BioShock 4, Judas Can't Repeat the History of Dead Space and The Callisto Protocol

Game ZXC

Judas

By Cameron Swan

Published Apr 28, 2024

After almost a decade of silence, Ken Levine - one of the primary creative minds behind the beloved BioShock series - reared his head once more, debuting the first trailer of Judas. Announced in December 2022, Judas is a first-person shooter with a heavy emphasis on Sci-Fi imagery and themes, and the first game from Ken Levine's studio, Ghost Story Games.

Based on the few trailers released so far, it's clear that Judas is setting itself up to be a spiritual successor of sorts to the BioShock series. From similar Sci-Fi, retrofuturistic imagery to gameplay that sees players wielding mysterious powers in one hand and a gun in the other, Judas' comparisons to BioShock have only just begun. With a fourth BioShock entry also in development right now, the industry might have another Dead Space and Callisto Protocol case on its hands.

BioShock 4 Needs to Strike While the Iron is Hot

BioShock 4 is in active development, but Cloud Chamber will need to show something for it soon, because it has some stiff competition.

BioShock 4 and Judas Can't Follow in Dead Space and Callisto Protocol's Footsteps

Dead Space and Callisto Protocol Had Terrible Timing

After heading up development on the Legacy of Kain series at Crystal Dynamics, video game developer Glen Schofield moved over to EA's Redwood Studios, where he would work as the General Manager on a handful of Lord of the Rings titles and the James Bond game 007: From Russia with Love. Seeking to create a game that merges survival horror with Sci-Fi, Schofield, along with the rest of EA Redwood Studios, created 2008's Dead Space.

After creating and then subsequently leaving Sledgehammer Games, Schofield joined publisher Krafton, where he made another video game studio, Striking Distance. Here, Schofield set about creating his own spiritual successor to the Dead Space series, and in 2022, that game was released. Titled The Callisto Protocol, this Sci-Fi survival horror game wore its influences on its sleeve, featuring a wealth of similarities with the Dead Space series, from a similar Sci-Fi horror atmosphere and setting to similar gameplay mechanics.

Unfortunately, upon its December 2022 release date, The Callisto Protocol was met with some pretty unfavorable reviews, and it definitely didn't help matters that EA's Dead Space Remake was set to launch just a month later. With both games being so similar and releasing so close to one another, comparisons were only natural and that seems to have only harmed both titles. Dead Space Remake earned a much better critical reception, but its sales reportedly weren't as high as EA was hoping for. Hopes of a new game or a second remake were seemingly dashed, while The Callisto Protocol couldn't quite get off the ground either.

History Could Repeat Itself with Judas and BioShock 4

Just over a year later, it seems as though a similar predicament could be on the horizon. Judas is bringing plenty of its own unique features to the table, but it still shares a lot of DNA with the BioShock franchise. That's bound to clash with the in-development BioShock 4. It remains to be seen if they release in close proximity or are as similar on the surface, but a franchise getting a new title and a spiritual successor in close proximity didn't work out well for Dead Space and Callisto. Hopefully, that's not the case for Judas and BioShock 4.

Though BioShock 4 is still awaiting a full reveal, that's likely to happen relatively soon. When it does, comparisons between it and Judas are going to be rampant, but each title deserves its own time in the spotlight.