Only a few game designers or game developers dare to set their games underwater. And Irrational Games is one of the brave ones who made the jump back in 2007 with BioShock. The studio managed to show what happens when a man decides to build a society at the bottom of the ocean. The consensus is fairly clear. BioShock is one of the must-play titles ever produced. A big chunk of the praise comes from the narrative. Let’s not forget, it bagged individual awards for its story, writing, and dialogue. No wonder it gave us several utterly captivating lines.
Many fans await the fourth installment in the first-person shooter video game franchise. For now, it’s a great time to revisit some of the quotes that let the original game make its mark.
The Story of BioShock
BioShock follows Jack after his plane crashes into Rapture. An underwater society built for the greatest minds without government and moral limitations. Jack receives a call for help over the radio and goes on a supposed rescue mission. He’s also pulled into the conflict tearing Rapture apart. All while trying to escape back to the surface.
The game starts as a fight for survival. Exploring the Rapture. Battling Splicers. Collecting weapons and Plasmids. Following instructions. But the same journey gradually reveals what happened before Jack got there — while also revealing what the game really conveys. It leads you to the famous “Would you kindly?” plot twist that shows you what the game has been doing to you the whole time.
BioShock is a story about who gets to give the orders. Everyone who tells you what to do has a reason to want you moving in a particular direction. It turns out to be a story about free will and manipulation. At one point, you’ll realize how easily you follow instructions you never question.
And those themes ripple through the dialogue.
Quotes from BioShock
Jack, the playable protagonist, rarely speaks. That leaves much of the game’s storytelling in the hands of the characters around him. As such, here are some of the voices that provide many of the game’s standout lines:
Andrew Ryan
Andrew Ryan is Rapture’s creator. Most of his lines show his belief that he built something better than the world above. That philosophy makes his dialogue confident and philosophical. You can feel his drive to win and his disdain for anyone who disagrees. Even as a brutal and paranoid madman, Andrew is considered one of the most important voices in the game.
- “Is a man not entitled to the sweat of his brow?”
- “A man chooses. A slave obeys.”
- “We all make choices, but in the end, our choices make us.”
- “I came to this place to build the impossible. You came to rob what you could never build.”
- “A man builds. A parasite asks ‘Where is my share?’ A man creates. A parasite says, ‘What will the neighbors think?’ A man invents. A parasite says, ‘Watch out, or you might tread on the toes of God…”
- “A season for all things! A time to live and a time to die, a time to build… and a time to destroy!”
- “Even in a book of lies sometimes you find truth.”
- “There’s two ways to deal with mystery: uncover it, or eliminate it.”
- “God did not plant the seeds of this Arcadia… I did.”
- “I believe in no God, no invisible man in the sky. But there is something more powerful than each of us, a combination of our efforts, a Great Chain of industry that unites us.”
Atlas / Frank Fontaine
Atlas initially appears to be Jack’s ally in BioShock. At first, he seems sympathetic and gives Jack instructions. But later, he’s revealed to be the criminal Frank Fontaine in disguise. A mastermind who aims to take over Rapture.
- “Would you kindly?”
- “I know you must feel like the unluckiest man in the world right now, but you’re the only hope I’ll ever see my wife and child again.“
- “Nice work, boyo!”
- “It’s time to end this little masquerade. There ain’t no ‘Atlas’, kid, never was.”
- “But you’ve been a sport, so I guess I owe you a little honesty. The name’s Frank Fontaine.”
- “That’s why this hurts, kid. Life isn’t strictly business.”
- “You think you’re some kind of hero? I ordered you up from Suchong like a Chinese dinner.”
- “Now if you don’t call that family, I DON’T KNOW WHAT IS!”
Sander Cohen
Sander Cohen might be the strangest person Jack encounters in BioShock who has turned Fort Frolic into his personal playground. He’s a composer, playwright, poet, and a sculptor. His dialogue is theatrical and often disturbing.
- “WELCOME — to — Fort Frolic!”
- “My muse is a fickle b**** with a very short attention span!”
- “The Artist has a duty, to seduce the ear and delight the spirit.”
- “I’ve waited so long for something tasty to come to this little burg, but all that pass are yokels and rubes.”
- “Oh, I’m feeling full, like an expectant momma!”
- “When I am dust, this is what they’ll point to! My Quadtych! My masterpiece.”
- “I don’t need to be judged by you, by anyone!”
The Rest of the Characters in BioShock
- “You gave them the one thing that was stolen from them: A chance. A chance to learn, to find love, to live.” – Brigid Tenenbaum
- “Once Big Daddy is ready, nobody cross the Big Daddy.” – Suchong
- “Here’s a toast to Diane McClintock, silliest girl in Rapture. Silly enough to fall in love with Andrew Ryan.” – Diane McClintock
- “I don’t know if killing Mr. Ryan will stop the war, but I know it won’t stop while that man breathes…” – Bill McDonagh
Lighter Moments in BioShock
- “They told me, ‘Son, you’re special. You were born to do great things.’ You know what? They were right.”
- “Come on, Mr. B! The Angels are waiting for our kisses!”
- “Thank you, Mister. Thank you.”
Philosophical. Unsettling. Bizarre. BioShock has quotes that represent plenty of voices and personality. These lines help make the underwater story one of gaming’s most memorable titles.
