The very firstBioShockgame, released in 2007, received universal acclaim. Its innovative use of setting, philosophical themes, and brutal combat helped to make it one of the most memorable games of its console generation, and it continues to influence titles today. Afterthe release ofBioShock: The Collectionin 2016, the franchise was pretty quiet until the confirmation ofBioShock 4in 2019.
2K Games and Cloud Chamber Studios clearly have an eye on expanding the franchise, as in addition toBioShock 4, there was the reveal that a Netflix film adaption was in the works. While all of this exciting newBioShockcontent was good news for fans, the majority ofBioShock 4’s development has been shrouded in an air of secrecy. It’s been three years since the game was announced, and still, players don’t have a clear idea of what the next entry will entail. However it shapes up, many fans are hoping thatBioShock 4will have more in common with the original game than with the most recent installmentBioShock Infinite.
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The Beauty Of The Original Game
WhileBioShock 2still centered the action in the fan-favoritesubmerged metropolis of RaptureandBioShock Infinitebrought plenty of interesting new elements to the franchise’s formula, it was the firstBioShockthat really stands head and shoulders above the other entries. It’s hard to forget the first time seeing the doomed utopia crumbling away under the ocean waves as the bathysphere descends, and nothing in the subsequent games had quite the same impact. This could be whyBioShock Infinite’s DLCBurial at Seabrought players back to Rapture with a two-part installment that neatly tied up a lot of narrative loose ends that had been in place since the start of the series, and revisiting other elements ofBioShockinBioShock 4makes sense.
All of the games in theBioShockfranchise have been popular with players and have carved their own niche in the video game market, but the originalBioShockbroke the most new ground with its features, gameplay, and setting. It handled its disturbing atmosphere, feeling of constant disquiet, and complicated themes with aplomb, and delivered a challenging and thought-provoking experience that isn’t seen often in video games. Alongside its macabre moments and brutal violence,BioShockwas a mature gamethat wasn’t afraid to push its protagonist or its players and put its plot front and center.
Why The Next Entry Should Emulate It
Although many players would like to see a return to what made the firstBioShockgreat, this shouldn’t be seen asa step backward forBioShock 4. There are still lots of aspects that could be improved upon, and plenty of directions that the next game could take to ensure it’s not just a graphically-improved copy of the original.BioShock Infiniteis a great game, but it didn’t offer as much freedom when it came to Vigors compared to the first game’s Plasmids, and its combat became a little formulaic as the game wore on, butBioShock’s own combat needs some tweaks as well.BioShock’s embrace of horror, its claustrophobic setting, and its thorough environmental storytelling are also all things that should feature inBioShock 4, even if the setting is vastly different.
With no release date, no confirmed title, and no official setting, players have been speculating like crazy aboutBioShock 4ever since it was announced. There are rumors of a space setting and cosmic horror elements, or an arctic location, or even an open world to really shake up the series' gameplay, butlittle is actually known aboutBioShock 4. The developers have confirmed that the next installment will maintain the franchise’s iconic FPS action and have a meaty narrative for players to explore, but other aspects have been left up to fans' imaginations.BioShock 4may be almost as much of a mystery now as when it was first announced, but hopefully its development is in safe hands, and the newest entry will embrace the original elements ofBioShockthat became so critically lauded and beloved.
BioShock 4is currently in development.
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