BioShock 4is in development at Cloud Chamber, as confirmed on the studio’s website. With little official news about the upcoming title speculation and rumors have been circulating among fans of the franchise.
There are some details aboutBioShock 4which have been confirmed. Similarly, there are some details which have a stronger grounding in reality than others. Here’s how to separate the fact from the fiction.
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BioShock 4’s Development
BioShock 4is in development at a new studio set up by 2k called Cloud Chamber. The development team will include some developers who worked on previousBioShockgames, but series creatorKen Levinewill not be involved in the project.
So far it has not been confirmed whetherBioShock 4will take place in Rapture, Columbia, or a new setting. Similarly, it has not been confirmed whether or not the new game will take place in the sameBioShockmultiverse that was established inBioShock Infinite, which connected Rapture and Columbia in part of the main game’s plot and its DLC,Burial At Sea.
There have been several rumors regarding the direction ofBioShock 4which have been inferred from job listings described on theCloud Chamberwebsite. A listing for a Lead Environment Modeler described the position as follows: “We want you to set the example, leading efforts to help us breathe life into a new and fantastical world.” This led many to speculate that the next game would take place in a more fantastical setting than previous games, but ultimately this has not been confirmed.
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Gameplay Features
There were also several job postings which led fans to conclude thatBioShock 4could be including more RPG elements. A listing for the position of Systems Designer said that the ideal candidate would have “an innate sense of how game systems connect and enhance one another in an emergent sand-box world.” This could indicate thatBioShock 4’s world will be more of a sand-box than previous games, but again this is not confirmed. The description could simply be the experience the Cloud Chamber team is looking to bring to the table to diversify its conversation.
In a similar vein, there has been speculation thatBioShock 4could have a moreFallout-style dialogue system. It has been rumored that, unlike previous games, players will be presented with multiple dialogue options when dealing with NPCs instead of simply witnessing their character’s response from a first-person perspective as inBioShock Infinite. This is based on a listing for the position of Senior Voice Designer.
This listing described the game as an “ambitious, narratively-driven project full of character and personality” and requested experience designing dialogue systems. Once again, however, this may not actually mean thatBioShock 4will have the kind of branching dialogue system seen in RPGs like those intheFalloutfranchise.
Ultimately, the thing that has been undeniably confirmed aboutBioShock 4is that it is in development. While some inklings of Cloud Chamber’s aims can be inferred from the game’s job listings, these listings can hardly be considered leaks or definitive information about features which will be included in the game. Over eight years since the release ofBioShock Infinite, the franchise could go in any direction.
It seems likely thatBioShock 4will attempt to forge a new path, leavingRapture and Columbiabehind, but this is not confirmed. What is likely, however, is that official information about the game, and its eventual release, remain a long way off.
