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The 1999 Mode is a retro/hardcore difficulty mode in Bioshock Infinite which is automatically unlocked after beating the game for the first time (alternatively through a cheat code). This guide will give you tips and strategies on how to beat the game without buying anything from the dollar bill vending machines to get the Auld Lang Syne & Scavenger Hunt achievements.Quick Overview. First, be aware of spoilers, there will be a lot in this guide, you have been warned. Second, there are many different ways to beat the game on 1999 difficulty, it mainly depends on your play style and weapon preferences. Based on a survey on the demands of the players Irrational Games announced in January 2013 the addition of a special 1999 Mode in Bioshock Infinite. This mode adds a hardcore/retro difficulty setting to the game giving the player an 'especially demanding gaming experience'.
![Bioshock Infinite 1999 Mode Bioshock Infinite 1999 Mode](/uploads/1/2/6/2/126267761/255805355.jpg)
It is a kind of an homage to the old days of video gaming where games were more difficult, 'Game Over' still existed and before checkpoint systems were introduced. 'Gamers face more of the permanent consequences of their gameplay decisions' which will require you to have a certain strategy to beat the game in this difficulty setting. How do I get 1999 Mode?By default the 1999 Mode is unlocked after your first playthrough along with the 'Should Auld Acquaintance' achievement, no matter what difficulty you played on. The new difficulty setting is then available in the 'New Game' menu.However it is also possible to unlock the 1999 Mode without beating the game.
As another reference to the good old days of videogaming you can unlock the hardcore difficulty with the famous 'Konami Code' which was first introduced back in the glorious days of the Nintendo Entertainment System. ( en.wikipedia.org)The code can either be entered through keyboard or gamepad. In the main menu press the following key/button combination:Keyboard: Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, Esc, EnterGamepad: Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, AYou can determine whether it was successful or not when the hidden 'Should Auld Acquaintance' achievement pops up.
When you first spin up BioShock Infinite later this year don't expect to see the recently-announced retro-difficult 1999 mode on the main menu. If you want to experience BioShock Infinite at its most difficult, you need to play on 1999 Mode. This typically isn't an option on your first playthrough.unless you input a secret code.
If so the new 1999 difficulty is now available in the start new game menu. As already mentioned in the overview, collecting resources is essential to successfully beat 1999 Mode. Money, health, salts and ammunition are in short supply, especially when you're trying to do it without buying anything from the Dollar Bill vending machines to get the 'Scavenger Hunt' achievement.But also the hidden gear and infusion upgrades are important. A general tip to find secrets and hidden supplies is to listen to Elizabeth, she often gives you hints where to search for supplies and where to progress with the story. Also look out for the secret codebooks, listen to Voxophone messages revealing secrets and always be aware that locked doors that only require a hairpin are part of the story progression while others that require lockpicks contain secrets and items of value.Therefore this playthrough will be time consuming, requiring you to search every corner, but it's also a good chance to get all missing collectibles and go achievement hunting, as the overall achievements in Bioshock Infinite are quite easy.
The most difficult ones are really those related to 1999 Mode. All other achievements with a progress counter are carried over to your new game. I will also provide links to detailed and recommened collectible guides later. But first a few tips on how to save money and ammo. Money.
Money is short especially in the beginning, don't waste it, think before you buy anything, concentrate on upgrades for 2-3 weapons and 2-3 Vigors. Getting revived is expensive in this game mode, reloading your last checkpoint should always be your first choice instead of spending money, especially early in the game. Also be aware that your enemies recover full health when you get revived. Don't spend all your money at once, always make sure to have few 100$ left in your wallet to be able to pay for getting revived, especially before the final battle.
Collect all lockpicks early in the game, remember the locations of the safes, you'll probably have to backtrack to open them, but it's worth it. Always use Possession on vending machines to get money from them (make sure to have the Possession for Less upgrade).
Because you're more vulnerable in this game mode a good strategy is to avoid infights, always search for cover and kill from a safe distance. Therefore I chose the sniper and carbine rifles.
Both are very effective and powerful weapons that can instakill most of the enemies. Whatever weapons you like and choose, only focus on 2-3, make your decision right at the beginning of the game and spend money only on upgrades for them. Begin with the damage upgrades, more upgrades will become available while you progress in the story. Later in the game when you have enough money you might be able to buy additional damage upgrades for other weapons. Carbine. Use the carbine for closer and weaker enemies. Use whenever possible to save sniper bullets.
Also very powerful, headshots will instakill the majority of enemies. As for the sniper there is enough carbine ammo availableAvailable Upgrades. 'Damage Boost 1: Increases Carbine damage by 25%'. 'Clip Increase: Increases Carbine clip size by 50%'. 'Recoil Decrease: Decreases Carbine recoil by 60%'. 'Damage Boost 2: Increases Carbine damage by 25%'I tried several other weapon combinations but nothing was as good as these two.
With the machine/automatic guns you tend to waste ammunition, with the explosive weapons you always have to deal with the risk of harming yourself and with the shotguns you have to be too close to your enemies for instakills. However the hand cannon maybe an alternative, but I had the feeling that there's less ammo avaliable. Like the weapons it's important to spend your money only on the Vigors you like and you want to use in your playthrough. While weapon upgrades are quite cheap, most of the Vigor upgrades aren't. Spending your money on the wrong upgrades can therefore have a negative impact on the difficulty and your whole 1999 Mode playthrough, so be careful.I follow the same strategy with the Vigors as with the weapons, keep enemies in distance, avoid infights and save ammo whenever possible. Because of that Possession and Shock Jockey are my fully upgraded main Vigors, Untertow and Return to Sender my second choice which can be very useful later in the game. Shock Jockey.
Shock Jockey should be your main Vigor, always equipped in the active slot and fully upgraded. Stun enemies in save distance, keep them away from you, use carbine or sniper to finish them. Make sure to equip the right gear, in combination with the Storm Gear Shock Jockey becomes very powerful.
If you're quick enough the chain effect can stun an entire group of enemies, every kill adds to the stun time and with the Stun Duration upgrade it's even more powerful. In case of an infight stun your enemies, it will give you time to hide, reload or switch weapons while beeing attacked. Watch out for environmental hazards like water puddles and make use of themAvailable Upgrades.
Shock Chain Aid: Adds ability to chain lightning strikes from one enemy to others. Shock Duration Aid: Increases Stun Duration. Undertow. Undertow can be very useful in certain battles later in the game.
I recommend to only spend money on the Range Extender upgrade, it's enough for our strategy. Use it in battles outside especially when you're close to the edges of Columbia.
It is very easy to knock enemies off Columbia (also see 'Bon Voyage' achievement), even the heavier ones, which would have cost you many bullets otherwise. Makes the airship battle later in the game very easy and short, just knock your enemies off the ships, saves you a lot of time and ammo before the final battleAvailable Upgrades. Undertow Aid: Increases the number of enemies you can pull at one time. Undertow Boost: Increases effective range (2x). In my opinion collecting all Infusions is essential for a succesful playthrough of 1999 Mode.
The more Infusions you collect the easier it gets (and rewards you with the 'Infused with Greatness' achievement). There is a total of 24 Infusions in the game, which means you can't upgrade everything to its maximum. However, if you've bought the Season Pass preorder you get 5 additional ones.
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Like the other preorder stuff you can find them early in the game in the Blue Ribbon Restaurant where you meet the Luteces and officially get your first shield upgrade Infusion.Finding all hidden Infusions isn't easy, because of that I highly recommened using a detailed guide (see links below). You will have to collect lockpicks, listen to Voxophone messages unveiling/unlocking secret rooms and even backtrack to find and collect every Infusion.Once you get them it's your decision on what upgrade you spend it. I recommened upgrading your shield first, then salts and health at last. You may ask why? Well, health isn't that important in the game. Without an active shield you die almost instantly no matter how long your health bar is. To regain health you need to collect food etc.
While your shield recharges automatically. Just hide or use the skyline to escape a battle (you're almost invulnerable when travelling at high speed) and let your shield regenerate before you enter the fight again. So spend all your first Infusions on your shield, as soon as you get and use more Vigors spend the Infusions in rotation on salts and shield.Steam user Rumina has made a great guide for all Infusion locations, I highly recommened using it on your 1999 playthrough:And as some Voxophone messages reveal information about secret rooms and unlock them, I would also suggest to collect them aswell and use Rumina's other great guide:If you prefer a complete guide with all collectibles (also Kinetoscopes & Telescopes) I recommened the Collectible Guide from. While searching every corner of the game for supplies and secrets you will most likey also find all the gear upgrades.
In my opinion a good choice of gear is also essential for succefully beating 1999 Mode. But please be aware that the gear boxes are kind of random, which means, you can't say which box contains which gear upgrade.
Even after loading an old savegame the content of a gear box can change. Therefore it's hard to determine at which point in the game you'll have the recommened gear. However you can use it for your advantage, if you get a gear you don't like/want, just try reloading the last checkpoint.Also be aware that you can change your gear at any point in the game by pressing 'o' on your keyboard. There may be certain situations where it's good to change it and have certain gear equipped.
However most of the time you'll stay with the same gear, I highly recommened the following. Storm Gear 'Killing with Devil's Kiss, Shock Jockey or Bucking Bronco causes effects to chain to nearby enemies.' In combination with the Shock Jockey Vigor this gear is a must have and gives you a huge advantage. As already mentioned in the weapons guide it's your goal to kill enemies with as few shots as possible. In case of a headshot the Shock Jockey stun effect chains to nearby enemies and stuns them aswell saving you a lot of salts and giving you more time to aim and shoot the other enemies. Urgent Care 'Decrease shield recharge delay by 1 second.Increase shield recharge rate by 2x.' As already mentioned in the introduction, in 1999 Mode your shield is weakened by default.
It takes quite some time to restore and without you'll die almost instantly. Therefore this gear is highly recommened to compensate and restore the functionality of the shield.As already said, this is an overall recommendation. For some battles it might be a good choice to switch your gear temporarily, especially in fights involving skylines it might be an option to equip some of the skyline gear. Just be aware that you can switch, what gear you have and which of these might suit the current situation best. However I wouldn't equip any of the melee gear as your intention should be to avoid any infight.
Also be aware that you get more gear when you pre ordered the game or the Season Pass. PreOrder GearIf you have pre ordered the game you'll get extra gear parts you can also find in the Blue Ribbon Restaurant with the other pre order stuff. The only gear helpful for your 1999 Mode run is in my opinion the 'Handyman Nemesis - Increases damage dealt to Handymen by 50%' you get from the Industrial Revolution puzzle game. It replaces your gear in the boots slot which should be Tunnel Vision. Therefore I only recommened it when you face a Handyman and restore the normal gear setup afterwards.Also if you preordered the Season Pass you'll get exclusive gear, the most interesting one is 'Ammo Advantage: Increases clip size for all weapons by 75%' in the shirt slot which is a good replacement for Bullet Boon and adds an aditional 25% to your overall clip size.
Comstock House. On your first visit make sure to not loot the bodies!
Preparations. On the lower decks of Comstock's airship there are the last vending machines in the game. It's your last chance to decide whether you want to buy and spend money on additional upgrades for your weapons and Vigors or not. But once again remember, don't spend all your money, save a few hundred dollars to be able to get revived in the final battle. In case you don't care about achievements it's also your last chance to buy ammo.
As soon as you enter the final area, equip your Return to Sender Vigor and place traps in front of the core, they will absorb and protect the core (see screenshot), after that switch back to your main Vigors (Shock Jockey & Possession). Place several connected Shock Jockey traps in the front of the ship where the enemies come from.
During the Fight. Try to stay inside the cabin and shoot from there, you have the proper long range weapons for this job.
And because of your Shock Jockey traps most of the enemies should be trapped and stunned in the front of the ship making it very easy to hit them, but make sure to reload behind a safe wall. Only go outside if you need ammo, rocket guys attack or if an enemy is too close to the core, watch out not to overlook one that is already beneath the core. The enemies attack in waves, the next wave will only spawn if you killed all enemies from the previous wave. You can use this information for your advantage.
If you need to get out of your hiding spot to collect supplies just leave one weaker enemy alive, it will give you the time you need. Also make sure to renew your Shock Jockey & Return to Sender traps if required. Always look at the availablity icon for the songbird and use him whenever he's ready. Use his attack only for the airships, don't try to shoot the airships yourself, save your ammo and concentrate on the other enemies. Also make sure that the attack is triggered correctly, I had several problems where I thought I targeted the ships but I didn't, so listen to the attack sound. The most difficult enemies might be the Rocket Guys and the Motorized Patriots:.
For the rocket guys you might have to leave your hiding spot, use the skyline, perform a skyline attack to stun them and then either use Undertow to knock them off the ship or use Possession, don't waste any ammo, they're heavy armored. They always attack together, one to the left one to the right, so attach again to the skyline and ride to the other side and do the same.
The Siren battles in the Memorial Gardens and at the Comstock House entrance proved quite challenging, requiring multiple retries, but the battle in the bank vault was surprisingly easy. The bottleneck of the vault door may have created a significant advantage for me.I was also surprised to finish the final battle on a single attempt. I was downed twice, but I had substantial money reserves and I rarely ran low on ammunition and I never ran low on Salts. The tip of using the Carbine and the Sniper Rifle combined with Shock Jockey traps was very helpful. I have used some of these tips. Thanks, Author for your job. I would add that Electric Punch is also very powerful and it can help kill enemy easily just hitting him to death, permanent stun and no chance for enemy (not Patriot or Handyman), I saved too much bullets thanks to it.
Also 1999 becomes easiest mode if you has access to Skyline. I just used Fire-Bird and Winter Shield whenever I could use Skyline. Simple as that. No bulletts, no vigors,all enemies are dead.
Maybe it will help somebody.
It's intended to be a difficulty that hearkens back to the ' of FPS'es, as Ken Levine explains:We call it the 1999 mode because our first game came out in 1999, System Shock, and it was a tough, tough game. We wanted old school fans to have a sense of the game that was pretty unforgiving, as BioShock 1 was not particularly unforgiving. I designed it to get through it.
We really wanted to give gamers that kind of challenge who wanted it, but it’s tough stuff. It’s like the hot sauce on the table, use it with care.The sense that I get from reading is that he views the 'modern' shooter as having been made easy for the masses. They wanted to give the hardcore player a chance to play a more challenging, strategic game.' I really had to get back into the brain I had in the 90's,' Levine explained. 'It's that old-school feeling of 'If I fail, I deserved to fail' instead of 'the game made me fail'.They hid the 1999 Mode option (either by entering the Konami code or playing the game through on some other difficulty) so that the average gamer wouldn't stumble on it by accident.
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