BioShock 4 is a title shrouded in mystery, with the franchise's wide-spanning community having been waiting for a new installment for over a decade. Despite being officially revealed in a brief capacity in 2019, essentially no information has been released regarding what kind of experience the title will provide.
With that being said, fans can of course look back upon the past IP releases to theorize about what BioShock 4 may include, especially for its setting and characters. In this way, it is clear that BioShock 4 will likely adhere to the past roles of protagonists within the IP, with there being some big names for the main character of the upcoming title to live up to.
Iconic Past BioShock Protagonists
One of the main allures of the BioShock franchise is the ominous and eccentric atmosphere that its settings produce, and the involved characters of the game play an equally important role in this. Within the first two BioShock games, the protagonists did not command a large presence, often being largely voiceless and acting as more of a vessell for the player.
The protagonist of 2007's BioShock was simply known as Jack, and remained voiceless for the entire game bar a brief opening monologue. This is largely the case with Delta, the Big Daddy protagonist of BioShock 2, who's only vocalizations come from reacting to pain or when exerting himself.
Interestingly, the franchise deviated significantly from this more reserved protagonist presence with 2013's BioShock Infinite. The game is considered by many as the thematic opposite to its preceding two titles, taking place in a city in the sky as opposed to the underwater city of Rapture. This extends to its main character, with Infinite's Booker DeWitt being voiced by Troy Baker and having a commanding role throughout the game's narrative. Due to this, the BioShock franchise has a kind of duality of roles that its protagonists take, and BioShock 4 would have to choose between them and live up to these expectations if it is to be successful.
The Potential Role of BioShock 4's Protagonist
While nothing is known of what BioShock 4 will entail, there are two clear schools of thought that the release can pull from in how it handles its protagonist. With the first two entries to the series taking place in the eerie sub-aquatic Rapture, the silence of its protagonists did wonders for maintaining a sense of isolation and hopelessness for the player. This additionally gave much more star-power to the supporting characters of the game, such as BioShock's Atlas, who's comforting dialogue worked brilliantly to execute the game's infamous twist.
BioShock 4 could maintain this if it wants to replicate the darker themes of the first two games, or it could adversely take Infinite's approach of eccentricity in both setting and protagonist. While supporting characters are important to a narrative, players of course resonate with a game's protagonist more than any other figure, and Booker DeWitt is a great example of a memorable player-character that helps maintain the legacy of Infinite.
Regardless of which route BioShock 4 chooses to take with its protagonist, it remains that either choice has already been done fantastically within the franchise. Be it through the aforementioned shock behind the first game's ending or the in-game benefits of Big Daddy combat in BioShock 2, or via the memorable wit of Infinite's Booker, it is clear that BioShock 4 has huge expectations to match with its own protagonist.
BioShock 4 is currently in development.