BioShock (series)/YMMV: Difference between revisions

* [[Alternate Character Interpretation]]: Andrew Ryan, a [[Control Freak]] out to {{spoiler|commit suicide on his own terms... or a father trying to save his son? By the time he realizes Jack is his son and under mind control, he's basically confronted with his own flesh and blood turned into something worse than a "parasite" and turned against him. He could easily have killed Jack using his control phrase, but what does he do? He orders Jack to kill him, maybe in an attempt at forcing a [[Heroic Resolve]] to break the [[Mind Control]]. Too bad for him it didn't, though Jack does seem to take an awful time deliberating his swings}}.

* [[Anvilicious]]: The series isn't subtle in its imagery, which unfortunately means that the messages that ''are'' subtle are easily overwhelmed. Extremism in any human endeavour is bad; this is more or less the [[Word of God|true message]] of the games, represented with all of the major villains and settings. Any time you encounter an individual who pursues something to an extreme, it all [[Gone Horribly Right|ends poorly]].

* [[Bittersweet Ending]]: One of the endings of ''Bioshock 2'', {{spoiler|where Delta prevents Eleanor Lamb from being a [[Complete Monster]] but leaves her as an orphan.}}

** Referred to in this [[Three Panel Soul]] [http://threepanelsoul.com/2007/09/08/on-daddy-take-downs/ comic].

** Andrew Ryan betrays his principles (which are already themselves viewed by most as immoral) and becomes a brutal dictator, able to get away with murder without bothering to hide the body.

** Fontaine is a completely amoral profiteer who instigates a civil war solely as both a grab for power (by {{spoiler|posing as a rebel leader to overthrow Ryans corrupt regime}}) ''and'' a way to get everyone dependent on his supply of plasmids.

** Dr. Suchong is a purely mercenary scientist with no scruples, be it concerning research subject or employer, so long as he's paid.

** The sequel introduces Sofia Lamb, who coldly plots out how to make her daughter [[The Messiah]] while turning everyone into slaves to "the greater good." And she only in actuality cares for her daughter as much as any other people she wants to bend to her will.

** In the Bad End, [[Video Game Cruelty Potential|thanks to your influence]], {{spoiler|Eleanor Lamb}}.

** And remember the player himself [[Villain Protagonist|can become one as well]], leading the story to the Evil Endings.

* [[Crazy Awesome]]: Gilbert Alexander was pretty awesome before going mad (leaving behind messages and robots allies to help whoever found him kill him, knowing he was about to suffer [[With Great Power Comes Great Insanity]]) but he still pulls off some cool stuff afterwards (such as singing the Fontaine Futuristics jingle at the top of his voice to prevent you from accessing a voice activated door lock, or hosting a live demonstration of Fontaine Futuristics products...{{spoiler|that try to kill you.}})

* [[Demonic Spiders]]: Houdini Splicers, who appear from thin air, hurl a barrage of fireballs, and disappear, giggling. Spider Splicers, who like to crawl around on dark ceilings before attacking in a storm of thrown meathooks or gymnastic kung-fu, probably qualify as well. But in both cases sufficient [[Enemy Scan|camera research]] will make the fights much easier.

* [[Ear Worm]]: [[Crazy Awesome|"STRONGER ARM AND SMARTER BRAIN THATS WHY THE FUTURE IS FONTAAAAAAAINE!]] [[Evil Laugh|HAHAHAHAHHA]]!"

* [[Hell Is That Noise]]: The Big Sister screech. Getting surprised by a [[Monster Clown|Circus of Values kiosk]]'s shriek-laugh is pretty unpleasant, too.

* [[Hilarious in Hindsight]]: Or perhaps [[Hypocritical Humor]]. Near the end of the second game, Sofia rants about you {{spoiler|"stealing" her daughter from her and about Eleanor's "ungratefulness" to her loving mother. However, some of the earliest tape diaries you found of Sofia reveal just how little she actually cares for Eleanor as anything other then her tool -- Eleanor was never really her daughter in anything except terms of shared genetics. One even says she had "as little to do as possible" with her birth, implying that Sofia may have actually created Eleanor through IVF and had a surrogate carry her to term, simply because having to deal with pregnancy itself would be too much of a hindrance to her plans.}} {{spoiler|The hypocrisy about stealing Eleanor from her takes on another level when you remember that she herself has been stealing little girls form their families on the surface.}}

** "[http://seasteading.org/ Sea-Steading]", the idea of building autonomous city-states in international waters to be excluded of political repression. Even better, the creator of The Seasteading Inititive - PayPal founder Peter Thiel - is a fan of Ayn Rand, was inspired by ''[[Atlas Shrugged]]'', and said "There are quite a lot of people who think it's not possible. That's a good thing." He's chosen the impossible. He chose...seasteading.

* [[Hype Backlash]]: The overwhelming acclaim the game received from the mainstream gaming press has led to a few cases of "''Bioshock'' is overrated!!" outcries from some gamers and independent reviewers, not to mention those who feel that the game was recycled and/or watered down in comparison to ''[[System Shock 2]]'', its spiritual ancestor.

* [[In Name Only]]: The ''Minerva's Den'' DLC is more a sequel to the original game than ''Bioshock 2'' was.

* [[It's Easy, So It Sucks]]: Some people are accusing ''Bioshock 2'' of being this due to the abundance of money, ammo and healing items. See also [[Complacent Gaming Syndrome]] above.

* [[It Was His Sled]]: {{spoiler|Would You Kindly not spoil the ending?}}

* [[Memetic Mutation]]: Would you kindly note that any discussion of ''Bioshock'' must include copious use of this phrase?

** Anything the Baby Jane Splicer model says.

* [[Multiple Endings]]: In the best endings you're treated to a [[Crowning Moment of Heartwarming|heartwarming moment]] as {{spoiler|Eleanor takes the rescued Little Sisters to the surface, declaring that utopia is an idea and that with you (your ADAM/essence, specifically) as her guide, she'll work towards it}}.

* [[Paranoia Fuel]]: {{spoiler|Barring the whole "Would you kindly..." buisness, what if Tenenbaum did some suggesting of her own while she removed Fontaine's?}}

* [[Player Punch]]: {{spoiler|Ryan's dead}} at this point. Atlas asks "Would you kindly" insert the genetic key into the [[Self-Destruct Mechanism]]. Stop. Before you fall into a mind trap, check your goals. Just pause the game right now. There are none. YOU HAVE NO GOALS. That means you are a free man! Go and lea- but wait, the doors are still locked. You are not only {{spoiler|being mind controlled by Fontaine}}, but [[But Thou Must!|the game is actually FORCING you to make the only available decision!]] Still, you know, you could just shut the game off and say you beat it...

** In the sequel, {{spoiler|finding Mark Meltzer. Those who followed the ARG know this moment. In fact, an entire thread entitled "How DARE you 2K..." was started on the forums for players to chronicle their reactions to the discovery, which ranged from stunned incoherence to ragequitting the entire game. Many felt more strongly about this event than the actual ending of the game.}}

** Also in the sequel: {{spoiler|Augustus Sinclair}}. As a punishment for helping through your journey, {{spoiler|he gets turned into a Big Daddy. To pile on the Punch, he struggles through his mind control to give you more information, and asks that you end his life in return.}}

* [[The Woobie]]: You'd be surprised, but some fans view some of the Splicer models (in particular Rosebud, Toasty, and Pigskin) as this.

** Grace Holloway's life in ''Bioshock 2'' reads like a checklist of misery and misfortunes.

** Jack is one for being {{spoiler|a [[Laser Guided Tykebomb]] with no control over his actions}}.

** Poor Eleanor Lamb. She spent her entire life being raised by an emotionally distant mother who fully expected Eleanor to further her own ideals by {{spoiler|getting turned into a [[Hive Mind]] that would only serve society}}. Depending on the player's moral choices, she can also become {{spoiler|a [[Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds]].}}

*** Blanche {{spoiler|is a good example of how Rapture's cosmetic business can destroy a person. She just didn't want to be lonely...}}

*** Let's face it, Louis is a violent jackass {{spoiler|but he knows full damn well [[Fate Worse Than Death|how Big Daddies are created]] and he's actually ''scared out of his mind'' of being turned into one-he actually thinks the enemy players are trying to sent him to processing.}}

* [[They Wasted a Perfectly Good Plot]]: The whole storyline dealing with Mark Meltzer; a lot of players found his story more intriging then that of Delta.

* [[What an Idiot!]]: Wadsworth, an opportunist only mentioned in the loading quotes for the multiplayer. He was under the impression that the Sisters could be tempted with another job. Keep in mind that there were several PA announcements (one of which is another loading quote) saying "Don't mess with the Little Sisters, or the Daddies will hurt you."