BioShock 2
53 Achievements
20-25h
Research Master
Completed all research on every subject in Rapture.
5.0%
How to unlock the Research Master achievement in BioShock 2 - Definitive Guide
Heres a few tips from 'Onsidic' to make this achievement even quicker to get:
Tip 1: Theres a keen observer tonic as your making your way up to Grace that helps your research be worth a lot more.
Tip 2: Theres also a tonic on the Dionysis Park area that increases the length of time the camera will roll. Use that with the keen observer tonic helps alot. extra time should allow you to generally get 1 level per camera roll on some of the enemies that take a few more hits. (Big Daddies)
You will get the Research camera on the Level 'Pauper's Drop',
Here are all 9 subjects you need to fully research for the achievement:
Splicers:
Leadhead - These are the normal slicers with firearms; which you met on BioShock 1; there are loads of these enemies running around causing havoc, they were my 2nd subject to fully research, so yeah thier easy enough.
Thuggish - These are the normal slicers with melee weapons; which you met on BioShock 1; there are loads of these enemies running around causing trouble aswell, they were my 1st subject to fully research, so yeah their easy enough.
^Note: 'You should probably complete the Thuggish Splicer research as soon as you get the camera. Mainly because it seems that at some point after the halfway point there aren't anymore in the game, especially near the end.'
(Thanks to ChrisOfTheDead for this tip)
Spider - Yet another BioShock 1 splicer, you first encounter these on the 'Siren Alley' level, a nice place in the level to research them is when you are waiting for the power to come back; in the room where you need a door code in order to go to 'Pump station 5'; this is a good area because there are around 5-7 Spiders to research and also 1 Brute.
Houdini - Yeah... BioShock 1 splicer again, you encounter these shortly after the spiders; on the 'Dionysus park' level, there is a real handy part in the level 'Fontaine futuristics' where you encounter many Houdini in one big room, which is in the 'Fontaine plasmid theatre'.
Brute - And finally the new BioShock 2 splicer, now these guys were my last max research, make sure every time you encounter these stocky beast's that you research them every time, although on the last few level's there are tons of these splicers causing havoc.
Security:
Bot - Simply walk straight in front of a security camera for long enough to trigger the bot's; they will be around for 40 seconds i believe, pretty easy to max these.
^ you could also work on 'Look at you, hacker' achievement after you research the bots. :]
Camera - There are tons of Camera's around; search every room in each level, yet another easy one to max.
Turret - There are tons of Turret's around; search every room in each level, yet another easy one to max.
^All above 3 count as 1.
Others:
Big Daddy - This includes all Big Daddy types, for example on BioShock you had to Research Rosie's and Bouncer's in seperate subjects; but in BioShock 2, they are all in the same subject together.
Big Sister - You won't encounter many of these in the game if you don't Save/Harvest any Little Sisters; so make sure before going for this that you always deal with every Little Sister in the game; in order to meet enough Big Sisters to fully research.
Alpha Series - You meet up with these enemies on the 'Fontaine futuristics' level, but there are tons of these guy's on the last few levels, so these are fairly easy to fully research.
Extra Notes:
If you still can't earn this achievement there is an incredibly detailed thread made by Fizzmatix on x360a which with no doubt you will get this achievement with no problems,
here is the link: http://www.xbox360achievements.org/forum/showthread.php?t=20...
Alpha series don't appear till later in the game.
Pauper's Drop: Thuggish Splicer*, Leadhead Splicer, Brute Splicer, Big Daddy, Big Sister, Security
Siren Alley: Leadhead Splicer, Spider Splicer, Brute Splicer, Big Daddy, Big Sister, Security
Dionysus Park: Houdini Splicer, Leadhead Splicer, Spider Splicer*, Brute Splicer, Big Daddy, Security
Fontaine Futuristics: Houdini Splicer, Leadhead Splicer*, Big Daddy*, Big Sister, Alpha Series, Security
Outer Persephone: Big Sister*
Inner Persephone: Houdini Splicer*, Brute Splicer*, Alpha Series*, Security*
first you need to get the winter storm tonic i believe its called and a mini turret
start researching the enemy then freeze the enemy and deploy a mini turret and you should get a lot of points before the enemy dies you get more if you use keen observer and the extended reel as i Snowgoons i mentioned
if your facing a big daddy, big sister, alpha series or brute use the machine gun at the same time the mini turret is attacking to help research go even faster
Solution begins:
This is an easy achievement. Like McBrutalwCheese points out, you can just take a picture of the Splicer walking in front of the window of where you get the camera. It's different than in the first BioShock as this time it's a video camera and, to get the best grade, you want that camera rolling while you're in action and fighting the enemy. The deal this time is that you start rolling the film once you target an enemy with your camera and then you're free to use/change weapons/Plasmids.
Quick tips on filming:
Use combos that work best against the enemy you're fighting (e.g., Electro Bolt a Slicer and then hit it with your drill or using Armor-Piercing Rounds on a Big Daddy will net you an A+).
Change up your research tactics. If you use the same method of killing an enemy, your research points will drop (EVEN if it's an A+ combo). So once you hit that Splicer with the Electro Bolt + Drill combo a few times, Use Incinerate while they're standing in a puddle of fuel or Telekinesis + and explosive canister.
That's really all you need to know and is likely better suited for the 9 research completions achievement in the game, but I figure it's best you know it early and that achievement will come naturally if you follow the above strats.
Good luck and feel free to add your A+ combos versus certain enemies via comments (or compile a list and write your own solution) so our readers can reap the benefits.
Here's some great info by Quarantane:
"Just a note to some people, I did not finish the research for Big Sister until AFTER I had dealt with all of the little sisters. So if you deal with all little sisters and are worrying you wont see another Big Sister you need not worry, there are still a few Big Sisters (I think at least 2) to research.
I also did not finish Brute Splicer until after that point, but I believe it can be done, I think I just didn't research them well.
I went crazy when researching the Big Daddies and Big Sisters, using literally every plasmid and ammo type I could.
You should also note that there is a research bonus 1 and 2 tonic that will drastically increase your research points and there is a tonic to increase the ammount of time you can research."
Of the nine different enemies you have to research only two pose a real challenge.
First is the thuggish splicer. The secret with them is to simply remain in the level PAUPERS DROP, where you first acquire the camera, until you have them done. If you don't have them done when you leave paupers drop you won't be able get them again, so make sure you Finnish them then!
Second is the big sister. In the level INNER PERSEPHONE you will
encounter two big sisters at once. Before this you should have already encountered at least four, if you've delt with every little sister. Immediately after these two sisters is a short story related bit, then
several Houdini and brutish splicers, giving you a chance o Finnish
them both off, if you haven't already.
I'll Finnish by giving some nice tips to you all. The first one is that you can get some really easy research by using plasmids and bots. I found that the most effective way to build up my research quickly was to use DRILL SPECIALIST perk with level three electrobolt and winterfreeze. You start up the camera, hit them with freeze, then spam electrobolt for 1000 points on tougher enemies like big daddies, brutes, and alphas, 1500 on big sisters, and around 300- 500 on weaker splicers.
The other tip is bots. If you carry the level two security command perk you can summon two bots to fight for you, which easily boost your numbers. They score points for you and you can still be scoring the points yourself, which allows you to maximize your recearch. Just make sure you don't give them increased damage, you get the same amount of points regardless of the damage the bots do, so you can really get more that way. The swarm of bees power I count similarly to bots, and it makes it VERy easy to Finnish up the Houdini splicers, as they cannot do their warp move while they are being hitten by the bees.
FINALLY, to help you all with just a bit more advice, you can get even more research points by using unique weapons and methods of killing enemies. Things like electrocuting water on tougher enemies, like big
daddies, or using telekinesis to throw explosive projectiles at the
smaller enemies. Also good for this is CYCLONE TRAP, because it does mimimal damage to larger emirs, and only about a third of the smaller enemies life, giving you some good oppertunies to get extra points.
Peace out- The Infection
When you get the Camera in Pauper's Drop, you will 'research' your subjects by filming them, attacking them and killing them. Each KIND of villain (Leadhead Splicer, Brute Splicer. etc) gets a separate category. The better the research (more action during filming), the higher the score and the faster the track fills. For each villain there are four 'levels' of Research (can be tracked in the main menu (press ). Each villain get has own 'Track'). Fill them out to the max for each villain. Also, use your camera the minute you get it, as some villains may not appear in later levels. Though not necessary, you may want to equip any Research-specific Tonic you may find, as it will facilitate your research. Here is a list of villains (as they appear in the Research menu):
- Thuggish Splicer: These are the Splicers who attack you with melee weapons. Incidentally, these are the rarest Splicers. Once you get the camera, research the hell out of them as they will no longer appear in later levels.
- Leadhead Splicer: These are the 'generic' Splicers. They carry guns and sometimes throw bombs. There is enough of them to go around though, and will appear all throughout the game.
- Houdini Splicer: These are the Splicers that 'teleport' from a point to another as they attack you. They will hurl fireballs at you as their weapon. They appear first in Dionysis Park and will remain throughout the game.
- Spider Splicers: These are the Splicers that crawl on ceilings. hey throw hooks at you as their weapon. They will remain appearing up until and including, Dionysus Park.
- Big Daddy: These are the big, fat villains that protect the Little Sisters. They first appear in Ryan Amusements and remain until and including Fontaine Futuristics. In this game, however, there is NO distinctions between the Big Daddies (Rosie, Rumbler etc.) when it comes to Research.
- Big Sister: The infamous new villain of the game. Every three times you 'deal' with a Little Sister, they will appear. Also, there will be two more in the penultimate level. How you'll want to do this is deal with every Little Sister you find. Fight every Big Sister, hit them a few times then start filming. You need to film and then hit them till they die. Otherwise, if you film from the very beginning, you might not be able to kill them 'in time' and this get a low score. There aren't that many Big Sisters so take advantage of every encounter you make with them.
- Security: 'Security' here constitutes Security Cameras, Security Bots and Turrets (no distinctions). The easiest way to get this research is to stand in front of an unhacked Security Camera, trigger the Bots to come, film and attack. Rinse and repeat until their research bar is full.
- Brute Splicer: These are the 'fat' Splicers. They appear around the beginning of the game and usually attack you with melee or hurl objects at you. These appear for a few levels after you get the camera. There will be a lot of them in the last two levels, too so plenty of opportunity to research them.
- Alpha Series: These are a 'skinnier' version of Big Daddy but still powerful, they will use their various weapons against you and sometimes attack you physically. They first appear in Fontaine Futuristics and continue to appear for the remainder of the game.
Once you acquire the camera you will be able to research your enemies. Doing this will earn extra skills to use against your enemies. There are four research levels for each enemy. Use multiple weapons and Plasmids together so your score meter goes up. If you keep using the same combination to kill the same type of enemy your score will not be as great.
Big Daddy/Sister
- Big Daddy - Alpha Series
- Big Daddies - Bouncer - Rosie - Rumbler
- Big Sister
Splicer
- Brute Splicer
- Houdini Splicer
- Leadhead Splicer
- Spider Splicers
- Thuggish Splicer*
Security
- Security Bots - Security Cameras - Turrets
*Once you find the camera start researching straight away. Thuggish Splicers don't appear in the later levels so make sure you research them before you leave Pauper's Drop.
Researchers Handbook
This guide will provide all the locations and all the basic information you need to know about researching.
Note: You can keep track of your research by pressing and viewing the research tab. Doing this will help you keep track of what research you have done, and what research you need to do.
Once you acquire the camera you will be able to research your enemies. Doing this will earn extra skills to use against your enemies. There are four research levels for each enemy. Use multiple weapons and Plasmids together so your score meter goes up. If you keep using the same combination to kill the same type of enemy your score will not be as great.
Big Daddy/Sister
-
Big Daddy - Alpha Series
-
Big Daddies - Bouncer - Rosie - Rumbler
-
Big Sister
Splicer
-
Brute Splicer
-
Houdini Splicer
-
Leadhead Splicer
-
Spider Splicers
-
Thuggish Splicer*
Security
-
Security Bots - Security Cameras - Turrets
Once you find the camera start researching straight away. Thuggish Splicers don't appear in the later levels so make sure you research them before you leave Pauper's Drop.
Link to Researchers Handbook.
This guide will provide all the locations and all the basic information you need to know about researching.
Note: You can keep track of your research by pressing and viewing the research tab. Doing this will help you keep track of what research you have done, and what research you need to do.
Big Daddy/Sister
- Big Daddy - Alpha Series
- Big Daddies - Bouncer - Rosie - Rumbler
- Big Sister
- Brute Splicer
- Houdini Splicer
- Leadhead Splicer
- Spider Splicers
- Thuggish Splicer*
- Security Bots - Security Cameras - Turrets
*Once you find the camera start researching straight away. Thuggish Splicers don't appear in the later levels so make sure you research them before you leave Pauper's Drop.
Researchers Handbook
This guide will provide all the locations and all the basic information you need to know about researching.
Note: You can keep track of your research by pressing and viewing the research tab. Doing this will help you keep track of what research you have done, and what research you need to do.
To unlock this achievement you will need to fully research every subject in the game. To research a subject equip the camera that you acquire during the Pauper's Drop mission, then when you have a subject in sight, press and you will begin filming and equip the weapon you had previous to equipping the camera. You can change weapon/Plasmid during the filming too, and you must do so in order to get better research scores. You will get better scores, which in turn levels the research faster by being more creative with your kills/attacks. Using the same attacks on the same enemies will only yield a minimal gain to your total research of a subject. You can also purchase Tonics as you progress the game that will increase the score you get from researching and they are worth equipping.
The subjects you need to research are:
- Thuggish Splicer - These stop appearing after the Pauper's Drop mission, though there are more than enough to fully research them during this mission. Use the camera on every single one of them on the mission and do not leave/finish the mission until you have fully researched them or you will miss the chance to do it.
- Leadhead Splicer - Probably the most common enemy type, there are no shortage of them and they appear during the entire game.
- Houdini Splicer - Somewhat rare, though they do appear throughout the game. Be on the lookout for red mists, indicating they're around and teleporting.
- Spider Splicer - Not too rare and appear throughout the game. They can be tough so you can do a few different things to them to get good research scores before they die.
- Big Daddies - They will be guarding the Little Sisters that you will also be adopting/rescuing. They will also sometimes be wandering around on their own, hwoever don't rely on this happening, use your camera to research them every time you see a Little Sister with one.
- Big Sister - These will attack you after you have rescued Little Sisters, typically after having saved the final Little Sister in a mission. This makes them somewhat rare so again make sure you have your camera rolling during every single encounter with them.
- Security - There is no shortage of security to research. This includes cameras, turrets and bots. You could, where you so inclined to do so, let a camera spot you then spawn bots to attack you, start recording the bots then kill them, then after the alarm timer runs out let the camera spot you again and repeat until you have fully researched security.
- Brute Splicer - These will be not be too common, however due to their high health you can get a lot of research from each one as you can use various different Plasmids/weapons on them before they die. You should use the camera on every single one of them to avoid missing them.
- Alpha Series - These will only appear later in the game, but they become fairly common. They too have decent health so you can do a lot to them before they die, gaining decent research scores.
Use your camera for every single fight/encounter to get the research done as soon as possible. You don't want to miss any, however this game on Xbox One at least tracks the research you get. I peronally missed Thuggish Splicers and Security, so i loaded up a save i had on Paupers Drop for the Thuggish Splicers and the security and the achievement unlocked. So make sure you save regularly and at the beginning of each mission in a separate file in case you miss any and can choose a level to go back to, to finish any research.