Gamers were immediately enthralled by the world of BioShock when the first game of the franchise was released in 2007. The underwater world of Rapture that 2K Boston and 2K Australia created for players to explore is still to this day one of the best and most unique in gaming. Two more games have been released since the original, with BioShock 2 and BioShock Infinite continuing the franchise forward over the years. Something common between all of these titles is the ability to use different powers or Plasmids which they are referred to as in-game. These Plasmids add a great variety to the gameplay and gives players a reason to go back and play again, in order to try out different powers.
News of a new BioShock in the works has gamers very excited, so why not take a look at some of the great plasmids introduced in the first three games.
Updated June 28th, 2022 by Russ Boswell: The Bioshock franchise is a must-play for first-person shooter fans, and easily one of the best AAA series to grace store shelves in the last decade. With talk of Bioshock 4 showing itself on the horizon, now is a perfect time to hop into the series and visit the worlds of Rapture and Columbia. Players will get their hands on some truly entertaining weapons, along with some unique abilities in Plasmids and Vigors. To better showcase some of the best and coolest plasmids available in Bioshock, the following list has been updated and includes even more entries for the series.
13 Security Bullseye
One of the most deadly types of enemies in the BioShock universe is the robotic security measures set up around the map. Security turrets mounted on the ground can do significant damage to the player and swarms of security drones that fly around can really become overwhelming.
The Security Bullseye Plasmid helps ease this burden greatly, as it can turn any security droid to your team by throwing your "Plasmid ball" at it. A room full of enemies can be taken care of quickly if players choose the right security to override.
12 Bucking Bronco
BioShock Infinite took the story of BioShock above water to the floating city of Columbia. In this new setting, what we were used to calling plasmids are actually referred to as Vigors.
Most fans consider the Plasmids to be more fun than Vigors, but that doesn't mean there weren't some great Vigors to choose from. One of the best to use was the Bucking Bronco power, which would lift and suspend enemies in the air allowing players to rain down gunfire on them.
11 Telekinesis
The ability to move things with your mind, or telekinesis, has been a power that gamers have been able to use in a multitude of different great games.
The Bioshock series is one of these titles that get telekinesis right, making it one of the best and most fun Plasmids to use. Being able to make objects in the room a weapon with your mind adds a great amount of creativity to each encounter which is why the Telekinesis plasmid makes it on this list.
10 Enrage
One of the best Plasmids in the BioShock series is without a doubt the ability to enrage enemies, making them fight for instead of against a player. This plasmid will serve to be incredibly useful because when an entire room of enemies is attacking you, it is a life-saver to be able to turn some of them into your ally.
Enemies will begin to attack each other giving players an opportunity to catch them off-guard.
9 Hypnotize Big Daddy
Enraging an enemy can be useful to incite chaos during a particularly difficult battle, but players can gain a serious edge over their enemies by conscripting a Big Daddy to fight for them. Big Daddies come in two different designs in the original Bioshock, the Bouncer and the Rosie. The Bouncer uses a massive drill to punish its foes at close range while the Rosie opts for a long-range Rivet Gun. Players can hypnotize either of these creatures to do battle for them.
It is important to note that Hypnotize Big Daddy would cause the Little Sister with them to flee, ensuring players couldn't simply farm the Adam from the NPCs by taking the Big Daddy out of the fight via hypnosis.
8 Gravity Well
BioShock 2 was a great game in its own right and the add-on Minerva's Den just added to the interesting story. Not only did this add-on contribute to the lore of BioShock and end with a great twist, but a new Plasmid was also added to the arsenal which was the Gravity Well power.
This was basically a mini-tornado that can be summoned in the middle of a room, making everything in the room swirl around together. Seeing your enemies sucked into a tornado together is a spectacle to witness.
7 Return To Sender
Return to Sender is definitely one of the most underrated Vigors present in Bioshock: Infinite. Although it's not nearly as useful in the earlier parts of the game, as there are far better tools, it can definitely be a life-saver in the later parts of the game, specifically during the battles in which players will face hordes of enemies. The Vigor allows players to block incoming projectiles and bullets, and can even "send them back" to enemies if a player charges it up.
Players can also set traps with it by tossing the projectiles, charged, at a wall or other area. It's one of the best tools in a player's arsenal when attempting to hold out among waves of enemies.
6 Incinerate
Incinerate is one of the most classic plasmids you can use in BioShock. The name of this plasmid is pretty self-exclamatory, as you will be able to wield fire and incinerate your foes.
Walking around with a flaming hand is cool already, but being able to burn enemies is immensely fun and players can also light oil-slicks up into flames instantly. While this power isn't as unique as some of the other powers on this list, it doesn't make it any less fun to use in the world of BioShock.
5 Insect Swarm
The Insect Swarm Plasmid gives you the ability to send swarms of angry insects at your enemies. This is a great plasmid to use because it can really turn the tide of a fight quickly.
Enemies will be completely over-run allowing players to either escape or opening up a chance to deal some serious damage. This is a great tool to also flush out enemies pretending to be asleep, something very common in the BioShock games.
4 Summon Eleanor
One of the best plasmids to use in BioShock 2 is the ability to summon Eleanor to fight alongside a player for a brief time. Eleanor Lamb is the child of the main antagonist of the game, Sofia Lamb. Eleanor was the little sister who Subject Delta, the playable protagonist, was tasked to protect years earlier.
Not only is Eleanor extremely effective at dispatching enemies, she does it in style.
3 Undertow
BioShock Infinite introduced a few new powers for players to wield in Columbia, one of these was the Undertow Vigor which became a fan-favorite to a lot of Infinite players.
This gives you the ability to control the great power of water, as you can either push enemies away from you or bring them towards you with your water-like tentacle. Undertow can be used to send enemies flying off of edges quickly, which can prove to be a very efficient way of taking care of the danger.
2 Murder Of Crows
Introduced in Bioshock: Infinite, Murder of Crows is like an upgraded form of the Insect Swarm present in the original release. This "Vigor," will allow players to send forth a mass of angry crows that will overwhelm enemies and take them out of the fight, sometimes outright ending them on the spot. This spell doesn't work on Automatons or Zealots, but can make quick work of normal enemies. It works wonders in a large-scale battle, offering up a damaging distraction against some enemies.
Players can even charge the Vigor up and use it to set a trap, which will release crows should enemies walk into it.
1 Electro Bolt
The first plasmid you will ever "splice" within the BioShock franchise is the Electro Bolt power. This is one of the best plasmids in the franchise because of its multi-functional abilities.
While it is obviously fun to electrify enemies, especially ones standing in a pool of water, the Electro Bolt Plasmid is used to power up things such as doors that can make this Plasmid a must use. This should be one of the first powers you should upgrade if you are looking to be a force in the dangerous world of Rapture.