Though Bioshock Infinite will have open world gameplay, don’t expect the game to have the same freedom as Grand Theft Auto.
In an interview with Shawn Robertson, lead artist for Bioshock Infinite, Robertson stated that the title will indeed be an open world adventure, but to a certain extent.
“As far as exploration, the amount a player can explore and the amount of narrative we’re going to present to the player, it’s going to be roughly the same as we had in the original BioShock. In terms of open space, we’re not creating a Grand Theft Auto game, it’s not like everywhere in the city will be open to the player. Narratively, where we want the player to go will definitely be open," said Robertson.
“A specific example: the skylines that you saw. Yes, there are rails that you’re traveling on, but you saw a few different rails and all of those represent different options you can jump to. You’re also not stuck on one rail you’ve jumped on. You can turn around, jump off at any point, and there are roofs you can get onto. So you can use those rails to get to other places, or you can just ignore them and stick to the narrative. They’re just another tool that we’re providing to the player.”
Judging by Robertson’s quote, it’s not surprising that the Bioshock Infinite team decided on a limiting the open world gameplay, much like the first installment of the Bioshock series. The game is expected to hit shelves the second quarter of 2012.
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