BioShock recently celebrated its 15th anniversary, but almost a decade of that time contains no entries in the series. Thankfully, that might change sometime soon, with the as-yet-unnamed BioShock 4 in the works since at least 2019. Development has been pretty hush-hush, but there are already some interesting details that point to the long-awaited title differing from its predecessors. Some recent cryptic tweets from 2K and Gamescom Opening Night Live host Geoff Keighley might suggest that more info could arrive during that event, but right now, there are still a few intriguing suggestions worth exploring.
To say the game will have big shoes to fill would be an understatement. The series' entries find themselves on countless "best of all time" lists and are considered some key examples of video games being art. Given this, BioShock 4 faces the difficult task of living up to the legacy of the original games, while still presenting fresh concepts so that it can stand on its own merits. Switching things up might just be what's needed for the series to make its successful return in a new era, and a few big details already make it seem like BioShock 4 will be changing a lot from the originals.
Changes Behind The Scenes of BioShock 4
BioShock 4 is set to be the first in the series (and the first ever title) developed by Cloud Chamber, a studio created by 2K in 2019. According to job listings, that development is happening through Unreal Engine 5, so the game is sure to be quite the visual spectacle. The new studio is headed by Kelley Gilmore, formerly of Firaxis. Firaxis is best known for developing the XCOM and Civilization strategy games, so it's hard to speculate what themes Gilmore might bring to BioShock from past roles. What Gilmore has suggested is that BioShock 4 will push the boundaries of what gamers have thought is possible in story-driven games.
The original creator of the series, Ken Levine, confirmed long ago that he won't have any hand in the game. Levine has only so far been absent from BioShock 2, which was the worst received (albeit compared to two games of universal acclaim) of the series. For some, that might be a reason for concern about the direction of BioShock 4, but other details might calm these worries. A lot of the original team are involved in the new game, including lead art director Scott Sinclair, design director Jonathon Pelling, and creative director Hogarth de la Plante.
BioShock 4 Will Feature A New Setting
Past BioShock titles are known for their iconic settings - from the unsettling depths of Rapture to the fantastical heights of Columbia. However, all titles so far have been linear game worlds. BioShock 4 might shake this up in a big way: an open-world setting in a new city has been all but confirmed through job listings and leaks. Unsurprisingly, this results in some interesting questions. The original BioShock derived a lot of its atmospheric horror from the claustrophobic tunnels and darkness of Rapture, deep on the ocean floor. When BioShock Infinite opened up its level designs, it moved more into first-person action shooter territory. An open world might continue this trend, going even further away from the survival-horror and immersive sim elements with which BioShock started.
Leaks from BioShock 4's pitch suggest there might even be two cities. Each one could supposedly feature its own megalomaniac villain, with opposing ideologies present in each city. The multiverse lore set up by BioShock Infinite has some interesting implications here, as some have speculated it could be two versions of the same city, in different timelines. That's an ambitious task, but it could be what Gilmore meant by pushing boundaries. Other rumors have included the game being set in space or the arctic during the 1960s, with the latter being the most prominent rumor. This would make it the first installment set on land, which isn't something that can be said about a lot of franchises.
BioShock 4 is currently in development.