Where do I even begin with Bioshock? This game had so many twists and turns that kept things engaging and fun. Bioshock was the first game I have played where you beat people with a wrench and face off against giant robots who are not easy to kill, I may add. Not only that, but this game had tons of horror-type aspects, at least in my opinion because I am a scaredy-cat and will jump at the slightest of things. One of the largest game mechanics that was introduced within the game was pretty close to the beginning. This mechanic known as Adam was the basis for many decisions made throughout the game and made things very hard as a player.

Adam is known as an element that grants you alterations to your body’s DNA, granting you supernatural abilities such as Telekinesis or Incineration. The issue is, the only way to gain more Adam is to harvest children, known as, little sisters. Little sisters are the ones that extract the Adam, using a syringe and gathering it from a dead splicer. They store it within their bodies to be used for a later time, hence why the only way to get it is by killing them. Though, it is not that simple because little sisters are almost always accompanied by a Big Daddy. Big Daddies are heavily modified people in large suits that protect the little sisters from being harvested. These people were created because the city people started going after the little sisters to gain Adam, and since they were such easy targets, it was a no-brainer.

This is one of the major mechanics which truly drives the story and its elements. Adam is the reason why society crumbled and it is the main source of power for you as the player. It gives you abilities that help you conquer the game, however, you do not always have to kill the little sisters. You are able to spare them and only take some of the Adam. I did not do this because I felt Adam was a very important part of the story, so I ended up harvesting all the little sisters I came in contact with. I thought that was the main quest of the game, but I was very mistaken. Many of my decisions were based on gaining Adam and using my abilities wherever possible. I felt this would help the game go faster. The biggest part of the game, however, was because Andrew Ryan was the leader/founder of Rapture but there was a criminal who wanted to be in power instead and wanted all the Adam for himself to gain ownership over Rapture. This was due to a class division within Rapture, which sent the people of the lower class into a frenzy, including the criminal. They wanted to gain Adam to take over the city and make it better for themselves. This is why Big Daddies and Little Sisters were created and this is the basis of the game and what you, the player, must discover as you go on your journey.

Photo Credits:

Sampson, Jessi. “If Bioshock 4 Is Open World, It Should Be More RPG Too.” PCGamesN, 12 May 2021, www.pcgamesn.com/bioshock-4/rpg-open-world.

“Buy BioShock from the Humble Store.” Humble Bundle, 2021, www.humblebundle.com/store/bioshock.

“Wiki Targeted (Games).” BioShock Wiki, 2021, bioshock.fandom.com/wiki/Little_Sister.