More than ten years after the release of BioShock Infiniteone of the most striking sagas of video games comes up against an even darker reality than its dystopian universes. BioShock 4officially developing since 2019, has just been fully rewritten. What was to be a revival for the series today resembles a project that is struggling to see the light of day, despite the expectations of millions of players around the world.
Launched in 2007, the franchise BioShock marked a turning point in the way of telling stories in video games. The first installment, located in the submarine city of Routure, mixed retro-futuristic atmosphere and social criticism, all sprinkled with a gameplay more than Immersif. In 2013, BioShock Infinite transported the players to the floating city of Columbia, while retaining the themes dear to the series of unattainable utopia, and the criticism of political power. With more than 43 million copies sold, the license has established itself as one of the flagships of narrative video game. However, no novelty has emerged and fans have been desperately waiting for a suite for more than a decade.
A production that is bogged down
Initially entrusted to studio Cloud Chamber, founded in 2019 by Take-Two, the development of BioShock 4 was to mark a new era. Unfortunately, according to a report published by Bloombergthings get complicated. An internal audit has judged the scenario of the game too weak, pushing the editor 2K Games to demand a complete rewriting.
This reshuffle was accompanied by internal upheavals which do not facilitate the situation. Studio director Kelley Gilmore was thanked, while the plant’s creative director of the plant was demoted to an editorial role. If the vacancies have not yet been filled, concerns are already hanging over possible layoffs.
What to expect from this fourth opus?
Little official information filtered on BioShock 4 If it is not using the Unreal Engine 5 and should offer a new framework, potentially inspired by futuristic or totalitarian companies. The initial ambition was to release the game in 2025, but with the total rewriting in progress, an exit before 2027 now seems unlikely.
In addition, the remake of the first BioShockin parallel development, was discreetly canceled at the start of the year, a sign of a refocusing around this fourth game which makes its own. Despite these difficulties, the license BioShock is no longer limited to video games. A film project produced by Netflix is still under development. This audiovisual adaptation, announced in 2022, could play a central role in maintaining public interest while waiting for the release of the next game. No broadcast date has yet been confirmed.
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