Irrational podcast discusses BioShock Infinite's 'Handyman'
The Irrational Behavior podcast season concludes this week with an episode dissecting the work that went into the BioShock Infinite reveal trailer. While it's a good listen all on its own, the podcast also reveals a handful of tidbits on the trailer's mysterious, mechanical assailant. The creature is known as an "Alpha," though the Irrational team also refers to him as the "Handyman."
Originally, the trailer was to offer a full glimpse of the Handyman, though that idea was later scrapped for the more "noir-ish" take used in the trailer. Apparently, the character design featured a "big goofy mustache" and a bowler hat, but Ken Levine dismissed the design as "something out of the Italian kids' menu."
The Handyman also had crab-like claws initially. These were later replaced by the fingered hands seen in the trailer, not only because they were better for grabbing and punching, but because they added a degree of humanity to the Handyman. Finally -- get this -- the Handyman was originally supposed to cry as he assaulted the protagonist Booker Dewitt, but the sound of a man sobbing didn't mesh well with the feeling of the trailer. Yeah, we can see how that might be jarring.
