BioShock 2

BioShock 2
Developer(s)	2K Marin, Digital Extremes, Arkane Studios, 2K China, Feral Interactive (Mac OS X) Blind Squirrel Games (remastered)
Publisher	2K Games, Feral Interactive (Mac OS X)
US Date Released	Feb 9, 2010 (PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, OS X) September 13, 2016 (Xbox One, PlayStation 4) May 29, 2020 (Nintendo Switch) July 17, 2020 (Wii U)
EU Date Released	Feb 9, 2010 (PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, OS X) September 15, 2016 (Xbox One, PlayStation 4) May 29, 2020 (Nintendo Switch) July 17, 2020 (Wii U)
Genre:	First-person shooter
Game modes:	Single-player Campaign, Multiplayer
Platform(s):	PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, OS X, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch
Media:	Direct Download, DVD, Blu-Ray
Patches:	Patch List
System Requirements:	BioShock 2 Technical Information
Website	BioShock 2 Official Website

For the multiplayer component of the game, see BioShock 2 Multiplayer.

“For every choice, there is an echo. With each act, we change the world. One man chose a city, free of law and God, but others chose corruption and so the city fell. If the world were reborn in your image, would it be paradise or perdition?”

― Sofia Lamb

BioShock 2 is the second game of the BioShock series and the sequel to BioShock, and continues the grand storyline of the underwater metropolis, Rapture. It was released on February 9, 2010. The Mac OS X version of the game was published by Feral Interactive and released on March 29, 2012.

BioShock 2 capitalizes and improves upon the high-quality effects, unique gameplay elements, and immersive atmosphere that defined the first game. 2K Marin was the development team for BioShock 2, continuing the work of Irrational Games, which developed the first game. Initially, a spokesperson for 2K Games stated that the "Sea of Dreams" subtitle had been dropped. 2K later stated that the subtitle was the title of the first teaser trailer, and not a subtitle for the game.

Plot

Overview

Set eight years after the events of the first game, BioShock 2 follows Subject Delta, a prototype Big Daddy sent on a quest to reunite with the Little Sister he was previously bonded to, Eleanor, across a changed and even more dangerous Rapture.

The game explores more brutal gameplay than its predecessor, with new enemies, weapons, Plasmids, and Gene Tonics. It also offers a much more different vision of Rapture, ruled by ideals completely opposed to the vision of the city's founder Andrew Ryan.

Storyline

Main article: Rapture Storyline

In 1968, roughly eight years after the events in BioShock, Rapture is now under the control of ex-missionary and psychiatrist Sofia Lamb, whose ideas for human progression are a sharp contrast to the city's deceased founder, Andrew Ryan. While Ryan believed in the genius of the individual, Lamb believes in collective effort and the power of the community, as well as a philosophy surrounding butterfly imagery, indicating rebirth. She considers Rapture's failure to be undeniable proof that the "self" is the root of all evil and suffering. Under Sofia's rule, the first generation of Little Sisters have matured into adolescence. The Big Sisters, as they are now known, are highly aggressive and have the ability to use Plasmids absorbed from gathering as a child. Sofia sends Big Sisters out to coastlines across the Atlantic, kidnapping little girls and turning them into new Little Sisters.

Delta and Eleanor in search of ADAM.

At a New Year's Eve celebration in 1958, Subject Delta - the first Big Daddy to be successfully pair-bonded to a Little Sister - is starting his usual rounds with his Little Sister when she races ahead and is attacked by a group of Splicers. Naturally, Delta defends his gatherer but is stopped when the last Splicer hits him with a Hypnotize Plasmid. Sofia Lamb appears and informs him that his Little Sister is actually her daughter Eleanor Lamb, before forcing him to take a Pistol to his own head and pull the trigger. Ten years later, Delta is revived at a Vita-Chamber and begins to receive telepathic messages from Eleanor pleading for help. Delta encounters Dr. Brigid Tenenbaum, who tells him that in order to save Eleanor and stop Lamb, he must travel across the ruins of Rapture to Fontaine Futuristics, where Eleanor is held. If he does not, his bond will stop his heartbeat if he strays too far from his Little Sister, preventing him from escaping Rapture and eventually killing him. On his journey, Delta is aided by Tenenbaum's new ally Augustus Sinclair, a businessman and confidence trickster. Delta also receives aid from Eleanor, who uses her psychic connection to the new Little Sisters to leave care packages and messages for him throughout Rapture.

Through the audio logs scattered across Rapture, Delta discovers that, against Andrew Ryan's better judgement, Lamb was originally brought to Rapture to help those who were struggling to cope with underwater life. However, Lamb used the therapy sessions as a means to brainwash her patients into joining a cult she called The Rapture Family. Soon, Lamb was confronting and defeating Ryan in public debates. In response to this new threat, Ryan asked Sinclair to deal with her. Sinclair used reporter Stanley Poole as a mole within the Family to compromise Lamb, who was then arrested and sent to Rapture's prison Persephone, leaving her daughter Eleanor in the care of her trusted lieutenant and singer Grace Holloway. When Eleanor confronted Stanley about how he had bankrupted Lamb's property in her absence, Stanley panicked and sold her to one of Frank Fontaine's orphanages, which led to her transformation into a Little Sister. Delta then discovers that Lamb plans to use ADAM to transform her daughter into a superhuman being with all the knowledge of Rapture's intellectual elite. Lamb will then use the same conditioning methods used on Jack to destroy Eleanor's sense of self, brainwashing her into acting only for her goals. Sinclair's agenda also becomes clear: he plans to take control of Rapture from Lamb, cannibalize its technology and sell it to the surface world.

A Rosie Big Daddy fights a Brute Splicer.

Delta's journey is halted first by a block of ice blocking the exit door to the train station at Ryan Amusements. He enters the park to find the Incinerate! Plasmid to melt the ice. Lamb, however, is not eager to see Delta and locks down the railway in an attempt to stop him getting to Eleanor. This forces him to stop in Pauper's Drop to get the override key from Grace Holloway, who holds a deep grudge against Subject Delta. When Delta finally meets her face to face, she reveals to him that he broke Grace's jaw many years ago when she attempted to approach a transformed Eleanor, ending her career as a singer. Delta is then given the choice of either killing or sparing Grace. With the key in his possession Delta departs Pauper's Drop.

Delta's efforts are once again hindered by another one of Lamb's lieutenants, Father Simon Wales, a blindly zealous Splicer who believes that Eleanor is the key to paradise. Wales fires a torpedo at Delta's train car which badly damages it and hurls Delta from his craft. To get to another functional train car in Dionysus Park, Delta must go to Siren Alley where Wales has set up a temple for the Rapture Family. After killing Simon, Delta starts draining Dionysus Park, but then Lamb overloads the pumps, flooding Siren Alley. Delta enters Dionysus Park and finds the train cars are locked down, courtesy of Stanley Poole, who promises to open the trains up again if Delta empties Dionysus Park of its Little Sisters. As Delta takes care of them, Poole reveals he wrote an article about Delta. Delta was once an ordinary man, nicknamed "Johnny Topside". He found Rapture while on a diving expedition and became something of a celebrity within Rapture's walls. Andrew Ryan, however, was convinced that Johnny was a spy sent by the CIA or the KGB (much like he would when he encountered Jack, the protagonist from the original BioShock). Eventually, Ryan had him made into a Big Daddy, codenamed Subject Delta. After completing his mission, Delta is about to leave when Lamb informs him that Stanley turned him in to Ryan and is responsible for his transformation into a Big Daddy. He is then given the choice of either killing or sparing the man.

After finally making it to Fontaine Futuristics, Delta is once again halted by a man named Gilbert Alexander, who is now deeply insane due to absorbing a massive amount of ADAM. Following taped recordings left by Gil's sane self, Delta finds his way to a hidden Plasmid lab where a horribly mutated Gil awaits. Delta retrieves a gene sample and uses it to get to Persephone where Eleanor is held, but before leaving Delta is once again given the choice of ending or sparing Gil's life. Delta enters Persephone and finds Eleanor, locked within a quarantine chamber with Sofia. Before Delta can enter the chamber Sofia smothers the sleeping Eleanor with a pillow. This stops her heart long enough for Delta's body to shut down, and he is knocked unconscious.

An "angel" as seen by a Little Sister.

Delta is captured by Lamb and his pair-bond with Eleanor is severed, weakening his heart in the process. However, Eleanor sends a special Plasmid to Delta that allows him to take control of a Little Sister. She reveals that she has been closely observing his actions not only through the pair-bond but through her psychic connection to the new Little Sisters, and depending on Delta's actions throughout Rapture she is either a spirited, rebellious young woman determined to win her freedom or a ruthless cynic who only thinks of her own welfare and survival.

Following Eleanor's instructions, Delta brings her parts of a Big Sister armor, allowing her to free Delta and fight by his side. They resolve to make their escape from Rapture using Sinclair's escape pod. Lamb, upon seeing her daughter defy her, plans to set off bombs that will send them plummeting to the bottom of the sea. During their escape, Delta is forced to kill Sinclair, who had been captured by Lamb and transformed into a Big Daddy. Eleanor and Delta make it to the escape pod, but a final trap set by Lamb mortally wounds Delta. Inside the flooded escape pod with her mother, Eleanor makes the choice to either kill or save Lamb. Depending on the choices made by the player throughout the game, the player will receive different endings. In the good ending, Eleanor will use her Big Sister needle to absorb Delta's ADAM and conscience so that they can be together forever, with Delta guiding Eleanor's actions and drives. In the bad ending, she will brutally harvest Delta's essence and ADAM, heralding the birth of a monster. However, if Delta demonstrated some form of compassion throughout his journey then Delta will have the option to stop and sacrifice his life to give Eleanor a chance at redemption.

Main Characters

Main article: BioShock 2 Characters

• Augustus Sinclair
• Eleanor Lamb
• Sofia Lamb
• Subject Delta

Locations

Main article: BioShock 2 Locations

• Adonis Luxury Resort
• Atlantic Express
• Ryan Amusements
• Pauper's Drop
• Siren Alley
• Dionysus Park
• Fontaine Futuristics
• Outer Persephone
• Inner Persephone

Gameplay

Overview

Delta explores the ocean floor.

The player takes on the role of Subject Delta, an Alpha Series Big Daddy. Subject Delta's suit allows him to survive the pressure of the ocean, enabling him to walk outside of Rapture to progress, explore, take a breather from the action within, and even harvest ADAM-yielding Sea Slugs on the ocean floor. A flashlight is built into Delta's suit, and this handy tool turns on and off automatically as needed, allowing the player to investigate even the darkest hallway or corner with ease. When Delta is injured a great deal, his hearing will become muffled, his vision will become dark and blurred and his actions will slow down, to the point where he will die. First Aid Kits and other means can be used to return Delta to full Health before he dies. If Delta should die, he will be respawned in a Vita-Chamber. As the game progresses the player can equip Delta with various Weapons, Plasmids, and Gene Tonics. Delta can also perform a melee bash with any weapon, dealing quick damage.

Like the first game, the player will have to kill the Big Daddy to get the ADAM from the Little Sister. However, the "rescue" option is not immediately available. Instead, the player can either opt to "harvest" or "adopt" the Little Sister. If the player chooses to adopt, the Little Sister will ride on Delta's shoulder until she finds a body to extract ADAM from. When Delta lets her down, she will begin to harvest from the body, causing Splicers to swarm and attack. Though she cannot be killed, Splicers will interrupt the ADAM progress bar by attacking her, meaning the player will be under constant attack until the progress bar fills up. After the gathering mission is complete, Delta will receive some ADAM and she will get back on Delta's shoulders. When the player comes to a Little Sister Vent, they will again be given the choice to harvest or rescue the Little Sister.

Hacking has been changed to a simpler, more fluid process than it was in the first game, and no longer pauses the game. In singleplayer, the player has to land a moving needle in a green or blue section of a bar, while avoiding any enemies present. A successful hack after landing into one or more blue zones will grant a bonus to the player, depending on the machine. Players have the choice to either hack from up close or from a distance with the Hack Tool.

Unlike in BioShock, which allowed the player to return to previous levels via Bathysphere, Once the player leaves each level in BioShock 2, they can never return there and must keep moving forward.

Enemies

Main article: BioShock 2 Enemies

• Big Daddies
  • Bouncer
  • Rosie
  • Rumbler
  • Alpha Series
• Big Sisters
• Little Sisters
• Security Devices
  • Security Camera
  • Security Bot
  • Turret
  • Mini-Turret
• Splicers
  • Thuggish Splicer
  • Leadhead Splicer
  • Brute Splicer
  • Spider Splicer
  • Houdini Splicer

Weapons

Main article: BioShock 2 Weapons

Each of these new weapons (except the Drill and Research Camera) features three types of ammunitions, common, uncommon and rare. With the exception of the Research Camera and Hack Tool, they can all be upgraded three times at a Power to the People station, with the last upgrade becoming available if all previous ones from the same weapon have been equipped.

• Drill
• Hack Tool
• Launcher
• Machine Gun
• Research Camera
• Rivet Gun
• Shotgun
• Spear Gun

Plasmids

Main article: BioShock 2 Plasmids

Several of the powers from BioShock return in improved versions, with new upgrades unlocking special abilities.

• Cyclone Trap
• Decoy
• Electro Bolt
• Hypnotize
• Incinerate!
• Insect Swarm
• Security Command
• Scout
• Summon Eleanor
• Telekinesis
• Winter Blast

Gene Tonics

Main article: BioShock 2 Gene Tonics

Items

Main article: BioShock 2 Items

Achievements and Trophies

Main article: BioShock 2 Xbox 360 and PC Achievements

Main article: BioShock 2 PS3 Trophies

Main article: BioShock 2 Steam Achievements

Editions

(X360/PS3) Price	$59.99 (US)	$129.99 (NZ) £49.99 (UK)	$99.99 (US) $159.96 (NZ)
(PC) Price	$49.99 (US)	$109.99 (NZ) £39.99 (UK)	$89.99 (US)
Game Disc and Manual	Yes	Yes	Yes
Special Edition Box	No	Yes (Slip Cover)	Yes (Casing)
BioShock 2 Art Book	No	Yes (96-Page)	Yes (168-Page)
Orchestral Score of BioShock 2 (CD)	No	No	Yes
Orchestral Score of BioShock (Vinyl)	No	No	Yes
Three Rapture Propaganda Posters	No	No	Yes

Downloadable Content

Main article: Downloadable Content

• BioShock 2 Patches
• The Protector Trials
• Minerva's Den

Related Media

• BioShock 2 Credits
• BioShock 2 Special Edition
• BioShock 2 Licensed Soundtrack - The songs featured through the game.
• BioShock 2 Strategy Guide
• BioShock: Rapture (Novel) - A novelized prequel to both BioShock and BioShock 2.
• Deco Devolution: The Art of BioShock 2 - Official artbook included in both special editions.
• Sounds from the Lighthouse - Official score tracks.

Reviews

Reviews

Publication	Score
Xbox 360
1UP.com	B+
Eurogamer	8/10
GameSpot	8.5/10
Game Informer	8.25/10
IGN	9.1/10
Official Xbox Magazine (& UK)	9/10
PC
PC Gamer UK	9.3/10
PC Zone	9.2/10
IGN	9.1/10
Compilation review site	Aggregate score
Game Ranking	88%
Metacritic	88%

BioShock 2 has received positive responses from critics.

Videos

Sea of Dreams Trailer

The PlayStation 3 version of BioShock contained the first teaser trailer for BioShock 2. Named Sea of Dreams, the cinematic teaser features a woman, presumably a grown up Little Sister, standing on a beach looking out to sea as she holds a small doll resembling a Big Daddy. Also, a butterfly is seen crawling out of a barnacle on the BioShock 2 logo toward the end. This resembles Sofia Lamb's belief that butterflies mark the rebirth of Rapture. Seen here.

The song that is featured in the Sea Of Dreams Trailer is Dreams by The Pied Pipers.

Hunting the Big Sister

This ten-minute walkthrough has provided much preliminary information on BioShock 2. It is analogous to the "Hunting the Big Daddy" video from the original BioShock. It has been featured and/or referenced by several different sources, including Game Informer and GameTrailers.com. The full video can be found here.

E3 Gameplay trailer

At E3 2009, 2K Games released a gameplay trailer for BioShock 2, seen here. It seems to be composed of free-camera shots of the beta level used in the "Hunting the Big Sister" video. However, since it was the beta level, it is assumed none of these shots have any bearing on the full game.

GTTV BioShock 2 Episode

On October 22, 2009, a new episode of Game Trailers TV was released on Spike. This episode, dedicated almost entirely to BioShock 2, divulged a huge amount of information about the game. Viewable here.

BioShock 2 Launch Trailer

Released on February 3, 2010, this video shows a cinematic resembling "The Myth of Atlantis" video as a launch for BioShock 2.

BioShock 2 - Hunting the Big Sister

BioShock 2: Hunting the Big Sister.

BioShock 2 Launch Trailer

The launch trailer for BioShock 2.

Gallery

Delta being electrocuted by Eleanor's kidnappers.

Moments before the first underwater sequence in the game.

The iconic duo.

Some of Lamb's bibles strewn about.

Andrew Ryan's reign is over.

Big Sister is an ever-present threat.

A Baby Jane hung from the ceiling.

A Crawler seen during the flood of Siren Alley.

Dionysus Park.

An environmental kill with Electro Bolt.

Wallpaper depicting Delta.

The startup logo of BioShock 2.

The Mac icon for BioShock 2.

Bugs/Glitches

•   Vending machines in the main game unintentionally lack voice lines and jingles. While this issue was never fixed by the developers, they do however work fine in both DLCs.
•   A known issue of the Steam port of BioShock 2 (since patch 1.4) is that sound became unbalanced, making guns in both the main game and its DLC quieter than in all previous versions. This issue was caused by the edition of the configuration file SoundMixStates.ini, which remained untouched in the original retail versions. Several fixes can be found online, notably on Steam, which restores the file to its original version.
•   The Extra Little Sister Bug can be performed in Dionysus Park.

Official Sites

• The official BioShock 2 web site, which went live on October 29, 2009.
• Official BioShock 2 site from 2K Games
• BioShock 2 for Mac from Feral Interactive

Additional Information

For more information on BioShock 2, visit these sites:

• A viral website called "There's Something in the Sea" was released on March 4, 2009, giving hints and clues about BioShock 2. For more information, see There's Something in the Sea.
• BioShock 2 wallpapers and icons (first added April 21, 2009) can be found at the Cult of Rapture's Download Page.
• Kotaku
• Game Informer Cover
• Eurogamer Multiplayer unveiled
• Game Informer interview with Garry Schyman
• TechSpot BioShock 2 PC Graphics Cards Performance Guide