A new BioShock game has been predicted for 2020, with analyst Michael Pachter suggesting that a sequel to Infinite could be on its way. Outside of DLC, we haven’t seen a mainline entry in the series since 2013, so we’re more than ready for BioShock 4 to land on either current- or next-gen consoles.
While there has always been plenty to love about BioShock, the most interesting element of the series has always been its settings. As such, we asked the GameRevolution editorial team where they would like the next BioShock game to take place. As always, leave your own opinions in the comments section below. Our favorite comment will be featured in tomorrow’s Tell GR.
Paul Tamburro, executive editor: “I still think it’d be interesting to revisit the American invasion depicted in BioShock Infinite. Playing as a regular New Yorker while the floating city of Columbia descends upon your city, destroying everything around you would separate it from the other worlds in the series. Rapture was destroyed before you even got there in the first game, while BioShock Infinite was like walking through a parade of mannequins given how static its NPCs were. Being thrown into a world of utter chaos complete with all the time-bendy aspects of other BioShock games could kick things up a notch.”
Jason Faulkner, senior editor: “I’d like to see a location that explores some of the BioShock world outside of a closed-in locale. BioShock has been so localized in the three previous games and I’d like to see more of what the world is like in that alternate timeline. I’m sure their version of WW1 and WW2 were a lot different and it’d be interesting to see how the rest of the world is if there’s a huge airship armada traveling around the US at the turn of the 20th century.”
Mack Ashworth, lead editor: “Perhaps a setting close to the Earth’s core? I feel like the hellscape could provide some interesting gameplay mechanics, what with the heat, lava, and earthquakes. Perhaps the leader of this supposed utopia could be trying to bring back someone banished to Hell, or maybe cause the Earth to rotate the other way, leading to all kinds of disasters. I mean, you could go as crazy as you like. BioDOOM!”
Bradley Russell, news editor: “Even though Cyberpunk 2077 is just around the corner, I’d love to see a neo-noir, bright neon landscape done in the vein of Bioshock. Think Blade Runner meets Half-Life 2‘s City 17 mixed in with Cowboy Bebop‘s debonair dystopia and you’re halfway there. BioShock has always been, at least in terms of art design, liberal in its use color and space, and I think a cyberpunk utopia gone badly wrong would fit the bill perfectly.”
Michael Leri, features editor: “The next game has to be in space, right? Imagine it. You get called to the spaceship not via mind control like the first one, but because you’re an engineer ready to find out why communications have stopped. And upon arriving, you slowly see that the crew has been mangled by a twisted version of themselves. You’d have to slowly wander around the damned ship and pick up audio diaries to figure out what mangled the personnel on the ship while defending yourself from those same creatures. I think it could work especially since there is a lot of dead space in that genre today.”
Yesterday’s Best Comment
Question: What mobile game sequel would you actually play?
Michael Shulski: “I would give up one of my kidneys if it would result in a new Advance Wars game. They are so much better than Fire Emblem IMO. They are some of the best games ever.”
