BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea Episode Two, developed by Irrational Games and published by 2K, is a single-player BioShock Infinite DLC chapter that shifts the Burial at Sea story into Elizabeth’s perspective and leans much harder into stealth, scouting, noise control, and scarce resources.
Content warning: The DLC includes Mature 17+ content with violence, blood and gore, language, sexual themes or mild sexual themes, alcohol, and tobacco. This guide stays non-graphic and focuses on play.
This guide is for Episode Two only. It is not a base BioShock Infinite guide, a Burial at Sea Episode One combat guide, a BioShock: The Collection buying guide, a full walkthrough, a collectibles route, an ending explainer, or an achievement roadmap. It avoids exact stealth routes, story reveals, endings, and Audio Diary/Voxophone locations.
Scope and Setup
| Topic | What to Know |
|---|---|
| Correct content | Launch Burial at Sea Episode Two, not Episode One or the base BioShock Infinite campaign |
| Requirement | Standalone DLC listings require BioShock Infinite, while Season Pass and collection bundles can expose it differently |
| Player role | Episode Two is built around Elizabeth, not Booker |
| Main shift | Expect stealth and avoidance to matter more than direct gunfights |
| Package caveat | Xbox, Steam, Season Pass, Complete Edition, and BioShock: The Collection packaging can look different by platform |
| Spoiler posture | This guide covers systems and habits, not the route or the ending |
Essential Tips
1. Do Not Play It Like Booker
Episode Two changes the risk profile.
Elizabeth is more vulnerable than previous protagonists, and the episode is built around stealth-oriented play. If your default BioShock Infinite habit is to sprint into combat and stabilize with shields, slow down immediately.
2. Treat Noise as a Resource
Water, glass, and careless movement can give you away.
Crouch, look at the floor, and avoid noisy surfaces when enemies are nearby. The easiest stealth mistake is not a bad weapon choice; it is announcing yourself before you have read the room.
3. Scout Before Crossing Open Space
Peeping Tom is a planning tool first.
Use Peeping Tom to check walls, patrols, and sightlines before committing. Its invisibility side is powerful, but EVE is scarce, so do not leave it running just because it feels safe.
4. Save Crossbow Bolts for Problems
The crossbow is quiet control, not a panic machine gun.
Tranquilizer, noisemaker, and gas options all solve different stealth problems. Before firing, ask whether a crouched approach, vent, distraction, or safe retreat would solve the same room without spending ammo.
5. Respect Lockpicks
They are more than door keys.
Lockpicks can open routes and interact with security, and lockpicking can also produce noisemakers when handled well. Do not spend every pick on the first turret or locked space you see unless the payoff is obvious.
6. Use Vents and Height Changes
Episode Two gives you escape paths because direct fights are dangerous.
Vents, hiding spaces, and traversal points let you break line of sight, move around patrols, and reset a bad approach. If a room looks impossible from the main floor, look for a quieter angle before spending supplies.
7. Store Healing for Real Mistakes
Medical kits can be held, so avoid wasting them on tiny damage.
Because Episode Two supports stored medical kits, use food and low-risk cleanup when the room allows it. Save medical kits for failed stealth, alarms, or damage you cannot safely walk off.
8. Avoid Fights That Look Wrong
Some threats are better bypassed or redirected.
Episode Two is not balanced around proving Elizabeth can brawl through every room. If a heavy enemy, turret, or patrol pattern looks costly, search for stealth, possession, distraction, or a way around.
9. Upgrade Around Stealth Habits
Do not spend like this is a broad shooter build.
Money, EVE, ammo, and lockpicks are scarce. Favor upgrades and tool use that make your actual stealth plan easier instead of trying to cover every possible combat option.
10. Leave Completion Cleanup for a Second Pass
The collectibles and achievements are real, but they are route-sensitive.
Episode Two has Audio Diaries/Voxophones and stealth-tool achievements, but exact routing can spoil scenes. For a first run, explore carefully and keep a manual note when you leave an area.
Stealth and Resource Habits
| Situation | Beginner Habit | Why It Helps |
|---|---|---|
| Entering a room | Stop, crouch, and listen before moving | Prevents accidental alerts |
| Seeing patrols | Scout with Peeping Tom in short bursts | Saves EVE while revealing risk |
| Crossing water or glass | Find a quieter edge or alternate path | Noise can draw attention |
| Holding crossbow ammo | Use the cheapest silent solution first | Bolts solve specific problems later |
| Opening locks | Avoid red-pin mistakes and consider blue-pin rewards | Alarms and noisemakers both matter |
| Turrets nearby | Compare evasion, possession, and lockpicks | Picks are valuable and not always the best spend |
| Low health | Use stored medical kits only when danger remains | Preserves recovery for failed stealth |
| Bad alert | Hide, relocate, or reset the angle | Elizabeth is not built for prolonged open fights |
1998 Mode and Completion
| Goal | What It Means | Beginner Caveat |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 Mode | A non-lethal challenge mode for Episode Two | Better after you understand tools and patrols |
| The Whole Story | Collect all Episode Two Audio Diaries and Voxophones | Needs a separate spoiler-safe collectibles route |
| Making Some Noise | Noisemakers tied to lockpicking | Learn lockpicking timing early |
| Twofer | Multiple enemies knocked out by one gas bolt | Save gas for grouped enemies rather than wasting it |
| Glutton for Punishment | Ironsides ammo collection | Treat it as a tool goal, not a first-run priority |
| Dead Drop | Silent knockouts from Freight Hooks | Practice only when positioning is clearly safe |
| Never Saw It Coming | Invisible Peeping Tom melee knockouts | Watch EVE cost and do not force it in every room |
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Do not follow base BioShock Infinite instincts - Episode Two rewards stealth, scouting, and restraint more than loud momentum.
- Do not mix Episode One advice into Episode Two - Booker-led combat habits do not map cleanly onto Elizabeth’s toolset.
- Do not sprint through noisy surfaces - Water and broken glass can expose you before the room has even started.
- Do not drain EVE by overusing invisibility - Use Peeping Tom in short, deliberate bursts.
- Do not spend lockpicks without thinking - Doors, noisemakers, turrets, and optional spaces all compete for the same resource.
- Do not fire special bolts at every isolated enemy - A safe stealth knockout can be the better use of your inventory.
- Do not pick 1998 Mode for a casual first run - It restricts your solutions around non-lethal play.
- Do not chase every Audio Diary or Voxophone from memory - Use a checklist later if completion matters.
Summary
| Category | Top Tip |
|---|---|
| Scope | Follow Episode Two advice, not base-game or Episode One habits |
| Stealth | Crouch, scout, and avoid noisy surfaces |
| Peeping Tom | Use it to plan, then turn it off before EVE disappears |
| Crossbow | Save bolts for enemies or groups that need quiet control |
| Lockpicks | Treat them as strategic resources, not simple keys |
| Healing | Preserve stored medical kits for failed stealth or alarms |
| 1998 Mode | Save it for a deliberate non-lethal run |
| Completion | Track categories, but leave exact routes to a dedicated checklist |
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8 checked for this guideEvery factual claim in this guide was checked against at least two independent sources before publication. These are the references used for BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea - Episode 2.
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