The Unwritten Rules of BioShock Explained

Summary

Saving all Little Sisters reaps unique rewards, gifts, and a canonically good ending for players.
Take on Big Daddies by using smart strategy, special ammo, and hacking for a better chance at victory.
Invest in researching enemies to unlock more bonuses; avoid spending money on minor resources.

Approaching nearly 20 years since its release, BioShock has stood the test of time as one of the most memorable games to come out of the seventh generation and of all time. BioShock has become a widely known classic since 2007, and its influence can still be seen and felt in many titles that have been seen since and continue to come out each year.

BioShock may have a high profile and place among gaming’s greatest, but for anyone who hasn’t gotten around to experiencing it yet or as quick refreshers for those whom it’s been a while, there are some tricks and general good practices that the game doesn’t explicitly make apparent. Keeping a few of these in mind can help make survival in Rapture easier while saving a bit of time and resources to prevent some unnecessary frustration.

BioShock 4 is still in development, though there has been little news or updates since its announcement in 2019, much to the disconcertment of many looking forward to it.

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BioShock’s Unwritten Rules Explained

Save All the Little Sisters

One of the first major choices players will be presented in BioShock is whether to fatally harvest or rescue the Little Sisters. While harvesting them does net a greater amount of ADAM for plasmid upgrades overall, saving them all comes with a host of benefits. For every third Sister rescued (out of a total of 21) Dr. Tennebaum will drop off a gift package of additional ADAM and other unique rewards, like the Hypnotize Big Daddy plasmid, that can’t be obtained any other way. Saving all 21 also results in the canonically good ending, bringing a bit of hope to the darker tale.

Outsmart and Outmaneuver Big Daddies

Before they can decide the fate of the Sisters, fans will need to take down BioShock‘s iconic Big Daddies. It may be a natural instinct to immediately blast them with everything in Jack’s arsenal, but a little bit of strategy goes a long way. Instead, leading them around tight corridors or into spaces where the player has the advantage is best. Additonally, fans should save special ammo for these fights, with armor piercing, incendiary rounds, and electrified buck being quite effective against the hulking brutes. Hacking any nearby turrets or drones can also be a huge help to chip away at their beefier health bars.

One of the best weapons against Big Daddies are the crossbow’s trap bolts.

Research Every Enemy Extensively

Fans will find the research camera in Neptune’s Bounty, allowing Jack to photograph foes in action to fill up a progression bar. While the game provides a brief tutorial, it doesn’t reveal exactly just how useful this tool is. However, the investment placed in it pays off exponentially, as all enemy types can be researched up to 5 levels, each unlocking additional bonuses and items. One of the best examples is acquiring the chameleon tonic from Houdini splicers, allowing Jack to turn invisible for a brief time. The damage and other buffs granted from higher levels of research can easily turn the tide in players’ favor through the course.

Don’t Waste Money Buying Minor Resources

As they push further into Rapture, players find might find themselves running low on health or ammo, and it may be tempting to stop at one of the ubiquitous vending machines to stock up. But supplies are frequently hidden throughout the levels as well as found on defeated enemies, which will respawn so that they can be farmed. It’s better to save dollars for rarer specialized ammo, and only feed the Circus of Values cash for basic supplies as a last resort if they happen to find themselves in a situation where it is truly needed.