BioShock Infinite: 10 Years Later (feat. Ken Levine)
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- čas přidán 3. 06. 2024
- DX and Ken Levine take you through the history and development of BioShock Infinite, on the eve of its 10th Anniversary/Birthday. You'll learn about the creation of Booker, Elizabeth, and their crazy journey taking place in Columbia, the city in the sky.
Join The DX Discord: / discord
Follow DX on Twitter: / dxfromyt
Intro/Thumbnail/Title Card art by Azuma Yasuo: / azumayasuo96
Booker Catch Memes by: Andrew Gregoire, B-on-D, Chris Hardwick, and Zennore.
Booker Catch Video: • Booker Catch @ Denver ...
Big Daddy & Little Sister Cosplay: • [MEFCC 2016] Big Daddy...
0:00 - DX & Ken Levine Introductions
2:28 - BioShock 2 & Creative Differences
3:53 - Flapture
5:01 - Columbia: The City In The Sky
6:50 - Growing Scope & Unreal Engine 3
8:11 - Creating Elizabeth & Booker, catch!
14:14 - Infinite's Cut Content
17:25 - All Hands On Deck for Infinite's Development
18:24 - Schrödinger's Cat
19:17 - Infinite's Twist & Ending
21:46 - Infinite's Release & Burial At Sea
24:17 - The End of Irrational Games
25:06 - BioShock Infinite's Legacy & Ken Levine's Closing Thoughts
#bioshock #bioshockinfinite - Hry
The art for my intro, this video's thumbnail and title card, and the concept art seen here was done by artist Azuma Yasuo. Check them out here! twitter.com/AzumaYasuo96
Fkin yasuo mains..
That thumbnail looks tempting though. 💀
@@jimmyorgenkaccrow4961 stop
To Kevin, thank you for giving your employees almost 9 years ago the ability to have a graceful and protected exit from Irrational in a world where many companies wouldn’t offer those same services! You are a genuine and empathetic creator.
I can't tell if this is sarcasm. He allowed an insane level of crunch while making Bioshock. Several developers left due to his bad management, which led to burnout and pain amongst employees. Since Irrational shut down and Ken decided to make a new studio called Ghost Story Games, it's been 8 years and they hadn't released a single game. Majority of founders of GHG quit. He can discard months of work by others on a whim. He's been described to have a "mercurial demeanor" and at times mysteriously stopped appearing at the office. Developers were not happy under him. Certainly not the work of an empathic man.
@@moeezS dudes hurting
@@moeezS Well, clearly, if the story is true, he's a terrible manager. I think he came from the background of creative worker, but not so much in management, making him a bad producer. But at the very least, he offered a graceful leave for everyone at the studio before closing down, even tried to make sure they had a new job ready. The same cannot be said for many studios who got shut down because of some mysterious shareholders they never met. This is the reason why most Creative Directors can't act as both director and a producer, they need an individual producer to tame their perfectionism mindset and look at reality. Kojima is guilty of pretty much the same thing.
@@moeezS sound like complains from bad employees. “Discarding g work by others “ is if doesn’t fit the game in the end is the right thing to do. Leaving some crap on the game just because they spend time making it is how you end up with crap games. Sum cost fallacy. Hard work pays off.
@@Thaibiohazard123 That is the impression I get, even though he's creating video games it, to make an analogy it seems the part of the job that he feels he's best about and likes to do is similar to what showrunners do when breaking down story for a season of TV with people he knows well. So exploring ideas and trying and failing, as we saw with Infinite as it was clearly planned while not open world. At one point you were meant to be able to explore big areas instead of being completely linear. I would guess he wants final say, but have people around him that he trust to both complete his vision and be able to change his mind on something when it's actually needed. And once the team became so big it would be impossible to build those kinds of relationships, he effectively had to become just another boss that told a bunch of people what to do. So if it didn't meet his standard then it would get thrown out, but I'm assuming it did not fit the way he saw the game in his head and not out of spite. Sure I could be wrong not like people in those kinds of positions haven't turned out to be terrible people. But I'm hoping and choosing to believe until proven otherwise that not meeting the standard he wanted was never a personal attack. Even though I can clearly understand why it would feel that way for the devs if you had worked hard and long days on something for months only to get told it's not good enough.
I selfishly wish that they had never closed Irrational so that we might have gotten Judas before an entire decade as passed. I think the best we can hope for is a Q4 2024 release, and I'm doubtful. And it does make me think about what Corey Borlog said about the reason why they didn't stretch god of war into 3 games. He didn't want people to have to wait 15 years to get the conclusion of the story. And I do hope once Judas comes out that it's not going to take another 10 years for him to make a game. I'd like to experience a few more of his stories before I check out. But I also realize that he just wasn't happy making games the way that he was during Infinite. You needed someone like Fergusson to come in otherwise it would never have left the door, the only sad thing about it was how much time they wasted on multiplayer because at that time used games was seen as a blight on the industry and MP being the only thing keeping people from selling their games. If they hadn't maybe more of the original vision would have had time to stay in.
Shout-out to Ken Levine for bringing us these awesome games.
Spent so much time on them when i was young.
For me, Bioshock Infinite and its DLC is one of the most magical game worlds ever created. I go back to it every couple of years just to soak it all in again. The characters, the sound tracks are perfect. Thank you Ken, thank you Irrational Games.
@jameshardy6277
in 2015 when I met b.infinit: yes.
already in twenty twenty-three or that before: no.
@@Eman4K1?
@@SomeoneThatIsHappy
- _ (I-I) _ - / ??
@@Eman4K1 ok
@@SomeoneThatIsHappy
ok-?
You actually got the man himself involved which effectively renders all other youtube retrospectives as null and void/non-canon... touche' sir 👏
:)
Yes
nah, this one isnt a real deep dive into it, monty zander had an amazing video
@@diamondarrow4567 love Monty Zander and his other channel LoreDump. This is also good. Very different. I love Monty's breakdown of Soma so much 💕
What an honor to sit and talk with Ken. This man and his work has stayed with me all these years later. Bioshock was a Masterpiece
It still is
I love how real the worlds of Bioshock feel. Everything from the environment to the atmosphere is brilliant and we're so lucky to be able to experience them. Hearing the different characters through their recordings just adds so much to making both rapture and Columbia feel lived in and that the events of the story happen with or without the player. There's always a lighthouse, a man, a city.
This was one of the games that made me fell in love with gaming. It showed that games are not just games - they are art, they are emotions, they are stories. I love Bioshock games so freaking much. Thank you Ken!
As so do I
Its so cool how you allowed Ken Levine to make a video with you!
@@EggEnjoyer yes, of course.
An absolute masterpiece of a game, will always remember this story.
@HolyMalice
in 2015 when I met b.infinit: yes.
already in twenty twenty-three or that before: no.
One of the absolute very best game I've ever played
Bioshock Infinite was once in a life time experience and it is yet to be matched ever since
Well done, DX. You even managed to get Levine himself. Amazing.
Thank you! It was an amazing experience.
The amount of care and effort put into these games is amazing. I see other companies that cut things based on greed. They put things in based on greed. They do everything based on greed.
Here it seems almost everything was made with one idea in mind: Making a damn good game and it shows!
I love this series so deeply. It was one of my first games I ever played and what made me a gamer. As such, I’ve always been really hungry for excellent content about the making of the games. Even the in-game content from the Remastered Versions that had Directors Commentary wasn’t enough for me.
This is an exemplar video and wonderfully made! Thank you for it!
Thank you! This is the most interesting sort of gaming content to me and I'm beyond grateful to have a community that enjoys it just as much as I do.
I still love all the bioshock games to this day. Despite all of their flaws, there is still nothing like them to this day. Thank you to Ken and the team, I'm looking forward to Judas.
Booker Dewitt, Elizabeth, little sister, subject delta and Eleanor Lamb always my favorite character in bioshock universe.
Thank Ken Levine
I hope Ken Levine is living his best life, it's because of him that i got to play this amazing franchise. It will always be my second favorite franchise
You made me want to play the game again. It was great to hear about the game from Ken and learn more about the development, early stuff (I've never heard about Flapture lol) and cut content. I also can't imagine Bioshock Infinite without Elizabeth. Thank you for such a great video! ❤
The gameplay, the world, Elizabeth, such a privilege to have discovered this amazing experience! I had such a blast playing it, I've only played through it once. (I swear that's a compliment)
The BioShock Series is probably one of, if not the greatest triology ever and probably ever will be in my opinion. And yes, BioShock affected my life alot, Thank You Ken.
Even tho BioShock had a perfect ending with Burial At Sea, I hope we get to see a new BioShock in the future
Bioshock infinite is one of my favorite games of all time for its world building, characters, gameplay, and twist.
Happy 10th birthday Bioshock Infinite ❤️
This game is still in my top 5; and having Ken give his insight here is great esp learning how much the deviations from the 1st Bioshock were purposeful.
Tired of seeing all the people hand wave the brilliance of the game because they're just mad that it wasn't a Bioshock 2. Great video!
it’s crazy that Bioshock Infinite is 10yrs old i remember buying it day one despite it being on such old hardware it’s still a outstanding close to flawless game! imo in the top 5 video games of all times (It’s also bittersweet being the final swan song for Irrational Games)
We need more Ken Levines in modern gaming companies. Like A LOT! Thank you for this amazing insight into a game that could be so much more.
This video is what made me decide to go n play all the bioshock games ..a little over a month later and I’ve played bioshock, bioshock2, Minerva’s den, and infinite ro completion.. all that’s left is burial at sea .. and boy am I glad I went back n played these games, I love all of em
This is a really timely video and is reminding me how much I loved so many moments of Bioshock Infinite, and respected Ken's creative mind. Can't wait for his next game at last!
Ah man, this game really has a special place in my heart.
And cool for getting Ken the Man himself to spill the beans! Living Legend snd a nice person
Terrific work. There's been a lot of negative talk these last few years about all the things that Bioshock Infinite isn't. You and Ken Levine have gone a long way to remind people of all the wonderful things that it is. Can't wait to see where he and Ghost Story Games take us next with "JUDAS".
though its story doesnt work for a BIoshock game though
@@iamboringvideos6832 You know more about Bioshock than Ken Levine?
@@BLAM5980 not that im aware of, not sure what you getting at
@@iamboringvideos6832 You said that it’s story doesn’t work for a Bioshock game. How could you know more about what makes a Bioshock game than the man that created it?
@@BLAM5980 I wouldn't say @iamboringvideos6832 is entirely wrong in what they're saying. And it doesn't mean that they think they know more about how the franchise works than its creator, though the argument that no one can know more or better than the creator is a weak and tired one.
There were a lot of things story wise that didn't align well with the rest of the series. Sure it was a science fiction horror story through and through but Infinite was an almost entirely different kind of scifi extravaganza. The themes of morality, choice, consequence, human condition, etc are still maintained but the aspects of dimension hopping and timey wimey shenanigans took a lot away from the parts of Bioshock that felt grounded. It was more of an interesting what if scenario than it was an interwoven installment. The constants and variables aspect especially within Burial At Sea killed it for me and many others. It felt like flighty story telling, and yet, somehow convoluted, INB4 "Just say you didn't understand it." No I did, and it didn't land with me and again, many others. - There is honestly much to be said about what doesn't work about Infinite story wise. But I don't think that takes away anything from Kevin Levine and his passion for story telling or the things that do work when they work.
has it really been 10 years... wow, time flies
Thanks for this. I never played this game since first person stuff makes me dizzy, but watching it in bursts still gave me a memorable experience.
"Flapture" is my new favourite portmanteau!
Great vid mate, love all the BTS, concept art and love put into the vid
This was nice, this video deserves a lot more views. Thanks to you and to Kevin for doing this!
Still my favorite video game narrative ever, nothing has topped Bioshock Infinite. This game introduced me to Retrofuturism. It's what fully got me into being a writer and storyteller
One of the best games I’ve ever played and one in which there are many interesting details about it and about how it was made. Thank you for the video, I really hope that it gets many more views, its quality alone is deserving of that.
I just finished Infinite after having it sleeping in my catch up list for years now, and it's an absolute masterpiece, DLCs included. Chef's kiss. And the video was absolutely amazing, kudos from Uruguay!
Fantastic video. Hearing Ken Levine's thoughts in retrospect on Infinite and its development cycle were quite enlightening to understand. I enjoyed Infinite the last time I played it years ago. But now? I now respect and admire all the work and direction Irrational made even more.
Glad you liked the vid! Know you were waiting for it.
Man I just watched 3 of your videos and immediately subscribed. It is very special to be able to see the creation of these influential games. I love bioshock Infinite as one of my favourite games (as I also love the rest of the trilogy), I thank you for doing this in depth videos I know it is a lot of work, just know that it is much appreciated!
Thank you so much for the kind words, I'm glad you're enjoying the content and that you've had a look at the creation of some amazing games. I love producing stuff like this for that reason, there's a whole side to gaming that not many get to see outside of the industry.
Subscribed. Fantastic retrospective, good job on getting Ken's perspective on it. Really beautiful.
Incredible video. Hands down my favourite game series and Infinite in particular holds a very special place in my heart.
I watched a video essay about the game, and the kid talked about how the lack of choice (more specifically, the lack of choices having an important effect) was a part of the story. Kevin basically said it's like that because they couldn't figure out how to make it work before the due date.
Lol
I really appreciate you making these types of videos. At first they were informative, fun, and relaxing, and they were very comforting. However, they've been doing something else, too, and that's helping me figure out my own creative process. The stories of development teams pushing through hardship and innovating to complete visions are all very inspiring, and it's awesome to go through the process with them.
Honestly, Infinite was my first bioshock game, and it's dlc. I went to revisit both a year ago after not playing it for so long and enjoyed it more after knowing bioshocks 1 story. One thing led to another, and I've been making a fanfiction post bas, and I'm still working on it a year later.Thank you, Ken Levine, for creating this world and ending it on the best note possible.
This video was nothing short of incredible!!! Not only did you create a video that respects the legacy of Infinite but also got the chance to meet and interview the genius himself.
Thank you for the hard work you put in your videos for us, thank you DX for being a living legend. Work hard as always, would you kindly 😅
I’m so incredibly thankful for the work you put into this as it utterly confuses me why you can’t find quality reviews or what I perceive as an amazing game and the DLC really ties the whole series together ina beautiful way.
Kevin is a great writer, thoughtful leader and truly visionary
This was my first Bioshock game, I always hold it in a special place in my heart, the characters, the story, the twist ending. It felt honestly like a movie.
This was beautiful .
Matthewmatosis destroyed the discussion for this game 😆
Yo! I actually rediscovered your channel after letting it slip by even though I watched your re7 video months ago, I'm glad I got to find you again and this time PROPERLY subscribe while having this great video to go along with it, great work DX, you're still holding up as one of a kind content creator!
Thank you for making this retrospective!!
Thank you for watching!
So thankful for letting us hear from Ken himself. Such a great video as a bioshock fan.
Has it already been 10 years? Bioshock: Infinite was the game that got me to buy a gaming laptop so I could play it as well as I could along with my housemate at the time. I would play along with him, and I would also be watching a playthrough of the game from Jesse Cox. My mind is still going back to Columbia and the sunshine and the love that was poured into the environment and story, as messy and convoluted as it can be at points. Bioshock: Infinite was probably a turning point in my gaming journey. Sure, I had played games like Assassin's Creed 2 and Deus Ex: Human Revolution and Mass Effect, but there was something special about Columbia that just deepened my appreciation for the art so much.
So say what you want about the flaws in the piece, because it is flawed, it's definitely not perfect, but this game means so much to so many.
Wow. Great video man. I love these documentary-style videos you do. Especially Psychotoxic, that video in my opinion, is a masterpiece. I also loved your old reviews (rest in piss lol). Keep it up, I really do think you're one of the most unique gaming channels out there 👍
Thank you!!
Ken, thank you so much for creating the most touching and beautiful game I've ever played, Infinite. Elizabeth has touched my heart and soul unlike no other character, and the story has wrapped up my favorite series of all time. You've altered our beings with this story and it's much more than a game. The living archetypes which makes it up will go on forever. It will never be forgotten. Thank you.
You've come a long way, DX. I remember seeing your video on Jericho and cursing out the wazoo about the game, although I do agree with you on a lot of points you made about that game.
It's incredible to see how much you've grown and evolved. Keep it up mate
My favourite Bioshock and one of my favourite games ever. I was obsessed with it.
the thumbnail art is so cool
Thank you and to Ken Levine I really hope he will take his time to make his upcoming game as best as possible.
One of my all time favorites. I think it's time for a replay.
This was a lovely video, happy to see Ken was involved. Subscribed!
Thank you!
Not sure why, but I enjoy watching analyses of Infinite slightly more than I enjoyed playing the game itself. Must've seen a dozen at this point, and this one is really really good.
Awesome video DX!
And Ken is an awesome person as well
Bioshock Infinite is one of my fav games of all time
I Gotta Say, This Video Is Really Well Documented!
From The Ups And Downs That's Happened In Inrrational Games, To Infinite's Full Release With Two DLCs.
By The Time When I Play Bioshock Infinite After Two Bioshock Games, I'm Really Gonna Be Having A Good Time Playing Infinite!
Shout-Out To Ken For Making An Appearance To Talk About Infinite's History And Development!
And To DX, Thank You For Making My Day Better For A Great Documented Video!
Just finished the BioShock collection last week. Infinite is my favorite by far. Such a spectacular game.
My favourite franchise for sure, thanks for sharing this!
Love your stuff man. Stumbled across your “how re7 saved resident evil” yesterday and loved it. You got a new subscriber!
Thank you!!!
Great insight by Ken Levine. Still a bit disappointed we never really got what was initially shown in early trailers and previews, but do understand how just ambitious the game was originally with cutbacks and changes having to be made, which is a normal process within game development. I do however still have a deep fondness for the game with its fantastic timeless stylized visuals and music score. Also, I still love the Elizabeth character and do feel they changed and got that spot on in most cases. A flawed classic I personally still adore :-)
Thanks for the video, man. I love it, sovar.
The series still holds up to this day. Phenomenal.
Keep it up DX! Still going strong with these docs.
I loved how they ended the trilogy. Ending it with Burial At Sea bringing it back full circle was the way to end it.
Ending of Bioshock: Infinity is one of the strongest emotional moments in my whole gaming history. And boy, I start playing games around 1996.
I never cared what people said about this game, I absolutely loved it and I still do. It’s also my favorite of the series. The otters are of course masterpieces but I liked the different tone of this one, Elizabeth’s character and the story
Bioshock Infinite is one of my favorite gaming experiences of all time. Glad this video does it justice. Truly inspired by Ken's words on creating this story.
Elizabeth gave me a bottle of Salt in the final battle in 1999 mode that allowed me to beat it and get that platinum so Elizabeth is up there with some of the best companion characters even Ellie.
I just want to say that I litterly got goosebumps through out the video knowing that I got to play BioShock infinite in this state which was given to us with so much and love and care and also knowing that i probably will never get to experience what could've been makes me a bit sad and happy at the same time again thank you so much for the love you put into this video and thank you Kevin
This was an amazing video it was really exciting to hear Ken Levine's thoughts on Infinite a decade after it came out. He is a legend in the gaming industry to me and I think for as long as he is in the business there will always be an awesome game to look forward to. I can't wait to try out Judas because I know he's gonna knock it out of the park once again.
1) Levine's reaction to rule 34 of Elizabeth and Booker were priceless, thanks to complete lack of irony and self-awareness.
2) perfect ending of Bioshock Infinite
-with all my powers I can't break the circle.
-your feeling of helplessness is your best friend, Elizabeth.
(Booker opens notoriously big time rift)
-KIROV REPORTING.
wonderful watch as always
Thank you!
I would love a fully realized bioshock infinite with all cut content and fully explorable city
There's coding in the files of the game that have things like XP and side missions mentioned, I think it was intended to be open world at some point but was cut for whatever reason.
I was in 2nd year of college when I first played Bioshock Infinite. It was at a friend's house at a neighboring city I was visiting. He got the game on his birthday and we took turns playing the game, kinda like a co-op playthrough. Words can't describe how surprised I was at the game. I didn't know what to expect going into it. I had only seen a couple trailers at that point, but playing the actual game and going through the intro where you get blasted off into the sky and then the church choir singing "will the circle be unbroken." And then getting baptized. It was such a surreal experience. I was mesmerized by how pretty the game looked. The colors were gorgeous, especially for a time when games were known for being all "grey and brown." To this day, I have never seen a game more artistically beautiful as infinite.
10 years of playing this game, and i still cry when songbird dies.
What a fantastic video. Thank you.
This game is stuck in my memory and will be forever. It’s straight up magical. Story telling, characters, and innovation. First time I not only didn’t hate my companion character but was emotionally invested in them and thought they were integral to my success. Masterful soundtrack too. One of those games where I remember where I was in life when I played
Man I love infinite, time to replay it again.
Great video as always, DX. Sub since 2013 😊👍
This was such a good video, Bioshock 1 and Infinite are 2 of my favourite games periodt. I can't wait to see how Judas turns out, regardless of anything I will be there day 1, I absolutely adore Ken Levine's mind and completely trust him and the team he has. Take your time with Judas, Ghost Story Games, I'm sure it's going to be another amazing experience.
I have to agree with Ken. Games and movies that explore the late 19th century/early 20th America are really rare. The closest we get to that time is usually WWII, and that's been done to death.
One of the best places to see the architecture of this era is Mackinac Island in Michigan, especially the Grand Hotel. There's definitely a lot of 19th century France inspiration there.
Great video, one of my favorite games of all time.
So many people trashed this game for being different. I never understood that because it's my all time favorite video game, and I'm glad everybody here is giving it the love it deserves.
I still wish we got the bioshock infinite that was first shown and some of the concept ideas brung to life in game, but infinite is still such an amazing game
dude i came here from the community post and this vid did not disappoint!!
Thank you! Glad you liked it, it was so fun to put together.
Astonishing video! Hearing it from Ken's mouth aswell. I studied computer game design and the first thing you are taught is the game in your head will not be the game you ship, either through scope, talent budget or time. This is a great example but a rare case where they pulled it off. It's heartbreaking we won't see the likes again
I agree my favorite moment was the guitar song
Amazing video as usual
The constant: DX will bring us great content.
The variable: We don't know what content he will bring. This particular video is a most pleasant surprise.
Well this was great, I was definitely somebody who gave Bioshock Infinite a lot of forgiveness at the time, because I loved the setting and was a bit of an armchair quantum mechanics fan at the time, despite having no idea how it worked.
It was only on the replays of Bioshock 1 and 2 that I began to give it a harder time, but seeing this now in hindsight gives me a better perspective on the whole situation, and I'm glad that they did manage to pull something together in the end. Though I wish they gave themselves a little more time and focused a bit more along the way. But we got what we got in the end, and maybe there's a universe out there where they got the Bioshock Infinite we all wanted.
Also +1 subscriber right here. Great content
Thank you for the great Video and thank to Kevin Levine for Bioshock
Thats dope you got the Gawd himself for this video