Following a brief period of uncertainty due to publisher 2K Games’ seeming reluctance to talk about the series’ future, work on BioShock 4 is finally moving full steam ahead.
Cloud Chamber, an internal studio established for the purposes of reviving the acclaimed IP, was officially confirmed to be developing a sequel last year, though fans were warned that additional details (including a release date) wouldn’t be coming anytime soon. Sadly, nothing has changed on that front, though new job listings on the developer’s recruitment website do give us some semblance of insight into how the fourth installment will be structured.
Cloud is currently looking for a senior writer to join the existing narrative team and “bring the world of BioShock to life once again.” Duties will include crafting “memorable narrative arcs” as well as dialogue writing, the role description continues, adding: “We’re hoping to find someone who can weave impactful, character-driven stories in an open world setting.”
Assuming that plan stays the same from concept to the final product, players will clearly have more freedom to explore off the beaten track in BioShock 4 than its predecessors, which, while not linear by any stretch of the imagination, kept optional content to a minimum, preferring instead to place greater emphasis on a central plot. And that’s perfectly fine. Crafting a memorable story clearly remains top of the agenda this time around, of course, though it’s looking likely that whatever dystopian world Cloud Chamber’s take on the franchise is set in will offer that and much, much more.
Excited by the prospect of an open world BioShock, or would you rather any future entries stick to Levine and Irrational Games’ blueprint that made the originals so popular? Share your thoughts in the usual place below and as always, watch this space for further updates as the project continues to take shape.