After a fairly lengthy hiatus, BioShock 4 is finally set to arrive sometime in the near future, with 2K and Cloud Chamber announcing that the project was in full development back in December 2019. Though no trailers have been released and no official details have been confirmed just yet, a number of leaks have made their way online over the last few years, with a few of them suggesting that BioShock 4 is using some form of open-world design.
On the surface, BioShock 4's apparent decision to go open-world makes complete sense. One of the best features of the BioShock series is its expansive and unique settings, and it makes complete sense that BioShock 4 would want to double down on that and bring the franchise's most epic setting yet. But creating a compelling open-world game isn't as easy as it looks, and BioShock 4 may want to look to other stellar examples for inspiration, with one those releasing in just a few days' time.
BioShock 4 Should Take Notes From Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores' Open-World
When Horizon Zero Dawn launched back in 2017 it was unfortunately immediately overshadowed by Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and its innovative approach to open-world game design. But that's not to say Horizon Zero Dawn's open-world was bad, far from it. With a unique robotic post-apocalypse aesthetic, breathtaking visuals, tons of side content, and cohesive world-building, Horizon Zero Dawn's open-world gave players plenty of bang for their buck.
Horizon Forbidden West unfortunately met a similar fate last year, with Elden Ring and its own Breath of the Wild-inspired open-world overshadowing the franchise the once again. But again, Horizon Forbidden West's open-world was another great example of the genre, with plenty of content to dive into and even more intriguing world-building elements than its predecessor.
The Horizon franchise's open-world already have a lot to teach BioShock 4. For a start, BioShock 4's open-world should feel lived in, and organic. Even if its setting is meant to be rundown or abandoned, BioShock 4 can still do a lot to make its environments feel realistic - as if people had truly been living there - just like Horizon's open-world. Similarly, BioShock 4's open-world should feature plenty of side content. While BioShock 4 certainly doesn't need quite as much side content as Horizon Forbidden West, a full open-world adventure game, it should still feature a healthy amount of meaningful side quests and a fair few collectibles that actually reward the player through gameplay. It's also imperative that any side content in BioShock 4 feels like it should belong in that universe and franchise. There shouldn't be any awkward side games that don't really belong in BioShock 4's world, or any combat challenges if there's no in-universe reason behind their existence.
But the most interesting inspiration for BioShock 4's open-world might be just around the corner. On April 19, 2023, Horizon Forbidden West's Burning Shores DLC is set to release. Along with new weapons, new tribes, and a new story for Aloy, Burning Shores is also bringing a new mount called the Waterwing to the game. With an appearance and function similar to the Sunwing, the Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores' Waterwing can be used to travel the skies above the post-apocalyptic version of L.A., but unlike the Sunwing, it can also dive into the watery depths below. The seamless transition between air, ground, and water is definitely something that BioShock 4 should take inspiration from for its own world. If there's one surefire way to stand out from the rest of the series, it's BioShock 4 giving players several different settings, allowing them to traverse freely between each one.
BioShock 4 is in development.