While the aforementioned games have since had new installments and remasters in recent years, one game that came out at the time has had a lasting influence on future games despite not getting a well-deserved sequel and that is BioShock.
The retrofuturistic video game series by Ken Levine didn’t just open the doors to all of the discussions about whether or not video games is art, it put gaming in the conversation. More than a decade later, the BioShock franchise remains unparalleled as a visual and narrative experience. To date, the 2K-published series casts a looming shadow over others that dared attempt to replicate its formula like 2017’s Prey. You could argue that its timeless success is the reason why Ken Lavine still hasn’t released his own game after moving on from BioShock. But, while this special once-in-a-life game is unrivaled, it appears that 2K is brazen enough to release a new installment. In fact, the video game publisher went as far as to tease a new BioShock game over the past few days. As 2K celebrates the 15th anniversary of the original BioShock game, its official social media accounts have taken to sharing BioShock-inspired content. The official Twitter account has even changed its profile picture to Andrew Ryan, the BioShock antagonist responsible for one of the most infamous phrases in all of gaming, “Would you kindly?”. The most interesting part is the post, “Would you kindly join us in celebrating BioShock’s 15th anniversary #BioShock15.” Normally, we’d pass this off as nothing more than a simple tweet. However, we can’t just drop the fact that Geoff Keighley replied to it. The interaction between Keighley and the official 2K Games Twitter account suggests that the two are on to something. Some believe that 2K Games will announce something related to BioShock at this week’s Gamescom showcase. Now, before you go tell us that we’re looking too far into a bunch of nothing, keep in mind that the infamous Nvidia leak listed a “BioShock RTX Remaster” and “BioShock 2022”. When you consider that 2K confirmed the next BioShock game in 2019, the game should be far enough into development to be shown off even though earlier rumors suggest that it is stuck in development hell. Besides, the Nvidia leak has been 100% accurate in terms of titles so far. But, if we don’t get a BioShock game announcement at Gamescom this year, maybe we’ll get an update from the Netflix live-action adaptation instead. Either way, it all feels like we’re getting some kind of BioShock update soon, we just don’t know what. Until then, it’s best to play the haunting sci-fi shooter series in honor of its 15th birthday.
