Ghost Story Games

The Philosophy of Horror

on October 28 2011

5 comments

Wired.com posted an interview with Irrational’s Ken Levine today, exploring a few of his favorite horror movies, just in time for Halloween. In the interview, Levine discusses films like Alien and The Shining, explaining why they work so well as horror films and how they help with developing the narrative of BioShock Infinite.

“The only thing we’re afraid of is losing things we have. You can’t be afraid of losing something you don’t have. If you don’t have a family, you don’t have any concern about losing them. You have to create a sense of stakes.” – Ken Levine

The ideas of loss and the unknown are just a few of the topics covered, with Levine explaining why they’re so potent in the horror genre, and how that’s reflected with the characters of Booker and Elizabeth throughout their journey in Columbia. Read the full story on Wired.com.

Posted on October 28 2011 02:18 pm, under Insider
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Comments (5)

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  • joeskeen | October 28, 2011 2:46 pm

    Ken is going all out with the interviews/media lately, huh? Love it, keep ’em coming!

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  • billiamb | October 28, 2011 3:00 pm

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    you’d almost think (pleasepleaseplease) he was ramping up to annouonce the release date of a game or something…

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  • borrego | October 28, 2011 6:01 pm

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    Great interview! Having something you value can really make a jarring impact when it’s taken from you. I’ve always felt like The Shining is my favorite horror film because of the sheer terrifying helplessness you feel for Jack Torrance’s family. I immediately felt similarities with it and Rapture when I first jumped into BioShock. The situation you’re placed in is similar in a lot of ways to the Torrance family. Not to mention it’s all presented with a fantastically creepy musical score. If you never want to go to sleep again, just lay in bed with headphones on and let that score play loud and on repeat.

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  • juan29zapata | October 29, 2011 10:16 am

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    That’s genius. I will fall for it, I always get attached to my characters and their friends.

    And man, I think that Elizabeth will be my favorite video game character after this game.

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  • magicmaker | December 28, 2011 4:56 am

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    It’s all about the suspense, Alien took it to a whole new level.

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