There are few developers that can claim that all of their releases of the last decade have been smash hits, but FromSoftware might just be one of them. Dark Souls and its sequels, Bloodborne, and now Elden Ring have all been critical darlings, and industry trendsetters, forging a brand-new subgenre in the Soulslike. FromSoftware has a lot left to teach the gaming industry, but there's one lesson that BioShock 4 in particular might want to pay close attention to.
FromSoftware games are renowned for their boss design. While the moment-to-moment gameplay of Soulsborne games is certainly thrilling in its own right, it's the series' vast array of horrifying and imposing bosses that have really elevated FromSoftware to new heights in the public eye. So, naturally, there was a lot riding on Elden Ring's bosses. While Elden Ring did contain some of the best boss fights in FromSoftware's history, it also contained some of its most generic and repetitive, and it's a big area that BioShock 4 could learn from.
BioShock 4 Should Learn From Elden Ring's Quantity-Over-Quality Approach
Back in April 2021, a series of job listings for Cloud Chamber -- the studio working on BioShock 4 -- expressly mentioned the need for employees who had experience with an "open-world setting." While this shouldn't be taken as definite confirmation that BioShock 4 will be an open-world game, all the evidence is pointing to that potentially being the case. That makes a lot of sense for the next entry in the series, with previous BioShock games experimenting with some hub-like areas.
If BioShock 4 does end up being a fully open-world title, then there are a few major things it can learn from the current state of the genre and its most recent influences, particularly Elden Ring. If there's one major thing BioShock 4 can learn from Elden Ring, it's that having more bosses doesn't necessarily mean it'll end up being a better game.
FromSoftware has a history of phenomenal boss design in terms of visuals, music, and gameplay. Even Dark Souls 2, widely regarded as the weakest Soulsborne game, has some of the best boss fights in video game history, with the Fume Knight, the Burnt Ivory King, and Sir Alonne all being real standouts. The key reason behind these iconic bosses' success is the amount of effort that clearly went into them. Each and every Soulsborne boss feels unique and engaging in a plethora of ways, and those that aren't quite as standout at least offer some cool visual designs. Unfortunately, FromSoftware flew a little too close to the sun with Elden Ring.
For Elden Ring, FromSoftware decided that a quantity-over-quality approach was the way to go, and unfortunately, it struggles. Elden Ring has over 120 proper bosses, with some sources even citing that there may be as many as 238 if named enemy fights are counted. With such an eye-watering number, it's no wonder that Elden Ring repeats a lot of its boss design. During their journey through the Lands Between, players will face off against a number of bosses that look almost identical. These bosses will often have the same overall design and moveset, albeit with some slight variations, such as a different weapon, one new attack, and a color variation. Elden Ring does try to keep its repeated bosses fresh, but it feels a little disappointing to be met with so many of the same boss types throughout the game.
It's imperative that BioShock 4 takes this lesson to heart. The last thing players want to be doing in a brand new BioShock game is fighting the same boss over and over again. The first BioShock made it a point to switch up its Big Daddy encounters partway through the game, and BioShock 4 should strive to do the same, keeping players on their toes with new boss designs.
BioShock 4 is currently in development.