In the simplest terms, the games held within the BioShock series are some of the most well-made games ever produced. Not only do they contain stunning visuals and present a challenge even to the most seasoned gamers while remaining beginner-friendly, but they also contain some of the most fascinating characters in the video gaming world. The story is utterly captivating and its themes are both subtle and apparent in a way that holds onto the viewer and does not let go.
One's choices affect the outcome of the game and those small changes create the opportunity for numerous unique playthroughs and in DLCs. But the greatest thing about the games within the BioShock series is the quotes. These quotes are the kind of quotes that stay with those who enjoy the series long afterward.
Updated June 26, 2021 by Ritwik Mitra: The BioShock trilogy still holds a soft spot in the hearts of many players, which is very much expected given the fact that it's still one of the greatest video games ever made. Ken Levine and Irrational Games showed the world how great an IP could really be in the hands of the right people, with each and every dialogue in the trilogy being powerful enough to stay in the minds of fans long after they're finished with this amazing series. Some of the best BioShock quotes are mentioned below.
20 "Ascension... Ascension... 5,000 feet... 10,000 feet... 15,000 feet... Hallelujah."
BioShock Infinite took a bold turn with its setting, placing players in the shoes of Booker DeWitt as they headed to the floating city of Columbia — an open and beautiful location that's definitely a stark departure from the claustrophobic corridors of Rapture.
The first time players lay eyes on this city is a spectacle, with the voice in the rocket taking him to the sky mentioning the total number of feet that they've ascended... before ending in a poetic "hallelujah" that personifies exactly what the player feels after witnessing the beauty of Columbia for themselves.
19 "My Muse Is A Fickle B**** With A Very Short Attention Span!"
Sander Cohen's presence in the first BioShock might not have lasted for long, but there's no denying the fact that he left a stronger impression that main characters from other big-budget video games. A big part of what made his character so memorable was his wild personality and erratic behavior.
Each and every line of dialogue that this character utters is a source of pure joy. This particular quote from BioShock is delivered with great panache and pretty much compels the player to do exactly what Cohen wants from them.
18 "God Did Not Plant The Seeds Of This Arcadia... I Did."
It was clear to everyone who played BioShock that Andrew Ryan had a bit of a god complex. This BioShock quote is just one of the many instances when this facet of his megalomaniac personality is revealed.
He was so possessive about a forest he bought that he ended up burning it down to the ground instead of handing it over to the government. It's moments like this that go to show just how well-written the characters of BioShock really are.
17 "Now, Would You Kindly Head To Ryan's Office And Kill The Son Of A B****?"
The phrase "would you kindly?" has become legendary in gaming history, and one can thank the first BioShock title for this. After all, this phrase was at the forefront of one of gaming's greatest plot twists.
The moment when Atlas says this quote from BioShock becomes all the more chilling for players who are replaying the game — after all, this was when Frank Fontaine had full control over Jack and his actions.
16 "These Sad Saps. They Come To Rapture Thinking They're Gonna Be Captains Of Industry, But They All Forget That Somebody's Gotta Scrub The Toilets."
After finding out Atlas' true identity, his persona takes on a sinister mask of its own. The things that Fontaine says throughout the game end up making Andrew Ryan sound like an angel in comparison.
One of Fontaine's audio diaries — Sad Saps — pretty much reveals his manipulative personality and how he brainwashed poor people into doing his bidding. The worst part is that he felt nothing for them, and this BioShock quote proves it.
15 "This World Values Children, Not Childhood."
One of the themes of the BioShock series is the preservation of innocence. Characters face all kinds of moral dilemmas and are even encouraged to give in to the hardened nature of the storytelling. This quote exemplifies best how the concept of childhood is lost.
However, it also means to signify to the player that they don’t need to believe in it themselves as the choice to go through with it up to them. While the melancholic and brutal nature of the world might tempt one to give in, it’s ultimately up to you.
14 "Putting You Out Of Your Misery Will Be The Nicest Thing Anyone's Ever Done For You!"
Frank Fontaine is the main antagonist of the first BioShock title. To him, the idea of loving someone and caring for others is a sign of weakness and those that indulge in it are suffering from a burden that he doesn’t feel.
To this end, he figured he was doing the protagonist a favor by attempting to kill him as he would not only get his own job done but would, in his twisted way, put him out of his misery. The quote goes to show how no one thinks they’re the villain in their story.
13 "Imagine The Will It Took To Create A Place Like This. And What Have You Built? Nothing."
Andrew Ryan’s vision for Rapture had been a utopia for people he believed didn’t get the chance to live the life they could on the surface. However, the place eventually turned into a dystopian environment and Ryan himself became a villain.
According to him, his will to create such a place remained a great achievement and those who defied him were unworthy to understand it. The quote is a way of showing how something that has good intentions can ultimately create a villain out of a person.
12 "You Came To Rob What You Could Never Build. A Hun, Gaping At The Gates Of Rome."
Andrew Ryan’s hubris knew no bounds as he considered Jack’s heroics to be his own. His justification was that everything that took place in Rapture was his doing since he was the one who created the place to begin with.
Even when staring the end in the face, Ryan had the gall to claim that Jack was sponging off of him. He claimed that anyone who stood against him was robbing him of his own work despite all the bad he’d done.
11 "This Is The World For Which You Stand. You, Alone, Among The Dead."
Sofia Lamb is the antagonist of BioShock 2 and continues the theme of the villain considering themselves to be right in every way. Despite knowing just how far Delta had come to reunite with Eleanor, Lamb had no empathy to give.
Her claim was that everyone was selfish in their own way and that ultimately the person who went through all the effort only had themselves to blame, no matter how many obstacles she threw at them. Lamb was right in a way and also very much wrong.
10 "We All Make Choices, But In The End Our Choices Make Us."
Since the moral choices that the player makes impacts the direction and ending in this open-world game (as well as how those within it respond to the player,) a quote dedicated to the importance of choice seems like a fitting one to include in this article. Many people wonder what makes us who we are.
Is it where we came from? Is it the things we do with our lives? According to the BioShock series (which is highly philosophical in nature,) we are made by our choices. How we choose to act and interact with the world shapes the people that we are and are seen as.
9 "And Then One Day, The Happy Answer Came To Me, My Friends..."
The full quote ends with "There Was No Country For People Like Me! And That Was The Moment I Decided To Build One." Even though the character who uttered this quote is not someone that one should strive to be like, the words ring true. Sometimes a person may find that there is not a place for them in this world.
And that is okay because if that is the case, then it is up to them to create that place. Everyone has the right to feel like they belong and if a place for them does not already exist, they have the right to make one.
8 "A Man Chooses, A Slave Obeys."
Another quote related to the importance of choice. One of the most important lessons that we all must learn is that one should always question what they are told to do. Never do something just because it is expected or tradition.
We only have one life on this Earth (ironic when thinking about BioShock Infinite) and it is our job to make the most of it. And if we are made by our choices, then logic follows that a person who is incapable of making a choice would lose their humanity to a certain extent.
7 "One Thing I've Learned: If You Don't Draw First, You Don't Get To Draw At All."
Though the series is quite dark in theme and nature, the quotes contain such a motivational quality that they feel entirely uplifting and inspiring. The above quote essentially states that, for the most part, people will think of themselves first.
So if one were to ensure that everyone else had the chance to go first, they might never get the chance to go themselves. Airlines tell their passengers to secure their own oxygen mask first because one cannot help someone else if they are not prioritizing themselves.
6 "There's Always A Lighthouse, Always A Man, Always A City..."
One of the most important themes in BioShock Infinite is an inevitability. Though our choices do impact the world around us, to a certain extent, some things are inevitable and nothing in our power can change them. And there is a beauty in that theme, with the chance of becoming a family with the beings found here.
Knowing that something cannot be changed and is fated to occur can allow a person to accept what lies ahead and focus on the things within their power. It is a rather peaceful notion.
5 "I Chose More...I Chose The Impossible...I Chose Rapture."
The greatest minds humanity has had to offer questioned the way things are and dreamed of what it could be instead. Technology, art, and positive societal changes have all sparked from people who sought to make things better and dedicated their lives to doing so.
However, as the BioShock series emphasizes, one must not seek progress nor perfection for selfish reasons. Doing so will only lead to one's downfall, and this is what happened in this underwater world.
4 "Booker, Are You Afraid Of God?" "No, I'm Afraid Of You."
Elizabeth is one of the most fascinating characters in this sci-fi series. Though the events that she experiences do affect her, she maintains her kind nature throughout the main storyline regardless of the events that occur.
She is a Rapunzel-like figure who spent her childhood trapped and, once freed, seeks to explore every corner of the world available to her. Though the darkness intimidates her, she learns the ins and outs of both her power and the universe itself. One should be afraid of her abilities.
3 "Love Is Just A Chemical, We Give It Meaning By Choice."
The most beautiful thing about human beings is that they give meaning to everything they choose to do and that is around them. We give meaning to life itself. We are nothing more than numerous cells and chemical reactions strung together by biology and yet we spend our lives creating art dedicated to and searching the world (and ourselves) with the goal of uncovering the meaning for the lives that we are living.
While pessimistic, the above quote is true. Nothing inherently has meaning, but the meaning that we give it makes it wonderful and worth having.
2 "The Lord Forgives Everything, But I'm Just A Prophet...So I Don't Have To. Amen."
One of the best things about the BioShock series is how it explores humanity at its best and its worst through its protagonist. At its best, it creates Utopias to further human progress. It strives to make things better for the people who want something more than what Earth already has to offer.
At its worst, it seeks out every perceived flaw in humanity with analytical severity and extinguishes it. It pursues perfection with such intensity that it ignores morality entirely and sees humanity as something that gets in the way of progress. No one expects humans to be Gods, only men.
1 "No Gods Or Kings, Only Man."
Expanding on the point of BioShock exploring the uncompromising search for perfection is the concept alluded to in the above quote: the idea that there is no room for anything but men in the world. That Gods, Kings, and those who see themselves as above the common man are inherently flawed as we are nothing but men.
We are imperfect beings and striving to eliminate one's humanity in order to achieve a God-like status is a goal that is doomed to fail from the start.