Halo and Bioshock are often listed among the most revered franchises in modern gaming. As their legacies grow, each series' subsequent releases are challenged to outdo the last, leading their developers to innovate and alter their classic formulas. When Halo Infinite was released in 2021, it took some big risks, such as transitioning the setting to an open-world model, adding a grappling hook, and making big changes to the Halo Infinite Battle Pass. These changes left fans mostly unimpressed, leading the title to quickly fade from the spotlight. Over the past few years, rumors have been circulating that Bioshock 4 is on the horizon and will also feature an open world. Halo Infinite's loss can be BioShock 4's gain, as it can learn from Infinite's successes and failures.
Rumors surrounding Bioshock 4 have been circulating since at least 2020. While the game has yet to be officially announced, fans have been speculating about the setting and narrative of the title through job listings posted by its developer, Cloud Chamber. Some of Bioshock 4's earliest job listings hinted at an open-world setting, while others confirmed that the first-person camera would return. Though not specifically noted, some fans have speculated that Bioshock 4 could take the series to space. If so, the parallels to Halo Infinite are quite direct, adding to the benefit Infinite's failures can provide.
Halo Infinite's Transition to Open-World Gameplay
Traditionally, Halo has always been a largely linear series. When early gameplay footage of Halo Infinite was first released, fans questioned whether the game would deviate from tradition. While developer 343 Industries initially confirmed that the game would equally juggle linear and open-world sections, the final release was almost completely open-world. While this change to Halo Infinite's gameplay was quite novel initially, its implementation caused the overall experience to suffer, leading to widespread disappointment.
The problem with Halo Infinite's open world was that it detracted from what made prior campaigns memorable. The pacing suffered incredibly because of it. Likewise, Halo's explosive set pieces, a staple of its campaigns, were constricted to very few linear moments, often during events that moved Master Chief from one area to the next. Traveling the open world came with little direction, as players could tackle a variety of objectives and missions, but only a chosen few led to a narrative cutscene or significant exposition. This made the storytelling feel haphazard, while interspersed with long sections of exploring a world that felt largely empty.
Bioshock 4's Open World Can Learn from Halo Infinite
Bioshock 4 can learn many things from Halo Infinite, particularly in implementing its open world. The first is that it should include a similar mechanic to Halo Infinite's grappleshot. Past Bioshock titles have dabbled with similar mechanics, like the Sky-Line system, but they were restricted to certain areas of the environment. Having a traversal tool unavailable at all times can add variety and allow for a more complex map system. In addition, it can complement the title's combat by providing various perks or upgrades specifically for managing groups of enemies.
Bioshock 4's open world can avoid one of Halo's biggest mistakes by actually populating its environment. Master Chief's journey across Zeta Halo felt empty, save for objectives and bases on the map. Bioshock 4 should instead add plenty of things to do and people to interact with, giving its world a "lived-in" feel. However, it should be careful to avoid overpopulation, as is present in the open-world maps of some other developers, such as Ubisoft. Fans will likely get a better idea of Bioshock 4's scope and setting when the game is officially revealed. Until then, they will need to wait patiently for new rumors about this highly anticipated and long-gestating title.
BioShock 4 is currently in development.