Despite being played from the same perspective,BioShockis far from a typical first-person shooter. A gun at the player’s hip and enemies littered around the level doesn’t mean that the game is in any way similar to the likes ofBattlefield, Call of Duty, orWolfenstein, and Irrational Games' crowning achievement has always wielded a different approach to combat.The gorgeous setting of Rapturelends itself beautifully to narrative depth, which seeps into the gameplay, as plasmids making for much of the strategy required to clear the room.BioShock 4is confirmed to be in development, so all eyes will be on how it will change that formula.
BioShockis clearly in a state of change, as there has been no new offerings sinceBurial at Seain late 2013. With new developer Cloud Chamber taking on the huge task of following up what is one of gaming’s best trilogies, it has to separate itself from what has come before. The influence ofBioShockis clearly felt in games likePreyandWe Happy Few, but all these years later the success of the series may be a source of its downfall. To escape the huge shadow of its predecessors,BioShock 4needs to push the boat out and try something new with its combat.
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Bioshock Infinite’s Boring Battles
Despite Vigors and Salt replacing Plasmids and Eve,BioShock Infinitecouldn’t replicate what made the original so beloved. The story is great and its conclusion is iconic, but there was something missing in the eyes of some fans. The dense, unsettling walls of Rapture are replaced with the euphoric,dream-like setting of Columbia, which turns out to be far from what initially meets the eye. The tone lacked any sense of horror, and with the levels being more open and less claustrophobic than before, the fights feel far less desperate than they are in the city under the sea.
In truth,BioShock Infiniteisolated a lot of existing fans because the enemy encounters felt very simplistic.Vigors are largely useless, and ensuring that the equipped gun has enough ammo is the primary concern for players. It removed so much of the charm of the series, and as the anticipation aroundBioShock 4continues to build, it’s clear that it will have to reach further back in the series for combat inspiration. In fact, placing less emphasis on combat entirely would only help make it stand out in 2022, with only a handful of first person games presenting a combat system that isn’t gun-centric.
Never Understate What the Plasmid Did
It’s learned when players initially reach a Gatherer’s Garden inBioShockthat Plasmids are not only intrinsically woven into the story, but offer truly innovative gameplay that emphasizes the importance of environmental awareness and fast-paced strategy. Releasing atorrent of angry bees on an unsuspecting spliceror using Incinerate to set a nearby oil spill ablaze is essential to surviving the harrowing journey through Rapture. The obsessive nature of the city’s inhabitants made Plasmids more of a survival tool than a weapon to inflict damage.
BioShock 4should understand this. Leaning into a combat component that’s both mechanically and narratively experimental by nature was one of the best things about the original, and gives the franchise the opportunity to further submerge itself in the unique. Jack is never the aggressor and so very rarely has control over a situation, so Plasmids do well to even the playing field. Compare this to Booker inBioShock Infinitewho always feels like he’s comfortable with a firearm, and the experience feels far less tense.Prey, Ghostwire: Tokyo,and evenDishonoredhave taken the mantle fromBioShock, and if the latter wants to have the same impact as it did in 2007, it will surely have to be even more weird.
Despite never reaching the highs of its first entry,BioShockis facing a huge issuewith its fourth release. Expectations have skyrocketed in nine years, and it would be all to easy to buckle under the weight of the series' previous successes. A change in setting is a likely course of action, but replicating the combat ofBioShock Infinitewon’t be enough to save it. In the pursuit of avoiding common first-person shooter traps,BioShock 4should go the opposite direction and, like the crazy inhabitants of Rapture, do something truly experimental.
