BioShock 4 has been confirmed to be in development at a new studio known as Cloud Chamber. Fans of the series have been waiting some time to hear official news on a new game, and with the downsizing of Ken Levine's Irrational Games, it was unknown when fans would get any information. In December 2019, it was announced by 2K that a new game is in the works with a new studio heading it up. Since this announcement, there's been little in the way of further news, and when coupled with some other factors, could mean the title is in for a lengthy development period.
The last entry in the series, BioShock Infinite, was released in 2013, and since then fans have seen the remastered versions of the games released, with no news on a new, main entry game. BioShock 4 is going to be a big release when it does launch, with lofty expectations to live up to. The previous games in the series are beloved by fans, and a new title will undoubtedly be measured up to these. While there is some veteran talent involved with Cloud Chamber, the developer has a long road ahead of them.
BioShock 4's Creative Direction
It's currently unknown what direction the team is taking with the new BioShock game. While a return to Rapture or even Columbia could draw in fans of the previous games, players could see BioShock 4 take a whole new direction. Job listings for Cloud Chamber have suggested that it is set to take place in a whole new environment and have expanded RPG mechanics when compared to the previous games in the franchise. Crafting new worlds is something that could certainly be time-consuming, especially with a franchise like BioShock, where the team has big expectations to live up to. Depending on what mechanics are used, RPG-influenced gameplay could mean a lot more number-crunching involved, and perhaps even factions and character relationship metrics that would need to be worked out.
In addition to the challenge posed by making a BioShock game without the creator, Ken Levine, Cloud Chamber is a brand new developer. It is comprised of some industry veterans, including some who worked on the original BioShock games, and while this is a great advantage for the company. it's still a new developer and this could mean it will take time to figure out its working dynamic. Among the challenges present is the likelihood of remote working due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which understandably would present difficulty to any team-based project. The only real information known about BioShock 4 is that it's likely first-person and will incorporate RPG mechanics and it may be some time before more is revealed.
BioShock 4's Story and Wider Themes
The BioShock series is known for its storytelling, and apart from the important decisions that need to be made around the location of the game and its gameplay, the story is bound to receive a high level of care. So far, the series has provided several iconic narrative twists in gaming and it would make sense for Cloud Chamber to continue the tradition of strong storytelling in the game. The "would you kindly?" and multiverse twists are well-known in the industry, even for those who aren't fans of the series and the new developer might want to follow suit. Crafting compelling characters and narratives unquestionably takes time, especially with a game like this that has high expectations.
Other than the famous BioShock narrative twists, the games have been unafraid to tackle sweeping themes, and the question remains if Cloud Chamber is planning on continuing this tradition. Past games have explored racism, exceptionalism, and Ayn Rand's Objectivism. There might be fan expectations to see the new BioShock game tackle similarly large-looming subjects as the older titles did. If Cloud Chamber is going to tackle important topics through the narrative and characters, this is another reason to expect that BioShock 4 won't be launching any time soon.
It's an exciting time for a lot of BioShock fans to know that a new game is in development. It's a new team crafting what's expected to be a new setting and story, so it's likely to take some time before launching. This is the first game in the series without BioShock creator Ken Levine and among the inherent challenges present with creating a new game without him, Cloud Chamber might want to leave their own unique stamp on the series. Gamers largely aren't sure what to expect with BioShock 4 and it likely won't be released any time soon, but many fans are happy that a new game has been confirmed to be in development.
BioShock 4 is currently in development.