For fans of theBioShockgames, the upcomingBioShock 4will certainly be a sight for sore eyes after a long hiatus following2013’sBioShock Infinite.However, while the series may be making a comeback, developer Irrational Games andBioShockcreator Ken Levine won’t be backing it this time around.
Some may view this as a sign of trouble for the upcoming title, but the game still appears to be in some capable hands. Cloud Chamber, the newly-founded studio behindBioShock 4,is staffed with industry veterans, some of whom were pivotal in the development of all threeBioShockgames.
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The Old Guard
Cloud Chamber has severalBioShockseries alumni that are helping to put together the latest installment. Returning to the franchise are Hoagy de la Plante, Scott Sinclair, and Jonathan Pelling, who have each contributed greatly to the series.
Hoagy de la Plante previously worked onBioShock 1and2as Acting Environment Lead and Lead Environment Artist, respectively. ForBioShock 4,he will be serving as Creative Director. InBreaking The Mold,the originalBioShock’sofficial artbook, Ken Levine described de la Plante as instrumental to creating the game’s most complex level — Arcadia. Levine wrote that de la Plante took a convoluted idea that should’ve been deemed “un-makeable” and defied the odds by simply making it.
Sinclair was the Art Director for bothBioShockandInfinite,and will be occupying the same role for the new installment. In the aforementioned artbook, Levine stated Sinclair’s art “[set] the tone” forBioShock, and that “without [him], there is noBioShockstyle.” Looking back at his work on the series, it’s evident why Sinclair received such high praise; the series' art direction is perhaps one of its most striking elements.
Similar to Sinclair, Pelling,BioShock 4’sDesign Director also contributed to bothBioShockandInfinite,working as a designer on the former. For the latter,Pelling served as Creative Director for 2K Australia’s design team, who assisted withInfinite’sdevelopment.
Implications for BioShock 4
Above all else, perhaps the most integral part of aBioShocktitle is its setting. On a technical level, it’s an opportunity to showcase some visual spectacles, and it also means for some stellar environmental storytelling. The warped values of Rapture and Columbia are communicated through architecture and propaganda scattered throughout each game, allowing players to view firsthand the circumstances that led to the downfall of each city.
The returningBioShockstaff seems to have a great deal of expertise in the art and environmental design fields, which bodes well for the new game’s setting. It remains to be seen whetherBioShockreturns to Rapture, Columbia, or sets off for a whole new destination, but if previousBioShockgames are any indicator, it’s going to be a sight to marvel at, regardless of the choice. However, even ifBioShock 4does bring back a familiar location, it could still differ from past entries in one key way.
According to a recent job listing, the nextBioShockmight feature an open world,which would be a first for the series. Previous games featured explorable areas and opportunities to backtrack, but they were mostly just series of levels tied together by loading screens. Granted,BioShockused its linearity to its advantage; players generally moved through the games quickly, allowing for the story to flow at a steady pace.
But an open world might just be what the series needs to evolve further. Sure, it might disrupt the beat-to-beat structure of the plot, but a focus on exploration within an intriguing world could allowBioShock 4to have some of the most interesting environmental storytelling in the series, especially if it can take a few cues from the influentialopen world ofThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.It remains to be seen if this big change will help or hurt the series, but it’s at least a little relieving to know thatBioShock 4is in the careful hands of some of the architects behind the original games.
BioShock 4is currently in development.
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