Jack's Tattoos (BioShock, not Mass Effect 2)

[Paperplanes79]

* Possible Spoilers*

But if haven't beaten the original Bioshock yet what are you doing here? Go buy it/download/steal it from you auntie!

Back when the original Bioshock came out I remember a great big nasty backlash about the fact that it didn't support widescreen. When you tried to play bioshock on a widescreen it cut out a bit on the top and bottom. Not a big deal you say? Well I watched a a tv show (can't remember but i believe it was X-Play) and it stated that you couldn't see your characters tattoos on his wrists. Which appears to be a black chain.

Me being the low tech gamer I am had no worries and continued to play the game on my standard TV. But I remembered this and thought to myself my the tattoo will get explained later. But nope it's never even brought up.

So my question to you is what do you think of the tattoo? Did you even notice and if you did it add to the experience? Is there anything in any other game that is small but adds so much meaning to the character/story?

 

[Furioso]

Wow I thought this was about Jack from ME2... should probably put that in the title

 

[DeadlyYellow]

You can't tell me where to go!

Maybe I was hoping this was a Mass Effect 2 thread. Hmmmm?

Cursed ninjas.

 

[TheNumber1Zero]

He has a tattoo? Weird.

Chances are it was just added for looks, like the tattoo's on some of the guys in Farcry 2, don't worry about it.

 

[Mr. Grey]

I thought this was going to be Jack from Mass Effect 2... Hers are much more interesting.

And no, I never gave the tattoos much thought. Now I'll have to, but for a cheap answer I assume they were placed there to show he was forever shackled to Rapture.

 

[Cpt_Oblivious]

I thought they were cool and have created my own tatoo design around them.

 

[Cherry Cola]

I did see it a lot. Maybe it was because I played the PS3 version, I don't know. Maybe they are a symbol for

Spoiler

How Jack is chained down by genetic encoding like doing anything someone says when they say "Would you kindly"

 

[Citrus]

Chains = he's a slave. I thought it was done sort of bluntly, to be honest.

 

[Axolotl]

I saw them alot, I just thought they were just a small touch until the reveal. Then they take on a new level of significance.

 

[ChaosMarch]

Ryan goes on and on about the 'Great Chain' of human endeavor, and there are many statues, etc. on that theme; I think the tattoos symbolize that.

 

[CloggedDonkey]

I have seen the word "mass effect" more than the letter h on this page.

anyway, I noticed them, I just never knew what they where. and it is probably a reference to the great chain, which we all pull, and which pulls us.

 

[Agayek]

He has a tattoo? Weird.

Chances are it was just added for looks, like the tattoo's on some of the guys in Farcry 2, don't worry about it.

I have seen the word "mass effect" more than the letter h on this page.

anyway, I noticed them, I just never knew what they where. and it is probably a reference to the great chain, which we all pull, and which pulls us.

In Bioshock, the tattoos on Jack's wrists symbolize his slavery to Fontaine. It's a very creative form of foreshadowing the big twist towards the end of the game.

 

[Altorin]

I actually think the tattoos are subliminal messages just like "would you kindly"

everytime Jack does something that you can't control, or HAVE to do, he either hears the phrase or looks at his tattoo.

For instance, when you first get your electovolt plasmid, jack's first instinct is to jam a gigantic needle into his arm just for the hell of it.. except that he holds it up, looks at both of his arms, and THEN jams the gigantic needle into his arm.

Also, you can see his tattoos shortly before the plane goes down, so jack was probably responsible for that too

maybe. There's no real mention of them or what they do in the game so it's all speculation.

 

[Legion]

He is a slave to mind control, and has tattoos of chains on his wrists, it's fairly self explanatory. Simple symbolism, although it only takes on that meaning later.

Chains = he's a slave. I thought it was done sort of bluntly, to be honest.

Indeed.

 

[Woodsey]

He's a slave, with a chain tattoo on his wrist.

Seems pretty obvious to me.

 

[Rednog]

I really don't get how you'd miss them, you see it a couple of times during the game...even in the first 5 minutes.

Spoiler

I was tempted to get them myself with the lines: A man chooses, a slave obeys.
But a lot of people had it by then so I decided not to.

 

[maddawg IAJI]

I think it was just their to recgonize Jack in the good ending and to notice him when he goes through certain actions like harvesting or rescuing little sisters. It's simply to help the player recognize Jack without ever seeing his face.

 

[CrysisMcGee]

Bioshock is boring, somewhat. Watch Yahtzee's review for my complete feelings. However I don't recall any tattoos. I played it in widescreen, so perhaps that's why.