I would totally love something like that. Especially experiencing the "good" Rapture.

I'll bet you $5 it sucks.

personally, this is the only way I could see a bioshock sequel. A prequel to the time when all the hell was happening and rapture started to die off.

Perhaps you play as the little known of 'Johnny' you meet right at the start of the game ;)

Ken Levine's input on the plot would be ideal, but I guess he was a pain to work with. Oh well, hopefully the Marin team continues the awesome work the Boston team put together.

A prequal would be awesome. I'd like to see what the Big Daddy's were before the apocalypse.

It won't suck, it'll just be one of those games that punches you in the face with it's averageness. COD3 comes to mind.

They should come up with a "flash-forward" plasmid, that sends you into the fucked up version of Rapture for a short period. I don't know, I want more useful variations in my next plasmids.

I wouldn't be upset by that. Could make an epic game if done right. Plus it'll be great to have some more Andrew Ryan!

BioShock had a lame ending? I must have not received that memo. I thought the ending was only too appropriate.

*Note, I've only seen the ending where the little sisters are saved.

@Moonshadow101: You know, I've always been looking for something to describe COD3 with. You hit the nail. Damn was that game one boring sucker.

I would love a prequel. Maybe they can make a longer game this time. Whether this is true or not, I can see how they could make an incredible game from the start of, and up until the decline of Rapture.

@thumbuki:

The evil and the moderate ending were very underwhelming. Although I did enjoy the good ending.

This is EXACTLY what I was hoping would happen. I think they need to make it so that you get to choose at some point of the game whether you choose to side with Andrew Ryan or Atlas - maybe make you a worker in the Big Daddy factory, or something. Split the endings to make for better replay value.

It makes a hell of a lot more sense than a sequel, given the way the game progresses.

@thumbuki: I agree with you. For all the bitching about the bad endings, I actually thought the 'good' ending was a great way of tying up the story. The moment with all of their hands on his (which is about as specific as I can get) is really pretty moving.

I liked the "good" ending (didn't see the others). A prequel is the best idea for this game. Seeing Rapture in all its glory would be an incredible experience. Watching as it crumbles and finding out more about why it crumbled could make for one hell of a good story. Topping the original would be extremely difficult (it's my fave. game of 2007), but this prequel idea makes me think that it's entirely possible.

Good ending actually made me get a lump in my throat, I found it very satisfying.

The Darkness had a good ending to it as well. Good to see games that tap into your human side a little.

I think someone could write a really good novel about the rise and fall of Rapture, but I'm not so sure about a game.

Think its a horrible idea, for the simple fact that the game can have NO effect on the original Bioshock. Whatever you do never "carried" over to the original. Plus it will be hard to make a game where everything is "normal", or beginning to decay, it can't have as many plasmids or guns as the first one. What/who will you play as too? I dunno, sounds like a bad idea.

Why not set Bioshock 2 like 40yrs after the game (around the 2000's) and have a bunch of divers discover the remains of the city, only to find out that someone, or something, has rebuilt it to its REAL former glory. Make it some sort of living being or one of those crazy robots or something. But you could have decaying or broken parts of the city that were never fixed. Hell, even expansion areas, or places we couldn't go before.

In that way, we could have nostalgic areas and new stuff. Plus with "modern" technology, might make for some fun.

My two cents.

I really liked the good ending, the bad one was meh and the last boss fight was utterly terrible while the third of the game immediately before it was merely mediocre.

The first two thirds were great however. You know, this is the only way I can think of that they could actually make a decent sequel. Shame its a different studio with different people.

It means we will get a different game with a different plot and a different vision, and things like DMC 2 show were things like those lead.

@dowingba: yea, without the original guy making it, it sure seems chancy.

So, how long before we start hearing the rumors (assuming this is totally real) that its coming to the PS3? Maybe there will be a Bioshock Set for PS3 that includes both in these rumors?

Actually, thats not a bad idea in general, put it at a reasonable price and I'm on it (for PC or 360 in my case).

@Trochan: BigDaddies are normal humans with a changed voicebox, distinct scent and the suit of armor. there was also mental conditioning to make them protect the Little Sisters.

as for a prequel. ugh. as much as i love Bioshock (and as i type this in between playing the game through again) i really dont want prequels or sequels. the game is a brilliant stand alone. i mean how Rapture fell was blatantly obvious: people started splicing, the splicing made them go insane, Fontaine was a smuggler and controlled the Little Sisters, Ryan controlled the industry, corruption vs capitalism was the conflict, when people go insane society crumbles. so we enter Rapture was the decaying city it once was. what would they explain??? You are a person trying to escape Rapture during the riots? oh wait that would be the same basic idea behind the game now. Escape from Rapture can be the only idea behind the game. Unless they were to make you the cop that had to arrest Fontaine and you as some Jackie Chan super cop with plasmids and such. But then that would turn the game into a mystery game where you have to unravel all of Fontaine's shady business dealings to pin him on some bullshit like they finally pinned Al Capone.

Summary: Bioshock was too good and too solid a story to make a prequel or even a sequel without really making things so screwed up and retarded.

I guess I should add that, according to Levine's interviews said mediocre third of the game and terrible boss fight as well as the bad and less bad than bad but pretty bad endings were 2k's brainchild.

And that kind of dampers my hopes as well.

@MushroomBoy1022: Maybe, but games aren't developed by one person. The studio was supposedly formed by employees from Irrational, so they are people who worked on the first game. I won't deny that I'm not nearly as excited for the game as the original, or whatever Ken Levine works on next (if the X-Com rumors are true, even better), but I think it's way too premature to say it's going to suck.

@2th: Agreed 100%. Well said.

Pass.

Damn it, gaming industry, not every game needs sequels or spinoffs or franchises. Just let Bioshock sit by itself as an extremely good game.

It deserves a prequel. There's so much backstory to BioShock, it'd be great to see some of that fleshed out further.

Here is a radical idea...maybe, for once, people should just let a game stand on its own. No sequel. No prequel. Just let Bioshock stand on its own for what it is; a very good original game with an engaging story. I think a second game would only cheapen the first one.

NO!

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!

Bioshock was a great game with an amazing world, but nothing short of a miracle will let the same lightning strike twice. Let the series end with one superb game rather than trying to tack on a unneeded and what'll probably be totally mediocre sequel.

What made Bioshock so good was the sense of mystery that went around Rapture, but that'll be gone now! We know why and how Rapture fell, they'll have to retcon the shit out of it to make it interesting. Any effort that would be needed to make the sequel even half as good as the original would be better served creating a new IP that evokes the same kind of wonder and philosophical questions!

Make it Sim City like building game, let people establish and abuse Rapture. ;)

'Who knows? God willing, we'll all meet again in Bioshock 2: The Search for More Money.'

They should just make another game with the same ideas. It doesnt have to be the same setting. It could be in ancient greece for all i care as long as they maintain the same storytelling, mood and sense of style

I bet if this is true, you play as Atlas trying to wade through the chaos of the fall of Rapture as well as the massacre that happened when Plasmids took over the population's minds. You also try and save as many people as possible, confronting walking monstrosities like the Big Daddies. Yknow, like the walls collapsing and loads of people running around screaming as they're killed off by splicers- you try to find a safe spot from which you can help survivors. If thats what Bioshock: Rapture Reborn (or something) will be, I'd buy it.

@2th: It could be a FPS with a heavy story focus, where you play as the young son of one of the firts immigrants to Rapture and see life through his eyes in a Randian world!. You get to behold the best of the best coming in and slowly stratifying as the relative differences between their skills and abilities and the other "best of the best" create anew a class based, heavily stigmatized society, being able to make choices between "Altruism" and "rational Self Interest" at important junctions in the story!.

Will you take down the smuggling ring of religious items, or will you allow it so those that have fallen through the cracks will take comfort on a higher power with a plan that involves them cleaning toilets and making burgers in an underwater Utopia!.

And then you get the climatic plot twist where you realize that enlightened self interest can only coexist with a society as long as there is a use for other people and that use is sufficient to justify not harvesting the important dwindling resources from them!.

Will you allow Mr Johnson, the meat vendor, someone that was bing in his field before but apparently wasn't good enough to make it in Rapture live another day so that you may get fine cuts of Sea Cow steak, or will you harvest him so that you may be better suited for the splicer onslaught!. The choice is yours!.

GOTY here we go!

@railskins: Space Balls reference FTW

Also, seeing Rapture being constructed would be absolutely amazing.

@Sunjammer: To clarify, it could be like zelda. Same gameplay, new story.

Godfather II is better than I. JUST SAYING.

I wouldn't mind a prequel but they need to add more ARRPEEGEE elements rather than shoot your way through point A to point B. I'm thinking about NPC interaction and Shenmue type exploration / doing nothing quests.

Bioshock's lame ending? Fahey is full of bad opinions today :(

But they are just opinions

The good ending reminds me of the ending to Minority Report

Instead of making Bioshock 2, they should may System Shock 3. Just an idea. No? Nobody? High five?

That sounds pretty good to me, although it would have to be a very different game to Bioshock. It would be pretty hard to make an fps out of the fall of rapture.

I really don't know what to think about this...

@dunetiger: I'm pretty sure that they wanted to do that but they couldn't because of licensing, which if I remember (I'm not very good at that though) is the reason why they instead made Bioshock. Sad, isn't it?

@Jackusaralious: Point and click adventure!

I just mentioned this somwhere when people where talking about a Bioshock sequel.

I commented that a sequel would'nt really make a lot of sense, but the story was ripe for a prequel.

@Scazza: I agree with you a prequel doesn't sound like they would have much interesting meat for gameplay, although perhaps a an arcing story that started as a prequel and then the rest playing out in a future setting, or an entirely different competing (dis)topia perhaps on a mountain or a floating city(um probably not). The art style would have to be carefully handled and very distinctive though, as that's the real charm and difference between this and System Shock.
Speaking of which, any word on System Shock 3 from EA that should be underway, no?

Bioshock Wars RTS game?

The problem is that, the kind of money that goes into developing new titles, new gaming resources, the story, the characters and concepts... it's going to be impossibly hard for them to resist going back to the well again. Unless of course they have another good idea burning a hole in their heads.

Why go through the work again to make another entirely unique setting, characters, idea, gaming concepts to make a game that may not do as well for you as going back to the well that you just recently built? In fact, I'd be surprised if they hadn't developed it with some plan to make another game, be it ideas for a sequel, prequel, or whathaveyou already scribbled out just in case.