Story Choices

Throughout the BioShock series, various choices can be made in some of the games that affect the story, usually it impacts the ending, though sometimes it affects things within the game itself.

BioShock

Ending

The ending in BioShock occurs after Jack defeats Fontaine and can vary depending on if you harvest or save Little Sisters. Saving them or only harvesting one will grant the good ending, harvesting them will give the bad ending. There are two variations of the bad ending, the only difference is Tenenbaum's tone of voice will either be angry or disappointed.

• Good Ending - Save every Little Sister you interact with.
• Bad Ending (Angry) - Harvest every Little Sister you interact with.
• Bad Ending (Sad) - Harvest at least one Little Sister.

Good Ending

If the player didn't harvested any or only one Little Sister (even if they ignored all other), then the good Ending will be shown. The cinematic shows a bathysphere surfacing right next to the very lighthouse Jack entered Rapture in; this time, it is in complete daylight. The door opens, and it is filled with five rescued Little Sisters. Jack helps them out, and the cinematic proceeds to show them living happy, fulfilling events in their futures, such as graduation, marriage, and parenthood. The cinematic ends showing Jack on his deathbed surrounded by the five rescued Little Sisters that he raised. This is a heartwarming cinematic, and is narrated as such by Tenenbaum's voice.

Narration: "They offered you the city, and you refused it. And what did you do instead? What I have come to expect of you: you saved them. You gave them the one thing that was stolen from them: a chance. A chance to learn, to find love, to live. And in the end what was your reward? You never said, but I think I know... a family."

Sad Ending

If the player harvested more than one Little Sister and safed at least one during the journey through Rapture, Jack will turn upon the Little Sisters who helped him to kill Fontaine. It is assumed that he killed them. After this, the cinematic shows a submarine coming upon the wreckage of the crashed plane, but it is soon surrounded by dozens of bathyspheres filled with Splicers (assumed to be Baby Jane Spider Splicers) who kill everyone in it and take control of the submarine, which happens to hold nuclear weapons. All of this is narrated by Brigid Tenenbaum as she dejectedly condemns Jack for his actions.

Narration: "They offered you everything, yes? And in return you gave them what you always did... brutality. You took what you wanted — all the ADAM, all the power — and Rapture trembled. But in the end even Rapture was not enough for you. Your father was terrified that the world would try to steal the secrets of his city. For you now have stolen the terrible secrets of the world."

Bad Ending

If the player harvested more than one Little Sister and did not save any, then the same cinematic as above plays, but narration in an even harsher tone by Tenenbaum.

Narration: "They offered you everything, yes. And in return you gave them what I have come to expect of you: brutality! You took what you wanted, all the ADAM, all the power! And Rapture trembled, but in the end even Rapture was not enough for you! Your father was terrified the world would try to steal the secrets of his city! But not you, for now have stolen the terrible secrets of the world!"

BioShock 2

Ending

The ending in BioShock 2 can vary depending on whether you harvest or save Little Sisters, as well as which characters were spared or killed.

Sofia Lamb's Fate

Sofia Lamb's fate is dependent on both how many little sisters are saved or harvested as well as which characters are killed or spared. The characters in question are:

• Grace Holloway in Pauper's Drop
• Stanley Poole in Dionysus Park
• Gilbert Alexander in Fontaine Futuristics.

What Eleanor says during the ascension out of Rapture will vary on this combination.

• Lamb Lives (Good Ending) - Spare at least one character
• Lamb Lives (Bad or Choice Ending) - Spare all three characters
• Lamb Dies (Good Ending) - Kill all three characters
• Lamb Dies (Bad or Choice Ending) - Kill at least one character

Life As Sofia Lamb struggles to reach a pocket of air, Eleanor will swim in and hand her mother a small air tank to breathe from, allowing her to live. If Delta has saved all of the Little Sisters and been merciful towards at least one of the NPCs, then Sofia Lamb will be saved from drowning by her daughter. If Delta has harvested at least one Little Sister but spared all the NPCs, Eleanor will also let her mother live. Depending on how the Little Sisters have been treated Eleanor says different things during this sequence. Saved every Little Sister: "And then father, the Rapture dream was over. You taught me that 'evil' is just a word. Under the skin, it's simple pain. For you, mercy was victory. You sacrificed, you endured, and when given the chance, you forgave. Always. Mother believed this world was irredeemable, but she was wrong, Father. We are Utopia, you and I, and in forgiving, we left the door open for her." Harvested at least one Little Sister: "And then father, the Rapture dream was over. You taught me that right and wrong were tidal forces, ever-shifting. To survive in Rapture, Father, you took what you needed from the innocent. But… when the guilty posed no further threat, you simply walked away. I wanted Mother dead, but broken as she was, how could she hurt me? Now, she will grow old and die, knowing that I rejected her." Death If Delta has saved all of the Little Sisters and killed every NPC then Eleanor will drown her mother. Sofia also drowns if Delta has harvested at least one Little Sister and killed at least one NPC. Depending on how the Little Sisters have been treated, Eleanor says different things during this sequence. Saved every Little Sister: "You taught me that Justice is a contract. Once broken, it can never be mended. You sacrificed so much to preserve the innocent, but to the guilty, you offered no mercy. I loved my mother, and I never wanted to hurt her. But with what she did to us, she gave up the right to exist. My hands were shaking when I did it, but you were there to steady them." Harvested at least one Little Sister: "And then father, the Rapture dream was over. You taught me that innocence is chrysalis, a phase designed to end. Only when we are free from it, do we know ourselves. You showed me that my survival, my joy, are all that matter. I Indulge, nothing else exists."

Eleanor, Delta, and the Sisters

Like the previous game, the ending can vary depending on if Little Sisters are saved or harvested. Saving Little Sisters will grant the good ending, harvesting them will give the bad ending. Doing both will grant the choice ending, where the option to either save or sacrifice yourself will be given, saving yourself gives the bad ending and sacrificing yourself gives the sad or neutral ending.

• Good Ending - Save every Little Sister you interact with.
• Bad Ending - Harvest every Little Sister you interact with.
• Choice Ending - Both save and harvest at least one Little Sister.
  • Neutral/Sad Ending - Get the choice ending then choose to sacrifice yourself
  • Bad Ending - Get the choice ending then choose to save yourself

Depending upon Delta's choices in dealing with the Little Sisters and NPCs (Grace Holloway, Stanley Poole, Gilbert Alexander) good, neutral, and bad endings are possible.

As the final bombs in the level detonate, Eleanor races with Subject Delta to reach the elevator to the escape pod. A set of charges goes off directly in their path, forcing Eleanor to teleport to the rising escape craft. Delta is stranded on the outside of the pod, while Eleanor makes it safely inside and finds her mother there. Sofia is drowning due to the flooding inside the escape craft, and Delta's choices of whether to save or kill the adults and Little Sisters he met earlier in the game affect whether Eleanor takes pity on her mother and gives her oxygen to keep her alive, or whether she pulls her down to drown her. The events after they reach the surface depend purely upon the player's choice to save or harvest Little Sisters.

Good Ending

If Delta saved every Little Sister, then on the surface he will breathe his last breaths in Eleanor's arms. She crosses his arms on his chest, then lovingly and respectfully extracts his ADAM, allowing him to become a part of her. Eleanor and the rescued Little Sisters will then gather together under bright, warm weather. One of the Little Sisters hands Eleanor the doll of Subject Delta she made years ago, which she takes and drops into the sea.

"The Rapture dream is over, but in waking I am reborn. This world is not ready for me, yet here I am. It would be so easy to misjudge them. You are my conscience father, and I need you to guide me. You will always be with me now, father, your memories, your drives. And when I need you, you'll be there on my shoulder whispering. If Utopia is not a place, but a people, then we must choose carefully, for the world is about to change, and in our story, Rapture was just the beginning."

Choice Endings

If Delta saves at least one Little Sister and harvests at least one Little Sister, he gets a choice ending. In this scenario, he can choose to either live or die.

"You made a monster of me, father, but I wondered why you saved the others. You left me in doubt. Didn't you want me to be like you? I knew I could save you; but if you felt regret, if you wanted me to choose for myself I would have to let you go, to let you die."

Sacrifice Choice

On the surface, Eleanor moves to extract ADAM from the dying Delta, but he grabs her wrist at the last second, preventing it. Eleanor then drags the dying Delta to the edge of the water, and he spends his last moments staring at his reflection, turning towards her one last time before collapsing, while Eleanor cries and contemplates the loneliness ahead of her but thanks him for securing her freedom. The weather and the mood is calm, yet dark and gloomy.

"The Rapture dream is over, and in waking I'm alone. Mother, I left behind and you chose to die rather than have me follow you. But you gave me the greatest gift of all, something I have never had. My freedom. There is no name for what I am, but the world is about to change. I thought we would seize it together, yet as I sat there with you I wondered if even I could be redeemed. Your sacrifice gave me hope. But father, wherever you are… I miss you."

Survival Choice

In the survival ending, Eleanor extracts Delta's essence calmly. She watches as the bodies of dead Splicers rise to the surface. The corpse-filled ocean crashes violently as a powerful thunderstorm rages overhead, foreshadowing the bloody future the world might face, as it may now have to confront the might of Rapture's godlike genetic technologies wielded by Eleanor.

"You may not have wanted me father, but you defined me. You chose to survive, no matter the cost, and I will not let your instincts go to waste. The Rapture dream is over, and in waking I am reborn. You'll always be with me father, your memories, your drives. When I need you, you'll be there; whispering over my shoulder. There is no name for what I am, but the world is about to change. And with your help, they will never see me coming."

Bad Ending

If Delta harvested every single Little Sister, then Eleanor takes Delta's essence against his will. She watches as the bodies of dead Splicers rise to the surface. The corpse-filled ocean crashes violently as a powerful thunderstorm rages overhead, foreshadowing the bloody future the world might face, as it may now have to confront the might of Rapture's godlike genetic technologies wielded by the genius and cruelty of Eleanor.

"The Rapture dream is over, and in waking I am reborn. You may not have wanted me father, but you defined me. You chose to survive, no matter the cost, and I will not let your instincts go to waste. You'll always be with me father, your memories, your drives; when I need you, you'll be there whispering from my shoulder. There is no name for what I am, but the world is about to change. And with your help, they will never see me coming."

Minerva's Den

Like the main game, in Minerva's Den you can either save or harvest Little Sisters you interact with, however unlike the main game this choice has no impact on the ending.

BioShock Infinite

Unlike the previous games BioShock Infinite only has one ending, however it does contain small choices throughout the game.

• Heads or Tails - Within the Fairgrounds, the Lutece Twins will approach and ask heads or tails, however the result will always be heads regardless of what is picked.

Heads or Tails

Results are all Heads

• Couple or Fink - At the raffle within the Fairgrounds the baseball Booker picks can be thrown at either the tied up couple or Jeremiah Fink, however Booker is stopped before it can be thrown.\

Raffle

Number 77

• Bird or the Cage - In Battleship Bay the Lutece Twins will approach and show Elizabeth two pendants, unable to pick she will let Booker do so. The choice is purely cosmetic and does not affect story, any thematic meaning to them is left up to the player.

Bird or Cage

• Spare or Kill Slate - Upon going through Soldier's Field the option will be given to either kill or spare Cornelius Slate, he will ask Booker to kill him and insult him if he is spared. If Slate is spared he will reappear as a prisoner inside the Good Time Club later in the game.

Kill or Spare Slate

Slate in the prison of the Good Time Club.

• Demand Tickets or Raise Gun - When trying to purchase tickets for the The First Lady airship in the Arcade the employee at the ticket booth will take longer than usual, leaving Booker to suspect something is up. Demanding tickets will result in the man stabbing Booker's hand, leading Elizabeth to wrap a blue bandage around it which will appear on his right hand for the rest of the game. Raising the gun will let Booker avoid the stabbing and bandage.

Raising Gun

Demand Tickets

Booker's Stabbed Hand

Booker's Bandaged Hand

Burial at Sea

Burial at Sea Episodes 1 and 2 do not contain any choices that alter things in the story. The closest thing the DLC contains is in Episode 2, where Elizabeth can discover Atlas' true identity after following hidden clues, but it is not considered a choice and does not impact the outcome of the story at all.

See Also

• Eleanor Lamb

Gallery

Bioshock

Bioshock - All 3 Alternate Endings

Bioshock 2

Behind the Scenes

• A conversation between three Splicers in BioShock 2's second level, Atlantic Express, references both possible endings of BioShock. While one believes Jack is living a lustful life on the surface while threatening to drop the bomb on Rapture, another states that he is probably living happily ever after with the Little Sisters he rescued. The third Splicer concludes that neither version of the story matters, as he is simply gone now.
• An interview with Ken Levine indicates that the multiple endings of BioShock were a late decision at the request of the publisher, and that the game was originally set for a single, ambiguous end (similarly to both the end of System Shock 2 and BioShock Infinite). Levine also says that he prefers the happy ending, and that Elizabeth's actions and ultimate sacrifice in BioShock Infinite's downloadable content Burial at Sea - Episode 2 were to set up that outcome.