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 isBioShock 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 isbeing 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 4is 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’sDuke Nukem Foreverand 2016’sFinal Fantasy 16struggled 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.
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BioShock’s Reported Development Hell Couldn’t Have Come at a Worse Time
BioShockmay 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 thatBioShock 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 likePrey, 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 tomimicBioShock’s format isJudas, a project developed by Ken Levine’s new studio Ghost Story. It is surely its most direct competitor, and ifBioShock 4’s progress is stunted so much that nothing else is known about it whenJudasreleases it would be a huge concern for Cloud Chamber.
BioShock Can Remedy Development Issues with Quality
BioShock 4supposedly running into hurdles during its developmentisn’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, andDiablo 3all 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 mainlineBioShockgame 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 4may 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 ofJudasand other great AAA games on the horizon,Cloud Chambercould very well bring it back from the edge to still be great.
