After being rumored for several years, the latest entry in the popular BioShock immersive shooter series is now in development at a new studio called Cloud Chamber. Unlike previous BioShock titles, the game will be an open-world shooter, possibly similar to Bethesda's Fallout games. It will also have a strong focus on character and storytelling.
The last game in the series was BioShock Infinite in 2013, which was reviewed positively at the time but had a mixed reaction from fans. There are certainly a number of things BioShock 4 will have to do differently from Infinite to keep gamers happy, but then again, there are also plenty of things the game can learn from it too.
Avoid: The Poor Attempt At An Open-World
The one thing gamers know about BioShock 4 is that it'll be an open-world game, something the series hasn't really attempted up until now. However, BioShock Infinite was originally meant to be an open-world game, something fans can see in its earliest videos, not to mention the larger areas of Columbia and the whole Skylines transportation system.
BioShock Infinite was stripped back from an open-world game into a linear FPS, and it shows. If Bioshock 4 is going to attempt this format, fans need it to be good.
Keep: The Inventive Gun Combat
While the BioShock series has always been known for its excellent mix of first-person gun combat and the magic-like Plasmid powers, it can be argued that it reached its pinnacle in BioShock Infinite. Whereas in Rapture the weapons were meant to be old and decaying, in Columbia the weapons are brand new, powerful, and are greatly satisfying to use.
The Vigors (Infinite's Plasmids) are all entertaining - such as "Murder of Crows" which literally sends crows to murder an enemy - and can always be put to strategic use. Whatever happens with the next game, the combat needs to be just as fun.
Avoid: The Partner
Elizabeth is a big part of BioShock Infinite in both storyline and gameplay. She's fine in terms of the story since her character arc drives most of the twists, but when it comes to her involvement in the action she is a big detriment.
For starters, her unstoppable power to open Tears isn't really used to any significant advantage, and most of the time she's relegated to simply throwing the player useful items. Most importantly, however, BioShock is meant to be a tense, creepy experience, and that's greatly lessened by the inclusion of a partner.
Keep: The Mind-Melting Twists
Even more than being excellent shooters in fascinating locations, the most famous part about BioShock is its crazy twists that completely change how players perceive the game. BioShock has the amazing "would you kindly" twist, and even the underrated BioShock 2 expansion Minerva's Den boasts an ending that puts a fantastic spin on the narrative.
BioShock Infinite features possibly the craziest twists of the entire series, from the Lutece siblings, the true parentage of Elizabeth, all the way to the involvement of Rapture. When fans play BioShock 4 they need to have their brains melted by the plot twists.
Avoid: A Lack Of Choice
One of the coolest things touted in the marketing for the original BioShock was the multiple endings based on the player's choices and actions. Developer Irrational tried to make the decision to harvest Adam from the Little Sisters difficult, as players would have to commit unspeakable actions in order to get the most gameplay benefit.
BioShock Infinite, on the other hand, did away with practically all forms of choice, so while the story is interesting the few things the player decided on ended up not mattering at all. There's nothing wrong with a linear story, but BioShock needs to be more immersive than that.
Keep: The Society That Falls Apart Through Hubris
If there's one thing the BioShock series is truly known for, it's having a deeply ambitious city or society that falls apart through flawed ideals and people being people. Rapture was meant to be a capitalist meritocracy at the bottom of the ocean. Columbia was supposed to be a shining symbol of America as it used to be.
Even BioShock's forerunner System Shock featured a utopian scientific society in space that fell apart thanks to people trying to exploit it. BioShock 4 needs to be all about a fascinating location that fails, spectacularly.
Avoid: The Simplistic Rebellion
Unlike the first game, where players entered Rapture after the disaster that befell the city, BioShock Infinite aimed to allow players to see the downfall of Columbia first-hand. The downtrodden Vox Populi rise up and set the corrupt city aflame, which would be fine if it wasn't so simplistically handled.
In much the same way as Karli Morgenthau and the Flag Smashers in Marvel's The Falcon and the Winter Soldier series, Daisy Fitzroy and the Vox Populi start out idealistic but far too quickly resort to murder. It's also barely explored as Infinite pushes towards its endgame. The first BioShock held more subtlety and depth to its rebellion, even if players didn't experience it, something a sequel needs to take on board.
Keep: The Stylish Design
There's one fact that even people who dislike BioShock can agree on, and that's that the games look wonderful. Both Rapture and Columbia have an incredibly stylish appearance that is either based on art deco or turn-of-the-century opulence. Every building, every item, and even the enemies and weapons are unique and imaginative.
No one who has visited Rapture can forget the funny vending machines or the disturbing hall of heroes in Columbia. BioShock 4 has the unenviable task of having to be one of the stylish, imaginative-looking games around, or it won't be a BioShock game.
Avoid: Enemies Are Just Opponents
By far the most iconic image of the BioShock series is the Big Daddy enemy from the first game, with his metal diving suit, drill arm, and Little Sister in tow. BioShock Infinite has many incredible enemies, such as the Handyman, Motorized Patriot, and Boys of Silence.
The problem with them, compared to the Big Daddies of Rapture, is that they exist entirely to fight you. Big Daddies (and Little Sisters) have their own needs, and won't attack the player until provoked. This helps to humanize them and makes them far more memorable than anything in Infinite.
Keep: The Return To Rapture
At the end of BioShock Infinite, the player learns that Columbia is merely one part of a multiverse of disastrous city experiments that always happens, with one of the biggest being none other than Rapture from the previous BioShock games. This leads into the Burial At Sea expansions, where Elizabeth and Booker infiltrate Rapture at the time of its fall.
While Columbia and whatever new location BioShock 4 will introduce are great, the BioShock franchise is tied to Rapture - so hopefully the new game won't forget that. No matter what happens, Rapture must return.