A job posting indicates that BioShock 4 will make some changes. What do we know about the new combat system?
BioShock was one of the best game series that ever saw the light of our monitors. BioShock 1 & 2 took us to the eerie underwater city of Rapture and provided plenty of action and also was quite creepy – it also caused some confusion, at least for me... The latest part of the series, BioShock Infinite, went in the opposite direction and took us above the clouds. Not as creepy anymore, but still plenty of action and even more confusion.
Officially, we don't know anything about BioShock 4 yet, except that it's in development, but of course there have already been some leaks about the setting or a presumed release date. There is also supposed to be a BioShock movie for Netflix. However, the latest info now points to a revamped combat system and an open world...
Open World & New Combat Systems
Publisher 2k Games and studio Cloud Chamber are already working hard on BioShock 4, but they still haven't revealed any official details. The game hasn't even been announced yet. However, a new job posting from the developer now gives new insights. According to the job posting, they are looking for a Lead Combat Designer who can
Manage a team of designers entrusted with implementing combat gameplay content in an immersive sandbox world .
The required combat system should look like this:
Develop an FPS combat paradigm that is accessible, satisfying, and allows for a high degree of player expression and experimentation within a highly reactive world.
Get creative: look beyond direct conflict, accommodate various play-styles and design encounters that can be resolved through player ingenuity.
So what does this tell us about the gameplay of BioShock 4? The previous BioShock games were great, but quite linear. There were always predetermined missions and ways to solve them, even if the combat system has always been good for experimentation.
If we can trust the job description, BioShock 4 is supposed to offer a much more open world. There is talk of a sandbox world, which suggests an open world that we can influence and alter through our actions. The new combat system is supposed to offer players even more opportunities to experiment. We could well imagine that the environment can be manipulated and used to our advantage with weapons and abilities.
Are you already hyped for BioShock 4? I hope that it returns to the first two parts of the series in terms of atmosphere, Infinite wasn't really my cup of tea...