Ken Levine hails cancelled Irrational project as 'the best game we never got to make'
Ken Levine, best-known for System Shock 2 and Bioshock, is not one for social media. Levine was the co-founder of Irrational Games and led the development of that studio's varied output in different creative roles for almost two decades, before the experience of developing Bioshock Infinite led to the studio's total restructuring as a much smaller operation.
Anyway, before Bioshock, there was SWAT 4: an excellent 2005 game, published by Sierra Entertainment, that was something of a revival for a more sim-oriented 90s series of shooters. Believe it or not, and this is going way back into the weeds now, SWAT began as a spinoff of the Police Quest adventure series, itself intended as an «authentic» depiction of law enforcement, hence SWAT 4's emphasis on proper rules of engagement and tactical gunplay.
SWAT 4 was a critical and commercial success and, as Irrational began concepting the game that would eventually become Bioshock, publisher Sierra wanted another SWAT title. Levine has said in the past the studio also «wanted the money really badly.»
Irrational had made several very good games by this point—parts of SWAT 4 hint at the studio's future direction—and didn't want to just make another straightforward entry. So it combined the existing SWAT setup with a pre-existing pitch for a horror-focused shooter as SWAT: Special Division, which would later become known as Division 9. Levine has in the past made positive noises about this project, with a definite 'one that got away' undercurrent, but recently shared the only existing footage of the project and was unambiguous: «This, no doubt, is the best game we never got to make.»
This, no doubt, is the best game we never got to make. https://t.co/6Hf6tOyCK1November 11, 2023
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