Andrew Ryan (BioShock)
Encyclopedia
Andrew Ryan is a fictional character in the 2007 video game BioShock
. The character has received significant praise from critics, and so has his voice actor, Armin Shimerman
, whose voice talent was cited as one of the contributing factors to BioShock and won "Best use of sound" from IGN
. He has been compared to several different real-life and fictional figures, his world of Rapture compared to the world of Ayn Rand
novel Atlas Shrugged
, while creator Ken Levine compared him to Ayn Rand herself, as well as Howard Hughes
.
director Ken Levine described Andrew Ryan as a character of ideals, in contrast to another character, Frank Fontaine, who has no ideals. Designing the boss battle between the player and Ryan was a controversial decision for the developers, due to the question of what the players' motive is at this point. Ryan taking his own life to prevent Jack, the protagonist, from accomplishing this, was described as the "ultimate insult" by Levine. The scene took a long time for the developers to finish. Levine stated that they figured out the question of who the character of Andrew Ryan is too early, adding that they underestimated the impact that this would make. While he is saner than the opponents the players encounter before him, including a plastic surgeon who takes his ideal of beauty too far, he is as unmovable as they are, unwilling to change his ideals. When discussing how many people would get the good ending to BioShock, he commented that Ryan would not, choosing to take the easier path.
In creating the world of Rapture, Levine imagined a utopia
that its creators did not want anyone to find. Following this, he created the character of Ryan as its creator, giving him a "pseudo-objectivism and extremely capitalistic view on the world" as well as a fear of the New Deal
ers in the United States and Stalinists in Russia would find it. Levine states that to him, Ryan's philosophies come from Art Deco
, describing the style as "Yes, we are men, and we control the universe!". He considered Ryan a combination of historical figures such as Howard Hughes
and Ayn Rand, though comparing him to John Galt, a character in Rand's Atlas Shrugged, in that he is more similar to a real person, making mistakes and having fear and doubts. During a questions and answers segment, a questioner stated that he did not want to kill Ryan, asking Levine "Are still doomed to make games where we have to use plot devices to clean that up?" to which Levine responded that video games were admittedly linear, saying that it was hard enough to come up with one good plot, let alone multiple ones. Levine stated that he did not expect the "ugly comedown from the stratospheric highs" from the Andrew Ryan scene near the end.
and communism
. Ryan also has a vast hatred for the religious, but more notably the altruistic, as he believes altruism
to be the root of all evil.
Ryan is a strong supporter of Liberty
, as he believes all individuals have the right to act according to how they see fit, with "parasites" being the only ones who would attempt to deny mankind that of free will. Ryan accentuates this belief to the extreme, denouncing all laws. One of Ryan's main ethics is that of free market
, asserting that all industry should be kept completely unfettered by government intervention
. Ryan is also a vociferous capitalist
, believing capitalism to be the only way an economy
can flourish successfully.
Ryan coined his own economic philosophy
which he named the Great Chain of Industry, or simply the Great Chain. In the real-world, this supposedly describes how economy
and industry
"unite the people;" in the form that citizens of the state pay taxes to the government to pay for the upkeep of society
(such as healthcare or general maintenance.) However, in the context of Rapture
, it describes how the Great Chain acts as the economy that surrounds the city, serving as the foundation for its free industry in an economic manner. In this sense, the citizens are united by this chain, as industry provides the availability of basic goods; such as food, as well as jobs for the lower-classes. Therefore, without the Great Chain, there would be total unemployment
and the production of basic commodities would cease, effectively reducing the city to a third-world country.
A strong atheist, Ryan disregards all forms of organised religion
. Religious intervention on Ryan's own private property
before his founding of Rapture, claiming the "land belonged to god" played a major part in his decision to build Rapture.
The player only encounters Ryan once in person throughout the entire BioShock franchise
, with most of his appearance being made via radio transmission and audio diaries. Ryan is always seen with his hair slicked-back, and sporting a smart suit
and necktie
. In an image the player encounters of Ryan during the Welcome to Rapture and Rapture Control Centre levels, he can be seen wearing a black fedora hat.
Ryan's first appearance in the franchise is in BioShock
, the first installment of the series. He serves as one of the primary antagonists throughout the game. He created BioShocks world, Rapture
, as a means to escape from such ideals as religion
, communism
, and altruism
. Rapture eventually falls apart when young scientist Brigid Tenenbaum, discovered a substance she later names "ADAM". While the initial properties of her new discovery were confusing she later diagnosed that when "ADAM" was injected via a hypodermic syringe into the arm, allows the user to "bend the double-helix", thus giving him/her what could be described as "superpowers." However, the long term effects of ADAM soon become obvious, the substance was highly addictive and both mental and physical deterioration began to occur.
When Jack (the protagonist in BioShock
) arrives in Rapture
, Ryan views him as a threat, initially believing him to be a government agent, most likely sent by the Russian KGB
or the American CIA. Ryan attempts to do whatever possible to kill Jack, who is aided by Ryan's arch nemesis, Atlas. Towards the end of the game it is revealed to the player that Jack is actually Andrew Ryan's illegitimate son. This is hinted at throughout the game though the player is only given all the facts shortly after Andrew Ryan is assassinated. Ryan apparently had sexual intercourse
with a young female stripper named Jasmine Jolene resulting in her pregnancy, though Ryan was not aware of this. Throughout Rapture's history Ryan had frequent encounters with a smuggler named Frank Fontaine, who later became a leading figure in Rapture's genetic arms race towards the end of the 1950s. Fontaine decided to take advantage of this opportunity, and paid a high-ranking employee of his, Brigid Tenenbaum, to purchase the embryo from Jolene, which Jolene agreed to simply because she "needed the money." After Andrew Ryan became aware of this, he brutally murdered her, leaving her corpse on a bed in the Eve's Garden strip club
. Fontaine later named the child, "Jack", and ordered a scientist under his employment, Dr. Yi Suchong to accelerate Jack's growth, and make him vulnerable to several mental techniques.
When Andrew Ryan and Jack inevitably meet, Ryan states that Jack was his "greatest disappointment." Ryan gives a short monologue
just before his death, explaining to Jack his past, and how little he differs from a simple slave, as, according to Ryan, "In the end, what separates a man from a slave? Money? Power? No... A man chooses, a slave obeys." Ryan hands Jack his golf putter
, which Jack, under Ryan's command, uses to murder him.
Ryan also appears through audio diaries in BioShock's sequel, BioShock 2
, which give the player an expanded insight into Ryan's history and ideals.
editor Charles Onyett described him as "anything but a prototypical villain", describing him as having a bottomless ambition for creating a city at the bottom of the sea. He added that while his words resemble "totalitarian propaganda", players cannot help but sympathize with him.
During a discussion about the potential plot of the game's sequel BioShock 2
, it was often brought up by editor Hilary Goldstein that Ryan should reappear in it, and that while it should be in a new area, it should still have connections to him. Onyett called Ryan a key element, and if not included in the sequel, there would be a dramatic loss of personality. He claimed that much of Rapture's personality comes from Ryan, and it would have much less of an impact without him. Editor Ryan Geddes agreed adding that he felt there was more to Ryan than Rapture. Editor Nate Ahem suggested that the game's sequel, BioShock 2
, could potentially put the players in the role of Ryan, to explore the story of trying to create a perfect world and having it crumble beneath their feet.
Gamasutra
editor Leigh Alexander ranked him the third most affecting characters of 2007, behind GLaDOS
from Portal and player-created characters such as in massive multiplayer online role-playing games
. Leigh calls him a "cautionary example of the danger of pure philosophy", adding that while he begins as the primary antagonist, players sympathize with him once it becomes clear that he is so "bitterly wrong". Adam Volk of Gamasutra described him as a fascinating take on the mad scientist
character, adding that if more developers steer away from stereotypes of the character type, these characters could easily rival those in film, television, or novels. In the book "Halos and Avatars: Playing Video Games with God", author Craig Detweiler calls him an "obvious reference to the objectivist writer and philosopher Ayn Rand
".
Onyett praised Armin Shimerman
for his portrayal of Ryan, calling him a "joy to listen to" and adding that he would "give Stephen Colbert a run for his money." 411 Mania editor Adam Larck agreed, praising the introduction Ryan gives to the player as they enter Rapture. Game Chronicles editor Mark Smith praised the voice acting of the game, praising Shimerman's commitment to the story and theme. Total PlayStation editor gave similar praise to Shimerman, commenting that he and Atlas' voice actor rounded out the cast. Worthplaying editor Brian Dumlao commented that Ryan's voice "conveys ... the struggle of a man whose ideals are being threatened by a rival businessman", and praising the delivery of the actors to why the story is so good. In their game of the year awards, IGN
praised the voice acting, citing Ryan's speech he delivers to players as what convinced them. They awarded BioShock "Best use of sound".
He has been compared to several other characters in fiction and real life. Ryan's world of Rapture has been compared to that of Ayn Rand
's Atlas Shrugged
. Blog Critics editor described Ryan as arrogant, greedy, and naive, adding that these traits led Rapture to destruction. Lou Kesten of the San Francisco Chronicle also made this comparison, comparing the name "Andrew Ryan" to the author, "Ayn Rand", in its similarity. Onyett agreed, describing him as a "Randian hero". He has also been compared to the eponymous character of Citizen Kane
. Official Xbox Magazine
editor Dan Griliopoulos likened his appearance to that of Gomez Addams
, the father from The Addams Family
. IGN
editors Phil Pirrello and Christopher Monfette described him as being more communist
than Vladimir Lenin
, the first head of state of the Soviet Union
, also comparing him to Italian philosopher and writer Niccolò Machiavelli
. While discussing potential actors who could portray Ryan in the upcoming BioShock film, IGN editors chose Anthony Hopkins
as the perfect choice for the role.
IGN later put Andrew Ryan at number 10 in their list of the Top 100 Videogame Villains. IGN summed up Ryan by saying, "The force of his personality and clarity of his vision is admirable throughout the game. Rapture wouldn't be nearly as interesting without Ryan and his complementing the action and exploration, shouting propaganda and taking every opportunity to broadcast his world view."
Bioshock
BioShock is a first-person shooter video game developed by 2K Boston and designed by Ken Levine. It was released for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 on August 21, 2007 in North America, and three days later in Europe and Australia. It became available on Steam on August 21, 2007...
. The character has received significant praise from critics, and so has his voice actor, Armin Shimerman
Armin Shimerman
Armin Shimerman is an American actor. Shimerman is best known for playing the Ferengi bartender Quark in the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Principal Snyder in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Kramer's caddy Stan on Seinfeld, voicing Dr. Nefarious in the Ratchet & Clank series, and Andrew...
, whose voice talent was cited as one of the contributing factors to BioShock and won "Best use of sound" from IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
. He has been compared to several different real-life and fictional figures, his world of Rapture compared to the world of Ayn Rand
Ayn Rand
Ayn Rand was a Russian-American novelist, philosopher, playwright, and screenwriter. She is known for her two best-selling novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged and for developing a philosophical system she called Objectivism....
novel Atlas Shrugged
Atlas Shrugged
Atlas Shrugged is a novel by Ayn Rand, first published in 1957 in the United States. Rand's fourth and last novel, it was also her longest, and the one she considered to be her magnum opus in the realm of fiction writing...
, while creator Ken Levine compared him to Ayn Rand herself, as well as Howard Hughes
Howard Hughes
Howard Robard Hughes, Jr. was an American business magnate, investor, aviator, engineer, film producer, director, and philanthropist. He was one of the wealthiest people in the world...
.
Concept and creation
BioShockBioshock
BioShock is a first-person shooter video game developed by 2K Boston and designed by Ken Levine. It was released for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 on August 21, 2007 in North America, and three days later in Europe and Australia. It became available on Steam on August 21, 2007...
director Ken Levine described Andrew Ryan as a character of ideals, in contrast to another character, Frank Fontaine, who has no ideals. Designing the boss battle between the player and Ryan was a controversial decision for the developers, due to the question of what the players' motive is at this point. Ryan taking his own life to prevent Jack, the protagonist, from accomplishing this, was described as the "ultimate insult" by Levine. The scene took a long time for the developers to finish. Levine stated that they figured out the question of who the character of Andrew Ryan is too early, adding that they underestimated the impact that this would make. While he is saner than the opponents the players encounter before him, including a plastic surgeon who takes his ideal of beauty too far, he is as unmovable as they are, unwilling to change his ideals. When discussing how many people would get the good ending to BioShock, he commented that Ryan would not, choosing to take the easier path.
In creating the world of Rapture, Levine imagined a utopia
Utopia
Utopia is an ideal community or society possessing a perfect socio-politico-legal system. The word was imported from Greek by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book Utopia, describing a fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean. The term has been used to describe both intentional communities that attempt...
that its creators did not want anyone to find. Following this, he created the character of Ryan as its creator, giving him a "pseudo-objectivism and extremely capitalistic view on the world" as well as a fear of the New Deal
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
ers in the United States and Stalinists in Russia would find it. Levine states that to him, Ryan's philosophies come from Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
, describing the style as "Yes, we are men, and we control the universe!". He considered Ryan a combination of historical figures such as Howard Hughes
Howard Hughes
Howard Robard Hughes, Jr. was an American business magnate, investor, aviator, engineer, film producer, director, and philanthropist. He was one of the wealthiest people in the world...
and Ayn Rand, though comparing him to John Galt, a character in Rand's Atlas Shrugged, in that he is more similar to a real person, making mistakes and having fear and doubts. During a questions and answers segment, a questioner stated that he did not want to kill Ryan, asking Levine "Are still doomed to make games where we have to use plot devices to clean that up?" to which Levine responded that video games were admittedly linear, saying that it was hard enough to come up with one good plot, let alone multiple ones. Levine stated that he did not expect the "ugly comedown from the stratospheric highs" from the Andrew Ryan scene near the end.
Characteristics and role in BioShock
Andrew Ryan has strong ideals, so much so that they are the most important thing to him, trumping his own life. He has an irrational hatred of what he refers to as "parasites," consisting mainly of people who support left-wing politics; namely socialismSocialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
and communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
. Ryan also has a vast hatred for the religious, but more notably the altruistic, as he believes altruism
Altruism (ethics)
Altruism is an ethical doctrine that holds that individuals have a moral obligation to help, serve, or benefit others, if necessary at the sacrifice of self interest. Auguste Comte's version of altruism calls for living for the sake of others...
to be the root of all evil.
Ryan is a strong supporter of Liberty
Liberty
Liberty is a moral and political principle, or Right, that identifies the condition in which human beings are able to govern themselves, to behave according to their own free will, and take responsibility for their actions...
, as he believes all individuals have the right to act according to how they see fit, with "parasites" being the only ones who would attempt to deny mankind that of free will. Ryan accentuates this belief to the extreme, denouncing all laws. One of Ryan's main ethics is that of free market
Free market
A free market is a competitive market where prices are determined by supply and demand. However, the term is also commonly used for markets in which economic intervention and regulation by the state is limited to tax collection, and enforcement of private ownership and contracts...
, asserting that all industry should be kept completely unfettered by government intervention
Laissez-faire
In economics, laissez-faire describes an environment in which transactions between private parties are free from state intervention, including restrictive regulations, taxes, tariffs and enforced monopolies....
. Ryan is also a vociferous capitalist
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
, believing capitalism to be the only way an economy
Economy
An economy consists of the economic system of a country or other area; the labor, capital and land resources; and the manufacturing, trade, distribution, and consumption of goods and services of that area...
can flourish successfully.
Ryan coined his own economic philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
which he named the Great Chain of Industry, or simply the Great Chain. In the real-world, this supposedly describes how economy
Economy
An economy consists of the economic system of a country or other area; the labor, capital and land resources; and the manufacturing, trade, distribution, and consumption of goods and services of that area...
and industry
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
"unite the people;" in the form that citizens of the state pay taxes to the government to pay for the upkeep of society
Society
A society, or a human society, is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations...
(such as healthcare or general maintenance.) However, in the context of Rapture
Rapture (BioShock)
Rapture is an underwater city that is the setting for the games BioShock and BioShock 2. The game's back-story describes the city as envisioned by business tycoon Andrew Ryan in the mid-1940s as a means to create a utopia for mankind's greatest thinkers to prosper in a laissez-faire environment...
, it describes how the Great Chain acts as the economy that surrounds the city, serving as the foundation for its free industry in an economic manner. In this sense, the citizens are united by this chain, as industry provides the availability of basic goods; such as food, as well as jobs for the lower-classes. Therefore, without the Great Chain, there would be total unemployment
Unemployment
Unemployment , as defined by the International Labour Organization, occurs when people are without jobs and they have actively sought work within the past four weeks...
and the production of basic commodities would cease, effectively reducing the city to a third-world country.
A strong atheist, Ryan disregards all forms of organised religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
. Religious intervention on Ryan's own private property
Private property
Private property is the right of persons and firms to obtain, own, control, employ, dispose of, and bequeath land, capital, and other forms of property. Private property is distinguishable from public property, which refers to assets owned by a state, community or government rather than by...
before his founding of Rapture, claiming the "land belonged to god" played a major part in his decision to build Rapture.
The player only encounters Ryan once in person throughout the entire BioShock franchise
BioShock (series)
BioShock is a video game series developed by Irrational Games—the first under the name 2K Boston/2K Australia—and designed by Ken Levine. It was originally released for the Windows operating system and Xbox 360 video game console on 21 August 2007 in North America, and three days later in Europe...
, with most of his appearance being made via radio transmission and audio diaries. Ryan is always seen with his hair slicked-back, and sporting a smart suit
Suit (clothing)
In clothing, a suit is a set of garments made from the same cloth, consisting of at least a jacket and trousers. Lounge suits are the most common style of Western suit, originating in the United Kingdom as country wear...
and necktie
Necktie
A necktie is a long piece of cloth worn for decorative purposes around the neck or shoulders, resting under the shirt collar and knotted at the throat. Variants include the ascot tie, bow tie, bolo tie, and the clip-on tie. The modern necktie, ascot, and bow tie are descended from the cravat. Neck...
. In an image the player encounters of Ryan during the Welcome to Rapture and Rapture Control Centre levels, he can be seen wearing a black fedora hat.
Ryan's first appearance in the franchise is in BioShock
Bioshock
BioShock is a first-person shooter video game developed by 2K Boston and designed by Ken Levine. It was released for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 on August 21, 2007 in North America, and three days later in Europe and Australia. It became available on Steam on August 21, 2007...
, the first installment of the series. He serves as one of the primary antagonists throughout the game. He created BioShocks world, Rapture
Rapture (BioShock)
Rapture is an underwater city that is the setting for the games BioShock and BioShock 2. The game's back-story describes the city as envisioned by business tycoon Andrew Ryan in the mid-1940s as a means to create a utopia for mankind's greatest thinkers to prosper in a laissez-faire environment...
, as a means to escape from such ideals as religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
, communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
, and altruism
Altruism
Altruism is a concern for the welfare of others. It is a traditional virtue in many cultures, and a core aspect of various religious traditions, though the concept of 'others' toward whom concern should be directed can vary among cultures and religions. Altruism is the opposite of...
. Rapture eventually falls apart when young scientist Brigid Tenenbaum, discovered a substance she later names "ADAM". While the initial properties of her new discovery were confusing she later diagnosed that when "ADAM" was injected via a hypodermic syringe into the arm, allows the user to "bend the double-helix", thus giving him/her what could be described as "superpowers." However, the long term effects of ADAM soon become obvious, the substance was highly addictive and both mental and physical deterioration began to occur.
When Jack (the protagonist in BioShock
Bioshock
BioShock is a first-person shooter video game developed by 2K Boston and designed by Ken Levine. It was released for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 on August 21, 2007 in North America, and three days later in Europe and Australia. It became available on Steam on August 21, 2007...
) arrives in Rapture
Rapture (BioShock)
Rapture is an underwater city that is the setting for the games BioShock and BioShock 2. The game's back-story describes the city as envisioned by business tycoon Andrew Ryan in the mid-1940s as a means to create a utopia for mankind's greatest thinkers to prosper in a laissez-faire environment...
, Ryan views him as a threat, initially believing him to be a government agent, most likely sent by the Russian KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
or the American CIA. Ryan attempts to do whatever possible to kill Jack, who is aided by Ryan's arch nemesis, Atlas. Towards the end of the game it is revealed to the player that Jack is actually Andrew Ryan's illegitimate son. This is hinted at throughout the game though the player is only given all the facts shortly after Andrew Ryan is assassinated. Ryan apparently had sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
with a young female stripper named Jasmine Jolene resulting in her pregnancy, though Ryan was not aware of this. Throughout Rapture's history Ryan had frequent encounters with a smuggler named Frank Fontaine, who later became a leading figure in Rapture's genetic arms race towards the end of the 1950s. Fontaine decided to take advantage of this opportunity, and paid a high-ranking employee of his, Brigid Tenenbaum, to purchase the embryo from Jolene, which Jolene agreed to simply because she "needed the money." After Andrew Ryan became aware of this, he brutally murdered her, leaving her corpse on a bed in the Eve's Garden strip club
Strip club
A strip club is an adult entertainment venue in which striptease or other erotic or exotic dance is regularly performed. Strip clubs typically adopt a nightclub or bar style, but can also adopt a theatre or cabaret-style....
. Fontaine later named the child, "Jack", and ordered a scientist under his employment, Dr. Yi Suchong to accelerate Jack's growth, and make him vulnerable to several mental techniques.
When Andrew Ryan and Jack inevitably meet, Ryan states that Jack was his "greatest disappointment." Ryan gives a short monologue
Monologue
In theatre, a monologue is a speech presented by a single character, most often to express their thoughts aloud, though sometimes also to directly address another character or the audience. Monologues are common across the range of dramatic media...
just before his death, explaining to Jack his past, and how little he differs from a simple slave, as, according to Ryan, "In the end, what separates a man from a slave? Money? Power? No... A man chooses, a slave obeys." Ryan hands Jack his golf putter
Putter (golf)
A putter is a club used in the sport of golf whose design differs from that of irons and woods. They are generally used from very close distances to the cup, generally on the putting green, though certain courses have fringes and roughs which are suitable for putting. While no club in a player's...
, which Jack, under Ryan's command, uses to murder him.
Ryan also appears through audio diaries in BioShock's sequel, BioShock 2
BioShock 2
BioShock 2 is a first-person shooter video game developed by 2K Marin for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The sequel to the 2007 video game BioShock, it was released worldwide on February 9, 2010....
, which give the player an expanded insight into Ryan's history and ideals.
Reception
He is ranked ninth in Electronic Gaming Monthly’s list of the top ten video game politicians. IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
editor Charles Onyett described him as "anything but a prototypical villain", describing him as having a bottomless ambition for creating a city at the bottom of the sea. He added that while his words resemble "totalitarian propaganda", players cannot help but sympathize with him.
During a discussion about the potential plot of the game's sequel BioShock 2
BioShock 2
BioShock 2 is a first-person shooter video game developed by 2K Marin for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The sequel to the 2007 video game BioShock, it was released worldwide on February 9, 2010....
, it was often brought up by editor Hilary Goldstein that Ryan should reappear in it, and that while it should be in a new area, it should still have connections to him. Onyett called Ryan a key element, and if not included in the sequel, there would be a dramatic loss of personality. He claimed that much of Rapture's personality comes from Ryan, and it would have much less of an impact without him. Editor Ryan Geddes agreed adding that he felt there was more to Ryan than Rapture. Editor Nate Ahem suggested that the game's sequel, BioShock 2
BioShock 2
BioShock 2 is a first-person shooter video game developed by 2K Marin for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The sequel to the 2007 video game BioShock, it was released worldwide on February 9, 2010....
, could potentially put the players in the role of Ryan, to explore the story of trying to create a perfect world and having it crumble beneath their feet.
Gamasutra
Gamasutra
Gamasutra is a website founded in 1997 for video game developers. It is owned and operated by UBM TechWeb , a division of United Business Media, and acts as the online sister publication to the print magazine Game Developer...
editor Leigh Alexander ranked him the third most affecting characters of 2007, behind GLaDOS
GLaDOS
GLaDOS, short for Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System, is a fictional artificially intelligent computer system in Valve Software's Half-Life video game series and the main antagonist in the video games Portal and Portal 2. She was created by Erik Wolpaw and Kim Swift and is voiced by Ellen...
from Portal and player-created characters such as in massive multiplayer online role-playing games
MMORPG
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of role-playing video games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....
. Leigh calls him a "cautionary example of the danger of pure philosophy", adding that while he begins as the primary antagonist, players sympathize with him once it becomes clear that he is so "bitterly wrong". Adam Volk of Gamasutra described him as a fascinating take on the mad scientist
Mad scientist
A mad scientist is a stock character of popular fiction, specifically science fiction. The mad scientist may be villainous or antagonistic, benign or neutral, and whether insane, eccentric, or simply bumbling, mad scientists often work with fictional technology in order to forward their schemes, if...
character, adding that if more developers steer away from stereotypes of the character type, these characters could easily rival those in film, television, or novels. In the book "Halos and Avatars: Playing Video Games with God", author Craig Detweiler calls him an "obvious reference to the objectivist writer and philosopher Ayn Rand
Ayn Rand
Ayn Rand was a Russian-American novelist, philosopher, playwright, and screenwriter. She is known for her two best-selling novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged and for developing a philosophical system she called Objectivism....
".
Onyett praised Armin Shimerman
Armin Shimerman
Armin Shimerman is an American actor. Shimerman is best known for playing the Ferengi bartender Quark in the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Principal Snyder in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Kramer's caddy Stan on Seinfeld, voicing Dr. Nefarious in the Ratchet & Clank series, and Andrew...
for his portrayal of Ryan, calling him a "joy to listen to" and adding that he would "give Stephen Colbert a run for his money." 411 Mania editor Adam Larck agreed, praising the introduction Ryan gives to the player as they enter Rapture. Game Chronicles editor Mark Smith praised the voice acting of the game, praising Shimerman's commitment to the story and theme. Total PlayStation editor gave similar praise to Shimerman, commenting that he and Atlas' voice actor rounded out the cast. Worthplaying editor Brian Dumlao commented that Ryan's voice "conveys ... the struggle of a man whose ideals are being threatened by a rival businessman", and praising the delivery of the actors to why the story is so good. In their game of the year awards, IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
praised the voice acting, citing Ryan's speech he delivers to players as what convinced them. They awarded BioShock "Best use of sound".
He has been compared to several other characters in fiction and real life. Ryan's world of Rapture has been compared to that of Ayn Rand
Ayn Rand
Ayn Rand was a Russian-American novelist, philosopher, playwright, and screenwriter. She is known for her two best-selling novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged and for developing a philosophical system she called Objectivism....
's Atlas Shrugged
Atlas Shrugged
Atlas Shrugged is a novel by Ayn Rand, first published in 1957 in the United States. Rand's fourth and last novel, it was also her longest, and the one she considered to be her magnum opus in the realm of fiction writing...
. Blog Critics editor described Ryan as arrogant, greedy, and naive, adding that these traits led Rapture to destruction. Lou Kesten of the San Francisco Chronicle also made this comparison, comparing the name "Andrew Ryan" to the author, "Ayn Rand", in its similarity. Onyett agreed, describing him as a "Randian hero". He has also been compared to the eponymous character of Citizen Kane
Citizen Kane
Citizen Kane is a 1941 American drama film, directed by and starring Orson Welles. Many critics consider it the greatest American film of all time, especially for its innovative cinematography, music and narrative structure. Citizen Kane was Welles' first feature film...
. Official Xbox Magazine
Official Xbox Magazine
Official Xbox Magazine is a monthly video game magazine which started in November 2001 around the launch of the original Xbox. A preview issue was released for E3 2001, with another preview issue for November 2001. The magazine is bundled with a disc that includes game demos, preview videos and...
editor Dan Griliopoulos likened his appearance to that of Gomez Addams
Gomez Addams
Gomez Addams is the fictional patriarch of The Addams Family, created by cartoonist Charles Addams for The New Yorker magazine in the 1930s....
, the father from The Addams Family
The Addams Family
The Addams Family is a group of fictional characters created by American cartoonist Charles Addams. As named by Charles Addams, the Addams Family characters include Gomez, Morticia, Uncle Fester, Lurch, Grandmama, Wednesday, Pugsley, and Thing....
. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
editors Phil Pirrello and Christopher Monfette described him as being more communist
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
than Vladimir Lenin
Vladimir Lenin
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and communist politician who led the October Revolution of 1917. As leader of the Bolsheviks, he headed the Soviet state during its initial years , as it fought to establish control of Russia in the Russian Civil War and worked to create a...
, the first head of state of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, also comparing him to Italian philosopher and writer Niccolò Machiavelli
Niccolò Machiavelli
Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli was an Italian historian, philosopher, humanist, and writer based in Florence during the Renaissance. He is one of the main founders of modern political science. He was a diplomat, political philosopher, playwright, and a civil servant of the Florentine Republic...
. While discussing potential actors who could portray Ryan in the upcoming BioShock film, IGN editors chose Anthony Hopkins
Anthony Hopkins
Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins, KBE , best known as Anthony Hopkins, is a Welsh actor of film, stage and television...
as the perfect choice for the role.
IGN later put Andrew Ryan at number 10 in their list of the Top 100 Videogame Villains. IGN summed up Ryan by saying, "The force of his personality and clarity of his vision is admirable throughout the game. Rapture wouldn't be nearly as interesting without Ryan and his complementing the action and exploration, shouting propaganda and taking every opportunity to broadcast his world view."
See also
- Augustus SinclairAugustus SinclairAugustus Sinclair, Esq. is a fictional character in the 2K video game BioShock 2. He was one of the leading figures in Rapture's science community and an important business figure...
- Sander CohenSander CohenSander Cohen is a character in the 2007 2K video game BioShock. Cohen lived among the most famous individuals in Rapture. As one of Rapture's more respected musicians, playwrights and poets, Cohen resided in a lavish apartment in Mercury Suites, along with other Rapture celebrities such as Frank...
- List of characters in the BioShock series