BioShock 2: Minerva's Den

BioShock 2: Minerva's Den
Developer2K Marin
Publisher2K
DesignerSteve Gaynor
ProgrammerJeff Fisher
ArtistDevin St. Clair
WriterSteve Gaynor
SeriesBioShock
EngineUnreal Engine 2.5
Platforms
Release
August 31, 2010
  • PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
    • WW: August 23, 2010
    Windows
    • WW: May 31, 2011
    Mac OS X
    • WW: March 29, 2012
    PlayStation 4, Xbox One
    • NA: September 13, 2016
    • WW: September 16, 2016
GenreFirst-person shooter
ModeSingle-player

BioShock 2: Minerva's Den is a single-player downloadable content (DLC) campaign for the 2010 first-person shooter game BioShock 2, developed by 2K Marin and published by 2K. The player assumes the role of Subject Sigma, an armored and genetically modified human, or "Big Daddy"; Sigma must travel through Minerva's Den, the technological hub of the underwater city of Rapture, to download a schematic of the city's supercomputer. Gameplay is similar to that of BioShock 2, with new enemies and weapons.

Minerva's Den was created by a small team within 2K Marin led by Steve Gaynor, who partly based the setting on ideas he discussed in his hiring interview. The team decided upon a small, personal story about identity and free will, which explores a previously unseen part of the underwater city of Rapture. Minerva's Den was initially released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles in August 2010, and was later released and reissued on other platforms. It was well received by critics, who praised its story, characters, and gameplay; reviewers, including those writing for Kotaku and Paste, considered it one of the best video game expansions of all time. The experience of creating a small, story-focused project inspired Gaynor and other 2K employees to form The Fullbright Company and create Gone Home (2013).