Ideas for the next BioShock Game. [Heavy Spoilers]

So the other topic got me thinking, what would you actually want from a new BioShock?

Levine's own words: There's always a man, a city, and a lighthouse. Some simple guidelines to adhere too, yes?

1: Andrew Ryan, Rapture, Lighthouse with the bathysphere
2: Comstock, Columbia, Lighthouse with the floaty(lol) bathysphere(?)
Surely it wouldn't take much to think up three aspects to create another BioShock game?

As BioShock is quite well renowned for its atmosphere where do we think the next city will be placed?
Rapture: Deep underwater,
Columbia: In the sky.
Both hostile places where 'Utopia' was meant to flourish but each time there has been a dark & menacing underbelly.

So what next? An obvious choice would of course be Space(a'la systemshock), but let's try and think of others.
Perhaps a city near the earth's core?

Also hope it keeps the old-timey vibe to it as well.

I wouldnt want a new bioshock

The space setting would be cool, i would support that.

OK.

Ugh, I hope not. One of the main things that's given the series it's charm is it's retro, dystopian history-but-not-quite kind of vibe. Taking it to space would probably ruin that. Unless they found some way to keep the retro vibe intact, which I kind of doubt.

Back on topic: My best guess would be the next Bioshock City should be Underground probably set in late 19 Century or in the Noire setting again.

How does this have anything to do with SW?

I like the earth core idea more than space. Plenty of space shooters already.

System shock 3 . I want her back. :'(

My ideas for the new Bioshock would be don't have voiceovers that make me cringe, don't flood the shit out of everywhere and don't have incredibly boring repetitive combat.

By my reckoning I have already improved the game beyond all recognition but I still doubt they will give me the gig. Bastards.

And why not? SW needs more variety in the discussion then just Xbox One vs PS4, vs Wii U vs PC.

@mems_1224: @misterpmedia:

All things considered. Without Ken Levine and the core team I would never want to see a new bioshock game. I can see or going down hill soo fast

Didn't the studios that worked on the Bioshock games close after they released Bioshock Infinite?

I'd be more concerned about who they hand the series off to rather than where the next game will be set.

Also, as important as setting was, the underlying themes of their worlds are also just as important, like extreme philosophies. The dystopian setting of Rapture was essentially Ayn Rand's philosophy of Objectivism embodied by Andrew Ryan gone to its extreme (well, it was extreme to begin with). In Bioshock Infinite, there was jingoism, ultranationalism, cracism, oupled with religious extremism. So, maybe setting comes after finding out what kind of ideological extreme to set the game around.

Because if we let these threads that aren't that bad go then idiots like Solidgamebasic and Freedomfreelife will have grounds to make whatever shit pops into their brain dead skulls.

@inb4uall: fair enough.

Maybe there won't be a next Bioshock, i feel they close the series quite well with Infinite.

While i can understand your point i am a sucker for space settings, maybe they could do with some retro space setting, that would be nice or even a moon city.

Retcon Infinite. That's what I would do first with another one.

I've often wondered how Ken Levine's sales pitch for the franchise ended up in Infinite's script.

Seriously though, I know that Elizabeth spouted a lot of handwave-y bullshit because Infinite's writers wrote themselves into a corner...but that was easily the most ham-fisted way of tying two games together that I've ever seen.

It made zero sense, there was absolutely no justification for it, and so the line just translated to: "Hey player of this VIDEOGAME! Each of these lighthouses leads to a different VIDEOGAME in this VIDEOGAME SERIES! Have we completely shattered any sense of immersion yet?!"

@Planeforger:

??

Thats it ?

No new ideas for the gameplay........ just another gimmick location ?

I don't care if they windup in London..... as ling as its good......

they tried that..google dead space

Indeed, the setting in dead space trilogy was great, just not the games, except maybe for ds1.

They should stop at this point.

I thought the end of Infinite made it clear that there are infinite situations involving city, men, and lighthouses. Making another game with those ideas would just be cheapening the franchise.

the first dead space was the last real horror game that scared me.....i dont even know what the next bioshock could even consist of...

I had an idea where it was set in like 2020 or something, but technology made an overwhelming leap about 30 years after raptures demise. Much like infinite the city would be flying, but it's just a single floating mass as oppsed to the multiple flying structures in infinite.

I realize everyone is tired of Rapture, but what I'd like more than anything is to take control of a third party during the Rapture civil war in a story that spans an open world and a period of maybe 5 to 10 years. A branching path narrative with sides to choose and and an in-depth skill tree would be ace.

If we have to talk about a new setting, I don't really see why it would have to be a Bioshock game seeing as Infinite pretty much revealed the implicit secrets of the Bioshock universe, but I'd love to see a game enact similar gameplay and storytelling principles in retro-vibe moon colony being established during the late 70's/early 80's. Give it an Alien: Isolation vibe and a politically charged story revolving around a second space race to establish a colony on the moon and deeper, darker ulterior motive, and I'm in.

Yeah same. Sounds cool.

I would prefer a return to Columbia ala Bioshock Infinite 2. I feel that there are more stories to tell in that setting but more importantly I feel there are a wider breadth of gameplay possibilities.

My idea for a new 'shock' game was actually Psychoshock. The plasmids would be replaced with psionic powers, and I was thinking that you'd have a bit of a sanity system, where you trade off sanity to use your psionics beyond a certain point and this would have affects on how you play beyond just wackiness. Things like delusions that can actually hurt you appearing, illusions of enemies, and stuff like that.

You forgot the part in the story lines where it takes a nose dive into suckage pretty much throwing out the interesting themes the game wore on it's sleeves in the beginning.. Infinite basically became this half way in, turning into some dumbass quantum leap saga with a "plot twist" that could be spotted a mile away.. Its disheartening to see games like these get this kind of praise when it basically followed all the mainstream tropes of the fps genre while games like Deus Ex Human Revolution is basically forgotten.

not 'dudebro' enough of a game for you? on thread, whatever they do, i need a new Bioshock. Enjoyed the f out of Infinite on pc and the other two were even better (Bioshock 2 was as good as the original, ppl saying its bad are stoopid).

I loved Bioshock Infinite. There just isn't a point to another one. Infinite wrapped that universe up. But sure, lets milk the series so we get more shitty games like Bioshock 2, you're right.

@misterpmedia: Moon station?

I'd want a sequel to the first Bioshock. The second one was crap. Infinite was even worse (imo).

Bioshock is like Fallout, if done right there's no 'milking' unless the dev wants to milk the franchise. Infinite came out long ago, its time for a new Bioshock announcement (at least) and maybe a release for 2016 or something. The series is way too interesting to just abandon. I wouldn't mind System shock 3 instead, tho. All i want is Bioshock kind of game with more rpg elements and more exploration.

Id rather see something new from Levine but you go on hoping for more milked sequels.

don't think you'll ever see milking from him. unless he isn't developing the next Bioshock, milking is not something you'll see from Levin.

@sSubZerOo: all of that is false.

System Shock 3 thank you jesus.

@misterpmedia: I was thinking a city set on the moon (possibly named Aristarchus meaning 'moon crater') during the Progressive Era and the Great Depression. I even wrote a backstory for the lead villain and his motives for creating the city and I am looking for people who will read what I have done and take it seriously. Shoot me an email at bioshocklunar@gmail.com if interested.

Long reply post incometh.

I'm absolutely right with you there. Even the creepy , mad sciencey, clown and circus theme, that is one of the recurring themes that runs through bioshock's core needs to be in there. They could however take this into space, but they need to make it look like it could be done or adapted to a period in the 1910 - 1960s or something. I love the low-fi clash with what is supposed to be sci-fi in respect.

A Noire bioshock would be quite nice actually. Maybe some 70s cold war shit. Underground is also a nice bet since it hasn't really been touched upon at all. instead of drowning there would be immediate threats of rock fall that could crush city compartments etc etc.

That almost looks like it could be an awesome plot for a Dead Space game lol

It could well do to be fair but I would like at least someone to try one last time.

2K have gone on record saying that the BioShock franchise will continue in one shape or form so there could be a resurrection at some point maybe this year or next. I mean they're gonna have to get a move on soon lol.

Yah, that's what I meant about the dark underbelly. You make a good point though, although I feel like they only have to find a few extremist views to take advantage of to make it interesting, a lot like the list you made there from each of the BioShocks.

what would be your new ideas for gameplay? I will assume 'co-op' is first on your list ;)

that;s another good point actually, the first BioShock was actually, indirectly, a horror game as well if you think about it. Infinite was more of a typical shooter/adventure.

A sci-fi BioShock game I guess could be cool but it would lose all the charm for me. still would be interesting what the game world would look like and what advance sci-fi plasmids you'd be using.

This would get made never lol. I can already imagine the budget now and publishers sacrificing goats and everything.

The way Levine did unravel the basics to a bioShock game, I admit, does dissolve the mystery about the entire thing, but so does the progress from BioShock 1 > Infinite > Burial at seas DLC. So by then most of it has been spoiled. So that being said I still wouldn't mind another story set somewhere awesome in a similar vein. The 'Smart Shooter' definitely needs to return in some way especially in the ways BioShock 1 showed.

How can people say this? I enjoy BioShock 2 more than Infinite, mainly because it improves all the gameplay naunces in B1. Also maybe the fan service of the protagonist view point being flipped on its ass. Being a big daddy was awesome! The story of course paled in comparison but the gameplay was on point. Not to mention more traversing of Rapture.

Space definitely seems like a popular topic.

Copywrite it and send it to 2K :P

OT: I'm actually finding it incredibly difficult to actually think up more places an impossible, yet some how possible, city could be built passed the earth core and space station/moon base idea. Volcano is too near the earth core idea, although earth core would involve more harsh environments dedicated to intense magnetism on top of the pressure and molten rock hazards.

The trend so far from ideas and cities already present in games is that if the person or people living there breach its boundaries, you die instantly:

Rapture: Insta-drown

Columbia: Fall to death

Moon base/Space station: Asphyxiation

Volcano: Melted

Earth Core base: Crushed/melted

Maybe a city based around a huge nuclear wasteland?: Gross radiation poisoning/mutation

@misterpmedia:

Oh yes definitely...... infact thats all I would add. ;)

Dont want a new Bioshock, make a new IP

@misterpmedia: Bioshock and dead space are both the bastardized version of system shock 2.

@Gamerno6666: This would probably have some form of merit if System Shock wasn't made a millennia ago.

^This. I'd rather have a game that builds on the flaws of the Bioshock series than one that continues it.

I could see space being a very cool setting for a Bioshock game. I could also see under ground mining utopia (Gurren Lagann comes to mind) or even an island forest like setting but that might venture into "Lost" or "Far Cry" territory. Bioshock is one of my favorite game series of all time so I'd be wary of another developer taking it over but im not against it, have to remember Bioshock 2 wasn't developed by Ken Lavine but it was built around what he made.

How about Bioshock 3 where we play as Eleanor, with Big Sister powers? Take her over Elizabeth any day.

Also Tenebaum's story is not finished.

Space

To some people who says that it looks like Dead Space and boring. You wrong, there are many FPS Space shooter games