Nearly a decade after the last entry in the series, anticipation continues to mount for the currently unnamed and colloquially dubbed BioShock 4. Fans of the series were overjoyed when 2K Games made the official confirmation that the next iteration was in development after BioShock had seemingly ended as a self-contained trilogy. Several years on, however, despite leaks and rumors that have surfaced with BioShock 4's possible title, logo, and release date, no further official news has been given about the upcoming game.
Nearly a decade on and now being helmed by a whole new development team, Cloud Chamber, there's a case to be made for BioShock 4 to go in a new, different direction than the original trilogy and aspire to reimagine the series so that it feels both familiar as much as it does feel fresh and new. In order to achieve this, Cloud Chamber has the opportunity to capitalize on BioShock's best weapon, and delve even further into the multiverse ideas BioShock Infinite brought to the franchise.
BioShock's History Of Subversive Stories
The series originally began as just a fun romp through Rapture, a dystopian hellscape full of spliced psychos, creepy Little Sisters, and terrifying Big Daddy juggernauts, all while learning about the twisted consequences of capitalism running wild. The first game confirmed its legacy in players' hearts for the now-iconic rug pull of a plot twist midway through the game where it's revealed that the player character had been manipulated and used all along. While BioShock 2 sought to deepen the Rapture lore, BioShock Infinite took the reins and dove head first into the sci-fi side of the series.
Its biggest distinction from the previous two games was the setting, going up to Colombia instead of down to Rapture, striking a different tone for the series. Fans were quick to realize that BioShock Infinite was going to be a very different beast compared to earlier BioShock games. Though some beats were similar, such as Songbird instead of Big Daddies or Vigors replacing Plasmids, the game took a huge left turn with the introduction of Elizabeth and the "Tears." Suddenly the game now told a story that spanned the multiverse, even going further to create the Burial at Sea DLC to join together the first two games with this strangely more abstract third, completing the now cult classic trilogy.
The core challenge for Cloud Chamber is where to go from there. The trilogy created a satisfying finality to the original games and any return to the series and its characters could undo all the previous developer's hard work. The better option for Cloud Chamber would be to instead utilize the groundwork BioShock has built up and springboard from those ideas and lore to tackle an entirely new story and aim for a new way to subvert player's expectations. There are few better ways to do this than take the player back through BioShock's multiverse.
BioShock 4's Leaks, Rumors And More
Currently, not much is officially known about BioShock 4, but this hasn't stopped fans from finding and leaking possible details about the upcoming title. BioShock 4's recent leaks mainly focus on a possible title of BioShock Isolation with speculation the game could take place between two cities at once, one above ground and the other below. The theory behind this is that, much like the original BioShock, the story will focus on the disparities of wealth and class between both cities, establishing an analogy of the literal "upper" and "lower" classes. However, this feels too obvious for a series renowned for nuanced narratives and subversive storytelling.
This is why Cloud Chamber needs to capitalize on the existence of the multiverse, as a more exciting and engaging concept is not two cities above and below, but two cities existing simultaneously, with the player being able to jump between them. Not only does this open up a new realm of possibilities for lifting Elizabeth's "Tear" ability from BioShock Infinite and giving it directly into the hands of the player, but it could also be upgraded and changed throughout the game the same way Plasmids and Vigors were. It could also help solve some criticisms of previous BioShock games and their combat, allowing the development team to refine and improve on BioShock Infinite's combat and bring back the nerve-wracking aggression of BioShock's original style.
Beyond a technical standpoint, this could also be monumental for the game's story, as one city may still be better off than the other, and establishes an interdimensional conflict that the player has to navigate. Additionally, with the strong possibility that BioShock 4 may be an open-world game, using a Tear ability to navigate an open world would be very versatile, enabling a vast open-world begging to be explored, with a second city waiting at the tap of a button. This could also earmark the player's character as a person of interest, with people hunting them down to try and steal their ability, or at least exploit it to their own end. It could even generate the possibilities of moral choices, forcing the player to choose a side as they progress through the game, their choices impacting the world and its characters.
An Uncertain Future For BioShock 4
While the leaks seem potentially credible, they suggested that BioShock 4 -- or rather BioShock Isolation -- was set to release in 2022. Given that only half a year remains at this point with no official news from either 2K Games or Cloud Chamber, it seems highly likely that the 2022 release date was either wildly incorrect or purely speculative. Regardless, BioShock 4 remains in development as far as fans are aware, but unless any BioShock announcements are made this summer, it sadly looks like it will not be joining the 2022 roster of upcoming games.
However, the more time passes without additional announcements or news, the more concerning the future of BioShock 4 becomes and the greater the challenge that Cloud Chamber faces. With the lack of further information about ongoing development besides errant leaks, BioShock 4 seems to be yet another big name in gaming set to join the other franchises stuck in development limbo. At this point, even a game devoid of the multiverse that BioShock Infinite had blessed the series with would be something players could actually talk about. Until either 2K Games of Cloud Chamber breaks its silence, however, fans will be left in the dark.
BioShock 4 is currently in development.