One Judas Plot Device Sounds a Lot Like a Classic JRPG Series Staple

One Judas Plot Device Sounds a Lot Like a Classic JRPG Series Staple

Highlights

  • Judas, the next project from Ken Levine, may draw from BioShock but incorporate other genres and tropes.
  • Judas could be inspired by the JRPG trope of character archetypes representing philosophical ideals.
  • The game’s story revolves around 3 NPCs embodying distinct philosophical viewpoints within a high-science-fiction setting.

As a gamer with over two decades of experience under my belt and a penchant for deep, thought-provoking narratives, I’ve been eagerly awaiting Ken Levine’s new project, Judas. Having delved into the rich lore of BioShock and other games that explore philosophical conundrums, I can’t help but feel a sense of excitement at the prospect of this upcoming title.


The upcoming project titled Judas, conceived by Ken Levine, the mind behind BioShock, holds immense promise. Although it’s poised to break new ground and carve out its own distinct narrative, Judas is expected to share some elements with its predecessor, BioShock. These shared traits might include the series’ renowned world-building and philosophical themes. However, Judas may also borrow from various other genres and sources, integrating familiar storytelling tropes to bring its thought-provoking concept to life.

Drawing from preliminary details about the game, it’s plausible that Judas might draw influence from the realm of Japanese Role-Playing Games (JRPGs) for its thought-provoking narrative structure. While not all JRPGs follow this pattern, they often convey profound themes through character archetypes, with principal characters embodying various ideals, flaws, or corrupted aspects of humanity. For instance, the Shin Megami Tensei series exemplifies this approach by focusing on ethical alignment, where characters are distributed across lawful, neutral, and evil spectra. By using a relatively straightforward method to create characters, the series presents profound visions of humanity through the collision of diverse ideologies, even though individual characters may not have much intricate thought. Instead, the contrasting beliefs offer deeper insights into complex human issues.

How Judas May Adhere to, or Subvert, Typical Moral Alignment

Judas’ Three Main Characters Represent Distinct Philosophical Ideals

It appears that Judas’ tale is centered on profound philosophical dilemmas. These dilemmas are explored through the main non-player characters in the game, each advocating distinct viewpoints regarding the future direction of mankind.

  • Tom: wishes to retain humanity’s traditional nature and form
  • Nefertiti: wishes to convert humanity into a race of machines
  • Hope: wishes to cease existing

In essence, Tom embodies the values of tradition and preserving the past, Nefertiti symbolizes societal evolution, while Hope raises the intriguing question about life’s continuation. It will be fascinating to observe how these contrasting viewpoints unfold in the final outcome. Each primary character seems to occupy distinct positions on an existential scale, reminiscent of how characters in a game like Shin Megami Tensei are positioned within an ethical system.

As a seasoned gamer, I’ve come to expect thought-provoking questions from Ken Levine’s creations, especially in the realm of BioShock. However, the unique, character-driven narrative of Judas might take this exploration into entirely new territory.

How Judas’ Philosophical Frameworks Could Unfold

In Levine’s style of crafting complex narratives, it can be expected that the three leadership characters in Judas will find their beliefs challenged throughout the tale. This storytelling technique often revolves around characters who, while single-minded in other situations, engage in intriguing debates due to their interactions. It appears that the underlying contrasts between these characters’ viewpoints will play a significant role in the game’s narrative, as players grapple with the pros and cons of each perspective.

In this fashion, the game introduces grand, larger-than-life personas such as Tom, Nefertiti, and Hope to its viewers. The storyline’s focus on these extraordinary figures, combined with the futuristic backdrop of Judas, might prioritize complex plotlines and a deep dive into each ideological faction over relatability and authenticity. This type of narrative appears to share many characteristics with Levine’s past works, which revolve around influential figures with unique ethical and moral stances, while also bearing some resemblance to JRPGs like Shin Megami Tensei, where characters are categorized based on their fundamental behaviors or mentalities through alignment systems.

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2024-08-11 04:04