After a long period of silence, the creative director of Ghost Story Games and creator of the BioShock series, Ken Levine, has shared a substantial update on the status of Judas, the long-awaited first-person narrative shooter.

Levine explained that, starting today, the team intends to provide more frequent updates on development, to maintain more direct contact with the community without having to wait for the creation of complex trailers, and took the opportunity to share a new artwork of the game (above) which, we imagine, will also be used in the official cover. The style, as explained by Levine, is a tribute to the movie posters of Drew Struzan, famous for his work on sagas such as Star Wars, a perfect style to present a very large cast. And Judas' will be, with over a hundred characters with dialogue. Levine also hinted that the image contains relevant details and clues about the plot that will remain a mystery for now.

Among the novelties on the game illustrated by Levin, the most interesting is undoubtedly the "Villainy System", a central mechanic of the game experience. Unlike titles like BioShock, where the main enemies are predefined, in Judas we will determine who our antagonists will be. Our actions will attract members of the "Big 3", the main characters of the game, as friends and allies. However, if we ignore one enough, it will turn into our enemy, gaining access to a new set of powers designed specifically to subvert our actions and goals.

If this reminds you of the Nemesis System from Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, make no mistake: Levine confirmed that Monolith Productions' innovative (at the time) system was a source of inspiration for this system, but Judas ' goal is to create deeper and more meaningful connections. We will get to know these characters intimately, and the loss of one of them will have to be perceived as the loss of a true friend. The "Big 3" will compete for our attention, attempting to bribe us, save us in battle, gossip about others, or share their darkest secrets. Unlike the relationship with Elizabeth in BioShock Infinite, where we learned everything about her but she knew almost nothing about the player, in Judas the characters will constantly observe us, reacting to our style of play in combat, hacking, crafting and, above all, in interactions with others.

As for the most anticipated question, namely the release date, the team is not yet ready to unbalance. The choice is to avoid announcing a date and then having to postpone it. However, development continues and important milestones, such as an extensive playtest dedicated to the Villainy System, have already been achieved. We look forward to more information!