There are plenty of great titles in 2023 and beyond that fans can get excited about. It's possibly the best time to be a gamer, with new properties, remakes, and sequels releasing at a steady pace. One such sequel that has been promised for a while is BioShock 4. It's part of a beloved franchise that was one of the best during the PS3 and Xbox 360 era, but after a PlayStation Vita game was announced and subsequently canceled, the series has been dormant ever since. The new game is being developed by new studio Cloud Chamber, and it has a huge bar to leap over to be relevant in today's gaming landscape, and a mountain to climb to be something special, but recent rumors indicate it's not looking good.
BioShock 4 is reportedly in 'development hell', a state where a project's production is slowed due to unforeseen circumstances. It's not uncommon in the industry, as games like 2011's Duke Nukem Forever and 2016's Final Fantasy 16 struggled prior to release. BioShock 4's issues are a worry for fans of the IP, as there are more competitors than ever and the 2K-owned property will have to overcome some significant obstacles to reclaim its crown as the king of environmental storytelling. However, this does not mean that all is lost, as several projects have made it out and been critically and commercially acclaimed. Cloud Chamber can do this, but it will take a monumental effort.
BioShock's Reported Development Hell Couldn't Have Come at a Worse Time
BioShock may have been known for its immense quality in storytelling, gameplay, presentation, and tone a decade ago, but a lot has changed since then. AAA games are typically taking longer to develop, and because of this, players' expectations are far higher. Knowing that BioShock 4's lengthy development time could be a result of development hell is concerning, as it could be quickly left behind by other studios' offerings. BioShock's influence is evident in games like Prey, so the longer the new game takes to progress, the more it will have to do to compete with those who were inspired by it in the first place.
Perhaps the most obvious title that was announced recently to mimic BioShock's format is Judas, a project developed by Ken Levine's new studio Ghost Story. It is surely its most direct competitor, and if BioShock 4's progress is stunted so much that nothing else is known about it when Judas releases it would be a huge concern for Cloud Chamber.
BioShock Can Remedy Development Issues with Quality
BioShock 4 supposedly running into hurdles during its development isn't surprising, but it also isn't an indicator of failure, nor a bad product. There are plenty of examples of games that have overcome development hell, and looked all the more triumphant because of it. Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Alan Wake, L.A. Noire, Dead Island 2, and Diablo 3 all make it out the other side alive and kicking, and have gone on to be some of the best offerings in their respective genres.
With no promotional material outside the announcement of its existence, it's hard to pinpoint how far along the fourth mainline BioShock game is. This is both a gift and a curse, as intricate details weren't revealed before the studio potentially ran into trouble, meaning that anticipation isn't as high as it could have been.
BioShock 4 may have a challenge ahead to meet the expectations of fans in a somewhat timely manner, but it's a series that's known for exceeding expectations. This means that while development hell is a major inconvenience, especially in the face of Judas and other great AAA games on the horizon, Cloud Chamber could very well bring it back from the edge to still be great.
BioShock 4 is in development.