The BioShock series is often remembered for its gritty atmosphere, especially while exploring Rapture in the first two games, and exciting FPS gameplay. It also allowed players to customize their loadout by switching between a variety of guns and Plasmids to take down enemies. BioShock was one of the titles that redefined the FPS genre, and many developers use elements from it as inspiration for their video games.
One indie game that was recently compared to BioShock was SinginGiant's Contain, a tactical co-op FPS game that's currently in early access. Players take the role of soldiers from the special task force called the Giants, who are tasked with containing dangerous supernatural entities from space known as anomalies. While Contain doesn't have the same visual aesthetic as BioShock, players might find some familiar features.
How Contain Draws Inspiration from BioShock
Contain stands out from a lot of military-based FPS titles because it doesn't have multiplayer PvP gameplay, and focuses on working with a team to battle and secure anomalies in various Mission Zones. While the developers at SinginGiant did say that it's considering adding a PvP mode in the future, the containment missions will be the highlight.
Based on Contain's initial gameplay videos, the extraction of anomalies can be challenging. Players would have to neutralize the different extraterrestrial beings before containing them, which is a challenge that many BioShock fans know all too well. In Rapture, players have to defeat BioShock's Big Daddies to either rescue Little Sisters or harvest the A.D.A.M from their bodies. Both Contain and BioShock require players to be resourceful with their weapons and ammo, as well as with choosing which loadout is best for specific situations.
A notable feature of Contain is the in-depth customization of the character's armor and weapons. This system allows players to choose their preferred attachments, like night vision goggles and improved scopes, so they can be stronger while fending off supernatural enemies. Being able to assemble guns based on the needs of a mission is quite similar to BioShock's weapon and Plasmid combos, but Contain manages to take it a step further with individual attachments. The in-depth weapon customization is also reminiscent of Escape From Tarkov, which is also a tactical shooter.
Exploring Contain's Chilling Atmosphere and Inspirations
Contain is not just a regular FPS, but it's also a horror game featuring alien antagonists that look like the Typhons from sci-fi shooter Prey. Apart from BioShock, some people have also compared the game to Irrational Games' canceled zombie shooter, Division 9. It was supposed to be a tactical co-op shooter where players would take on various roles and work together to fight a zombie invasion, while also devising plans to create obstacles against their undead foes. They also have to avoid getting infected by zombies in the process. Irrational co-founder and BioShock creator Ken Levine once tweeted that Division 9 was "the best game we never got to make."
With Division 9 never seeing the light of day, some see Contain as a great alternative, but with more detailed scares as SinginGiant is developing the game with Unreal Engine 5. Contain is already out on early access, but many players claimed that there are still multiple bugs that need to be fixed. Meanwhile, there are also some people who see the potential of Contain to be a great game once the issues have been resolved. It will likely take some time before SinginGiant addresses all the glitches before Contain fully releases, but there's still time to bring the experience it promised.