Judas: Everything We Know

Ghost Story Games is officially back in action, and it brings with it yet another narrative-driven IP that knocks on all the same doors as Ken Levine's Bioshock. Is it a love letter to Rapture or Colombia? Well, you'd naturally presume so, yes, what with its trailer featuring almost all of the same elements as it. And yet, it's still too early to tell exact what this is, and it's unlikely that we'll be able to see it for exactly what it is for a good year or two, either. Until then, the question remains mostly the same: what is Judas?

The Game Awards did give us something to whet our appetites though, which was a trailer. Although without an official release date, it did give us enough to compile something — a list of sorts that serves as a foundation for the day-one details of the upcoming shooter. Question is, what do you need to know about it? Here's everything we've scraped together on Ghost Story Games' Judas.

What Is Judas?

We’re excited to announce #Judas, a new single-player, narrative, first-person shooter. Coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store.

Add to your Wishlist and sign up for updates here: https://t.co/8Xg3d2OX73 #JudasGame pic.twitter.com/RcTkq4L5FS

— Ghost Story (@GhostStoryGames) December 9, 2022

Judas is an upcoming first-person survival horror game by Ghost Story Games, one of the leading teams behind the universally acclaimed Bioshock series. As a spiritual successor of sorts, Judas will retain its steampunk roots and most definitely keep a hold of some of its core features, including the use of elemental magic and disgruntled enemy drones. This time, however, the game will make use of a sci-fi setting, thereby dissolving the underwater metropolis locale and porting over to the stars, a world where new stories await to be heard.

Story

“A disintegrating starship. A desperate escape plan. You are the mysterious and troubled Judas. Your only hope for survival is to make or break alliances with your worst enemies. Will you work together to fix what you broke — or will you leave it to burn?”

This is, at least at the time of writing, all we really know about it. It's evident, though, that player choice will serve as the bridges between a lot of key moments in the main story. Perhaps not at the same level as the likes of Telltale Games' Guardians of the Galaxy, but something fairly similar, no doubt. And so, in spite of the announcement being predominantly shooter-based, it could be, then, that Judas will also lean heavily towards being a choice-based story-driven game that lets its players burn bridges, build on them, or abandon them altogether.

Gameplay

Judas will be a single-player experience, which of course means no day-one multiplayer madness or microtransactions. As such, players can expect to delve into a rich storytelling environment, one that provides a sturdy campaign and perhaps even a multitude of pathways, consequences, and conclusions. Will it have replay value? Here's hoping.

From what we gathered from the announcement trailer, Judas will feature its fair share of chaotic shoot 'em up sequences, which will also make use of things like elemental magic, dual-wielding, and special abilities. This, along with a thick layer of exploration in a deep sci-fi setting, establish the textbook blueprint for what can only be described as “Bioshock goes on a starry vacation.” Or at least, this is what first impressions told us.

Development

Judas is being fronted by Ghost Story Games, a studio that was formed by Ken Levine following the rebranding of Irrational Games, the original force behind the highly successful Bioshock series. Since the rebranding, Levine has cut down the original work force from 90 to just 30 employees, and has now shifted focus over to developing more story-driven titles, such as Judas, for example.

According to a 2022 write-up by Bloomberg News, Ghost Story Games' “first game” was in development hell, and had been for seven years due to Levine's ever-changing style of direction. As a result, Judas has, as of 2022, had multiple reboots and caused an overall dip in team morale. And as for when it'll release, now that's another story. Here's hoping, though, that it finds its way out of development hell sooner rather than later. That is, if it still is in development hell.

Trailer

So, has Ghost Story Games actually teased a trailer yet? And the answer to that, thankfully, is yes. Courtesy of The Game Awards, both streamers and eager fans of the studio were able to catch an early glimpse of the work in progress. You can go ahead and catch it above.

Release Date, Platforms & Editions

Judas will be available on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC at some point in the distant future. As the game trailer has only recently been premiered, it isn't likely to be releasing any time soon. It is believed that Ghost Story Games could very well open up for some more Q&As at some points in 2023, though. And so, at the time of writing, there isn't a whole lot more we can do other than bide our time and wait patiently for Ghost Story Games to lift the veil.

Unfortunately, we don't know if Judas will be a day-one exclusive on either Game Pass or PlayStation Plus yet, either. This isn't exactly unusual, given the age of the worldwide premiere. If it does happen to be in line to launch on either subscription-based platform, though, then we'll likely hear about it in the months leading up to its official release. And the same goes for its launch editions, too. Again, it's mostly just speculation at this point, but if we had to put a spin on what editions are more likely to release — then we'll cast our vote and say standard, digital deluxe, and collector's.

For more information on Ghost Story Games' Judas, be sure to check in with the official social handle here. We'll be sure to keep you posted on any new details that drift our way.

So, what's your take? Will you be picking up a copy of Judas when it eventually comes out? Are there any other details you'd like to clue us in on? Let us know over on our socials here or down in the comments below.