Why I Love Augustus Sinclair
CW: Major Spoilers for Bioshock 1 & 2, death
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I want to start by saying that Augustus Sinclair is absolutely amazing. He’s sarcastic and dry, but also serious and geniune. He cares about good business, but he also genuinely cares about Delta and Eleanor. His entire goal throughout the game is to reunite you and Eleanor, and he’s behind you the whole time.
Sinclair is nothing like Atlas, with his own ends. Sinclair is nothing like Tenenbaum who cares for Delta, but has other things to worry about. Sinclair may be a “crooked businessman”, but he is a genuinely good man behind that front.
Many players are skeptical of Sinclair at first, because he reminds them of Atlas. Atlas deceived the player into thinking he was the good guy in the presented scenario. Sinclair has an accent similar to that of Atlas. While Atlas’s is a more Irish/Scottish blend, Sinclair has an American Southern accent.
The player learns to trust him throughout the game, as even if he is evil, you have a common enemy in Lamb. The player might even like him by the time you find Eleanor.
Which makes what Lamb announces over the intercom that Sinclair was in the facility, and that he was trying to reach you simply tragic. At this point in the game, you’re very likely panicking because you haven’t heard from Sinclair in a while.
Later, when Lamb is sitting pretty in Sinclair’s lifeboat, Eleanor tells you that you need to find Sinclair, and that you two can’t leave without him. At this point the player is probably very worried for Sinclair, assuming the worst. Lamb also taunts you (“Yes, Delta, what of Sinclair?”), giving you the hint that she knows something you don’t.
The most heartbreaking part is his eventual fate. Inside a Big Daddy suit, begging you with the little ability he has (to speak, that is) to kill him. And when you do, it hurts. It does. He coughs and/or laughs, telling you it was nice to do business with you.
To the end, he was loyal and a great friend.
And that. Is why I love Augustus Sinclair.