Weapons Guide

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The world of Bioshock contains eight different weapons, six of which can be used to fire projectiles at enemies, one is a melee weapon, and the other is a camera used to research enemies. Each of these weapons is obtained during your progress through the environment, and the locations of each have been mapped in the “City Directory” portion of this book.

The city of Rapture is filled with enemies that drop weapons and can be collected to replenish your ammo supplies. Additionally, there are many containers that can be looted to gather up an army’s worth of ammunition. Lastly, ammunition can be obtained through the many vending machines located in Rapture. Some ammunition can be acquired at the Circus of Values vending machine, but be on the lookout for the El Ammo Bandito vending machines that specialize strictly in ammunition. Additionally, each weapon has a special inventible ammunition type that is very rarely seen outside of U-Invent machines, so be sure to collect the many invention components described in the “U-Invent, We Show You How” chapter to be able to craft these special types of ammunition.

The following weapons are listed in the order in which you find them. Each of the weapons (with the exception of the Wrench and Research Camera) can be upgraded at the 12 Power to the People machines located throughout Rapture. These machines are hard to find and can only be used once, so choose your upgrades wisely.

Wrench

The Wrench is the first weapon you acquire in Rapture and can be used to deal small amounts of bludgeoning damage (bonus damage if the target is stunned with electricity), break through some barriers, and also smash the occasional lock. Although there are tonics that can be spliced into your system to improve the effectiveness with the Wrench, it is likely to become a weapon of last resort as you make your way through Rapture. Skilled players who try to employ a more stealth-based approach are likely to get more use out of the Wrench.

Pistol

Pistol Ammo Capacity

The Pistol is the lone handgun in Bioshock and relies on .38 caliber rounds which, although adequate for lesser enemies, may not inflict enough damage against tougher foes. Headshots are indeed an effective means of dispatching enemies, especially stunned ones, and the three ammo types give the Pistol added usability later on in the game. That said, the Pistol’s initial carrying capacity of just 6 rounds requires frequent reloading, which does pose a problem in heated firefights.

Machine Gun

Machine Gun Ammo Capacity

The Machine Gun fires a rapid spray of bullets that are very useful for situations involving lots of enemies at close to medium range. The Machine Gun does suffer from extensive recoil, so you may want to fire it in short bursts to keep the recoil under control and to avoid wasting large sums of ammunition. The Machine Gun, as you might expect, features the fastest rate of fire and can cut through opponents very quickly in the hands of a skilled gunner. You can load a magazine of 40 Auto Rounds into the Machine Gun at once.

ShotGun

Shotgun Ammo Capacity

The Shotgun is a very powerful weapon and most effective at short range. It fires a wide burst of pellets (Buck), which means the user need not aim with as much precision in order to score a hit. The Shotgun is not without its limitations, however. For starters, the Shotgun can only be loaded with 4 shells at once and has a slow firing rate. It also takes quite a bit of time to reload the Shotgun, since each shell must be inserted individually. That said, the Shotgun is the undisputed weapon for close-quarters combat, especially for times when you suspect enemies to leap out from around corners at any second. Pair it with Winter Blast to freeze a Splicer, then shoot it into a thousand pieces with one squeeze of the trigger!

Grenade Launcher

Grenade Launcher Ammo Capacity

What the Grenade Launcher lacks in carrying capacity, firing rate, reload times, and range, it more than makes up for in ammunition variety and sheer firepower! The Grenade Launcher can be used to clear a room of Splicers, lay traps for Big Daddies, or even fire homing rockets at distant bosses or other tough foes. Since ammunition is relatively scarce, this is a specialty weapon that should only be used sparingly.

Research Camera

Camera Ammo Capacity

The Research Camera may not inflict direct damage to an enemy, but it is a very important weapon nonetheless. Use the Research Camera to capture photos of all types of enemies and security devices to reach each of their five different research bonus levels. Many of these bonuses include free tonics and increased damage susceptibility. Each photo you take is scored based on how centered the subject is in the picture, whether it is an action shot, and also whether or not there are multiple enemies in the photo. Scores are penalized for taking photos of dead subjects and for repeat photos of the same enemy. Note that you can only take research photos of hostile beings. This means that you cannot take photos of Turrets, Security Bots, or Security Cameras that you have hacked.

Chemical Thrower

Chemical Thrower Ammo Capacity

The Chemical Thrower is the most unique of the weapons encountered in Rapture. This large tank-like weapon can be used with a variety of chemical agents that can burn, freeze, or electrocute enemies. The Chemical Thrower fires a nonstop stream of chemicals at short range and is therefore perfect for those times when you find yourself complete out-numbered. It can also function as a pseudo-replacement of plasmids if you run out of EVE. While very powerful, the Chemical Thrower is not without its drawbacks. This weapon only fires at a short range and features a very slow reload time, so you had better come equipped.

Crossbow

Crossbow Ammo Capacity

Those looking to employ a bit of stealth and deception in the way they handle the Splicers should enjoy the Crossbow. This weapon may only fire one bolt at a time, but it is extremely lethal when aimed properly. A headshot will all but kill even the toughest of Splicers! The ability to zoom in and aim with pinpoint precision makes it entirely possible to eliminate far off enemies before they know what hit them. The Crossbow is a bit of a specialty weapon, however, and features a very slow rate of fire and equally long reload time. That said, it’s very fun to use and, once upgraded, can even be used successfully when shot from the hip.