Ghosts

“Seems like some poor blighters have started seeing ghosts. Ghosts! Ryan tells me it's a side effect of this Plasmid business. One poor sod's memories getting passed on to another through genetic sampling. Leaks. Lunatics. Rebellion. And now bleeding ghosts. Ain't life in Rapture grand?”

― Bill McDonagh^[src]

Ghosts are the leftover memories caused by a crossover of genes during genetic sampling, caused by the use of recycled ADAM harvested from corpses by Little Sisters.^[1] Ghosts feature prominently in the story of BioShock, and are sometimes equally as important as Audio Diaries. They are also a way of displaying to the player the exact repercussions caused by excessive use of ADAM.

BioShock

Main article: BioShock

When Jack encounters ghosts, the screen dims a light blue and fills with static noise. The ghosts then subsequently appear, recount the memory, and then the screen returns to normal.

Welcome to Rapture

“I'm too spliced up, I'm too spliced up! Now nobody's gonna want me!”

― Female ghost, ladies' room in the Kashmir Restaurant.

Medical Pavilion

“You promised me pretty, Steinman. You promised me pretty. Now look at me! LOOK AT ME!”

― Female ghost, shrieking in the Foyer.

Neptune's Bounty

“Ghost #1: You can't quit, Fontaine will find you.
Ghost #2: Hey, fuck Fontaine.
Ghost #1: You don't fuck Fontaine, Fontaine fucks you!”

― Two male ghosts, coming from Smuggler's Hideout.

Arcadia

“Angelina: *Giggles*, What are you waiting for silly? It's beautiful.”

― Angelina's ghost, entering the Tea Garden.

“Angelina: Oh sugar, I'm spliced up in ways you've never dreamed of.
Dieter: Get over here.
*Angelina giggles*”

― Angelina and Dieter Sonnekalb's ghosts, on a bench in the Tea Garden.

Fort Frolic

“Well, if it isn't long lost Andrew Ryan. Mm mm mm… come here, tiger.”

― Jasmine Jolene, in Eve's Garden.

“I thought you had forgotten about poor Jasmine, but I am so glad you didn't.”

― Jasmine Jolene, backstage in Eve's Garden.

“I'm sorry Mr. Ryan, I didn't know…. I didn't know Fontaine had something to do with it, I- what? What are you doing?! No, no don't plea-! I loved you, don't, don't please, no! NO! *Screams*.”

― Jasmine Jolene, in a room at Eve's Garden.

Hephaestus

“Ghost #1: The circuit breaker's over there, yeah.
Ghost #2: Why can't Ryan take care of this crap himself?
Ghost #1: Because Mr. Ryan's got more important things to do than to enforce loyalty in the ranks. Say hello to Fontaine, you back-stabbing son of a bitch!
Ghost #2: *Screams*.”

― Two male ghosts, fixing machinery in Heat Loss Monitoring.

Apollo Square

“You think Ryan's gonna be there for ya when you're down n' out? No… Fontaine, Fontaine's the man with the helping hand!”

― Male ghost, speaking out in front of Fontaine's Home for the Poor.

Point Prometheus

“Please, Papa Suchong! I don't wanna go on the table!”

― Little Sister test subject, in the storage area of the autopsy room of Little Wonders Educational Facility.

Behind the Scenes

• Although ghosts do not directly appear in BioShock 2, the launch trailer for BioShock 2 does contain a scene featuring a large assortment of ghosts dancing. As revealed by BioShock 2 Creative Director Jordan Thomas in an interview with GamesRadar, the idea of ghosts and genetic memories would have originally played a larger role in BioShock 2: "There were a number of playable flashbacks, which had a prequel-like flavor, but were much more subjective, like memories that you were uncovering. But they were terrible. What Rapture was like in its heyday appeals on paper, but it meant you really couldn’t play the game. Players sleepwalked through each scene, which was pretty, but not particularly convincing."^[2]
  • The mechanics of genetic memory is used for some of Eleanor's Visions where she gives insights on the history of Dionysus Park through collected ADAM.

• BioShock shares similar ghost apparitions with System Shock 2, Irrational Games' first game and the spiritual predecessor of BioShock. The reason for their apparitions aboard the Von Braun starship are however due to the protagonist's cybernetic implants, which like Plasmids upgrade his abilities.
• The ghost in the Kashmir Restaurant's bathroom is voiced by Shavonne Conroy,^[3] who also provided the voice for Jasmine Jolene and the "Baby Carriage Splicer".^[4]

References