The BioShock series, known for its engaging first-person gameplay, role-playing elements, and enchanting atmosphere, quickly gained popularity among enthusiasts of the shooter genre. Its unique retro-futuristic aesthetic set it apart and drew players into its intriguing worlds.
The original BioShock game pioneered a gameplay style that allowed players to wield a weapon in one hand while casting magic with the other. This innovative approach struck a chord with fans and set the stage for distinctive gameplay experiences.
For newcomers to the BioShock series, figuring out the sequence of the games can be quite perplexing. Even those who have played the titles in the franchise often find themselves puzzled by the overall timeline. Below, we outline the BioShock games in order, both chronologically and by their release dates.
How Many BioShock Games Are There?
There are four main BioShock titles available, with three of them launched on home consoles and PCs, while one is exclusively accessible through a web browser on PC. Additionally, there are three expansions that enhance the gameplay experience.
Which BioShock game should you play first?
To truly grasp the rich lore, narrative, characters, and core themes woven throughout the BioShock series, starting with BioShock 1 is highly recommended. Continuing through the release order will allow you to fully appreciate and engage with the BioShock games in order.
As you delve deeper into the series, you’ll encounter a compelling blend of storytelling and immersive gameplay that builds upon the foundations set by the first title.
BioShock Games in Release Order
- BioShock (2007)
- BioShock: Challenge Rooms (2008)
- BioShock 2 (2010)
- BioShock 2: Minerva’s Den (2010)
- BioShock Infinite: Industrial Revolution (2013)
- BioShock Infinite (2013)
- BioShock Infinite: Clash in the Clouds (2013)
- BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea – Part 1 (2013)
- BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea – Part 2 (2014)
BioShock Games in Chronological Order
1. BioShock Infinite: The Industrial Revolution
As a special incentive for those who pre-ordered BioShock Infinite, a browser-based flash game titled BioShock Infinite: Industrial Revolution was released. This game serves as a prequel to the narrative of Infinite, immersing players in the role of a worker tasked with solving cog-based puzzles. Those who secured their pre-orders could earn exclusive items and enhancements that would carry over to BioShock Infinite.
As gamers progressed through the challenges, they gained deeper insights into the underlying struggles within the world of BioShock Infinite, particularly the clash between the Vox Populi and the Founders. Players had the option to align themselves with either faction, leading to the discovery of unique rewards based on their choices.
2. BioShock Infinite
The third installment in the BioShock series, BioShock Infinite, centers around a Pinkerton detective named Booker Dewitt. Struggling with financial burdens, Dewitt is given a seemingly straightforward assignment to settle his debts: travel to the floating city of Columbia and find a young woman named Elizabeth, who holds a significant secret.
Upon Booker Dewitt’s arrival in Columbia, he quickly discovers that the situation is anything but straightforward. This airborne city, suspended in the skies, is home to inhabitants who have labeled him a “False Shepherd” and are uniting to hunt him down. The plot thickens when Booker finds and saves Elizabeth, who possesses the extraordinary ability to manipulate tears in the fabric of reality, enabling her to access alternate universes.
Partnering with Elizabeth to break free from Columbia, gamers embark on a thrilling journey through the airborne city. They encounter its inhabitants, formidable mechanical enforcers, and the ever-persistent bodyguard, Songbird. Throughout the adventure, players can access rifts to alternate dimensions through Elizabeth’s extraordinary abilities, using her talents to gather supplies or explore entirely new worlds.
3. BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea – Part 1
Located within the same realm as BioShock and BioShock 2, BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea – Part 1 serves as the initial installment of two expansions for BioShock Infinite. This downloadable content (DLC) unveils an alternate version of Booker Dewitt, who works as a private investigator in the underwater city of Rapture. Taking place prior to the city’s collapse, the story kicks off with Dewitt encountering Elizabeth, who enlists his help to find a lost girl named Sally.
In the BioShock Games in Order, the first segment of Burial at Sea invites players to immerse themselves in a fully functioning Rapture, showcasing the city prior to the timeline of the original game. This downloadable content not only revives the vibrant atmosphere of Rapture in its prime but also features familiar characters from earlier adventures, such as Sander Cohen and Yi Suchong, enriching the experience for fans of the series.
4. BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea – Part 2
BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea – Part 2 continues the story right after Burial at Sea – Part 1, and it shifts the perspective from Booker to Elizabeth. Following the intense finale of the first installment, Elizabeth finds herself in the company of Atlas, who proposes a bargain: if she assists him in escaping from Fontaine’s Department Store and getting back to Rapture, he will ensure her and Sally’s safety.
Adopting a stealth-oriented gameplay approach that complements Elizabeth’s abilities, players navigate through Fontaine’s Department Store as they seek a way back to Rapture to rescue Sally. Burial at Sea – Part 2 marks the concluding chapter by Irrational Games and BioShock creator Ken Levine in the BioShock series. This installment aims to resolve several of the franchise’s most significant enigmas while seamlessly connecting to the storyline of the original game.
For enthusiasts looking to experience the BioShock games in order, this final chapter provides crucial insights and ties up various plot threads. As players delve deeper into the narrative, they will uncover the intricacies that link this episode to the larger universe.
5. BioShock
The BioShock games in order begin with the original title, which introduces players to Jack, the only survivor of a catastrophic plane crash. After escaping from the wreckage, he seeks shelter in an enigmatic lighthouse. Inside, he stumbles upon a submarine that takes him to the submerged city of Rapture. While it initially seems like a breathtaking technological wonder, Jack soon uncovers the dark realities that lurk beneath its surface.
Picture a vibrant city bathed in neon lights, designed as a haven for the brightest intellectuals to explore their creativity and morality without any government oversight. However, by the time Jack makes his entrance, Rapture has devolved into a desolate ruin. The once-thriving streets are now stained with blood as grotesque inhabitants turn on one another in a desperate hunt for a genetic-altering substance called Adam. Meanwhile, the city’s enigmatic creator, Andrew Ryan, maintains a tyrannical grip over the crumbling society.
Collaborating with a companion known as Atlas, gamers are challenged to navigate the depths of Rapture in their quest to escape the underwater city and make their way back to the surface. During their journey, they acquire plasmids—potent serums that grant them various elemental abilities. Since its launch, BioShock has solidified its status as a timeless classic, often celebrated as one of the greatest video games ever created.
6. BioShock 2
Following the original BioShock, the next installment, BioShock 2, was crafted by 2K Marin instead of Irrational Games. In this sequel, players don the imposing suit of a Big Daddy and plunge back into the underwater world of Rapture, set eight years after the first game’s storyline.
In the BioShock games in order, players take on the role of a Big Daddy known as Subject Delta. This towering character embarks on a journey through the remnants of Rapture, seeking out a Little Sister he once safeguarded. Throughout his quest, he finds himself hunted by Sofia Lamb, a scientist who has stepped into the power void created by the demise of Frank Fontaine and Andrew Ryan.
BioShock 2 expanded on the gameplay and themes established in the original title, featuring a wide range of powerful Big Daddy weapons. A notable addition to the experience is a new mechanic that involves players protecting Little Sisters as they collect Adam.
7. BioShock 2: Minerva’s Den
An add-on for BioShock 2 that takes place concurrently with the primary storyline, Minerva’s Den centers on another Big Daddy known as Subject Sigma. His mission involves locating and gaining access to The Thinker, the mainframe computer of Rapture. Sigma collaborates with its architect, Charles Milton Porter, to accomplish this goal.
Minerva’s Den presents a brief adventure that enriches the essential lore of Rapture while introducing fresh equipment such as the Ion Laser and Gravity Well Plasmid. This chapter effectively concludes the chronological sequence of the BioShock Games in Order.
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source: Gamerode