your only hope for survival is to make or break alliances with your worst enemies. Will you work together to fix what you broke–or will you leave it to burn?”

Players will be stepping into the shoes of the aforementioned troubled protagonist, Judas. Judas is a woman who appears to live and work on a spaceship called The Mayflower. The Mayflower has recently suffered some sort of disaster, one that–based on the game’s description–Judas herself is at least partially responsible for. Many areas of the ship have broken off, depressurized, or caught on fire, and the goal is clear: Survive, no matter the cost.

It seems that most (if not all) of the Mayflower’s inhabitants are robotically augmented.

Based on the protagonist’s biblical name, it’s likely that betrayal is a major theme in the game’s narrative, though it’s not entirely clear if Judas herself is the betrayer or the one who has been betrayed. Interestingly, the game’s trailers feature several shots of injured androids who look identical to humans with the exception of a glowing green circle on the back of their hands.

“The ship is… dying,” a visibly injured Judas declares in the game’s announcement trailer. “And my only way out of here is with one of them.”

Judas herself may, in fact, be an android, as gameplay footage shows her sporting the glowing green circle on the back of one hand and shooting Plasmid-like powers out of it. It’s also possible Judas is actually a human who has been robotically augmented, a la Cyberpunk 2077’s protagonist, V. But if that’s the case, Judas has been very heavily augmented–another trailer clip shows her finishing off an enemy while floating around outside the damaged Mayflower … without any sort of suit to protect her body from the vacuum of open space.

A calendar reveals the year is 1979, while text on the left side of the screen suggests Judas herself may be an AI-controlled robot.

Time travel may also be a theme in the game’s narrative, as another trailer features a quick jump-cut in which Judas can be seen near a wall calendar indicating that the year is 1979. This could also be an illusion, however, as some of Judas’s statements in the trailer suggest that the game takes place in a world where thoughts are recorded by a Big Brother-esque entity, and false memories can be implanted into the station’s robotically augmented inhabitants, Westworld-style.

Other shots in the game’s trailers reference “The Big Three,” a trio of characters who once controlled The Mayflower. The Big Three is made up of Hope, a young woman with pink hair and a childlike aesthetic; Nefertiti, a woman with strange mechanical abilities and an affinity for fashion; and Tom, a middle-aged man in a cowboy hat. It appears that these three characters are Judas’s enemies, and players may have to choose which one Judas escapes the ship with.

“I’m here to set you free,” Judas states in one trailer as she presses a button, ignoring the computer terminal’s warnings that doing so will cause a catastrophic failure. “Whether you like it or not.”

Prior to the disaster, The Big Three seemed to be quite popular with The Mayflower’s inhabitants.

The game’s trailers indicate it’s expected to receive an M rating. According to the ESRB, M-rated games are “generally suitable for ages 17 and up,” but “may contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content and/or strong language.”

Judas gameplay details

While “BioShock in space” is a great elevator pitch, what we’ve seen from the game so far suggests that Judas is far from a BioShock clone. Yes, it’s a narrative-driven first-person shooter RPG from the guy who made BioShock, and thus bears some resemblance to the BioShock series. But Judas also differs from Levine’s previous work in many ways.

One notable difference between Judas and the BioShock series is the fact that Judas is a procedurally generated roguelite.

“We call it pseudo-procedural because it’s not like Minecraft where everything’s being generated off a set of pure mathematical heuristics,” Levine explained in an interview. “You build all these smaller piece elements in the game and then you teach the game how to make good levels essentially, and [a] good story, and most importantly, [make it] reactive to what you do.”

The Big Three appear to Judas as holograms, and her relationship with each of them will play a major role in the game’s narrative. Doing a favor for one member of The Big Three will increase their affinity for Judas, but is likely to displease at least one of the other two members, and anger comes with consequences. If Judas upsets one member, they may get back at her by ratting her out to another member by revealing her plans or current location. It’s clear that Judas’ story design–especially when it comes to player choices–goes much deeper than BioShock’s very binary “Will you save the Little Sisters, or are you a complete sociopath?” narrative choice.

Judas can open the strange implant on her left hand to swap out abilities. When the hatch closes, it glows green.

As for the game’s “roguelite” elements, Levine says that death is an integral part of the game. Items that allow Judas to regain health are scarce, and enemies are everywhere.

“You do have the opportunity when you die to go change yourself,” Levine says. “Improve yourself, change your tool chest–which is a pretty broad and variable tool chest–and change the Mayflower itself.”

For more information on Judas’s gameplay, check out GameSpot senior producer Lucy James’ breakdown of the game, which she played for five hours at a preview event in 2024.

Judas trailers

Check out all the trailers for Judas below.

Judas reveal trailer:

Judas story trailer:

Though Judas is far from a BioShock clone, it still proudly bears the hallmarks of Levine’s previous work: a dystopian setting, Plasmid-esque powers, and off-the-wall set pieces like a gigantic robotic dog that Judas boards like a Bathysphere.

What do you think of Judas’s gameplay elements and narrative premise? Are there any specific features you’re hoping to see in the game? Let us know in the comments!

Source link