One of the key assets of a player’s arsenal in BioShock are Gene Tonics, serums made from processed ADAM. These Tonics are scattered around Rapture for players to find, invent, or purchase with ADAM.
Tonics come in three different varieties: Combat, Engineering, and Physical. Physical Tonics have a signature blue glow that distinguishes them from the other tonics. These Tonics improve the player’s physical and physiological properties such as boosts to speed, extra research points, etc. These are the Physical Tonics players should equip.
11/11 Scrounger
Topping off the list is arguably the worst tonic in the game, Scrounger. Scrounger is a physical tonic that allows players to search corpses and containers an additional time to get different loot. This can be obtained through obtaining research level two of the Leadhead Splicer.
While this may seem like a useful tonic, loot in containers or bodies hardly ever changes with this perk equipped. Given the fact that looting can be time-consuming in of itself, this only further adds to the time wasted looting for little results. Long story short, this tonic/perk is pretty useless.
Extra Nutrition increases the amount of health gained from bandages, drinks, and food. The first tier can be obtained relatively early on through Gatherer’s Gardens in Neptune’s Bounty and on, while the second tier is located inside Sinclair Spirits in Fort Frolic, and the third is obtained through completing the fourth tier of Spider Splicer research.
While this also seems like a useful perk, most players will have no trouble staying stocked up on Medkits throughout the game. Not to mention that while the snacks and bandages can be seen lying around in multiple places throughout Rapture, there are far better tonics available.
9/11 Booze Hound
Booze Hound is a Physical Tonic that can be crafted via U-Invent vending machines in the game. All this perk does is allow alcohol to replenish EVE instead of draining it. However, it does not remove the effects of being drunk after consuming too much alcohol (almost like real life)!
While there is an abundance of alcohol for the player to consume in areas around Rapture, the amount of EVE this perk does restore is pretty negligible. There are ultimately better perks to equip that positively affect EVE consumption/replenishment.
8/11 Security Evasion
This is a somewhat useful Physical Tonic that makes Security Cameras and Turrets take longer to spot you. Yet, this tonic becomes incredibly useless once Houdini Splicers are researched to the second level. The first level of Security Evasion actually becomes available in Arcadia, where Houdini Splicers are introduced.
There are easily enough Houdini Splicers to research and unlock Natural Camouflage in the Arcadia level, negating the usage of this perk. These two tonics can also generally be passed up, especially after Natural Camouflage is unlocked, in order to prioritize better tonics.
7/11 Hacker’s Delight
Hacker’s Delight rewards the player with varying amounts of health and EVE, according to one of the three respective grades of the tonic, after each successful hack. The first iteration of Hacker’s Delight is found in the second level of the game, Medical Pavilion, in the Eternal Flame Crematorium. The second Hacker’s Delight can be crafted in a U-Invent, while the third and final grade of the tonic can be found in Failsafe Armored Escorts in Point Prometheus.
This is an incredible tonic, but loses much of its usefulness around the halfway mark of the game due to other available Physical Tonics at your disposal. However, if one does not want to pursue a strong wrench build, then these are useful Physical Tonics to hold onto.
6/11 Bloodlust
Bloodlust is the third and final tonic able to be invented at the U-Invent machines. It provides the user with a small amount of health and EVE with each Wrench blow to an enemy.
Although not as strong as the other Wrench-based tonics, Bloodlust is still a great tonic for Wrench-builds if chosen over other Physical Tonics. It can certainly be stacked with the other Wrench positive tonics to further reward gamers with sticking to the Wrench throughout the game.
5/11 EVE Saver
An incredibly useful tonic, EVE Saver is a Physical Tonic that does just what it says: reduce the amount of EVE consumed per plasmid used. It is available in all Gatherer’s Gardens from Arcadia and on.
EVE Saver allows gamers approximately one more additional use of a plasmid before having to use another EVE Hypo. Since Plasmids are essential to surviving Rapture, this is a great perk to have equipped.
4/11 Eve Link
EVE Link gives Jack an amount of EVE every time he uses a First Aid Kit. Both versions can be found early on in the game, with EVE Link able to be purchased from the first Gatherer’s Garden the player encounters in the Medical Pavilion, and the second one can be found near the Farmer’s Market on the ground next to a rocket turret.
EVE Link drastically reduces the need to top up on EVE separately from Jack’s health after a fight. Not to mention, this reduces the need to purchase EVE Hypos, and instead, gamers can use their money for other things such as more First Aid Kits or ammo.
3/11 SportBoost
SportBoost is one incredible Physical Tonic that can be unlocked via researching Thuggish Splicers to level two and up to level four for the upgraded version. This tonic increases the player’s movement speed by 10% (20% for tier two), and the Wrench swing speed is increased by 25% (50% for SportBoost 2). These can be stacked for increased effects.
SportBoost is a must-have for any Wrench-focused builds, allowing gamers to swing much faster than the Splicers they encounter. When coupled with the other Wrench-forward Tonics, the Wrench becomes one of the most OP weapons in the game.
2/11 Medical Expert
Coming in three different grades, Medical Expert gives 20%-60% more health per First Aid Kit. These tonics, especially the third tier are must-haves for each playthrough. When used in combination with EVE Link, Medkits become that much more valuable, while also allowing players to limit their worry about having enough First Aid Kits in their inventory.
The first tier can be found on the ground in the Lower Wharf of Neptune’s Bounty. The second is a reward for completing Sander Cohen’s Quadtych, and the third grade of Medical Expert is found in Dr. Suchong’s Free Clinic in Apollo Square. Again, each tier should be run until it is possible to replace it with the next one.
1/11 Natural Camouflage
Finally, easily one of the best, if not the best Physical Tonic (and Gene Tonic) in the entire game, Natural Camouflage renders the player invisible after standing still for a period of time. This can be unlocked as early as Arcadia, with the requirements simply being the completion of the second level of Houdini Splicer research.
This Tonic is great for hacking; if a player triggers a security alarm while hacking, then all they must do is stand still long enough to become invisible, and they will avoid damage by the time any Security Bots arrive. However, they can also trigger these alarms in order to gain Security Bots to assist the player for protection; just simply stand still until the alarms are almost done and shock or freeze a Bot to turn it into an ally. This can also be used to avoid detection while taking pictures with the Research Camera or to lure Splicers into the line of sight of hacked Security Devices for the Devices to do the player’s dirty work.
