Ken Levine has since been mum about his apparent fear of the number 3, and could only tease that the truth of the word choice would be revealed once people touch it's timely, jingoistic surface. That leaves us only the kind of wild, hair-brained speculations that only a minuscule bloggers like myself can provide...and I'll do it! As you can see from the header image, I've come the the epiphany that Bioshock Infinite has a connection to Duke Nukem Forever, and -- if you follow my lead -- this connection may lead deeper than you can imagine.
The Logo
"Infinite" and "Forever"? Sounds like a cheesy love song at first, but then you realize that they're synonymous. Considering Duke Nukem Forever's record-breaking development schedule, it's obvious why it's labeled "forever," but Bioshock? Bioshock doesn't have the pedigree of 12-year development cycles under their belt -- thank god -- so it's unusual that they would choose to ascribe such a similar term to their game.
Let's not forget the use of "old glory" in the logo as well. Both titles are unabashedly American in their theme, be it Duke's hyperbolistic, guns-blazing American stereotype, or Bioshock Infinite's commentary about American nationalism to its extreme...with guns blazing. It's a curious connection, like Armageddon is to Deep Impact.
The Game
Perhaps it is just an indication of how popular the genre is, but both games are First-Person Shooters. While this connection could be filed under "duh," both games have benefited greatly from the gameplay choice. Even though Duke Nukem was born from a side-scroller, his popularity exploded with the introduction of DN3D. When Bioshock hit the scene, Irrational adamantly defended the fact that it was an FPS, not an RPG, and it greatly helped in its pick-up-and-play appeal. Did I mention that they're both Sci-Fi FPSs too?
The Themes
Both games tackle xenophobia, though Duke's approach may be construed as more "direct" than Bioshock's. In DNF, you're protecting Earth from an alien invasion. In Bioshock, people are defending Columbia from an invasion of "aliens." *deep breath* Coincidence?
Also, both games involve saving "babes." While this could be another "duh" moment, the previous Bioshocks never featured women as visually pleasing as Elizabeth. Yes, I'm talking about cleavage. When was the last time you've seen a woman in Bioshock that didn't resemble Ida Lowry from Brazil, or some child of the damned? Yeah, that's right...and maybe you can thank Duke Nukem for that.
The Business
The most important connection, at least for me, is that both titles will be published by 2K. When two titles are developed under the same roof, would it be any surprise to anyone that certain aspects of both games could overlap? While I don't anticipate a cameo of Duke in Infinite -- which would be mind-blowing, to say the least -- I'd expect at least a handful of hints about either game to appear. It's a business, after all, and if one popular game can spur the sales of the next popular game, then so be it.
Convinced?
Okay, some of these connections may be thinner than a sitcom plot, but, like I've always said on this blog, that's the point. I'm doing all the geeking out, so you don't have to.
Until next time, fellow readers...Nanu Nanu.
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