Technically speaking, it’s not strictly accurate to callJudasandBioShock 4competitors.Judasdeveloper Ghost Story Games is a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive, whileBioShock 4developerCloud Chamber is a division of 2K, another Take-Two company. Still, these games are very similar, so it’s only natural that some people will want to compare the two. Thus, even ifJudasandBioShock 4aren’t technically rivals, it’s hard to talk about one without at least thinking about the other.
Fans have not seen that much of either game, thoughJudasseems the closest to becoming a reality. It’s the only one to get an official reveal trailer, andJudaseven has a release windowpointing to a launch in the relatively near future. However,Judasprobably isn’t releasing imminently, soBioShock 4still has a chance to beat its sibling out the door.
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Judas and BioShock 4’s Parallel Development
Ghost Story Games is the rebranding ofBioShockandBioShock Infinitedeveloper Irrational Games and helmed by series creator Ken Levine. He also seems to have a thing for retrofuturism, as it’s a significant element of both settings. There will still be some important differences, of course.Judasarguably goes in the opposite direction, taking place in a retro-styled future rather than a technologically advanced past.Judas' gameplay reportedly also takes inspiration from the Nemesis system from Monolith Productions and WB Interactive’sMiddle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor.
That said,Judasfeels like a successor toBioShock’s legacy. Based onJudas' 2022 reveal trailer, Ken Levine’s new game seems to capture theBioShockfeel. This comes across in the snippets of gameplay fromJudas' 2022 Game Awards trailer, with Levine’s new game even appearing to have its version ofBioShock’s Plasmids. The posters and billboards decoratingJudas' environments also wouldn’t be that out of place in aBioShockgame.
Meanwhile, Cloud Chamber has yet to show anything fromBioShock 4. Helmed by former Firaxis employee Kelley Gilmore, the studio still has severalBioShockveterans on staff. These includeBioShock 4’s art director Scott Sinclair, design director Jonathan Pelling, and creative director Hogarth de la Plante. Apart from that, however, most of what fans know about the game comes from unconfirmed leaks and rumors.BioShock 4may feature an open world, take place in Antarctica, feature two cities (one called Borealis), and launch under the nameBioShock: Isolation. However, the developer has not confirmed any of this.
BioShock 4 Might Still Release Before Judas
Given this lack of information, it stands to reason thatJudasis much further along thanBioShock 4. This is supported by the fact Judas already has a release window, with Take-Two expectingJudasto launch no later than March 2025. Meanwhile,BioShock 4lacks a defined release window. However, that doesn’t meanBioShock 4can’t still release first.
Judassaw a bit of bad press early last year due to its development troubles. The game was reportedly supposed to launch in 2017 and only got its first trailer late last year, with Bloomberg News attributing the delays and employee burnout to Ken Levine’s management style. The fact thatJudasis behind schedule does not necessarily mean it will miss its 2025 release window, but it would not be too surprising if that were the case. Even if Levine’s management style improves,Judas’Nemesis-like system alone will add a lot of behind-the-scenes complexity where many things could go wrong.
Besides, a lot can happen between now and Q1 2025, regardless of whetherJudashits its release window. It’s also possible thatBioShock 4is simply a lot further along than it appears. For all anyone knows,Cloud Chamber might roll out aBioShock: Isolationtrailerany day now. The point is that while release dates aren’t a race,Judaswouldn’t necessarily win if it was.
