Summary
- Judas' open-ended narrative traps BioShock 4's structure between a rock and a hard place.
- BioShock 4's linear storytelling may not satisfy modern gamers' expectations, but trying too hard to give freedom like Judas could have the game feeling less like BioShock.
- BioShock 4 faces a dilemma: maintain its linear structure or adapt to player agency.
Ken Levine's upcoming first-person shooter Judas is already setting the bar high when it comes to video game narratives. Using what Levine has referred to as a "Narrative LEGO" approach, Judas ambitiously allows players to shape each step of the story in the decisions they make, as each choice causes the game's characters to treat them differently. This is a massive leap in a different direction from what fans of Levine's past work — namely BioShock — have become accustomed to, which has been far more linear in design. Unfortunately, this innovation puts BioShock 4's narrative and world structure between a rock and a hard place.
BioShock 4, which has been announced but continues to be neglected as far as formal updates go, is largely expected to look, feel, and function like a classic BioShock game, despite not being developed by Levine himself. However, Judas' success or lack thereof could end up determining a different route for BioShock 4, which could certainly help it but also might only harm it in the long run.
Judas' Innovative Narrative Approach Puts More Pressure on BioShock 4
BioShock 4 Can't Break the Series' Linear Mold Too Much, or It Risks Being a Judas Clone
By and large, the original BioShock trilogy prioritizes linear storytelling above player agency. There are choices that players can make throughout each game — like BioShock's morally ambiguous choice of whether to save or harvest Little Sisters — but they don't impact the stories too drastically in the end. Furthermore, each BioShock game encourages players to backtrack for a bit of walled-in exploration, with BioShock Infinite perhaps encouraging backtracking the most. However, backtracking in these games is simply due to their light Metroidvania elements, which require players to obtain certain abilities before they can access initially closed-off areas that are generally just small rooms with a few collectibles inside.
Up to this point, Judas has been accused of being nothing more than BioShock with a different skin, primarily on account of its dark themes and dystopian setting. To be fair, the comparisons are justified but also expected, considering BioShock's original creator is the one responsible for Judas. Ironically, if Judas' open-ended narrative structure is executed successfully, it could inspire BioShock 4 to approach its narrative similarly, thus opening it up to criticism for being too much like Judas. Additionally, Judas' implied larger world could inspire BioShock 4 to open things up more than what the series has been known for, further subjecting it to imitation criticism.
BioShock 4 Going Back to the Series' Linear Structure May Not Be Enough for Modern Gamers
While the BioShock franchise has been praised in spite of its linear structure, it may not be enough for BioShock 4 to continue this tradition in today's gaming climate. Modern gamers have been known to crave much more in their games than what strictly linear storytelling can provide. Player freedom is at the top of many players' wish lists for modern games, which BioShock's classic linear structure can't accommodate. As such, if BioShock 4 were to go back to the series' linear storytelling and world-building approach, it may not be enough to satiate the appetites of those who are craving more from their experience.
Whether Judas makes good on its promise to allow players an unprecedented amount of freedom in its storytelling remains to be seen. Assuming it does, however, it could simultaneously spoil players enough that they would want a similar experience from BioShock 4, especially since it won't be released until after Judas. The downside is that an approach like this would make BioShock 4 much different from its predecessors, exchanging the series' classic linear style for something more open-ended, and it could drive away its most loyal fans. Either way, BioShock 4 has an important choice to make with its story and world-building to appeal to both longtime fans and gaming's modern audiences.
- Released
- February 26, 2013
- ESRB
- m
- Developer(s)
- Cloud Chamber
- Publisher(s)
- 2K Games
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 3
- Franchise
- BioShock
