Highlights

  • BioShock 4 announcement anticipated after years of silence, but may still be a year away or more.
  • Luna Abyss, a new indie sci-fi shooter, offers a possible stop-gap for BioShock fans craving similar gameplay.
  • Luna Abyss features deep world-building and gameplay reminiscent of Returnal, blending mystery and action.

When BioShock 4 was originally announced all the way back in 2019, it was done so rather unceremoniously, with 2K simply tweeting that the sequel was officially in the works. Since then, virtually nothing has been revealed about BioShock 4, with neither 2K nor its developer Cloud Chamber making any statements regarding the project. There have been no trailers, no gameplay reveals, and not even an official title announcement. But there's hope that fans could see BioShock 4 soon.

The season of new game announcements is here, and it could feature the BioShock 4 announcement that fans have been waiting years for. But even if BioShock 4 does make an appearance soon, it's likely to still be at least a year off if not longer. Fans are still going to need other games to scratch that BioShock itch in the meantime, and the upcoming Luna Abyss could offer exactly that.

Judas' hand with a Little Sister from BioShock
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Luna Abyss Could Be The Perfect Stop-Gap Before BioShock 4

Luna Abyss Puts an Emphasis on Sci-Fi World-Building

First announced back in August 2022, Luna Abyss is the debut title by indie studio Bonsai Collective, a team based in the UK. Though Luna Abyss doesn't currently have a concrete release date, it's definitely worth keeping an eye on, especially for BioShock fans who are looking for a similar mind-bending, sci-fi first-person shooter.

In the trailers released so far — and on both the game's Steam and Epic Games Store pages — Luna Abyss puts its sci-fi world-building front and center. In Luna Abyss, players take on the role of Fawkes, a prisoner trapped on the titular moon of Luna who learns of a mysterious prophecy that could pertain to them. Fawkes decides to break free of their chains, alerting the moon's defenses and the prison's AI guard, Aylin.

While fighting through these defenses, players will learn of the moon's ancient, long-gone civilization and the city of Greymont, an area ravaged by something known only as The Scourge. Though the depths of this mystery aren't yet known, it's an enticing starting point for sci-fi fans and one that is sure to intrigue those who loved unraveling BioShock's lore-heavy plot. Luna Abyss also seems to lean into cosmic horror when it comes to its environmental and enemy designs, something that might feel a tad familiar to BioShock fans.

Luna Abyss Looks Like a First-Person Returnal

But while Luna Abyss' story and world-building look to borrow elements from BioShock, its gameplay bears a much closer resemblance to the 2021 Housemarque title Returnal. Released as a PS5 exclusive, Returnal is a third-person roguelike shooter that features Housemarque's trademark bullet hell flair. In Returnal, players are forced to dash around the arena, dodging oncoming projectiles while firing out some of their own, resulting in a screen that's always packed to the brim with bright and dizzying colors.

From the trailers and screenshots released so far, it seems as though Luna Abyss is going to be borrowing a few key gameplay ideas from Returnal. In Luna Abyss' combat encounters, players will also need to avoid an array of colorful enemy projectiles while taking some shots themselves, though here they'll be doing that from a first-person perspective. It also seems as though Luna Abyss will equip the player with some otherworldly powers, such as the ability to make platforms appear and the ability to crush enemies in a dark void.