Gameplay

You begin with the goal of finding your now-grown Little Sister, Eleanor, because you will die if you try to escape Rapture without her. As one half of the first successful pair-bonding of a Big Daddy to Little Sister, you share a psychic connection that apparently includes a failsafe to prevent abandonment. The bond also allows her to contact you via hazy hallucination, keeping you on the right track and informing you of major developments in the enemy’s camp.

Coincidentally (or not), your girl is being held in a stronghold clear on the other side of Rapture. You make use of the internal rail system to make your way there, but a variety of obstacles periodically halt your progress, forcing you to disembark and venture into the surrounding area to find a way to get moving again. In the meantime, you learn how to be a rogue Daddy, poaching other Little Sisters and using them to procure ADAM, which you need to purchase plasmids and other genetic upgrades.

Known as Subject Delta, you are the most advanced of the Daddies. Though still permanently confined to a diving suit, you are much more agile and enjoy higher intellectual functions than later models. Basically, players disliked the Big Daddy suit sequence in the first game, so they chucked that and gave you the same mobility as a normal human. The only difference now is the loud stomping noises coming from the weighted boots you wear.


From the start, you use traditional Daddy weapons like a drill arm and rivet gun, though they are not fixed to your arm as on a Bouncer or Rosie. Many more offensive utensils are found throughout the game, such as a .50 caliber gatling gun and a double-barreled shotgun. The selection is not limited to standard FPS fare, however, as things like a utility launcher that shoots remote hacking darts and the sniper rifle analogue that pins bad guys to the wall with reusable spears are both unconventional and a ton of fun to use.

Each gun has up to 3 different types of ammo that are useful in various situations – such as anti-personnel rounds, heavy rivets, and phosphorous shot – and can be upgraded via single-use “Power to the People” workbenches. Most upgrades enhance firepower by increasing damage or reducing recoil, but special ammunition like proximity rivets, mini-turrets, and electrified tripwire spears can be used to set traps for an indirect approach. Hack security cameras and sentry turrets for an increased chance of survival.