Ken Levine recently shed light on a project that could have been a remarkable addition to the gaming world, but never saw the light of the day.
In a nostalgic reflection, Levine hailed Division 9, a co-op survival horror shooter by Irrational Games, as the "best game we never got to make." This revelation comes as Levine and his newly formed studio, Ghost Story Games, continue their work on the BioShock-inspired sci-fi FPS, Judas.
Division 9 was conceptualized in the mid-2000s, around the time the critically acclaimed director and the creator of the BioShock franchise and his team were working on SWAT 4, a classic tactical FPS that achieved both commercial and critical success. The game was set in the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse, a premise familiar yet intriguing to gamers. Players would have banded together to gather resources, build a base, and rescue survivors, a gameplay mechanic that would've made it a predecessor to State of Decay albeit with a first-person perspective. The project was ambitious and innovative, combining elements of survival horror with cooperative gameplay, aiming to offer a unique experience in the zombie game genre.
Levine's recent response to the screenshots and information shared by the user, Obscure Game Aesthetics, on X not only showcased his fondness for the project but also shed some light on the potential impact Division 9 could've had on the gaming industry.e. The game was initially envisioned as SWAT: Special Division before evolving into Division 9. Levine's goal for the project was to be a blend of tactical shooter elements with horror themes, something that would later find its way in some aspects of the Left4Dead series, a seminal pair of games that has since spawned several wannabe's and spiritual successors over the past decade.