With news of a fourth installment in the works for BioShock, the fandom seems to have come back to life after a few years of hibernation. After BioShock Infinite, it’s been hard to predict what the developers could be up to in the next game, but hopes are high among excited fans. Hopefully, more information about the brand new BioShock will surface later in 2020.
In the meantime, the best way to enjoy the franchise is to replay the older games for nostalgia value, as well as admire all the artwork and cosplay that fans have poured their hearts and souls into. Here are 10 amazing BioShock cosplays that look like actual screenshots from the games.
10 Booker And Elizabeth
BioShock Infinite is considered a bit of a miracle. Third games of a series are usually not that good in general, but the characters, the story, and the gameplay brought fans a brand new world to immerse themselves in, along with Booker and Elizabeth. These became some of the most loved characters of the franchise.
Cosplayers Ver1sa and QQ joined forces for this photoshoot and brought the main characters of BioShock Infinite to life with their gorgeously crafted costumes. From Booker’s vest to Elizabeth’s elegant dress, all the familiar details from the game are definitely there.
9 Little Sister And Big Sister
There’s nothing more iconic in the BioShock franchise than the Little Sister. When BioShock 2 came out and introduced players to the Big Sister, people were excited. While the story of the sequel may have not been as great as the first game’s, it was still cool to see a different kind of monster in Rapture.
Cosplayers Werka and Tyler came together in this photoshoot by Sintar, portraying both the cute but creepy Little Sister with glowing eyes and a dirty gown, as well as the ferocious and quickly moving Big Sister. The props are simply stunning.
8 Booker De Witt
There are many iconic characters in the franchise, but the weapons and abilities are just as memorable as those who use them. Plasmids and the Sky-Hook are definitely some of the more recognizable ones that often come into fans’ minds. They’re so unique and creative that it’s difficult to forget about them.
The talented James–C not only wanted to bring Booker DeWitt’s character to life, but he also wanted to showcase his really cool Sky-Hook. Judging from the photo he even added a mechanism that allows for the hook to spin, just like in the game, where it can be used to deal finishing blows to enemies.
7 Eleanor Lamb
In every BioShock game, there’s always a girl, a strong and significant one. In the sequel to the original game, it was Eleanor Lamb, a young girl who was meant to take on the role of a Big Sister. She became iconic in the game, recognizable by her signature dirty and tattered Big Sister suit.
Cosplayer ThelemaTherion absolutely nailed Eleanor’s look on all fronts in her photoshoot with Jose Manchado. Not only does she have Eleanor’s looks naturally, but she also created a costume of incredibly high quality. One of the best parts is the helmet, with a glowing red led light-
6 Elizabeth In Burial At Sea
For those who even after BioShock Infinite ended were missing the original BioShock world of Rapture, the Burial At Sea DLC was definitely a blessing in disguise. The DLC allows players to return to Rapture and visit some of its familiar halls in the body of Elizabeth. For the first time, players actually controlled a female character.
Elizabeth had a very unique costume in Burial At Sea, still similar to the ones she’s seen wearing in Infinite. Christina Fink stepped into her shoes easily, bringing her fierce character to life in a photoshoot with Milligan Vick.
5 Booker And Vigors
While most BioShock main characters have been faceless men, Booker was different. His face was shown right off the bat in the ads for the game, which was great news for cosplayers who wanted to bring his character to life. Armed with his signature pistol and with his best Vigor, he would take on the hostile environments of Columbia.
Cosplayer SashaSunji breathed life into Booker’s character in his photoshoot with Pugoffka-sama. The costume design is perfection, but what really brings this whole look home is the background with the American flag, the beautifully decorated hand cannon, and the photo editing to give him his Vigor on his left hand.
4 Little Sister
The Little Sister dilemma is one of the biggest ethical questions ever presented in gaming. To save, or not to save - it’s up to everyone individually. However, those who decide to not save them will face the wrath of devoted BioShock fans. It’s one of those gaming moments where being evil is actually not cool at all.
Here Daria Ambrosia’s Little Sister cosplay is a great reminder of those moments when Jack would save or harvest a Little Sister. This photo of her quivering in the corner in her ghostly costume looks just like official BioShock artwork. 10/10 for photo editing.
3 Elizabeth
Much of the reason why so many fell in love with Elizabeth’s character was her curious and happy-go-lucky personality. She wanted to see the world and travel to Paris, having spent most of her life confined within her tower and treated like a science experiment. Her capacity to create tears, however, was something that saved her sanity.
In this photo by Milligan Vick, Karina is in the role of Elizabeth. She definitely has the look of Elizabeth, too, with her innocent and radiant appearance. The background fits the general theme of the cosplay as well, as it looks like she’s pointing to a faraway place she’d like to visit.
2 Spider Splicer
No matter how successful BioShock Infinite became, true fans will never forget the horrors and the atmosphere of the original game. Rapture was a special place, filled with crazy, disfigured inhabitants that only hunt down for ADAM to survive and to feed an undying addiction. This is how the Spider Splicers were introduced.
There’s no photo as incredible as this one. One would think this isn’t a cosplay photo, that a fan screenshot this from a heavily modded version of the game. However, this is simply a show of ShadeCramer’s and GREED’s sheer talent in costume design and photo manipulation. The results are horrifyingly amazing.
1 Mr. Bubbles
No BioShock cosplay list would be complete without the addition of a Big Daddy. These massive creatures have both fascinated and puzzled fans since their introduction in the first game. What’s inside the armor? How are they created? No other video game monster has created so much buzz among the fanbase.
A true artist, Tobi The Uke took on the seemingly impossible challenge and actually decided to bring Mr. Bubbles to life. It’s difficult to say how much hard work and sweat went into creating an actual life-size costume of a Big Daddy, but one can assume it was a task of several weeks, if not months. Either way, the dedication definitely paid off, because Mr. Bubbles looks just like an actual Big Daddy.
NEXT: 10 BioShock Theories Too Good To Be True