BioShock Creator Backs Blizzard: "Style Trumps Photorealism"

Ken Levine, creator of BioShock and the upcoming Judas, has once again spoken out about photorealism in games. According to him, the obsession with maximum realistic graphics is too expensive, inefficient, and accelerates project obsolescence.

In an interview, he noted that his studios never aimed for absolute realism. The only exception was SWAT 4. In his opinion, stylized games stand the test of time better.

As an example, he cited BioShock, which still looks relevant today thanks to its strong art design and retrofuturism, rather than attempts to "recreate every detail."

Levine also supported the approach of Blizzard Entertainment, whose stylized games like World of Warcraft and Overwatch age better than projects chasing "temporary photorealism."

He added that the main problem with modern games is not technology. As an example, he cited Baldur's Gate 3, where the complexity is not related to graphics, but to the huge number of plot branches and decisions.

According to Levine, the industry has become too engrossed in the technological race. More and more developers believe that a strong artistic style can be a more sustainable solution than chasing photorealism.