Though it is confirmed to be in development, new developer Cloud Chamber has remained tight-lipped about the details of BioShock 4. For a franchise susceptible to change, it's easy to theorize about what the next project will entail, and how it will stack up to its predecessors. Setting is the most obvious way that the game can wow audiences, as Rapture and Columbia have forged a reputation of exceptional world-building in the series. However, it's equally important to provide an interesting protagonist to make the city feel tense and impactful, giving the experience more narrative weight.
BioShock 4 has a myriad of expectations, and the lengthy time between releases certainly doesn't help matters. Since 2013's BioShock Infinite, so many fantastic new characters have made the acquaintance of gamers everywhere, from Aloy in Horizon Zero Dawn to Arthur Morgan in Red Dead Redemption 2. It's a packed industry, and BioShock's absence is going from noticeable, to largely forgotten as the years roll by. Expectations among fans are sky-high, though, and the new BioShock 4 protagonist has a difficult task to overcome to achieve the lofty heights of their predecessor as well as the industry standard of main characters, which is only getting better.
Jack and Booker are BioShock's Favorite Sons
BioShock and BioShock Infinite both rely hugely on their protagonists, as their stories are so intrinsically weaved into the fabric of the story. Jack is presented to players in the 2007 Irrational Games masterpiece as an unlucky plane passenger who seeks refuge in an Atlantic lighthouse, but as his relationship with Atlas grows, players learn that he has a bigger role to play in Rapture. He's the pin to Frank Fontaine's grenade, and without Jack the events of BioShock do not happen, making him far more than just the wrong man, in the wrong place, at the wrong time.
Booker DeWitt's ascent to the cloud city of Columbia is far more voluntary, as the promise of a debt free life is too enticing to pass up. He's a tourist in the early 20th century-inspired streets, soaking in the sights and enjoying the tranquility of it all before everything goes awry. "Bring us the girl and wipe away the debt" is a message that hits closer to home for Booker than initially expected and, like Jack in Rapture, Columbia's fate wouldn't be sealed without Booker's elaborate past. BioShock 4 has to provide a compelling, unique personality to carry players through the story, but also make them feel like a natural fit in the BioShock series.
BioShock 4 Releases in a More Competitive Gaming Landscape
Not only does the protagonist of BioShock 4 have a battle to stand out among their predecessors, but they also have to compete with characters in other franchises. Cloud Chamber may be made up of BioShock veterans, but it's still a new studio, and developing the next entry in such a beloved franchise will naturally be met with hesitation among fans, and competition among other developers. There are plenty of characters who have made a home in gaming in recent years who are destined to be remembered for years to come. BioShock 4 will have to uphold the series' legacy of great protagonists while battling the likes of the reemergence of Kratos.
Like The Elder Scrolls 6, BioShock 4 faces the overbearing hurdle of time to overcome, but the near-decade-long wait for a new entry in the franchise can be forgotten if the fourth game is something special. From 2007 to today, the magic of BioShock is in its setting and characters, and Cloud Chamber has to understand this if it is to successfully take the reins of Irrational Games' crowning achievement. The only entity that has more of a struggle than the developer is the protagonist of the upcoming game, who has to find a way to be compelling in a sea of other great personalities.
BioShock 4 is in development.