Gene Bank



The Gene Bank provides instant genetic modifications that empower the player with different abilities. Scattered throughout Rapture, Gene Banks allow the player to alter the equipped Plasmids and Gene Tonics. The Gene Bank cannot be hacked.

BioShock
In BioShock, Gene Banks are used to modify the player's Plasmid and Gene Tonic loadouts. The latter are separated into three types: Physical, Engineering and Combat, and a maximum of six of each type can be equipped at a time. The player can also wield up to six Plasmids simultaneously. However, not all Plasmid and Tonic slots are open from the beginning, with the player starting out with only two Plasmid Slots and two Tonic Slots for each type. Instead, these slots must be purchased at a Gatherer's Garden. As the player hovers over a particular Plasmid or Tonic, a brief description is given as to its effects, as well as a commercial caption advertising the product.

BioShock 2
In BioShock 2, Gene Banks serve the same purpose. However, the interface is different, and the number of available slots changes as well. This time, the player can wield up to eight Plasmids at a time, starting out with three available slots. Gene Tonics are no longer categorized, so one may choose to wield more than six tonics of the same type at a time. The player can equip a maximum of eighteen Gene Tonics, starting out with four available slots.

BioShock 2 Multiplayer
In BioShock 2's multiplayer, the Gene Bank's function changes more drastically than in the singleplayer. First of all, it can only be accessed at the player's apartment. Second, it is also capable of modifying the player's weapon loadout, along with Plasmids and Gene Tonics. Up to three different loadouts can be created at a time, and for each loadout the player can choose two weapons, each with a maximum of one out of two possible upgrades, two Plasmids and three Gene Tonics, also undifferentiated by category.

Trivia

 * Gene Banks were originally called "Plasmi-Quik," but the name was changed to be more descriptive of its function . In the Fort Frolic level of BioShock a poster for "Plasmi-Quik" can be seen inside the display window of the Apothecary. In this poster Plasmi-Quik appears to be a beverage. An unused audio file for a Plasmi-Quik advertisement can also be found in the streams_1_audio.fsb file for BioShock (on the PC/Mac). It also would have cost ADAM to access it back when ADAM was considered currency before cash.
 * When the first play through demo for BioShock came out during E3, Gene Banks did more than alter what tonics and Plasmids one could have. It would also have been able to change the player's body size, how they look, etc.
 * The eleventh BioShock podcast from the Cult of Rapture reveals that the Gene Bank originally would have had a function combined with that of the Gatherer's Garden.