Great Moments in Jump Scares: Bioshock

The original Bioshock is known to be the scariest game in the series.  Its creepy atmosphere and even creepier enemies make for some wonderful moments of pure jump-out-of-your-seat fear.  In this article, we're going to look at some of the notable jump scares in Bioshock.  Keep in mind that this is by no means an inclusive list of all jump scares in the game, just a few that I find to be the most memorable.  So sit back, turn off all the lights, and enjoy!

The Morgue

Let's start off by talking about the morgue level in Bioshock.  A place with mass storage of dead bodies?  You know the developers couldn't miss out on this golden opportunity to give you a fright. Upon entering the storage area, you'll find that it's dimly lit, with giant blood splatters on the floor, and corpses lying on tables.  Towards the back of the room, you'll notice the shadow of a Splicer projected on the wall, but you can't see him since he happens to be standing around a corner (see below pic for clarification).

I have a bad feeling about this.

As you approach the back of the room, the lights abruptly flicker off, only to come back on after a few seconds.  You'll find that the Splicer has vanished without a trace.  As you head back to exit the morgue the clever and cruel Splicer will jump out at you from one of the corpse storage containers, finally relieving you of the tension, but not after causing your heart to momentarily stop.

Not-So-Dead Bodies

Towards the end of the game, you'll find that the developers had another nasty trick up their sleeves.  Throughout Bioshock you encounter countless corpses lying here and there; half-way through the game you'll get used to them and consider them part of the scenery.  However, around the time that the major plot twist occurs, you'll start encountering corpses that aren't corpses at all: they are merely Splicers lying in wait to ambush you.

Needless to say this catches you off guard, as you can never quite tell when a body is going to jump up and scream into your face.  At this point in the game, I found myself firing bolts of electricity at every single dead body I came across, just to avoid being caught by surprise.

The Dentist

This is what I consider to be the biggest scare in the game.  It's not a flashy scare involving a door banging open or someone screaming in your face, but it's just plain creepy.  There is a small dentist's office located in Bioshock, which contains a power-up and some other goodies.  Immediately upon setting foot in here, you know something is wrong.  A thick mist begins to fall from the ceiling, obscuring your view, and when it clears you'll find a nice corpse has been placed in front of you.

Do we really have to go in there?

If you decide to soldier on into the back of the office to pick up the power-up, the mist begins to briefly fall again.  As you turn around to head back, you'll find that the dentist himself (a haggard-looking Splicer) is standing right behind you, just inches from your face.  This is where people usually experience one of the following reactions:

• You don't immediately notice him standing there, but then you do a double-take before freaking out (my reaction).
• You immediately scream in fear and unload a full clip of ammo into him.

I don't know what it is, but the fact that he silently creeps up behind you still makes me shudder to this day.  This is truly a brilliant scare tactic, and one that must be seen for yourself.  If you don't own Bioshock, here is a video of the complete dentist's office experience:


And that about wraps up our look at some of the great jump scares in Bioshock.  If you guys played this game, did you find these to be memorable moments?  If not, what elements of the game scared you the most?

The Freaks of Bioshock, Part 1: Splicers

Bioshock is a great game with an even greater atmosphere to experience.  If you can use your imagination and get past the fact that it is impossible to build such a city as Rapture, then you really feel as if you are exploring the wreckage of a once-grand underwater metropolis.  The eery environments are made even creepier due to the fact that you know you are going to encounter a myriad of the game's signature freaks, some of which will gladly appear at unexpected moments when your guard is down.

Since there are so many weird character types in Bioshock, this will be a multiple part blog series, starting with the creepiest inhabitants of Rapture: the Splicers.

The Splicers are the most common type of enemies encountered during your trip to Rapture.  They were once normal citizens who fell victim to the popular trend of splicing, which involves using a substance called ADAM to rewrite a person's DNA.  The result is that the person gains superpowers, but at the cost of destabilizing his or her body cells.  In other words, they go insane and their bodies become hideously deformed.  In addition, splicing causes a drug-like addiction, so as a result you have yourself a top-notch psychopath.  Quite a few of the Splicers are ashamed of how deformed their faces have become, and wear masks to hide it.  However the masks can be knocked off, and not all Splicers wear masks, so you are bound to be creeped out no matter what.

WHERE'S...MY.......ADAM??!!

Splicers come in many forms, such as the Thuggish Splicer (pictured above), and the Leadhead Splicer, who attack you with blunt objects and guns respectively.

There are also more super-powered variants such as the Spider Splicer, who can climb on walls and ceilings, and tend to drop down right in your face when they attack.

Spider Splicer

It is worth noting that in Bioshock 2, Spider Splicers have become extremely deformed, and are probably the creepiest enemies in the game:

Spider Splicer in Bioshock 2

One of the most challenging Splicer types is the Houdini Splicer.  This Splicer has the ability to teleport to different areas of the room, as well as the ability to blast you with fireballs when attacking you head on.

Houdini Splicer

Now, keep in mind that you encounter these cheerful citizens of Rapture in dark, quiet, abandoned locations.  Needless to say, there are plenty of jump out of your seat moments in Bioshock, and that's part of what makes this game such an entertaining experience.