HomeXbox 360AchievementsMinerva's Den - Bioshock 2 DLC review

Minerva’s Den – Bioshock 2 DLC review

Game Name: Minerva’s Den – Bioshock 2 DLC
Platforms: Xbox 360, PS3
Publisher(s): 2K Games
Developer(s): 2K Marin, 2K Australia
Genre(s): Shooter
Release Date: 9-2-2010
ESRB Rating: M (Mature) Blood Intense Violence Sexual Themes Strong Language
Price: 800MSP ($10 USD)

Story
The Story is where this DLC shines. Minerva’s Den is the first DLC that adds to the story of rapture, and this story takes place in Raptures Computer Core. The computer core is the center of all the cool gadgets located throughout rapture. The guys here were the ones that created the turrets and many of the awesome weapons that you get to wield.

This story actually falls parallel to the main story. Instead of continuing the main story (which wouldn’t make sense) or even interjecting a new location within the main story; the developers decided to create a small, but complete Bioshock experience as a side story to the main game. This experience involves getting weapons, plasmids, and saving sisters all while following a new story that tells more of the back-story of rapture.

Gameplay
The gameplay is exactly like Bioshock 2, it is a DLC after all. Minerva’s Den luckily doesn’t just add more story, but also adds new weapons and new plasmids. There is also a new big daddy and new turrets to completely ruin your day (in a good way).

The laser gun is the new weapon, but it seems to be lacking. Like any other weapon, there are different ammo types but they don’t help the gun that much. The laser gun just doesn’t feel like an epic gun and is quite week. Luckily, the new plasmid makes up for the laser gun being such a disappointment. The gravity well plasmid is simply fun, throw it and suck the life out of the splicers nearby.

The new big daddy is a lancer big daddy and wields the laser gun. These guys aren’t actually that hard, and if it wasn’t for their ability to blind you they would be pretty easy to dispatch as well. The new turrets are annoying, with their laser and electrical attachments; but once you hack them they come in quite handy.

Minerva’s Den actually gives you a bonus tonic for having completed the protector trials. If you complete the protector trials and jump into Minerva’s Den there will be an extra tonic for free. The tonic increases the amount of time it takes your little sister to harvest ADAM while giving you double the ADAM in return. In a DLC where ADAM is extremely important in order to buy all the plasmids you want, this is an awesome tonic to have; sadly it means harvesting ADAM will take longer.

Achievements
The achievement list is not hard at all. A huge chunk of them can be achieved just by playing through the DLC once. “Garbage Collecting” requires a bit of searching, but the Vacuum Bots are all disabled or looping a set path; just destroy them all for the achievement. “High Score” requires you to set a certain score at the in-game video game, spitfire. It isn’t that hard, but may require a few attempts. Simply get used to the controls and you should be fine. Finally, there is “ADAM Addict”, which requires you to resolve all the little sisters. It doesn’t matter if you save, or harvest them but there are 6 and the only way to miss it is if you completely avoid them.
Below is the achievement list:

  • Garbage Collection – 10 – Destroy all 10 Vacuum Bots in Minerva’s Den
  • Lancer Killer – 10 – Kill a Lancer Big Daddy
  • ADAM Addict – 10 – Resolve all the Little Sisters in Minerva’s Den

~~Secret Achievements~~

  • Login – 20 – Reached Rapture Central Computing Operations
  • Root Access Granted – 20 – Reached Computer Core Access
  • Logout – 50 – Escaped Minerva’s Den
  • SUDO – 20 – Wrested control of the Thinker from Reed Wahl
  • High Score – 10 – Get 9999 points in a single game of spitfire

Overview
Minerva’s Den DLC offers a complete Bioshock 2 experience in a compressed 5 hour play time. Rather than getting one or two weapons and plasmids per level, you get tons of weapons and a bunch of ADAM to pick and choose what plasmids you want. Minerva’s Den offers new weapons, new plasmids, and a new story for you to explore with a very awesome twist at the end. Everything you could possibly want from a Bioshock game compressed into a small 5 hour package. Though collecting ADAM with 6 more little sisters was annoying as ever, it didn’t remove from the experience all that much.
I give Minerva’s Den DLC for Bioshock 2
9-0-capsules-out-of-10