BioShock 2 Cultural References

Like BioShock before it, BioShock 2 contains many references to real life, video games, or history. Many of these references were placed in the game by a BioShock 2 designer, Steve Gaynor.

Video Game References

 * 451 - The code, "1540" used to open the first locked door in BioShock 2 is a reference that has been used in several games made by previous employees of Looking Glass Studios since the creation of the System Shock game series, the predecessor of the BioShock games. In System Shock the first locked door could be opened with the code 451. In the System Shock 2, there was a door that could be opened with the code 45100. In the game Deus Ex (which was made by Ion Storm, a company with several previous employees of Looking Glass Studios) 0451 was a code to open an armory. In BioShock 0451 opens a locked closet in Twilight Fields Funeral Homes. In Bioshock Infinite 0451 is the code to unlock an elevator. The number itself comes from the title of a book by Ray Bradbury "Fahrenheit 451."


 * Hitman - In Pauper's Drop, the Fontaine Clinic door code is 0047, which happens to be the code name for the protagonist in the video game series, Hitman. Also, the name of the person who recorded the Audio Diary pointing to the code is "Tobias Riefers"-- an alteration of "Tobias Rieper," the name that Agent 47 gives as a pseudonym in the mission "Traditions of the Trade" from the original Hitman game.


 * Pac-Man - Continuing the tradition of Pac-Man references begun in BioShock (see Worley Winery) some of the random names that can be assigned to hacked Security Bots with the Handyman Gene Tonic are "Pinky", "Blinky" and "Clyde"; the ghosts in Pacman.


 * System Shock - The achievement/trophy name "Look at you, Hacker" is a line said by the main antagonist, SHODAN, in PC game System Shock, BioShock's "spiritual predecessor."


 * Unstable Teleport Plasmid - This defective Plasmid found in Fontaine Futuristics is a nod to the Teleport Plasmid which was cut from BioShock due to the many glitches it would have caused.

Name Inspirations

 * Augustus Sinclair - The last name "Sinclair" was inspired by the last name of BioShock's art director at Irrational Games, Scott Sinclair.


 * Gilbert Alexander - Gil Alexander's name was a tribute to Stephen Alexander, an FX artist at Irrational Games who was influential in the making of BioShock.


 * Gaynor Peaches - The brand name on each tin of Canned Fruit is a reference to Steve Gaynor.


 * CJ Greens - The brand name on each tin of Canned Beans is a reference to Christopher (C.J.) Green, a BioShock 2 developer.


 * Handyman - A tonic acquired in the game assigns random names to any Security Bots that the player hacks. The player can control two hacked bots at the same time, creating several name combinations that are references to characters in the game, members of the game development team, or other real life people: "Rachel" & "Steven", "Andrew" &amp; "Ryan", "Tommy" & "Rebecca", "Jordan" & "Thomas."
 * Steve Gaynor's girlfriend - Steve Gaynor, the level designer for Adonis Luxury Resort and Pauper's Drop, makes a reference to his girlfriend Rachel Jacks in the Audio Diary Fitness in Adonis Luxury Resort. In the sauna, there is an Audio Diary by "Rachelle Jacques."  Rachelle has a husband named "Stephen" who sits around listening to radio serials while she swims laps at the Adonis. According to Gaynor, Rachel goes to the gym while he stays home and plays video games. A photo on a wall-mounted shotgun rack in the Fishbowl Diner is a picture of Rachel.
 * Inmates - Several names of inmates in Persephone are taken from members of the BioShock 2 development team (Mattson, Wilson, Thomas).
 * Detective Suspects - Scraps of paper on the wall in Detective Rock Flanagan's office in Pauper's Drop list the names of several BioShock 2 developers. On a scrap labeled "Insane": Collin Fogel, CJ Green, Karina Riesgo, and Brandon Pham. On the scrap labeled "Special": Rinaldo Tjan, Brandon Pham, and Rich Wilson. Viewing the complete texture file reveals the title as "Special Treament" or "Treatment".


 * Dan Tate - The proprietor of Tate Wineries is named for Dean Tate, a level designer of Neptune's Bounty from BioShock and Fontaine Futuristics (Level) from BioShock 2.

Miscellaneous

 * Mugshots - A board of convict portraits in the Security booth in Inner Persephone are actually photos of BioShock 2 developers, including Jordan Thomas, Michael Kamper, Rinaldo Tjan, Rich Wilson, Hogarth de la Plante, Steve Gaynor and Ryan Mattson.


 * Revelations - The graffiti on the plaque directly across from the Vita-Chamber where Subject Delta first awakens in Adonis Luxury Resort reads "Fallen, fallen is Babylon." This is a reference to the Bible passage Revelation 18:2, "Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great! She has become a home for demons and a haunt for every evil spirit, a haunt for every unclean and detestable bird."


 * Schrödinger - A frozen cat in Imago Fine Arts is a reference to Schrödingers cat; a thought experiment by the famous physicist Erwin Schrödinger who postulated theories about quantum entanglement.


 * The Wizard of Oz - BioShock 2 has a few references to the cult MGM 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz:
 * If Delta choses to save the Little Sister in Ryan Amusements, Sinclair will say of him that "our tin man had a heart all along," an allusion to the Tin Woodman, a caring character of the story who seeks an heart without realizing he doesn't need one.
 * Sinclair also comments in an audio diary that Andrew Ryan "reckoned the free market was some kinda holy spirit gonna lead us all over the rainbow," a possible reference to Over the Rainbow, the most popular song from the film, reflecting the main character's dream of finding a place out of all trouble.
 * Concept art for the Triton Cinema as the movie advertised for showing.

Minerva's Den

 * Brent Hudson - This character is named in honor of Kent Hudson, Senior Systems Designer at 2K Marin during development of BioShock 2.


 * Christopher di Remo - Named for Chris Remo, host of the Idle Thumbs podcast, and the Community Manager at Irrational Games.


 * Jack McClendon - The founder of McClendon Robotics is named after Zak McClendon, the Lead Designer of BioShock 2. Jack's radio portrait is also a photo of Zak.


 * Minerva - Minerva, the namesake of the DLC and the first level, is the Greek goddess of wisdom. Her symbol is an owl, which is seen in numerous places throughout the DLC.


 * Named cats - Each level in the Minerva's Den DLC features a single named cat corpse.
 * Minerva's Den - Babbage: Named for Charles Babbage, the man credited with inventing the first mechanical computer.
 * Lovelace - Named after Ada Lovelace, a woman credited with having written the first algorithm intended to be processed by a machine.
 * Turing - Named after Alan Turing, who conceptualized the "Turing Machine."


 * Named slugs - Nine sea slugs found in jars are named after main developers of the DLC, including Steve Gaynor, Karla Zimonja, Devin St. Clair, Jeff Fisher, Scott LaGrasta, Mario DiPesa, Rinaldo Tjan, Will Armstrong, Collin Fogel, Brandon Pham.


 * The Thinker - The name of the Rapture Operational Data Interpreter Network is inspired by the famous statue of the same name, sculpted by Auguste Rodin. The acronym of the computer's name is R.O.D.I.N.- the last name of the sculptor. A version of The Thinker sculpture can be seen in the lobby of Minerva's Den.