BioShock: The Collection Guide Bioshock 2 Into the Dive Suit

Gameplay Fundamentals

Controls

BioShock 2 utilizes the same control scheme as the original game. The only true difference is that you can duel-wield Plasmids and weapons simultaneously—a Big Daddy is strong enough hold firearms with just one hand. Plasmids are selected and fired using the controller’s left buttons, whereas weapons are selected and fired with the buttons on the right side of the controller. The following table shows the default control setup for the XBOX One, the PS4, and PC.

Action	XBOX One	PS4	PC
Movement	Left Thumbstick	Left Stick	W, A, S, D
Look/Aim	Right Thumbstick	Right Stick	Mouse
Reload	X Button	Square Button	R Key
Jump	Y Button	Triangle Button	Space Bar
Use First Aid	D-Pad Right	Directional Pad Right	Ctrl Key
Interact	A Button	X Button	F Key
Fire Weapon	R Trigger	R2 Button	Left Mouse Button
Switch Weapon	R Bumper (hold for Weapon Radial)	R1 Button (hold for Weapon Radial)	Mouse Wheel
Toggle Zoom	Right Thumbstick Button	R3 Button	T Key
Fire Plasmid	L Trigger	L2 Button	Right Mouse Button
Switch Plasmid	L Bumper (hold for Plasmid Radial)	L1 Button (hold for Plasmid Radial)	Function Keys
Toggle Crouch	Left Thumbstick Button	L3 Button	C Key
Switch Ammo Type	D-Pad (Up, Down, Left)	Directional Pad (Up, Down, Left)	[ ] Keys
Status Menu & Map	Back Button	Select Button	M Key
Pause Menu	Start Button	Touchpad Button	P Key

Difficulty Options

There are three difficulty settings to choose from when beginning a new game: Easy, Normal, and Hard. This strategy guide is based on the Normal difficulty setting, which serves as the game’s default difficulty. You should initially play this mode, and if you struggle to stay alive, consider lowering it to Easy. Unlocking all of the Achievements/Trophies requires completing the game twice, so save your attempt at Hard mode until after you’ve played through the game once on Normal. The following list details the major differences between the difficulty modes.

Difficulty Notes

• Player takes less damage on Easy and more damage on Hard.

• Plasmids consume less EVE on Easy and more on Hard.

• Body Shots deal less damage to enemies on Hard mode.

• Players get an EVE bonus when they re-spawn at a Vita-Chamber on Easy.

• Hacking is easier on Easy and more difficult on Hard.

• Money drops are more frequent on Easy and less so on Hard.

• Consumables give more health and/or EVE on Easy and less on Hard.

• Big Daddies are not healed by a Little Sister when the player goes to a Vita-Chamber on Easy.

• Big Daddies are healed by Little Sisters faster and for more health on Hard.

• Security elements are slower to detect you on Easy and faster on Hard.

• Hacked vending machines are cheaper on Easy and more expensive on Hard.

Game Progression

The story of BioShock 2 is revealed as the player progresses through nine distinct areas within Rapture. Goals are provided in sequence to keep the player moving through an area, exploring his surroundings, and continuing the fight to reunite with Eleanor. These goals are revealed as radio messages, often by a man named Augustus Sinclair, but can be also accessed through the Map Screen. A large star icon will appear on the in-game map, along with an arrow indicator on the screen, to help guide you in the proper direction.

Unlike in the original BioShock, past areas cannot be revisited, so it is imperative that you not exit an area without first completing your goals. This means searching for all of the Audio Diaries, tonics, and other items that you expect to find in the area.

A key piece of the gameplay revolves around obtaining ADAM from Little Sisters. Though entirely optional, ADAM is the currency needed to buy the vitally important Plasmids, tonics, and health and EVE upgrades. Each area has two or three Little Sisters that must be isolated from their Big Daddies. Each Little Sister can then be taken to two specifically marked corpses to perform an ADAM Gather before you decide their fate. Little Sisters can carry over from one area to the next, so if you only deal with two or three in one area, you’ll have a chance to encounter four in the next area. Keep in mind that there are no Little Sisters beyond the seventh area, Fontaine Futuristics, so this is your last chance in the game to save or harvest them.

Lastly, though there are a handful of story-related enemies who can be considered “boss enemies,” the true boss creatures of the game are the Big Sisters that appear periodically—never more than one per area—based on how many Little Sisters you’ve dealt with and how often.

Generally speaking, BioShock 2 is more difficult than the original game, so you should save your progress often rather than relying solely on the Auto-Save that occurs each time you enter a new area. Consider creating two new save files at the start of each area and overwrite the second one as you progress in good standing, while always leaving the other one as a clean start for that chapter of the game.