Despite plenty of player interest and speculation, details for developer Cloud Chamber and publisher 2K Games' next installment in the BioShock franchise have been few and far between. Tentatively titled BioShock 4, the sequel was confirmed in December 2019 when 2K announced the name of the new studio that would take the reigns after previous developers Irrational Games became defunct in 2017. BioShock 4 has remained fairly elusive ever since, with both 2K and Cloud Chamber keeping remarkably tight-lipped when it comes to any kind of updates for the game.
However, some leaks have managed to surface from BioShock 4's secretive development, including clues to various settings and even the potential name BioShock: Isolation, but so far nothing substantial has been confirmed. Despite the shadowy atmosphere surrounding the game, fans have still been able to speculate on what BioShock 4 might look like. One key aspect of the BioShock games that players have been wondering about is the substances that grant new abilities. Called Plasmids in BioShock and BioShock 2, and Vigors in BioShock Infinite, fans have been questioning just what shape these will take if BioShock 4 has a brand new setting.
BioShock's Setting-Specific Power-up System
Spread across two memorable and unique locations, the BioShock series has always placed a lot of importance on where the games are taking place. Both the airborne city of Colombia and the submerged metropolis of Rapture are essentially the main stars of the games, with the characters taking on minor roles compared to their impressive environments. With the large majority of storytelling in the BioShock series being environmental, design and attention to detail are key. From where players can get their ammo to the recording devices where several backstories are played out and established, each game had specific elements that correlated to the setting while still remaining true to the BioShock formula.
The main example of this is in the use of Plasmids and Vigors. With such a focus on locations and settings, this naturally translates to the objects found within them. With gameplay aspects like power-ups or new abilities, the developers had to make them visually distinct while still ensuring that their functions and purposes were recognizable to players and that they made sense within the world of the games they inhabited. For example, Plasmids available in BioShock and BioShock 2 fit the 1950s/1960s aesthetic of the games and their midcentury stylistic setting of Rapture. For the 1912 colonial setting of Columbia, the much more ornate and old-fashioned Vigor tonic vials fit their own period and environment in the same way.
But it's not just the look of Vigors and Plasmids that are specific to their settings – the names and the powers they give the player are just as well-thought-out and specific. From Plasmids such as Security Bullseye, Electro Bolt, and Hypnotize Big Daddy to Vigors like Devil's Kiss, Murder of Crows, and Bucking Bronco, each one reflects its own location and story elements. With this in mind, it wouldn't make any sense for BioShock 4's answer to these two classic aspects to copy them too closely.
How Plasmids And Vigors Could Be Adapted For BioShock 4
While it still hasn't been confirmed where (or even when) the upcoming game will be set, rumors have swirled around either a potential arctic location or perhaps a space setting for BioShock 4. Both of these hold great potential for the series and offer lots of tantalizing design aspects for games that are known for their innovation and attention to detail. If BioShock 4 is going to implement its own versions of Plasmids and Vigors, it needs to be visually distinct and suitable for its setting, wherever this may be.
Not only that, but the powers available need to be tied to the location and make sense within the story, as well as provide tangible advantages to the player in combat. If BioShock 4 does have a space setting, for example, it could use powers that make enemies and objects weightless now that they're not bound by Earth's gravity, much like Bucking Broncho. Alternatively, an arctic location could offer interesting possibilities with temperatrue-related abilities such as Incinerate! and Devil's Kiss.
With both injectables and consumables appearing in previous BioShock games, BioShock 4 may come up with a new way for players to utilize the powers from Vigors and Plasmids. If the game has more of a sci-fi setting, perhaps some kind of inhaler could replace the injection or tonic and tie-in more strongly with its own story. Whichever way the developers choose to implement them, it will be interesting to see the ways in which they differ and the instances where they repeat the formula from previous games. Regardless of how the feature is handled, there's no doubt that it needs to be as innovative as its former iterations to risk disappointing fans.
BioShock 4 is in development.
