Special Achievements in the Rapture of BioShock

Published August 28, 2007

Any length of quality time spent in the crazed, fascinating world of Rapture will see a steady trickle of Gamerscore as you unlock story-related achievements. A large bulk of BioShock achievements are tied to events you will eventually uncover. But there is also a hefty stash of achievements requiring a dose of foresight and strategy to collect.

Did you take a picture first?

SPOILER ALERT: Please be aware that nearly every BioShock achievement and its related strategy reveals spoilers connected with Rapture's story and world. Proceed only if you don't mind revealing a few surprises or have already played through the game.

Rescue Them All
Matching wits, brawn, and firepower with Big Daddies to get a shot at the Little Sisters is a core mechanic throughout BioShock. Provided you adhere to the following rules, you'll receive 140 Gamerscore from the Little Sister Savior and Dealt with every Little Sister achievements.

First, never Harvest a little sister but Rescue them instead. Secondly, search out and deal with every one in each level. If you're having trouble locating them or you're wondering how many there are in each area, consider the following:

• Press Start to reveal not only how many Little Sisters are in each level, but how many you've already freed as well.
• If you discover a Big Daddy with no Little Sister trailing behind him, stay patient and follow the Big Daddy around. They're always on a path to the next vent to summon a Little Sister, so you'll never have to wait long.
• Never finish off a Big Daddy unless the Little Sister is present.

Is the Little Sister present?

Shutterbug
From the moment you are given the camera, take repeat pictures of every enemy you find until you've unlocked each enemy's Fully Researched achievements. You might consider employing the Photographer's Eye Tonic to speed up your research as well. Also, remember to take photos of security cameras, bots, and turrets. While they don't boast Fully Researched achievements on their own, they do count towards the Research PhD achievement.

The Cohen Factor
The deeply disturbed artist Sander Cohen plays a large role in the game as he works to produce his murderous masterpiece in Fort Frolic. He also holds the keys to a few vital achievements. When you're in the Fort Frolic level, do the following:

• Once you've completed Sander Cohen's masterpiece, he will simply stand and admire his handiwork. When he does, immediately save the game.
• Once the game is saved, select your weapons and Plasmids of choice and take him down as you would any other enemy. If you photograph his corpse, you'll receive the ten-point Ironyachievement. Don't continue on with the game though once you do. Instead, reload your save and spare Mr. Cohen's life.
• Only with Cohen alive will you be granted access to his private room in his Olympus Heights apartment. Once you track down his apartment (it's labeled on the map), you must kill the two deranged dancers. This will force Cohen to show up, ready to do battle, but also unlocking the door to his private room.

You'll receive the ten-point Find Sander Cohen's Roomachievement, but more importantly, you'll discover a Power to the People weapon upgrade station, which you'll need to complete the twenty-point Weapon Specialist achievement.

Search everywhere and everything.

Miscellaneous Achievement Suggestions
There are several achievements where no one tip will guarantee success. But keep in mind the following if you are attempting achievement perfection:

• Historian: Collecting every last audio diary is a daunting task. They're not always lying out on their own. Make sure you search every container and corpse (minus the ones you've actively killed) in every room.
• Avid Inventor: Once you've achieved Big Daddy status, you can easily wade through enemies in earlier sections of the game to "farm" crafting materials for use at the U-Invent machines. Focus on items that require the least number of parts and you'll hit the 100-invention mark in no time for this ten-point achievement.
• Play Hard: The Hard difficulty may be challenging, but thanks to the Vita-Chambers, it's very rarely frustrating. Unless you're a very casual gamer, there's no reason not to tackle this difficulty for the forty-point, Seriously Good At This achievement.
• Lucky Winner: All this achievement requires is patience. Belly up to a slot machine in Fort Frolic with a load of money ($300-plus is suggested) and make sure to save the game before you begin. If you blow through your cash without hitting the jackpot, reload and try again. Wash, rinse, and repeat until you score this ten-point achievement.

BioShock offers a healthy mix of plot-oriented achievements and goals that rewards careful exploration of the world of Rapture. With the preceding tips in mind, you should be well on your way to netting the full 1,000 Gamerscore. Good luck.

Article by Ryan Treit