Prelude

Prelude is the original introduction level to BioShock 2, cut in development and replaced with the Adonis Luxury Resort in the retail version. This level was set on the night of the 1958 New Year's Eve Riots and guided the player through the world of Rapture, introducing him to various gameplay elements such as weapons, Plasmdis, Splicers and security devices. This level also reused the Welcome to Rapture chapter from BioShock.

Story
On the night of the 1958 New Year's Eve in Rapture, Subject Delta, the first Alpha Series Big Daddy to have been successfully pair bonded to a Little Sister, regains his free will at the headquarters of Ryan Industries. Shortly after, he is contacted by Sofia Lamb on radio, promising to help him escape and regain his lost identity as long as he follow her instructions.

Lamb explains to the freed Protector that "his masters" have ordered to put him to test in the field with his Gatherer on a freshly murdered Splicer. She warns him that even though Ryan's people are not aware of their communications, they are still watching and Delta will have to carry out the test first before attempting to escape. She also tells him that the Little Sister he will have to escort is her own daughter, Eleanor, and that she counts on him to lead her to safety.

She asks Delta to take a drill along with his weapons, though the scientists have put on a safety lock for the duration of the test. She then leads the Big Daddy to an elevator down to a maintenance junction, where he can reach the Welcome Pavilion. From here, the Little Sister runs ahead after sniffing out the ADAM-filled corpse they were asked to harvest. After dispatching of a Splicer roaming on the crime scene, they carry out the harvest.

Once their task down, the pair goes through the Kashmir Restaurant where the Masquerade Ball is taking place, while Lamb warns Delta to remain unseen from the civilians on the premises. However, a bomb explodes and Delta is caught in the shock wave. Standing back on his feet, Lamb hurries him to take Eleanor before the arrival of Ryan Security. Knowing of the bombing before it happened, she explains to the Protector that she was counting on the confusion created by rioting Splicers all around the city to help their escape. With his weapons now live, the pair reaches the Welcome Pavilion's Lounge where Lamb asks Delta to splice himself with Telekinesis from the nearby Gatherer's Garden in order to clear a blockade. They then proceed to the Bathysphere Station where they are ambushed by a group of Splicers and confronted to a grenade launcher turret.

With the area secured, Delta and Eleanor enter a Bathysphere. Sofia Lamb thanks him for the rescue of her daughter, but in stead of a reward the submarine is shot down by a torpedo, which sends both Big Daddy and Little Sister to the bottom of the ocean.

Behind the Scenes

 * The laboratories at Ryan Industries were designed by 2K Marin's Senior Level Architect Devin St. Clair and Level Architect Karina Riesgo, and were to reflect Rapture before its fall.
 * The pictures of the reused Welcome to Rapture map come from unused loading screens found in the game's files.
 * Even though this level was cut, part of its plot were reused in the introduction cutscene of BioShock 2, where Delta and Eleanor are wandering near the Adonis Luxury Resort for gathering before being ambushed by Sofia Lamb and a group of Splicers.