BioShock 4 Is Absolutely Coming-But It Might Just Be Corporate Smoke and Mirrors

Hello everyone. So, in today’s trip down the winding corridors of marketing-speak and corporate placebo injections, we find ourselves staring at Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick’s confident declaration that BioShock 4 is, and I quote, “going to come out.” Yes, truly, my pulse is racing – but as a medical professional, I assure you that’s likely stress-induced tachycardia, not excitement.

For those of you keeping score at home, here’s the plot so far: BioShock Infinite released in 2013, Ken Levine moved on to start a new studio, and the BioShock IP has been sitting in a cryo-chamber like an unlucky patient awaiting defibrillation. Cloud Chamber, the developer entrusted with reviving the series, has “had some ups and downs” – which in corporate PR translation means “the development process makes Star Citizen look like a model of efficiency.” Throw in leadership changes, delays, and vague promises, and you’ve got the narrative arc of every triple-A game stuck in development hell.

Leadership Changes: The “Trust Us, Everything’s Fine” Syndrome

If you needed more confidence – oh wait, you didn’t – the studio head Kelley Gilmore was reportedly ousted. But fear not, because 2K Games assures us BioShock 4 is a “good game.” I’m sure that’s why they’re still making it. Because if you already had a “good game,” obviously the best choice is to press reset and remake it from scratch until shareholders are dizzy.

This is like a surgeon refusing to mention how long you’ll be under anesthesia. Sure, doc, I’m sure you’ll wake me up eventually – whether it’s in two hours or 2035 is beside the point.

Big Shoes and Even Bigger Expectations

Zelnick waxed lyrical about “big shoes to fill” because of Ken Levine’s legacy. Indeed, the BioShock series set the bar dangerously high – so high, in fact, that any misstep will be like watching a 100-hour RPG speedrun get ruined at the final boss. The challenge? Keeping the “BioShock DNA” while making a “massive step forward.” That’s a fine statement, but every developer since Pong has claimed to be doing exactly that. Without gameplay footage or even a screenshot, this is essentially vaporware with a logo.

The Ghost of BioShock Past

The last time we had actual BioShock in our hands Obama was still in the White House, and my GPU had fewer cores than my toaster. Since then, we’ve had rumors, false starts, reports of leadership purges, and a BioShock Netflix movie stuck in its own labyrinth of “in development” purgatory. Francis Lawrence is directing, but let’s be honest – video game adaptation history is about as reliable as an RNG loot drop for a rare mount in World of Warcraft.

The Levine Factor

Meanwhile, Ken Levine himself is working on Judas at Ghost Story Games – another project currently drifting somewhere between “it’s happening” and “we’ll tell you in another decade.” It’s like watching an old party member from your favorite RPG go on their own side quest while your main campaign is stuck in a loading screen.

Final Diagnosis

BioShock 4 is allegedly unkillable according to Zelnick. Problem is, so is the common cold – and that doesn’t mean I want to sit around waiting for it to show up. Until I see a playable build, this is little more than a marketing lifeline designed to keep the brand from flatlining in public perception. Will they pull it off? Possibly. But history tells us that “possibly” is the same stat that governs whether my healer will land that last-second revive before the raid wipes.

Overall impression? Cautiously pessimistic. BioShock deserves a return worthy of its name, but right now it feels more like a ghost haunting financial reports than a living, breathing game. I hope I’m wrong – but I’m not holding my breath that long.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is entirely my opinion.

Source: BioShock 4 Won’t Be Canceled, Promises Take-Two Boss, GameSpot