While another BioShock game is confirmed to be in the works, fans haven't received news on the game in quite some time. Those who love the series may be looking for a game that can fill that void. Luckily, there are plenty of games that are similar to BioShock's mix of storytelling and action-RPG gameplay, with some even being considered spiritual successors.
Finding a game like BioShock certainly is no easy task, especially given how beloved the original is. Not only did critics love the game's atmosphere and story-focused gameplay, but BioShock has even been considered an example of video games as art. As fans eagerly await word on the franchise's future, here are five games they should check out.
System Shock
BioShock fans likely heard of System Shock, mainly due to how BioShock is considered a spiritual successor to this series. It's easy to trace BioShock's origins back to System Shock, particular with the latter's focus on puzzle-solving and how most of the game's plot is conveyed through discs and emails. Both games also share first-person combat mechanics.
System Shock set the standard for future sci-fi FPS games, with titles like Half-Life and Deus-Ex taking inspiration from it in their own ways. The introduction of more complex and immersive simulation-like mechanics was another huge part in setting System Shock apart from other shooters. While the original 1994 release may not have aged particularly well, there is a remake in the works by Night Dive Studios set to release sometime this year.
Dishonored
System Shock's immersive simulation-like mechanics went on to inspire an entire branch of first-person games, most notably Thief. Naturally, Thief's own eventually successor has a lot in common with BioShock. While BioShock firmly grounds itself as a sci-fi shooter, Dishonored strays a bit more towards a stealth-focused RPG set in a dystopian world.
In Dishonored, players are tasked with assassinating specific targets using a wide range of different weapons and powers. These assassinations take place through a series of missions that present players with a small open environment to explore. This provides a ton of freedom for tackling each mission, with the player's actions having a dynamic effect on the environment and characters in future missions.
Deus Ex
Deus Ex is another game that stemmed off from System Shock. For fans of BioShock's style of storytelling and of RPG mechanics, Deus Ex is perfect. Not only does Deus Ex have a similar sci-fi setting, but it also gives players a similar level of freedom. Not only does this freedom come from being able to build the main character in variety of ways but also through choices made during the main story.
Deus Ex gives players goals that they are allowed to complete in any way they see fit. This combines with an incredibly engaging story set in a stylish cyberpunk-like world, immersing players in the actions they take. Much like BioShock, Deus Ex's story has been described by critics as being mature and morally complex, forcing players to stop and consider their actions and the impact they will have.
Half-Life
There's a case to be made that the original Half-Life is just as revolutionary to the FPS genre as BioShock and System Shock, though in a different way. While BioShock tells its story using immersive audio logs and environmental storytelling, Half-Life gave players a wide selection of NPCs that make the fictional Black Mesa research facility feel alive. Though these two games tackle immersion differently, there's still plenty that BioShock fans will love.
Half-Life and BioShock share a similar high-intensity combat style that takes advantage of a range of different weapons. Both games also intersperse these combat segments with environmental puzzles and interactions with other characters. While the original Half-Life is still worth checking out, the recent fan remake called Black Mesa improves on what made the original a classic.
We Happy Few
Ironically, being compared to BioShock may have damaged people's initial perception of We Happy Few, especially since the game's early access release lacked a lot of what caused people to make that comparison. However, now that Compulsion Games has completed the game and released story-focused DLC, We Happy Few is worthy of being called BioShock's spiritual successor.
In some ways, We Happy Few expands on the level of freedom that BioShock introduced by shifting the general gameplay style over to the sandbox survival genre. The game's main narrative of a failing utopia is woven throughout the procedurally-generated sandbox that makes each playthrough feel unique. We Happy Few is certainly not for everyone, but if a survival-focused BioShock sounds compelling, this game is absolutely worth checking out.