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For the removed content from BioShock, BioShock Infinite and Burial at Sea, see Removed Content.

Before its final version, BioShock 2 was submitted to numerous ideas from its developers, 2K Marin. This article's purpose is to reveal all recorded content that did not make it to the game, or that was modified beforehand. However, since the following elements were removed or unused on purpose from the final version of the game, they should not be considered canon to the game's history, nor as an actual part of its universe.

Original Ideas[]

The initial ideas that didn't get far because of development time and demands were based in a different city with a different philosophy. According to Jordan Thomas, "It would have been a utilitarian utopia, based on the idea of minimizing suffering. Some people would say kind of more communist, a nanny state gone wrong. The opposite of what Andrew Ryan would want. Saving you from yourself." A few different ideas for setting were discussed, such as a city floating on the surface of the sea, a flying city, and space. The last version of this idea ended up still being underwater, but it was a city floating above Rapture that moved in and scavenged off of it after the collapse. "The parasite that Andrew Ryan talks about so often in a philosophical sense". The idea for the design was "white, red, curved, and more Art Nouveau than Art Deco", very similar to the design of the Little Sister sequence near the end of the final game. After being informed that he had to return to Rapture, the idea changed to "playing as a former Little Sister, in an underpowered return to Rapture, full of fertile trauma that would be uncovered as you went. Very Silent Hill.", focusing much more on a horror-oriented pace and vulnerability. After being informed that 2K saw BioShock as a big shooter franchise, along the lines of Gears of War or Call of Duty, direction changed and grew out of the way Thomas saw FPS characters as lumbering and vehicle-esque.[1][2]

Characters[]

The following will not only detail characters who were entirely removed from the game but also altered versions of their part in the game's story.

Main Characters[]

Subject Delta[]

BioShock 2 - Subject Delta

Beta Subject Delta in Hunting of Big Sister video.

At the point the Hunting the Big Sister trailer was released, the player did not yet have their own model. As such, the video shows the placeholder of a Rosie model to represent the player, instead. Delta's design went through many iterations of size, helmet, equipment, color, and even as simple as his faceplate shape. One iteration of his design looked like a slight variant of the Bouncer.

An idea for the player's iris aperture (the glove openings) was that he would have a parasite protruding from his forearm. Instead of actually experimenting humans to make the early Big Daddies, they would use the parasites to test Plasmids. The iris would open and the parasite would fire the Plasmids. Concept art also reveals that the team went through many concepts when entering the Little Sister's eyes, from seeing him as an all-American father figure to a superhero to a gold knight in shining armor.

Eleanor Lamb[]

Eleanor Lamb was originally to be the Big Sister, back when there was a single Big Sister in Rapture who was to hunt Subject Delta. This was also to be one of the plot twists of the game (revealing the Little Sister that belonged to Delta was now the main antagonist), but the developers thought this twist was too predictable. Eleanor's role had changed for the game (although she does become a Big Sister in the last act for helpful purposes), and the single Big Sister became multiple Big Sister boss battles.

In some removed "ADAM Visions",[3] it was to be revealed that Eleanor is the biological daughter of Subject Delta. Apparently, Sofia Lamb had obtained genetic material from Subject Delta while he was a test subject in Fontaine Futuristics and used it to produce Eleanor. For reasons unknown, this too was scrapped.

However, another unused file shows they also planned to make it clear she was not Delta's daughter. [4]

Eleanor's Doll[]

The game features a handmade Big Daddy doll owned by Eleanor Lamb and was made to look like Subject Delta, but the artist was told to make a "Big Daddy doll" so they went for the signature look; the Bouncer. The Bouncer plush can be seen in the teaser for BioShock 2.[5] Eleanor's plush was once a white teddy bear.[6]

Sofia Lamb[]

In the ultimately abandoned introduction to BioShock 2 (see "Prelude" section below), Sofia Lamb was to act as a guide over the radio. Similar to how Atlas lead Jack in BioShock, Sofia would have instructed Subject Delta as he navigated Eleanor through the deteriorating city. Once Delta reached Sofia at her safe point, she would betray him, take Eleanor, and kill him just as she does in the opening cinematic of the final version of the game.

Augustus Sinclair[]

Augustus Sinclair ''Desi Arnaz'' Concept

Sinclair's chiseled jaw.

Sinclair's first model was originally based off of Cuban-American actor Desi Arnaz, but that changed with his personality as he was further developed.

A video without audio of Augustus Sinclair tied up in Persephone exists in the game files (gul_sinc_dies), which was left unused.

BioShock_2-_Sinclair_is...tied_up?

BioShock 2- Sinclair is...tied up?

Major Characters[]

Brigid Tenenbaum[]

Brigid Tenenbaum originally had a much larger role in BioShock 2 during development. Similar to the first game, she was meant to give the player gifts for saving Little Sisters. When the story was finalized, the designers had decided this was "not important for her," and her part was minimized. The role of rewarding kindness was then given to Eleanor Lamb.

Tenenbaum did manage to get a bigger role in the Minerva's Den DLC, by awakening and helping Subject Sigma throughout the game.

Until the development of BioShock 2, Tenenbaum's first name was spelled "Bridgette", which was changed to "Brigid." The change stayed in the rest of the series.

Brigid Tenenbaum's BioShock 2 Gift/Anger Radio Messages
Tenenbaum (When saved Little Sister) Tenenbaum (When harvested Little Sister)
1st LS
2nd LS
3rd LS
4th LS

Grace Holloway[]

According to concept art, a poster reveals that Grace would have had a duet partner named Stanley, both of whom would have performed at a nightclub named "The Deep Blue (Sea) Revue" under the company "Rapture Tone Recordings". Storyboard concepts also suggest that Grace would have been stationed in her dressing room at The Limbo Room instead of her secret room in The Sinclair Deluxe.

Stanley Poole[]

StanleyPooleHawaiianShirtConcept

Stanley with a Hawaiian shirt.

Stanley had another character model with a period-appropriate Hawaiian shirt. The producers stated that it was too "out of place" for the setting and that it felt too modern.

Unused radio correspondences from Dionysus Park reveal that Stanley's personality and role were quite different from what's portrayed in the game's final product. Initially, he enlists Subject Delta into getting photographic proof of Ava Tate's illicit activities. The dialogue paints him as a stuttering, prudish, campaigner for truth and moral decency who views Splicers as deplorable moral degenerates. There were many hints that he and Grace Holloway were married (suggesting that the "Stanley" in the "Deep Blue Revue" poster mentioned above really is him), and they raised Eleanor together when Sofia was arrested. He likely would have cared deeply for the young girl. Despite having to give up their roles as a duet group for The Limbo Room, Stanley appeared happy though would often sneak out and returning sickly looking. According to Grace Holloway's unused audio diaries, Stanley would have had a "bad boy" attitude and at one point, left Grace sometime after Eleanor's disappearance. He believes that he never engaged in Splicing, though the evidence shows that he did heavily. He appears to be suffering from amnesia or schizophrenia, possibly as a result of his Splicing.

Gilbert Alexander[]

Gilbert originally made the Big Sister costume and was in contact with the Big Sisters that would have mutated him. There was an idea where if Gil was in control of all the ADAM, wherever the ADAM-Infused Plant appeared indicated his prior presence in that location, showing his influence over ADAM as well as the plant life surrounding him.

Minor Characters[]

Ava Tate[]

Ava Tate was intended to be an important character working under Sofia Lamb. Juliet Landau, who also voiced the Little Sisters in BioShock recorded her speaking roles, but the character was mostly cut from the game. Much of Tate's character was repurposed for Mlle Blanche de Glace.

It appears that Ava Tate's role changed drastically before she was ultimately cut. Unused radio messages from Dionysus Park reveal that her full name is Ava-Marie Tate and that she is of French Canadian extraction. In Rapture's heyday, she was one of the most acclaimed filmmakers in the city and served as a propaganda mill for Andrew Ryan. Similar to how Sander Cohen lauded Ryan and his policies through song, Tate did so through film. She was responsible for having both Subject Delta and Sofia Lamb "erased" from public records. During the events of BioShock 2, she and her network of informants are located in the still pristine Dionysus Park, which she owns, where they throw wild, ADAM-fueled parties. The goal of the level appears to be to gather video evidence with the Research Camera of Tate's illicit activities. Stanley Poole wants to use the footage to create an exposé and ruin her reputation with the public.

It would then be revealed that it was in fact Stanley himself who had Sofia erased from the public, and later Ava Tate herself. Ava then began working for Lamb while they were both imprisoned in Persephone.

Cindy Meltzer[]

The daughter of Mark Meltzer, encountered in Fontaine Futuristics, was to have a blonde-haired Little Sister model, instead of the brunette seen in-game. This was never implemented because of lack of development time. Jordan Thomas even hoped to add an achievement/trophy for saving her.[7]

Sander Cohen[]

Sander Cohen was actually at one point supposed to reappear in BioShock 2 as a 20-foot-tall Freudian monster bunny.[8] Removed audio diaries from Minerva's Den reveal that he would have been a patient of Sofia Lamb.[9]

Other Minor Characters[]

Audio Diary Portraits[]

Many characters had alternate audio diary portraits, with changes ranging from minor details to completely different images. Characters with alternate audio diary portraits are: Audrey Hesselgren, Billy Parson, Daniel WalesDusky Donovan, Gideon Wyborn and Leo Hartwig. Besides alternate audio diary portraits, the game files also feature unused audio diary portraits which can be seen below. The fourth portrait on the top row was inspired by the mugshot of Martin E Fobes, who was convicted for driving while intoxicated in 1948.[10] The first portrait on the bottom row was inspired by the mugshot of Martha Beck, who killed approximately 20 women with her partner Raymond Fernandez.[11] The fourth portrait on the second row was inspired by the mugshot of Dan Willis, who was detained in San Francisco, USA in 1943.[12]

BioShock 2 Multiplayer[]

Icon wilkins leatherhelmet

Danny Wilkins[]

Concept art reveals that Danny would have had a traditional Football helmet as a unique cosmetic feature, similar to the ones worn by the Pigskin Splicer model.[13] It even had its own icon, seen at right.

Louie McGraff[]

Concept art shows Louie's "non-Spliced" model as a much older man than in the final game, with suspender pants and with shorter spiky hair.[13]

Mlle Blanche de Glace[]

Blanche was supposed to be a lot older and "road worn" than what we see in the game. Her idle was about how she had trouble finding jobs because much younger starlets got all the roles. Her nickname was also once "Starlet".[14]

Naledi Atkins[]

Concept art for Naledi shows that her outfit was once a dark green jacket with a waist belt, white/beige jodhpurs pants, white gloves and ascot, and long black boots.[13]

Suresh Sheti[]

Suresh was originally going to be a female, a magician's assistant with a Rockette-style tailcoat and fishnet stockings.[15]

Enemies[]

ToastyConcepts3

Concept for several different Toasty Splicers.

Splicers[]

With certain exceptions, the Splicers in BioShock appear more or less like average people until one gets up close to the individual Splicer models. The makers of BioShock 2 sought to push the envelope and make the Splicers so deformed that they only have the slightest resemblance to human beings. Before the game was finalized, artists toyed with just how far to mutate Rapture's populace. Concept art shows many variations of the Splicer models; more or less hair, more or less sagging skin, a tie or a bow-tie, a tumor located on a different part of the body, etc. In the end, each model's silhouette was finalized with about four color variations available.

Waders[]

Waders DIFF

Wader's unused texture file for BioShock 2.

The game's data includes a texture file for Waders, suggesting that he was intended to reappear in BioShock 2. Although this texture uses the same appearance and design he had in BioShock, it is a newly-created file for BioShock 2 and not a mere reused asset. The art style of this texture is less detailed and realistic than the style used for the other Splicers in BioShock 2, so it is likely that this texture remains from a relatively early point in production.

Brute & Ducky[]

Duckybrute

Officer Brute.

Concept art reveals that there was a proposed idea to combine the Ducky Splicer model's attire with the Brute Splicer. The concept images show the Brute wearing two of Ducky's outfit variants (the security and orderly uniforms) from BioShock 2. It can be assumed this would have been an area-specific choice, much like Toasty's prison uniform being encountered only in Inner Persephone or Lady Smith's nurse uniform in the Medical Pavilion.


Crawler[]

The Crawler Spider Splicer was originally proposed to have an Appalachian accent, but this idea was scraped to make him sound more insane.[citation needed] A second unused model of the Crawler can be found in the game files. This model had an additional mouth on the back of its head caused by mutation from splicing and less torn clothing than the one seen in-game. This model can also be seen in concept art.

Aqua Splicers[]

Several pages of concept art in the Deco Devolution artbook are dedicated to a Splicer that could breathe underwater, named the Aqua Splicer. One designer notes, "...there were two forms to him. When you're inside Rapture, it would be more upright and have a more humanoid look to it. When it would go out in the water, what looked like its arms when it was on land become its legs, more or less and its fins, and that would propel it." These Splicers would have special air sacks with leeches attached. The final model for these Splicers utilized the same silhouette as the Crawler, suggesting that these characters would have been a modified version of the Crawler's model in order to save assets. In the final game, the only enemies that can survive out in the sea are Big Sisters and Big Daddies.

Jesters[]

Concept art depicting tall, thin individuals dressed up in beautiful jester costumes and masks appears in the Deco Devolution artbook. There is no information written about these slender figures, so its impossible to tell whether they would have been enemies or simply appeared as entertainers in the opening cinematic, and during flashbacks (like the Rapture Citizen models). The images in the book do appear alongside the "Survivor" model and two of the designs show no visible mutations. However, the other two Jesters depicted have unnatural or just plain mutated physique. The pose of some of the Jesters suggests they may have been Spider Splicers. Another possibility is that these characters were intended for one of the non-Rapture cities envisioned at the beginning of development.

Survivor[]

Survivor 01

Concept of the Survivor, with character and ammo supply sketches.

Bio2SurvivorModel

The unused Survivor model/s, by Ben Shore.

With the exception of some of the NPCs, the concept of non-spliced people still surviving in Rapture, whom the player may have interacted with, was cut from the final game. These remaining sane citizens would have special breathing apparatuses and wrapped their clothes in duct tape to keep them more water-tight so as to better navigate the deteriorating city. At their "safe house," they would have dressed more normally. When the idea was scrapped, the model was repurposed as a mutated Splicer that only appears in the demo and the opening cinematic.

Gatherers & Protectors[]

SubjectGamaConcepts1

A more hideous, mutated Alpha Series.

Alpha Series[]

Some concepts show that the Alpha Series developed horrible deformities from the splicing experiments performed on them. Some of these deformities were so extreme that some facial features such as eyes and mouths can be seen sticking out of the Big Daddy's helmet.

DemoDaddyModel

The unused and untextured "Demo Daddy" model, by Ben Shore.

Demo Daddy[]

DemoBigDaddyConcepts1

Concept art by Colin Fix.

The Demo Daddy, also known as "Egg Daddy",[16] is an unused Big Daddy model. He was inspired by World War II bombers and is so, a "military defense" Big Daddy, wearing heavy armor and some even shields. The idea was that he would serve as a protector of Rapture, taking care of any submarines nearing the city. Another idea for them to be a more rusted and covered in ocean plants, representing them being left out in the sea, as Rapture went into chaos during the civil war.[17]

Big Sisters[]

At one time, there was going to be a single Big Sister in Rapture who was to hunt Subject Delta. As mentioned above, it would be revealed that this Big Sister was really Eleanor Lamb. At each encounter, Delta would engage her in combat and almost defeat her before she'd run away. This was deemed repetitive and unappealing.

Little Brothers[]

LBconcept

Concept art of Little Brother by Seamas Gallagher.

BioShock 2 explored the concept of "Little Brothers". The idea had been brought up in BioShock with the audio diary Why Just Girls?, but no satisfactory answer had been given for why the ADAM gatherers were exclusively female. Rinaldo Tjan notes in the Deco Devolution artbook, "they were supposed to be like Little Sisters, but they were a failed experiment. Little Brothers were supposed to be aggressive, so they couldn't be used for gathering." There would have been a "Little Brother therapy room" in the Therapy wing of Inner Persephone, but that was repurposed as the Pediatric Wing for the Little Sisters.

Mechanics and Gameplay Elements[]

Main Game[]

Gene Tonics[]

TonicButton
TonicButton
TonicButton
TonicButton
TonicButton
TonicButton
TonicButton

Pneumo Trading[]

PneumoTraderUI

One of the unused UI screens.

The Deco Devolution artbook mentions an early idea for the game involving the player trading for supplies with isolated camps of Rapture survivors through the Pneumo tube system.

PneumoBuyNSellTubeConcept

Concept art for a Pneumo Tube modified for the trading system.

Originally, and this was very heavily affected by the story, we were going to have survivors in Rapture that had hidden out in these camps and needed a way to talk to one another and trade goods back and forth. We came up with the idea of using the Pneumo system. It was a mail system but very simplistic—old pneumatic tube air devices. So I came up with the idea that they would build these glass boxes, like fish tanks, sealed off, and inside they would take junk from Rapture, old TVs and things like that and link them together and make these cobbled together devices that they could stick into Pneumo tubes.
The idea with this one specifically, the TV would show the ammo guy, his list of ammunition, and what he had in his supply cabinet. You'd click him, and he'd say "Hey, how're you doing? I've got ammo here. Do you want this stuff?" Then you would say "I want machine gun ammo." Then he would say, "Oh yeah. Here it is." He would show it to you and give you a price, then you would pay for it and then it would pop up in the Pneumo tube.
In this screen, the bottom right hand corner is smashed like some Splicer hit it with a crowbar because he got mad. Each screen tells its own little story in that you come up with your own ideas about what might have happened to this particular element.
― Jim Ingram, 2K Marin UI artist

The developers had already created a model and several UI screens for the Pneumo trading machine before it was cut from the final version of the game. Dubbed "Buy N Sell", concept shows a Pneumo tube fashioned with various equipment, wiring, and parts, such as a microphone, antenna, and projector. The Pneumo Trading Machine was ultimately removed because the Survivors idea was no longer a part of the storyline.[18]

"Splicers Fearing The Drill" Mechanic[]

The player was originally going to be able to scare weak enemies by revving up the drill, as seen from the Hunting the Big Sister trailer.

Eden[]

In the Deco Devolution artbook, many of the concept art show that ADAM was used to create a drug called Eden in the later years of Rapture. The new drug would have been taken by Delta while exploring one of Ava's wild parties in the preserved version of Dionysus Park. The drug would have caused powerful hallucinations, making Delta see memories from his past, large marionette puppets, and even a 20 foot Cohen monster bunny.

Ghosts[]

Although BioShock 2 does not feature ghosts, its launch trailer does contain a scene featuring a large assortment of them dancing. As revealed by BioShock 2 Creative Director Jordan Thomas in an interview with GamesRadar, the idea of ghosts and genetic memories would have originally played a role in BioShock 2: "There were a number of playable flashbacks, which had a prequel-like flavor, but were much more subjective, like memories that you were uncovering. But they were terrible. What Rapture was like in its heyday appeals on paper, but it meant you really couldn’t play the game. Players sleepwalked through each scene, which was pretty, but not particularly convincing."

Submarines/Personal Bathyspheres[]

Concept shows variants of a submarine design, possibly for when Bathysphere travel was considered before the Atlantic Express became the main mode of transportation. The only trace left of this concept is a poster of Austen Streamliner, whose design mirrors a variation of the original concept art.

Muni Waste[]

Concept variations show a dumbwaiter device or a chute used to dispose of trash and waste. Not much is known in terms of gameplay, but its many design variations show that it would have appeared across many different locations, perhaps dumping into the scrapped garbage dump in Pauper's Drop.

Underwater Combat[]

Underwater Combat was planned to be implemented into the game and have more open underwater levels than what was seen in-game. It was scrapped due to time constraints.

Unused Research Menu[]

A research menu still exists in the game files yet remains unused. It composed of a list of enemies that had been recorded as well as a progress bar with graduations denoting each reward that the player could obtain with already obtained rewards listed underneath it.

Multiplayer[]

Landmark Statues[]

Concepts for many different statues were made early on in the process when the size of the maps was uncertain. The idea was to give the player landmarks within the maps. Some of these statues are seen in the multiplayer versions of Fort FrolicDionysus Park, the Farmer's Market and the Kashmir Restaurant.

Interactive Elements[]

Concepts for multiplayer levels show interactive objects that would open new paths, block pathways or kill other players or operate just for novelty. The only examples of this are seen in:

Neptune's Bounty: Where a player can shift a net full of fish or a crane full of scrap to block a turret's line of sight with a control lever. 

Arcadia: When the player approaches the tree in the glass dome in the middle of the Research Laboratories, a green gas is released from it. 

Kashmir Restaurant: The player can shoot the New Year's Eve cake in the middle of the dining foyer, causing it to splatter. The sticks of TNT hidden in the stalls in the restroom will explode when struck or shot.

Singleplayer Levels[]

Prelude[]

Main article: Prelude

New Year's Eve Riots[]

In the retail version of BioShock 2, the introduction level is Adonis Luxury Resort, though it was the last to be created during the game's development. Also, it is named Prelude-2 in the game's files for a simple reason: developers at 2K Marin had already created a Prelude level which was eventually scrapped. This level would have been the famous first level of BioShock (or parts of it), Welcome to Rapture, but recreated as what it looked like during the 1958 New Year's Eve and the bombing at the Kashmir Restaurant.

This introduction would have been a playable flashback in which the player controlled Subject Delta, protecting Eleanor Lamb (as a Little Sister) inside the Kashmir Restaurant when the bombs went off, and the 1958 New Year's Eve riots erupted. At the end of the flashback, Subject Delta would have woken up in the ruins of the flooded Kashmir Restaurant ten years after the events of the first BioShock game.[19]

The only parts of this unused level left in the BioShock 2's files are the introduction cinematic of the game (which shows a slightly different version of the level), the loading screen images that would have been displayed during its loading (featured in the gallery below), and radio messages. The two Partygoer models also have a bloodied and beaten up variant which would have likely been seen during the attack on the Kashmir.

Ryan Industries Protector Labs[]

According to BioShock 2's concept artist Devin St.Clair, the Prelude level was to include a Ryan Industries Protector laboratory, as seen in the pictures below. An unused radio message from Lamb revealed that a maintenance elevator in the laboratory would have led straight to the Welcome Pavilion.

Deep Sea Explorer[]

Another cut idea was for a deep sea diver to be sunk down in a bathysphere connected to a boat (USS Jani) in 1957. While being sunk to the bottom, the sphere suffers some technical issues thanks to the pressure. While at the bottom, the diver exits the sphere and starts to walk on the seabed, connected with an air tube to the sphere. When walking, he witnesses a light and is shocked to see the underwater city of Rapture. While watching the city, several torpedoes are launched at the USS Jani. The diver is dragged towards the sphere when the captain of the boat starts to reel it back up. The diver loses control of himself and ends up pulling off the tube and sinking down, with the bathysphere falling after him. The scene ends with a reflection of the diver's eye being seen on a broken piece of glass. This idea might have been how the man who became Subject Delta found Rapture.

Ryan Amusements[]

The Hall of the Future wing of Ryan Amusements, was meant to be more than just a showcase of Plasmids. Concepts show the wing also showcased ADAM's origin, showing displays, harvesting methods, and dissections of the Sea Slug, as well as the substance known as ADAM, along with a portrait of the person who discovered the slug connection (shown to be a man, not Tenenbaum, in the concept art).

The concept shows one final diorama in the Rapture Memorial Museum of a man in a diving suit (similar to that of the Big Daddies) in a heroic pose, with the words "Welcome to Rapture" behind a miniature cityscape. The statue was designed to imply that Big Daddies were originally created to be the workers that built the city. This final diorama was ultimately replaced by the destroyed exhibit in the final game.

Pauper's Drop[]

Pauper's Drop was going to feature a garbage dump. There was an idea for a guy who was vending batteries and fresh drinking water at the Drop. Some of these items can still be seen in the stalls of the Skid Row marketplace. There were also scripted rooms, dubbed "Dream Room," where the player would experience ghostly memories or flashbacks before the idea was cut.

Pauper's Drop would have also featured dead Big Daddies placed in various locations as a way to show Grace Holloway's hatred towards all Protectors following Eleanor's abduction. The Big Daddies are an essential part of Sofia Lamb's ADAM-gathering plan, and the player still has to gather in Pauper's Drop, so, in the final game, Grace's vendetta is focused squarely on Subject Delta. The Sinclair Deluxe had two dead Daddies, lynched and strung up from the upper floor balconies in the atrium. The district's Atlantic Express train station had a corpse hanging above a bonfire and labeled "Baby Snatcher." One was by a collapsed tunnel near the Fishbowl Diner with a sign reading "Your Kind Aint Welcome" placed. This final one is still present in the game; however, with the sign gone, the scene looks like the result of an accidental cave-in. The hanging Big Daddies in the Sinclair Deluxe can still be seen in one of the loading screen images at the start of the Pauper's Drop level.

The Sinclair Deluxe[]

The hanging Big Daddy was replaced late in the development process with Blue Morpho butterflies fluttering around butterfly feeders. There were at least two versions of the Atrium with different assets in the center by the elevator in place of the sandbags that are present in-game. One version had a round bench, which can still be seen in the above-mentioned loading screen image at the start of the Pauper's Drop level. A separate iteration had a "Deluxe Play Ground" consisting of an impromptu slide and jungle gym play area set up for young Eleanor beneath the hanged corpse. The latter version can be seen in the above gallery.

Siren Alley[]

Siren Alley and Pauper's Drop were originally meant to be combined in one level. They would have been one large slum, containing elements like a diner, a church, a brothel, etc. One of the main ideas for this level was that it would have a Film Noir style and atmosphere. Eventually, the designers decided there were too many important elements for one level, so it was split into two: the slum (Pauper's Drop) and the red light district (Siren Alley).

Dionysus Park[]

Early Dionysus Park Promenade Concept Art

Early concept art for the preserved Dionysus Park.

Dionysus Park was first designed as a totally preserved, uncorrupted, section of Rapture untouched by the civil war. Development was far along before they decided it was previously flooded. Removed radio messages reveal that the park was owned by the movie producer Ava Tate. She used the space to entertain her followers with extravagant ADAM (now called Eden) fueled parties. An early idea was for a doorway out of the art gallery space which led to an indoor forest. This was an experiment with spatial surrealism that ultimately failed. Dionysus Park was also in one point to be flooded in-game and the entrance was to be through the atrium of Fort Frolic, which also had become completely flooded since the events of the original BioShock.

Concept art also exists for a preserved Triton Cinema, which would have been showing MGM's The Wizard of Oz at the time of Delta's arrival. There were also ideas about film studios in the park that never made it into the final stage. Stanley Poole would have used the Cinema as a hideout and would have shown Delta film reels of his past life as 'Johnny Topside'.

Fontaine Futuristics[]

The Fontaine Futuristics level was to have been 90%-100% out in the ocean, rather than inside a building. The player would have to try to find a way to safely float down the ocean trench behind Fontaine Futuristics to reach Persephone. There was a balloon ride device idea where the player would ride the balloon to float to the bottom.

An area in Fontaine Futuristics would have shown the players how ADAM was extracted from the Little Sisters without killing them in the process. Not much is known about this concept, but it was described by the game developers as being quite brutal.

Persephone[]

Persephone, dubbed "Eden" in the caption, was meant to look beautiful and maintained. The idea was that once Sofia Lamb took over the facility, she wanted to make her own utopia, so she tried to make everything to be communal. Originally, the structure was meant to have more Art Deco elements on it. The drapery envisioned in this previous concept of the level was later reformatted for the Little Sister's vision. A picture in the Deco Devolution: The Art of BioShock 2 shows a cafeteria, which was at one point part of the Little Sister's vision.

Inner Persephone[]

The aforementioned Little Brothers would have had Little Brother Therapy Rooms to be here, but the idea of Little Brothers was cut altogether. The therapy rooms are seen in the games are for Little Sisters.

Multiplayer Levels[]

Arcadia[]

Arcadia concept

Concept for the Arcadia entrance.

The entrance of Arcadia would have been a part of the multiplayer map as seen from concept art, instead of just being by the locked gates.[20]

Fleet Hall[]

The Fleet Hall from BioShock's Fort Frolic was to be a multiplayer level. The stage of the Fleet Hall was supposed to have various sets built up, and the player could interact by dropping hanging walls to make new pathways, block pathways, and even kill other players. The idea was cut, being replaced by the Triton Cinema found in Dionysus Park in single player mode.[21]

Point Prometheus[]

Ss preview bio24

Concept art for Point Prometheus.

The museum was to feature a Giant Seahorse, but in the finished game, the Seahorse is covered. The museum was also going to be very bright with flashing lights and contain skeletons of animals found on the surface. There was to be a "Plasmids Wing" with many cardboard cutouts showcasing the power of Plasmids, but in the final game, the wing is under construction. Many of the cutouts were of the multiplayer characters, such as Barbara Johnson or Oscar Calraca, which were meant to shock players who would shoot the cutouts, mistaking them for other players.[22]

Neptune's Bounty[]

With the inclusion of Sinclair Metals, previously dubbed Ryan Scrap Metal, concept shows wrecked planes and ships in holding areas, possibly brought in from the seabed to be salvaged for parts or to be reduced into scrap.[23]

Fort Frolic[]

UnnusedMallDirectoryMPFrolic

The unused Fort Frolic directory.

As with the Point Prometheus map, a directory map was made for the Fort Frolic map as well, designed by Philip Simmons.[24] However, this mall directory did not make it into the final version of the game.

Siren Song Studios[]

A piece of concept art indicates there was going to be a level set on a film studio's soundstage that produced a multitude of film productions as well as propaganda-type films. The studio would have housed sets ranging from old Westerns to urban streets and included a studio tour tram similar to those given in American movie studios in the early 1960's that ran along a rail system. A caption entailed that there were ideas to have a film studio in Dionysus Park, but no concepts were surfaced.[25]

Athena Steam Works[]

Athenasteam

Athena Steam Works.

A concept art called "Athena Steam Works" shows a removed original idea for some sort of underground industrial area.[26]

Minerva's Den[]

Original Pitch[]

Minerva's Den was originally going to be a "retelling" of System Shock 2. Much like seen in the final version, The Thinker was supposed to imitate Charles Milton Porter and guide the player through the game, but unlike the finished product, Charles Milton Porter was dead the whole time which would be revealed at the end of the game. This mirrors SHODAN's role in System Shock 2, where she uses the persona of the deceased Dr. Janice Polito to guide the player. Jordan Thomas and Zac McClendon were not fans of the idea, and so Steve Gaynor, the presenter of the pitch, decided to give the Big Daddy protagonist the identity of Charles Milton Porter. Minerva's Den was still conceptually branched off of System Shock 2, with, as an example, SHODAN being a direct influence to The Thinker.[27][28]

Architecture[]

Oldminervasden

Concept art of Minerva's original design.

Minerva's Den was originally planned to have had a much more Greek appearance. The building would have been quite small compared to Rapture's skyscrapers but would have been built high up on an inactive volcano rather than low down on the seabed as it is in the final game, thus giving it the same height as other buildings in Rapture. Much of the facility would have been hidden inside of the volcano.

Hydro-Power[]

Hydopower

The hydro-electric plant beneath Minerva's Den.

Concept art reveals that the facility's power was retrieved from a hydro-electric power plant built in the caves beneath Minerva's Den. The pumps would have been viewable from The Thinker's chamber. In the end, there is no reference to hydro-electric power in the Den, so it must be assumed that Minerva's Den is being powered by Hephaestus like much of Rapture.

The Big Ben of Rapture[]

Minervasclockconcept

A large clock was originally planned to be located at the top of Minerva's Den. The clock would have been illuminated from the inside, allowing it to be seen from all of Rapture. The gears located in the center of the structure would have been connected to the facility's computer system and would have been explorable by the player.

Although the clock tower idea did not appear in the finished version of Minerva's Den, a large glass clock was incorporated into the boardroom of the Den's Executive Wing.

Additional The Thinker Statues[]

The Thinker Development Models

A development image for The Thinker level features two additional Rodin's The Thinker statues, in front of the computer of the same name. In the final version of the DLC, a Circus of Values and El Ammo Bandito vending machines are in the statues' place instead.

McClendon Robotics Mural[]

Pre-Launch McClendon Robotics Entrance

The original mural.

The mural seen in the entrance hallway was original slightly different. While the overall concept and layout of the mural stayed the same, the Baby-Minder stroller was originally a Vacuum Bot, the couple looking at a jewelry display had a different appearance, and the "makes life better" slogan read "Life is better". There was also no visible damage on the mural.

Businesses[]

Chemo-Toast[]

Chemo-Toast is a toaster, using chemicals to toast bread. It was advertised to fit more bread than previous toasters/models, less spilled bits and with new safety precautions in the form of extra dials. Concept art (by Joshua Viers[29]) and an advertisement for the toaster was made, but it was cut from the final version of BioShock 2.

Unused and Alternate Advertisements[]

Objects[]

Audio Diaries[]

This is a list of every Audio Diary that was not included in the final version. Please refer to the legend below for clarity in their appearance.

CoR: in the audio files and displayed on the Cult of Rapture website.

AF: in the audio files.

Tr: only present in the game's files as a transcript.

Adonis Luxury Resort[]

Atlantic Express Depot[]

Ryan Amusements[]

Pauper's Drop[]

Siren Alley[]

Dionysus Park[]

Fontaine Futuristics[]

Outer Persephone[]

Inner Persephone[]

Minerva's Den[]

The Thinker[]

Drill Fuel Icon[]

Drill fuel ammo icon

Drill Fuel was originally intended to have a unique icon when looting items or corpses.

Rapture Display Case[]

Bio2 Miniature Rapture Removed Display

Developer Lucas Aceituno[30] designed a Rapture miniature display featuring the city, in an Art Deco display case. The miniature city was used at the entrance of the Rapture Memorial Museum at Ryan Amusements, but the display case was not used.

Radio Messages[]

BioShock 2[]

Adonis Luxury Resort[]

For unused radio messages from this level, see Unused Radio Messages: Prelude.

Atlantic Express[]

For unused radio messages from this level, see Unused Radio Messages: Atlantic Express.

Ryan Amusements[]

For unused radio messages from this level, see Unused Radio Messages: Ryan Amusements.

Pauper's Drop[]

For unused radio messages from this level, see Unused Radio Messages: Pauper's Drop.

Siren Alley[]

For unused radio messages from this level, see Unused Radio Messages: Siren Alley.

Dionysus Park[]

For unused radio messages from this level, see Unused Radio Messages: Dionysus Park.

Fontaine Futuristics[]

For unused radio messages from this level, see Unused Radio Messages: Fontaine Futuristics.

Outer Persephone[]

For unused radio messages from this level, see Unused Radio Messages: Outer Persephone.

Inner Persephone[]

For unused radio messages from this level, see Unused Radio Messages: Inner Persephone.

Minerva's Den DLC[]

Minerva's Den[]

For unused radio messages from this level, see Unused Radio Messages: Minerva's Den.

Operations[]

For unused radio messages from this level, see Unused Radio Messages: Operations.

The Thinker[]

For unused radio messages from this level, see Unused Radio Messages: The Thinker.

References[]

  1. BioShock’s Jordan Thomas Discusses the Acclaimed Trilogy
  2. You Tube: Jordan Thomas (BioShock 2's Creative Director): The Story So Far
  3. Unused Radio Messages: Fontaine Futuristics ABY_S_Bsis_Pairbond_3a and ABY_S_Bsis_Pairbond_3b
  4. Unused Radio Messages: Outer Persephone 13b. Eleanor Lamb - The Meaning of Love
  5. Deco Devolution: The Art of BioShock 2, Big Sisters section, pg 60.
  6. Deco Devolution: The Art of BioShock 2, Little Sisters section, pg 66.
  7. Jordan Thomas on the 2K Forums
  8. An article in Game informer #204 by 2K Games
  9. Sofia Lamb's Removed Audio Diaries: Patient Cohen 1 & Patient Cohen 2
  10. 52 Incredible Vintage Mugshots of New Castle, Pennsylvania, from between the 1930s-40s on Vintage Everyday
  11. Raymond Fernandez and Martha Beck
  12. ledger.9 on Flickr
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 Deco Devolution: The Art of BioShock 2, Weapons section, pg 139.
  14. Deco Devolution: The Art of BioShock 2, Citizen of Rapture section, pg 39.
  15. Deco Devolution: The Art of BioShock 2, Citizen of Rapture section, pg 43.
  16. Ben Shore's Portfolio: "This is a HP model of the "Demo Daddy" that never made it into the final game. We called him Egg Daddy." - Ben Shore
  17. Deco Devolution: The Art of BioShock 2, Big Daddies section, pg 46-49.
  18. Deco Devolution: The Art of BioShock 2, User Interface section, pg 143-144.
  19. BioShock with designer JP LeBreton Part 3 video playthrough hosted by Idle Thumbs
  20. Deco Devolution: The Art of BioShock 2, Environments section, pg 118.
  21. Deco Devolution: The Art of BioShock 2, Environments section, pg 119.
  22. Deco Devolution: The Art of BioShock 2, Environments section, pg 115-117.
  23. Deco Devolution: The Art of BioShock 2, Environments section, pg 121.
  24. Philip Simmons' Portfolio
  25. Deco Devolution: The Art of BioShock 2, Environments section, pg 113.
  26. Deco Devolution: The Art of BioShock 2, Environments section, pg 112.
  27. How System Shock 2 Inspired BioShock 2's Best DLC - IGN Unfiltered on IGN
  28. Playing Through BioShock 2: Minerva's Den With Its Creators - IGN First on YouTube
  29. Joshua Viers' Portfolio
  30. Lucas Aceituno's Portfolio (Archived)
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