Minerva's Den Review | The Best of Bioshock 

Ironically, people seem to make their best work when they’re limited.

I always felt the Porter Twist doesnt get enough respect. It's easily on par with the original twist and like you said is an emotional ton of bricks.

Literally just finished this DLC, I’m so glad the ending didn’t have combat. Such an emotional walk to the finish

Minerva's Den introduced me to what I consider my favorite plasmid and weapon in all of Bioshock. One of the best small scale stories in the Bioshock universe, and let me not overlook the fact that the ending brought me to tears. Truly its something amazing that deserves the praise it has been awarded.

When I was playing BAS, it kind of felt like the devs were aggresively trying to make me forget that BS2 exist, because they weren't the ones who made that game.

This is a top 5 DLC ever. This was incredible

This right here is such a perfect summary of one of my favorite DLC's ever. To some extent I consider it its own game, like Daud's DLC's in Dishonored.

Just played it for the first time. Always put it off despite finishing Bioshock 2 in like 2012. Holy hell I missed out. But I'm somewhat glad. The last piece of Bioshock content left in my mouth was Burial at Sea. Not the best taste. Now it's gone out on the absolute top. Minerva's Den is the pinnacle of Bioshock.

This DLC is why I will defend Bioshock 2 as the best game in the series to my dying breath. People who say 2 is the worst game and not worth playing boils my blood

Ahh, Minerva's Den. I remember watching Christopherodd's walkthrough and he was like the only one who made one. It's perfect imo. Awesome enemy design (I really like the model for the Lancer, like it demonstrates the 'paradise lost' nature of Rapture, with the Art Deco style and everything, including the laser) combat that aren't too wonky, heartwrenching story, all while retaining the compactness of a dlc. I'm glad that people are starting to revisit this once-forgotten chapter of Bioshock.

Minervas Den is the only Bioshock content I haven't played, remember not getting it to work back with the horrible GFWL service lol Also, appreciating the subtitles!

I only wished they developed more the fact that the Thinker was self aware and actually cared for Porter. Maybe showing it was willing to sacrifice itself or something so that he could escape with Tenenbaum to be cured. It would have hit so much harder. Like, by imprinting the Thinker with his wife personality, he was losing her again in some way. Considering the Thinker was indispensable for Rapture running I guess they couldn't make it "die" considering it would mean the end of Rapture and not leave the door open for future sequels.

Actually just finished this for the first time last night. Some random thoughts: I could have done without all the security bots (though they make sense considering the location). Gravity well would have been nicer had it worked on big daddies/sisters, but it was a neat idea that didn't take away from anything. The laser was a great addition. Extremely simple weapon that did its job well. I wasn't a huge fan of the map design. It felt like the entire dlc was just "go through fancy door . . . oh wait you need to hit the switch in the other room first." Not a ton of variety in that sense. The story is where this dlc shines. The characters felt fleshed out despite having far less time than the main game characters. I love that they kept the final room as a spot for introspection rather than another firefight. If Infinite had just been Bioshock 2 with fleshed-out side quests of this quality along with a good main quest I'd have been overjoyed

How this video only has a little over a thousand views is a shame. You have a wonderful talent for conveying your thoughts on pieces of art like Minerva’s Den. Really look forward to your future videos man. Cheers!

Nice video mate! I played this through again recently myself, and it really is a wonderful piece of DLC - it feels like you're playing an intricately-crafted short story. Everything gameplay and story-wise just fits so nicely into its structure.

It feels like they added this DLC because people wanted something on the plot level of Bioshock 1, while still having the nature of 2 and be unique at the same time. Having a Big Daddy explore the most sci-fi part of Rapture while adding a plot twist that hits the heart made it all perfect while satisfying the people who think 1 is better than 2. What makes it even more interesting is the implications of another DLC, the protector trials. It doesn't outright tell you this but your also playing as Sigma in that one, with the trials being training for the real deal. The bonus tonic you can use in Minerva's den from the trials ties things a little nicely in a sense

5:34 I did a playthrough of Minerva's Den where I killed all the Little Sisters for maximum Adam, and not only is it bad enough that I have to kill the little girls, but then the rest of them beg for their lives whenever you pick them up, it's heart-wrenching. There may not be multiple endings, but your morality is still definitely impacted

Agreed, it’s the peak point from the whole series imo - Minerva’s Den is awesome.

Sigma male grindset

A bit late to the party, but you sir, have earned another subscriber. I appreciate your style and straightforward approach to the topic, and hope to see more content from you. Thank you so much for giving Bioshock 2 and Minerva's Den some much-needed love and attention.

I'm so glad to know I'm not the only one who thinks bioshock 2 is superior to the first one

I’d expect a channel with videos this well done to have at least 100k- keep it up!

This channel will get big I feel it

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To be honest at a certain point I saw the twist coming and thought: oh here we go, its a Bioshock Game, they hade to shoehorn in a Twist.... Then you find the last voice recording. I rarely had a biger chill run down my spine when reaching the end of a Game. It was really incredible

Couldn't agree more with the points in the vid, I still remember being taken aback by the concise, yet complex story, the superb gameplay the entire franchise is known for. It really stuck with me and got me thinking like only the best stories can, truly worthy of the title "The Best of Bioshock".

Genuinely excellent video, very happy to find another review and analysis channel to watch. You've got great pacing and don't dither around on the script accompanied with good, precise narration. This will finally get me to play Minervas den!

Really happy to see this relatively recent resurgence of Minvera's Den coverage and how much more appreciated both the DLC and Bioshock 2 in general have become in the years after their original release. Still have that amazing limited edition lying around in my apartment - that thing came with a vinyl LP of the soundtrack, a hardcover artbook and and and, all for 60 bucks. Better times.

This dlc really was something special. Everything from the new gameplay, environment, and story was just so fitting, so perfectly done. The story really is a masterpiece, being original and has one of the best plot twists I've ever seen. In many ways I actually like this dlc more than BS2 itself lol. This dlc along with bioshock 1 are my favorites out of the whole series.

They gave away the DLC with the free Bioshock pack in the PS store last year. Awesome DLC and the ending fucked me up

Just found your channel - criminally small for such great content.

Great point about walking sims and drama in games. Having to play through a game and it's challenges makes any drama at the end hit way harder than just being told a dramatic story.

Just beat it tonight and it hit me RIGHT in the feels.

Letting you take in the story at the end, without combat being on your mind or bothering you is a really good move. One of the thing that bothered me when starting to play the bioshock story is how I wanted to walk around slowly and look at everything and read and listen to everything, but then getting jumpscared or attacked at every corner. Like you said, a little downtime to reflect. Perfect

BioShock 2 and Minerva's Den is the best BioShock in the series.

Recently I played Bioshock 1 and 2 for the first time…enjoyed them so much I ordered a copy of the Bioshock Rapture book. Still need to play this dlc and the third game :)

This DLC legit made me cry when I finished it. Also, Subject Sigma is a *Sigma Male*

I think games fail a bit when they lose focus, a balance of their elements. For example in the original Bioshock when you get the camera the gameplay shifts (for me) in trying to get the best pictures, discarding the quality of your combat. In Doom 2016 i spent more time finding collectibles and purposely dying to reach the "quota" of kills for each level to unlock a new power. In a walking simulator i'd say even the story itself is lost in very cryptic elements good for people wanting to analyze mumbo jumbo and sometimes you kinda even miss moon logic of old school adventure games that at least gave you something to do, some feeling of achieving something and be there instead of just looking around. Even an horror game can destroy its narrative by forcing into cheap gameplay, for example in Soma the "hiding from the bad guy" stuff doesn't really bring anything to the table (outside being annoyed). I agree this DLC is best one in the series but i have a soft spot with the Infinite DLCs because i loved the scale of the Rapture enviroments recreated there, the added verticality and twists to the combat system (but was really confused by having to use rails as in Infinite to move at a certain point :P). Unfortunately they're like 75% narrative and when you actually do more classic stuff it ends quite quickly so they are not as good as Minerva's Den.

Idk, I personally really enjoyed infinite. Thought it was a very cool addition to the series, the change of setting and colour palette really freshened up the series imo. And the story related stuff was also really cool, gave it a cool twist, even if it was convoluted. Anyways, can't wait for bioshock 4

That dig at "game journalists" at the end was pretty ironic considering that all you can ever say about BS2's and its DLC is that "it pulls at your heart string" or that it's about heart and not head. Like seriously, how often I heard the same phrase in these two videos is astounding. Maybe reread the script to make sure that you don't just repeat yourself?

Beautifully told sir, thank you !

Saw your video on the Patriciate TV, Great Video!

Will you be discussing burial at sea?

I just realized that most of my memories of bioshock 2 are from this dlc.

Minerva's Den is the best Bioshock dlc

I just finished minervous den a couple minutes ago, and I'm feeling all sorts of ways what a powerful ending kind of sad I think, I have been waiting to watch this video let's dive In

I liked Gone Home lol. It wasn't amazing but it did a good job of keeping it small and simple

great vid! i have bioshock 2 in steam. i love this game. sadly constant crashes too annoying.

hahahaha your deal with the quest arrow makes me chuckle

Can't get over the fact that you can save 6 girls yet you and Tenenbaum leave them behind to die in a desolate Rapture.

Damn, I was really on board with this video 150% until the gone home section. It doesnt invalidate the whole video, its legit your opinion and I fully respect it. I just really really never understood the hatred of gone home and the complete dismissal of the concept of a 'walking sim' This vid is 3 years old now, and we've had some really incredible entries to the genre -- too many to list here without going crazy I guess, I can shout out what Remains of Edith Finch for being so emotionally impactful on me I cried so hard I burst a blood vessel ( idk man, just gotta be honest ). And here you like, clearly compare the dna of Minerva's Den to Gone Home even if you're not a fan of GH- so I can respect that I just really still to this day, dont understand the hatred of it at all! I grew up going to catholic school and was one of those kids with a sticker-covered vhs/tv in their room, the game hit me in the gut pretty damn good and I loved the story. Is it like-- the narrative? the voiceover? the fact its a story game? Like I just dont understand the visceral reaction to it, the video creator here goes so far as to present it as a total failure compared to Minerva where I see EXACTLY what maee minerva so unique with gone home. Plus, like this guy mentioned, ppl had to fight really hard to keep story elements of minerva free of annoying 'final boss' encounters and allow you to soak in the environmental design, just like Gone Home lol Idk no one cares/ im just passing through -- I just genuinely had to stop the video and ponder this part of it.. I really really still don't get it and the 'kinda edgy' recoil at narrative games. Its like reading a book, with music and an environment , there have been so many experiments with narrative only games that predate gone home and walking sims as a modern genre. what's the issue? Even if you hate the game, it *IS* a game, it has a complete story, its a full experience beginning to end, its not some of the completley awful 'unity 3d asset horror game mascot slop' that will sometimes chart on itch or steam. That genre is huge now, fully narrative and no combat/full of mid, but it doesnt remotely get the flack about 'no gameplay' gone home did Ppl genuinely are out here acting like it was some kind of scam because it was a story game. Why though? having 'no enemies' doesnt mean theres no gameplay. there's collectables, audio logs, eons worth of writing, inventory systems-- these all dont have to just be a 'break' from a game, they can be the whole thing. point and clicks, narrative sims, etc-- so many of these genres dont have any combat, they're exactly the experience a lot of 'walking sims' have.

I loved all 3 bioshock games. BS 2 was better than BS 1 in gameplay, but I wasn't thrilled about playing the entire game as a big daddy. I love infinite too, but I'm guilty of not paying 100% attention to the story in these games. I just remember an overview of the plots. I did beat Minervas den and I remember having a good time.

I've never been this early before hi Boulder

Peak dlc ever. Ill die on this hill

Minerva's Den was a brilliant DLC. The well written twist at the end I believe that Bioshock Infinite copied from it to an extent. The whole "you were Comstock the whole time" twist, but Bioshock 2 got to this cool twist first

Would be interesting to see a vid where you explain your issues with Bioshock Infinite in detail.

Just finished Minerva's Den, it was great!

I actually really like bioshock infinite

Agree, amazing!!. For me Bioshock 2 is very underrated. In many ways i think it is better than the first game. I really like the story with Sophia Lamb, and the story in Minervas den. The ending in BS 2 is the ending that touch me the most, of any gane i have played. Gravity well is lots of fun! And i havnt mentioned the multiplayer part of the game. Its an absolute blast of a multiplayer! Bioshock 2 is a masterpiece of a game!

The good ending of the first bioshock and the second were really beautiful, but this ending of minerva's den.. I couldn't contain my tears..

1:55 Wait... we're sigma male?

You're constant, infantile attacks on Infinite undercut what should of been a great video.

Ngl, I wish the quest arrow worked all the time. I like these games and I explore a decent bit but I'd love to always know where to go. Full time job doesn't let me game as much so I need to make the most of that time

After the war that tore rapture apart, I have never understood how the rest of these people survive. How big is Rapture.

great vid subscribed!

I wish lazer gun was a weapon in main game

Hands Down, The Best Bioshock's DLC Ever! The Gameplay Is Satisfying And Fun And The Ending Is So Sad Especially When Porter Visited His Wife's Tomb. Ion Laser & Gravity Well Is Only Exclusive In Minerva's Den Hope They Also Exist In The Base Game.

Yes.

Gone home? Oh mah GAWD! That was a gut punch, but Minerva's Den was worth it.

This video is the first time that I'm hearing about Gone Home

But after beating it once I managed to almost master the game, I didn't die on hardmode until I reached endgame so that's quite something lol

I actually thought Minerva's Den was better than the main game.

Are you going to review burial at sea?

Idk but I really like how in Bioshock 1 shows how Rapture affects many aspects in life, whereas Bioshock Infinite also felt the same with Columbia, and I like how the story felt far richer. Tho I also like Bioshock 2's story, but somehow it felt less like how "Bioshock" should be.

Just finished minervas den. bioshock is an epic game

I'm afraid that nothing is as heart-wrenching and brick-hard-hitting like the fact that those guys actually made the fucking Gone Home of all things. It's like finding out your puppy has a terminal cancer. Fuuuck.

I was young when I played this when it was i revealed I was Charles it hit me hard

What's the scene from, at 14:35?

I had Microsoft points or WE they were called left on my account and was looking for a way to spend them. I had picked up BS2 on sale on Steam even though it required the awful Games For Windows Live. Ended up buying this DLC on a whim just to use those points... I was not expecting such a great DLC. This DLC is probably tied with the original Bioshock for me. I should probably go back and re play it as the computer I had at the time struggled around 20fps and now I have the PS4 version.

Remember Minerva's Den

One could get the feeling you don't like Infinite

Gone home Wow how the mighty had fallen

This dlc has one of the best stories out there

the real plot twist was when you mentioned a lot of the devs made gone home.

Nailed it, fam. My sole, single complaint about the Den is the lack of consequences for moral choices. Bioshock 1 has the better over-arching story (outside of the Den), Bioshock 2 has the best gameplay. Minerva's Den is the best of both worlds.

What's wrong with Gone Home? Not arguing, just genuinely wondering since I've never played that.

I'll be honest when I was like 13 or 14 and I played Bioshock 2 I almost what myself since the game was so scary

Will you cover burial at sea?

You deserve more love than this bro, fuck this algorithm, your content is top quality and you clearly have put in more effort into them than I did my thesis paper, you're criminally underrated. Keep it up my guy

Just came across your channel with this vid and the bs 2 vid.please do an infinite video as everyone I know seems to think it’s the best but I also have never agreed I’d love to hear your opinion of the game.

Minerva's Den was kind of a miss for me. Right from the start, I wanted to know how/why there just happened to be another Alpha Series big daddy with free will and apparently no bond problem like what Delta had. I guess Sigma was just never bonded to a sister? That the question was completely skipped over until the end meant it just hung there like a sweaty sock nailed to a wall, its stench growing more foul for every hour that passed, leaving me to spend pretty much the entire experience trying to fill in that blank myself. Then a comment by the bad guy while he was running away made me think "Ah, I'm either Porter made into a big daddy for firepower reasons (I was close!) or they put The Thinker in one and I'm essentially rescuing the rest of myself." Porter's story is great and the closure that comes with it feels like a final farewell to Rapture, the nightmare finally ending as Tenenbaum presumably cures everyone she can and leaves the rest of the cursed city to the watery grave it deserves, but the expectation that the player will just slip into the boots of a slightly _more_ extreme anomaly (within the established setting) than the first with no questions asked takes a lot of wind out of the sails for me. Surely they wanted us to learn from what happened with Jack, not just blindly following instructions again? Still beats the hell out of both Burial At Sea episodes, though.

That's the cigarette-smoking man.

Not the best Bioshock content, but still really damn good 👍

System shock 2 > Bioshock 2+DLC >>>>> Bioshock >>>>>>>>>> Bioshock Infinite. Bioshock 2 is just beyond better than Bioshock, none of it feels rushed, all of its content is well built and fantastic level design with amazing variety of enemies with a fantastic plot. No plot twist, but those are ott at times. System shock 2 is just near perfection. I don't hate Bioshock 1 but it's predecessor and next successor are that good, it's left in the dirt a bit, suppose I'd play it for story and lore .. bioshock infinites story is good, but that's it, it's a linear action game, and I had I never have gone back to it

Best bioshock game

What is the OST's name ?

What's wrong with Gone Home?

I don't remember this DLC... Maybe it didn't come with the bundle? It sounds really good tho...sad. 😟

but but...I liked Gone Home, I thought it was a horror game until the last 10 minutes....didn't see it coming... :)

I really feel like I missed out here with this DLC…