BioShock 4 Job Listings Paint An Interesting Picture of the Game
It's been eight years since the launch of BioShock Infinite, and fans of the critically-acclaimed franchise haven't had so much of a glimpse at the next entry in the series. While BioShock 4 hasn't been shown to the public in any capacity just yet, fans do know that developer Cloud Chamber is busy working on the game. And job listings from Cloud Chamber have given fans an idea of what they may be able to expect from the new game.
Job listings in the video game industry can often be the source of information about games prior to official announcements. However, the nature of video game development means that these job listings can become outdated pretty quick. Maybe someone is hired to work on a certain aspect of a game, only for the team to change its mind and refocus its efforts elsewhere. But while there's that caveat to keep in mind, fans may still find the information in these job listings interesting and they could provide some genuine insight into the final product.
With that in mind, here are some interesting details about BioShock 4 that we've learned from various Cloud Chamber job listings over the years.
Every game in the BioShock franchise has been first-person, dating all the way back to the 2007 original. Since BioShock is a spiritual successor to the first-person System Shock games, this really should come as no surprise. In a job listing from February 2020, Cloud Chamber was looking to hire a senior game designer, and the job description specified the use of a first-person camera. While BioShock 4 being first-person may seem like a given considering the other games in the series, there's always the chance for experimentation, though that doesn't seem like it will be happening with the new game.
When it comes to the BioShock games, one of the most important elements of any given game in the series is its setting. BioShock's Rapture is considered by many to be one of the most impressive settings in all of gaming history, and it was welcome back with open arms in BioShock 2. BioShock Infinite decided to go with a completely different setting in Columbia, trading the underwater city of Rapture for a city that floated above the clouds.
Since Rapture and Columbia are both hugely iconic locations, the question has always been whether or not BioShock 4 will be set in one of them again or go with a completely different setting. That question has not been answered definitively, but a job listing discovered in August of 2020 suggests that the game will have a "new and fantastical world." Basically, this translates to BioShock 4 having a new setting. So much can happen during the game development process that it's entirely possible the developers may wind up going back to an established setting for the new BioShock, but otherwise this job listing does seem to indicate that fans can look forward to a brand new setting for the next game.
In December of 2020, Cloud Chamber posted job listings looking to fill three separate positions, presumably to work on BioShock 4. Specifically, Cloud Chamber was looking to hire a senior voice designer, game AI programmer, and lead systems designer. The job descriptions for each of these roles have potentially provided some insight into the direction BioShock 4 is taking, and assuming nothing's changed, it seems as though the new game will have more RPG mechanics than previous entries.
In the case of the senior voice designer, Cloud Chamber was looking for someone who has experience with voiced dialogue systems in games. While this could mean a number of things, on paper, it sounds like BioShock 4 could have dialogue trees like those seen in the Fallout games. It could also be a sign that BioShock 4 will have a voiced protagonist, which isn't exactly the norm for the series. BioShock Infinite had a voiced protagonist, but the first two BioShock games did not.
The lead systems designer position, meanwhile, suggested that BioShock 4 would have an "emergent sandbox world." This would lend credence to the theory that BioShock 4 will have more RPG systems than previous games in the series, as this kind of game design is typically found in RPGs.
While the BioShock games may be first-person shooters, it's worth pointing out that they have always had RPG elements. In fact, one of the main draws of the series is how it blends first-person shooter action with RPG mechanics, and so it's unlikely any fans will get upset at the prospect of BioShock 4 leaning more into the RPG side. It's already an accepted part of the franchise and as long as the developers don't go overboard, it will likely continue to be one of its more beloved characteristics.
The BioShock games have always had wide open environments for players to explore, while still being very linear in nature. For instance, players would reach a new area of Rapture and would be able to explore that section to their hearts' content, but there was always a clear divide between it and the next place, separated by loading screens, story, etc. It looks like that will be changing with BioShock 4 if some job listings are any indication of what fans can expect.
Cloud Chamber job listings point to BioShock 4 being an open world game. Needless to say, this would be quite the departure from how the series has been structured in the past, and so such a dramatic change could prove to be controversial. However, BioShock 4's definition of an open world could always be more in line with what was established in the previous game as opposed to the massive open environments that many think of when they think of open worlds in modern games.
A Cloud Chamber job listing from January of 2020 has suggested that BioShock 4 will have a big focus on story, even if it is open world. That particular job listing was seeking an applicant for the lead world designer position, and their duties included crafting "memorable experiences that complement the game’s main story." So it seems that even if BioShock 4 does have an open world, what players experience in that world would still be geared toward main narrative as opposed to stuffing the world full of side quests and busywork like many open world games tend to do.
A more recent job listing seemingly doubles down on BioShock 4's open world setting. A job listing spotted in April of 2021 flat-out states that Cloud Chamber is looking hire "someone who can weave impactful, character-driven stories in an open world setting." While it's not quite an official announcement, this job listing means it's a safe bet that BioShock 4 will indeed utilize an open world, whenever it releases.
BioShock 4 having an open world seems like a sure thing now, as does its use of Unreal Engine 5. In May of 2021, a job listing was discovered that indicated Cloud Chamber was looking for a senior gameplay programmer who would be working with Unreal Engine 5. Unreal Engine 5 is undoubtedly going to be one of the most popular video game engines to use in this next generation, and so it's not that big of a surprise that BioShock 4 is using it. The first two BioShock games were built with Unreal Engine 2.5, whereas BioShock Infinite was built using Unreal Engine 3, so it makes sense for BioShock 4 to use Unreal Engine 5.
What this does tell us about BioShock 4 is that the game is almost certainly going to be skipping the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in favor of being a next-gen only release for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X. There are some rumors that BioShock 4 will even be a PS5 exclusive, though nothing in any job listings have pointed in that direction.
BioShock 4 is in development.
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