The highly-anticipatedBioShock 4has reportedly gone through a lot of developmental changes in the five years since it was announced. Rumor has it that the sequel will be set in Antarctica, and will be divided into two locations: Aurora (lower level) and Borealis (surface level). Meanwhile,BioShock 4’s protagonist, and how they fit into the franchise’s overarching story, is still shrouded in mystery.
BioShockredefined narrative games as it utilizes environmental storytelling to paint a picture ofRapture’s downfall and Columbia’s dark underbelly. The franchise is also known for its one-off protagonists, who all exist inBioShock’s multiverse, but they never cross paths. It’s likely thatBioShock 4might go the same direction, but Cloud Chamber could also explore a different approach to stand out from the rest of the franchise.
BioShock 4’s Protagonist Could Have Unexpected Company
What makes eachBioShockgame uniqueis its ability to tell strong stories without heavily depending on previous titles. Protagonists Jack, Delta, and Booker DeWitt held their own as they provided depth to their respective games. WithBioShock 4, developer Cloud Chamber has a lot of freedom to create an original story that deviates from the Rapture and Columbia plotlines. But since it’s been over a decade since the last game,BioShock Infinite, came out,BioShock 4could benefit from callbacks to previous games, which could include the return of the first three protagonists.
It’s rare for theBioShockfranchise to include the same characters in all of its games, most especially the protagonists. Perhaps the only time a protagonist comes back is when Jack appears in Elizabeth’s vision inBioShock Infinite’s Burial At Sea DLC, but it’s only to show how he ended up in Rapture in the first place.
Assuming thatBioShock 4still exists in the same multiverse as the first three games, Cloud Chamber could bring back previous leads to establish some sort of a connection. The developer could easily play around with time travel and dimensional rifts to bring Jack, Delta, and/or Booker (or alternate versions of them) to the Antarctic region, and potentially help out the current protagonist. Other video game franchises such asLike a DragonandMetal Gear Solidhave pulled off featuring old and new generations of protagonists to tell a cohesive story.
BioShock 2
BioShock Infinite
Booker DeWitt
It would be interesting to see howBioShock 4’s protagonistwould interact with the three main characters, and how they could help each other in navigating Aurora and Borealis. Although this would veer away from the successful formula that Ken Levine’s Irrational Games already established, it’s also a great way to stand out from the rest and to fully maximize the franchise’s multiverse angle, especially since it hasn’t been utilized sinceBioShockInfiniteand the Burial At Sea DLC. It would be a waste if the next game ignored the interesting time traveling and dimension-hopping aspects of the franchise.
BioShock 4 Shouldn’t Rely Too Much on the Past
A caveat to bringing back pastBioShockprotagonists for the fourth installment is there’s a risk of not respecting the spirit of the franchise. While it would be smart to use the protagonists and other familiar characters, likeBig Daddies and Little Sisters, for marketing hype,BioShock 4’s capital is still on original storytelling and world-building. As mentioned, the last three games can easily stand on their own, and they do not depend too much on the events of previous games in order to move forward. In fact,BioShock 4has an opportunity to jumpstart a brand-new universe beyond Rapture and Columbia.
With Cloud Chamber now taking the helm from Irrational Games, the studio is free to put its own spin onBioShock. This means creating original characters, worlds, and experiences that don’t heavily hinge on the glory of the past games.BioShock 4definitely has the potential to reignite the franchise if it’s done well.
