It seems that Bioshock 4 is having a bit of troubled times in it’s development with the game reportedly undergoing a full narrative overhaul after getting a failed internal review by 2K Games executives, according to a recent Bloomberg Report. The report reveals that the new Bioshock title, despite being in development for around a decade, was criticized by the executives for it’s narrative and the developers will work to significantly overhaul the story from now on.
The new Bioshock title’s ongoing development troubles have also led to the removal of Cloud Chamber Games’ studio head Kelley Gilmore, along with the shifting of creative director Hogarth de la Plante in a publishing role. According to Bloomberg, the developers were also told that the studio needs to become “more agile and efficient,” which has made some of the employees fear layoffs in the near future.
Publisher 2K Games has also confirmed the report’s statements, and shared: “We are working hard to set BioShock up for the best possible future. Right now, we have a good game, but we are committed to delivering a great one. We are working closely with leadership at the studio to define this path.”
All of these clearly indicate the new Bioshock is going through a lot of struggles in it’s development, mostly perhaps in it’s narrative than in any other areas. The original Bioshock as well as some of it’s sequels, are still regarded as having some of the most memorable and immersive narrative experiences in Videogame history which is why 2K wants to make sure that the new entry in the series stays true to the pedigree of the first Bioshock in terms of storytelling depth and nuance.
However, nothing in the report says anything about the gameplay of Bioshock 4, which is the most important aspect of any game, even with a stellar narrative.
The Bloomberg report has also revealed that a Bioshock Remake was in development but got cancelled earlier this year.
