Every BioShock Game, Ranked (Including DLC)

BioShock is widely considered one of the greatest video game franchises in history. While the series is comprised of only three main games, each installment has been hugely successful in its own way and has led to the franchise accumulating over 40 million units sold in total. Even though it’s been over a decade since the last installment, fans continue to clamor for a new entry, and publisher 2K is trying to deliver on that fervor with a new game that many are simply calling BioShock 4 for the time being.

With BioShock 4 still in development, I figured that now was as good a time as any to look back at the series so far and rank each game from worst to best. Since there are only three games that make up the BioShock franchise, I’ll also be including standalone expansions/DLC in this ranking to give it a bit more depth.

5. BioShock 2

BioShock 2 is a very good game that simply doesn’t have the same lasting influence as other titles. Putting players in control of a Big Daddy and having them defend the Little Sisters that they had spent time hunting down in the first BioShock was a great spin from one entry to the next. As enemies, the Big Sisters are also the antithesis of Big Daddies and make for great bosses.

Despite all the positives, BioShock 2’s throughline story is easily the least compelling in the series. Sophia Lamb is still a good villain and the added depth and history that Rapture gets is very much welcome. In spite of this, BioShock 2 is quite forgettable, especially when compared to everything else that the series has delivered.

4. BioShock 2: Minerva’s Den

While it only clocks in at a few hours in length, Minerva’s Den outshines the game it’s tied to. This story expansion for BioShock 2 is able to tell a more self-contained story that provides more character depth than anything found in the base game.

Beyond its great writing, Minerva’s Den also adds a variety of gameplay tweaks to make it even more compelling. The new Gravity Well plasmid and Ion Laser, in particular, are some of the coolest weapons that all of BioShock 2 offers and help make gameplay more varied. Minerva’s Den is one of the best expansions of its era and is perhaps the biggest reason to play BioShock 2.

3. BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea

BioShock Infinite’s two-part Burial at Sea expansion serves as the perfect endcap for the series so far. In the wake of Infinite’s universe-jumping narrative, Burial at Sea takes things back to Rapture in a way that combines many of the best elements of the franchise. Its conclusion leads directly into the events of the first game, helping to further tie everything together.

The main shortcoming of Burial at Sea is mainly just that it can be a bit confusing. By trying to more directly link BioShock and BioShock Infinite together, it creates some plot elements that don’t work as well as they should together. Still, it’s hard to be disappointed by Burial at Sea and it feels proper that this is the final release that the franchise has seen over the past decade.

2. BioShock Infinite

Look, BioShock Infinite definitely has problems. The game was mired with all sorts of development struggles that delayed its release multiple times, and those issues can be seen in the final product. Despite all of that, the city of Columbia is one of the most unique and wondrous video game locales ever. To go along with its stellar setting, Infinite’s gameplay is also the best in the entire series.

More so than anything else, though, what really works for me with BioShock Infinite is its narrative. The game’s final twist, in particular, is one that I think is quite effective and helps give the entire franchise a sense of cohesion. Even with its clear drawbacks, Infinite is an excellent experience from start to finish and remains a game that I enjoy revisiting years later.

1. BioShock

BioShock is the best game in the series and it’s not particularly close. All of the core elements that make up a BioShock game began here and were excellently crafted from the jump. Whether it be the unique mixture of RPG and shooter systems, the ability to wield Plasmids, or the boss fights with Big Daddies, BioShock was way ahead of its time and helped influence countless other games that would be released in the years to come.

What continues to make BioShock stand out all of these years later, though, is its storytelling. From a narrative standpoint, BioShock spins one of the best tales that has ever been seen in a video game. Its twist is equal parts iconic and ingenious, as it serves as a meta commentary for playing the game itself. Andrew Ryan, Atlas, Sander Cohen, and the central “character”, Rapture, remain some of the most memorable of the past 20 years.

BioShock isn’t just the top BioShock game so far; it’s one of the best games of all-time. While it has massive shoes to fill, hopefully, BioShock 4 can find a way to tap into what makes this game such a classic.

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