Vigor



Vigors are the primary abilities that Booker acquires in BioShock Infinite. Similar to Plasmids, they grant the user access to extraordinary abilities, and are powered by a single resource: Salts. As with Plasmids, Vigors do cause notable side effects, visible on the user's arm. Every Vigor has an alternate use. There are a total of eight Vigors, each of which can be upgraded over the course of the game.

Bucking Bronco
Blasts enemies and objects in front of Booker, levitating them in the air for a period of time, and allowing Booker to damage them without resistance. This is the first Vigor Booker DeWitt acquires in the Hall of Heroes. When Booker equips this vigor his hands become stone like and crack apart.

Devil's Kiss
This Vigor is sold by Fink Manufacturing as a pyrokinetic ability, similar to the Incinerate! Plasmid. It works mainly as a thrown incendiary explosive, and can be upgraded to send out smaller fire clusters around its target radius. Additionally, its secondary function allows it to be laid as a stationary trap, igniting the first enemy that comes into contact with it. When Booker equips this vigor his hands suffer major burns and melt this skin off his finger tips. You first acquire this vigor after having killed a Fireman shortly after having evaded the raffle.

Possession
Grants Booker an irresistible charm, allowing machines of all kinds (including Motorized Patriots) to do his bidding. The Vigor can be further upgraded to work on organic enemies. Possessed victims will commit suicide at the end of the Vigor's effects. When Booker equips this vigor his hands are infused with a green mist. A dedicated Gear upgrade available by purchasing the Ultimate Songbird Edition causes enemies to explode in a fireball upon dying while possessed. The player acquires it before searching for a way to Monument Island.

Murder of Crows
This Vigor sends a large group (or "murder," hence its name) of crows to attack enemies, distracting and damaging them. It can be found on a Crow, a sinister coffin-bearing enemy clad in black clothing. Its secondary function allows it to be deployed as a fixed trap, swarming the first enemy it touches with crows. The latter can also react with other Vigors: for example, sending a murder of crows through fire will ignite the birds, increasing the damage they deal. When Booker equips this vigor a crow lands on his arm.

Shock Jockey
Allows Booker DeWitt to temporarily stun enemies, preventing them from moving or attacking. When Booker equips this vigor his hands becomes covered in electrifed crystals. The player must find it in the Hall of Heroes in order to progress. This vigor also gives the player access to certain locked doors by shocking the generators nearby.

Charge
Allows Booker to charge into a targeted enemy, dealing a high amount of melee damage.

Undertow
Allows Booker to manipulate a tendril of water. Its primary use lets Booker push enemies back if they get too close. Additionally, it can be used to pull faraway enemies towards Booker. When Booker equips this vigor his hands take on the characteristics of an octopus.

Return to Sender
This vigor is a defensive talent focusing chiefly on reflecting or collecting incoming hostile projectiles.When booker equips this item his hands become black and boney.

Behind The Scenes

 * These abilities are ingested, unlike their Plasmid counterparts, which are injected. They also don't appear to have any adverse side-effects from usage of them (e.g. ADAM based deformity and insanity)
 * It was only up until the 2012 Beast of America trailer that showed heavily physical side effects to the player's flesh while using Vigors during gameplay, which the previous trailers and gameplay demos only had a normal arm with minimal Vigor effects.
 * In one of the Voxophone recordings, Jeremiah Fink mentions a brilliant biologist he's observing through a tear. This could be a nod to Dr. Brigid Tenenbaum, which in turn would imply that Fink may have drawn inspiration from Tenenbaum's work on Plasmids, or possibly used it as a basis to create Vigors.
 * Vigors may draw on tears or a similar phenomenon in order to work, as they seem to be based less on science and genetics than Plasmids were. This could be evidenced by the somewhat unnatural side effects such as Booker's hand cracking and dissolving to the bone with extended use only to rapidly regenerate afterwards.