Task Search
Checklists
How creative can you get with your first free checklist?
All Interactive Maps and Locations
Basics
Picking Plasmids
You'll earn lots of plasmids as you make progress in Rapture, some of which are disposable while others are...in-disposable. Here's a quick breakdown of the best plasmids we've found—keep these equipped at all times.
Electro Shock
Electro Shock is arguably the most important plasmid in BioShock. It's a multi-use tool that'll help you in combat, as well as in exploration. Electro Shock will stun pretty much every enemy in the game (even the massive big daddy), letting you get off free attacks. As well, any time you can lure (or chase) an enemy into water, you can shock the water to inflict damage upon anyone in contact with the wet stuff. As well, you'll find Electro Shock useful for opening doorways. Many side-doors that aren't directly related to your main objective are locked by shorted-out electrics. Zapping the electrics with Electro Shock will open the doors, often giving you access to free pickups.
advertisement
Telekinesis
Perhaps the best thing about Telekinesis is that it uses no Eve meter if you use it just for pulling items towards you. Telekinesis uses up Eve meter only when you use it to throw objects, and even then it uses very little of your meter. You can use the plasmid power to pull towards you items that are out of reach, perched on rafters or stashed in crevices that are otherwise unreachable. Telekinesis is also good in combat, where you can use it to reverse certain enemy attacks. Throw back Molotov cocktails from nitro splicers and reverse the proximity mines of big daddies—all without using much Eve meter (or ammo) at all.
Hypnotize Big Daddy
By choosing to rescue three little sisters, you'll be rewarded with this free plasmid. The Hypnotize Big Daddy plasmid will make big daddy protect you as if you were a little sister, which means he'll attack (and kill) anything that attacks you. The big daddy will even follow you around for a bit, though we find the plasmid is best used when surrounded by enemies for immediate effect. The biggest downside to this plasmid is that it uses an entire meter of Eve. If you're going to use it, make sure the payoff is worth the Eve.
Pistol Power
Despite earning more and more powerful weapons throughout the game, your first gun, the lowly pistol, remains one of the best all-around shooters. Keep the pistol well-stocked! The pistol is easily the most accurate gun at distance shooting, and a single shot from the pistol is more powerful than a single shot from your machinegun. Pistol head shots will drop many enemies instantly (or deal some serious damage), making the pistol a great way to get an enemy's attention. Also, don't be afraid to upgrade the pistol. Just because you get the weapon early doesn't mean you shouldn't future-proof its power.
Fighting Big Daddies
Battling big daddies is one of the most important parts of BioShock play, but it's certainly not easy. Having a good strategy before you start the fight is key. Here are some general tips for taking on the big daddies.
Electric Buck
Like all enemies in BioShock, big daddies are stunned when zapped with electricity. While stunned, big daddies obviously can't fire back at you, leaving them totally vulnerable to your attacks. Unfortunately, the effects of electricity do not last long, so you'll have to be quick to take advantage. For this reason, we suggest using electric buck in your shotgun to shoot the big daddies. The electric charge of the shots will stun the big daddy just long enough for you to reposition and land another shot.
advertisement
Set Traps
Before you dare engage a big daddy, think first about your preparation. If there are security cameras and/or turrets nearby, you can set up traps into which you can lure the big daddy. Hack a nearby RPG turret, then get the big daddy's attention. Lure him into the path of the turret and then use electric buck (or Electro Shock) to hold the big daddy in place. This also works with security cameras you've hacked—hold the big daddy still for long enough, and the cameras will call in an army of security bots that'll make short work of the daddy. the crossbow traps work well also
Using Telekinesis
Big daddies tend to start their assault by tossing grenades and/or proximity mines at you. This holds true as well if you lure a big daddy around a corner—he'll stop firing when you're out of sight, but the moment he spots you again the big daddy will usually start his attack by throwing an explosive. Use this opportunity to make use of you Telekinesis plasmid. Grab the explosives mid-flight and fire them back at big daddy for massive damage.
Side Steppin'
There are different breeds of big daddy, and the different breeds carry different weapons. We've found that versus the big daddy's with relatively slow-moving attacks (like the rosies and their rail guns and grenades), side stepping works surprisingly well to avoid the big daddy's onslaught.