It’s been rumored for a long time, but official word has finally been handed down this week - Bioshock 2 is in development, scheduled for release next year. How will 2K Marin make a sequel that can live up to the original?

Problems With a Sequel

When Jack finally escapes Rapture at the end of Bioshock, he presumably leaves behind that wretched place forever. He’s back in the real world now, forced to deal with certain psychological problems, but otherwise alive and well. Bioshock can’t simply follow Jack through a boring life in an everyday metropolis, can it? Unless there’s another Rapture somewhere in the clouds, it seems like Jack has had his adventure and could use a little rest now.

Which leads up to…

A predictable prequel

There is one pretty huge problem for prequels - we already know the ending. It would certainly be incredible to see the thriving Rapture metropolis slowly slide into decay, but the inevitable dystopian ending would be less than satisfying. The original Bioshock is memorable because of the brain-washing twist towards the end, making us view the entire game in a new light. How would such a memorable scene take place when the ending has already been laid out for us?

There is only one answer

Alternate story. Bioshock 2 could stick us into the heads of another character, someone who views the world in different ways than Jack. The timeline obviously couldn’t push us through the original story again, so where would we be? What happens to the Little Sisters when Rapture was destroyed? Who do the Big Daddies protect now? Is it possible they are all still alive, still under the control of ADAM and eager to satiate their hunger in the city?

Could a game where you control the Little Sisters actually work? Sneaking around the dark, trying to find dead bodies to harvest, sprinting away when an angry man with a gun arrives. Is it possible to continue this story from another, smaller angle?

I have no idea what to expect in Bioshock 2, but I cannot wait for it. Try your hand at Bioshock trivia while we dream of what will someday be.

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