14 DAY TRIAL // BioShock Infinite has three separate difficulty modes, in the form of Easy, Normal, and Hard. For truly hardcore gamers, however, the team at Irrational also added a unique mode called 1999.
A clear throwback to the year of System Shock 2's release, 1999 mode delivers a truly challenging experience that takes away many mechanics we take for granted and ups the ante in terms of enemies and their deadliness.
In 1999, your health is much more fragile and enemies will lower it quite easily with a few gunshots or a melee attack. As such, using cover is essential, as is trying to lure melee enemies from their gun-toting friends so that you can take them out without worrying about bullets flying in your immediate direction.
Careful use of vigors is also a key to success in 1999, as you need to know when to use Possession to control turrets or Mechanized Patriots, as well as when to set up traps so that you can take out more foes at once without wasting your precious resources.
Speaking of resources, 1999 also cuts back on the amount of items dropped by enemies or found throughout the game world. As such, you'll often have to backtrack to a garbage can that had an apple in it if your health goes down.
You should also invest Infusion upgrades into health and shield first and then in salts, as staying alive is more important than shooting lightning from your hands. Since you'll find less money, you should also carefully pick up upgrades for weapons you actually use and can find ammo for on the ground.
Another great tip is to pick out the best gear for Booker. While offensive abilities are great in the three regular modes, you might want to opt for defensive bonuses, such as a period of invincibility when dropping from a skyline or bonus health when taking out foes with heavy melees.
If you're trying to complete 1999 mode without using any Dollar Bill vending machines, in order to get the Scavenger Hunt achievement, then you really need to search every nook and cranny for ammo and other resources. This can be a good thing since you'll most likely find all the Voxophones and Kinetoscopes in the game, thereby unlocking the Eavesdropper and Sightseer achievements.
1999 mode may be hard, but it's not insurmountable so just take your time and don't be afraid to reload from checkpoints in care you died a lot of times in one area and don't have any money left.