Bio Rifle

Bio Rifle
Lore info
Ammunition	Bio Sludge
Game info
Types	Projectile Energy
Appears in	Unreal Unreal Tournament Unreal Mission Pack: Return to Na Pali Unreal Championship Unreal Tournament 2003 Unreal Tournament 2004 Unreal Championship 2: The Liandri Conflict Unreal Tournament 3 Unreal Tournament 4
Properties
Primary Fire	Small globs
Primary Fire	Small globs
Secondary Fire	Charged glob
Secondary Fire	Charged glob

The Bio Rifle is a weapon appearing across the Unreal series.

Overview

The Bio Rifle has been a staple of the series and thus has remained unchanged for the most part. Primary fire will launch a series of small, green blobs which will stick to anything or explode on contact with another player, while secondary fire will gather the blobs into a much larger and usually slower-moving charge, but direct contact with a fully-charged shot is universally fatal, regardless of health and armor, and it is without question the strongest non-superweapon or non-vehicle attack in the series.

The Bio Rifle has one of the quickest kill capabilities in the game. Hold down secondary fire mode to charge a full glop of goo, move within close-range of your foe, aim, and release the secondary fire button. A fully charged goo gun will kill most opponents in a single blast. It’s a sudden, and often annoying, way to perish; though certainly not so annoying when you’re on the dealing end!

The primary fire button pumps out smaller globs of goo. Litter the ground around your opponent. Trap your opponent in a corner and force him through the goo to escape. If you’re chased down a narrow hall, drop some goo to create a literal minefield of glop behind you. The bio-rifle is decent as a defensive weapon in assault games. While other defenders support with sniper rifles, lightning guns, and rocket launchers, use your bio-rifle in close proximity and blast attackers with a full green sandwich.

The Bio Rifle's primary and secondary fire modes launch projectiles in a ballistic trajectory. It is very strong when used correctly, but care must be taken as the user can be killed by his own projectiles Holding Primary Fire causes the Bio Rifle to spew small blobs of Tarydium waste at a fast rate. Holding Secondary Fire charges up the weapon. On release, it causes the gun to fire a large blob of waste that splits into several other blobs upon contact. The large blob can instantly kill most enemies.

Unreal and Unreal Mission Pack: Return to Na Pali

GES Bio Rifle
Game info
Type	Projectile
Properties
Primary Fire	40
Primary Fire	40
Secondary Fire	75
Secondary Fire	75
Ammo
Weapon Ammo	25
Weapon Ammo	25
Pickup Ammo	25
Pickup Ammo	25
Maximum Ammo	100
Maximum Ammo	100
Death messages
Weapon fire	"<Fragged> drank a glass of <Fragger>'s dripping green load."
Weapon fire	"<Fragged> drank a glass of <Fragger>'s dripping green load."

"A testament to creative recycling, this weapon uses volatile Tarydium waste for ammunition. The highly unstable nature of this waste makes the GES BioRifle more powerful than its Tarydium-using cousin, the Stinger."

– Unreal manual

Primary fire	Tarydium sludge projectiles explode on contact with living tissue and adhere to most other surfaces for a short time before exploding.
Secondary fire	Hold down the secondary fire button to launch a larger, more powerful glob of sludge. The longer you hold down the secondary fire button, the bigger the glob (up to 500% sludge).
Source: Unreal manual

As the early version of the weapon, it has the basics in place: the primary lobs small green goo balls while the alternate is a charged fire that releases a bigger glob that explodes in smaller globs. Where this version differs is in its rough edges: the primary's globs have a slow travel time, while the alternate charged glob releases as soon as it's charged, it doesn't wait for its user to release the trigger. As such, it's a weapon better suited for retreats.

Unreal Tournament

Bio Rifle
Game info
Type	Projectile
Properties
Primary Fire	60 max
Primary Fire	60 max
Secondary Fire	112 max
Secondary Fire	112 max
Ammo
Weapon Ammo	25
Weapon Ammo	25
Pickup Ammo	25
Pickup Ammo	25
Maximum Ammo	100
Maximum Ammo	100
Death messages
Weapon fire	"<Fragged> was slimed by <Fragger>'s Bio-Rifle."
Weapon fire	"<Fragged> was slimed by <Fragger>'s Bio-Rifle."

"Primary Fire: Fires clumps of toxic sludge.
Secondary Fire: Hold and release to fire a larger clump of toxic sludge that bursts into multiple clumps upon impact.

This unconventional close- to medium-range weapon is more deadly than it appears at first glance. The primary fire spews clumps of toxic sludge that glom onto solid surfaces, and float in water. They explode after a few seconds (or when touched by another object or passerby), causing considerable damage. Some competitors cover the floors, walls and ceilings of narrow hallways with the stuff while running backward to trap unwary pursuers. Press and hold the secondary fire to load up and fire an enormous blob that will literally splash apart when it hits a surface, spreading smaller hunks of the dangerous substance across a wide radius."

– UT manual

Classification	Toxic Rifle
Primary fire	Wads of Tarydium byproduct are lobbed at a medium rate of fire.
Secondary fire	When trigger is held down, the BioRifle will create a much larger wad of byproduct. When this wad is launched, it will burst into smaller wads which will adhere to any surfaces. If the projectile hits another player, or the user is hit instead, it can kill them instantly.
Techniques	Byproducts will adhere to walls, floors, or ceilings. Chain reactions can be caused by covering entryways with this lethal green waste.
Source: UT Weapon Priority menu.

Unreal Championship, Unreal Tournament 2003 and Unreal Tournament 2004

Bio-Rifle (UC)Bio Rifle (UT2003/2004)
UT200X
Game info
Type	Projectile
Properties
Primary Fire	43 (UC/UT2003) 35 (UT2004)
Primary Fire	43 (UC/UT2003) 35 (UT2004)
Secondary Fire	43-250 (UC/UT2003) 35-210 (UT2004)
Secondary Fire	43-250 (UC/UT2003) 35-210 (UT2004)
Ammo
Weapon Ammo	20
Weapon Ammo	20
Pickup Ammo	20
Pickup Ammo	20
Maximum Ammo	50
Maximum Ammo	50
Death messages
Primary fire	"<Fragged> was slimed by <Fragger>'s bio-rifle."
Primary fire	"<Fragged> was slimed by <Fragger>'s bio-rifle."

"The GES BioRifle continues to be one of the most controversial weapons in the Tournament. Loved by some, loathed by others, the BioRifle has long been the subject of debate over its usefulness. Some Tournament purists argue that the delayed detonation of the mutagenic sludge, coupled with the ability to quickly carpet an area with the highly toxic substance, has reduced the weapon to the equivalent of a minefield, a barbaric and cowardly weapon employed during past human conflicts. Proponents of the weapon argue that it enhances the tactical capabilities of defensive combatants, allowing participants to cover multiple choke points more efficiently. Despite the debate, the weapon remains historically accurate, providing rapid-fire wide-area coverage in primary firing mode, and a single-fire variable payload secondary firing mode. In layman's terms, this equates to being able to pepper an area with small globs of Biosludge, or launch one large glob at the target."

– UT2004 manual

Primary Fire

Shoots globs of GES that stick to walls and floors and drips down from the ceilings. If another glob of sludge touches the first one, the two globs merge and form a bigger one. After a certain point, globs don't get any bigger and instead bounce out of the puddle.

Secondary Fire

Shoots bigger globs of GES that on impact breaks into several smaller globs that have the same specifications as usual slime globs. If the charged sludge hits the ceiling, the main part sticks to it and the smaller globs fall down instantly.

The Bio Rifle in Unreal Championship is pretty much identical to the UT2003 variant. It looks different though, as it has a mesh that looks like something between Unreal Tournament's Bio Rifle and Unreal Tournament 2003 Bio Rifle. Their ammo mesh is identical to those of UT2003 and UT2004.

In UT2003, the bio rifle is largely the same, but the damage of each shot was decreased while the fire rate has been marginally increased, the shot distance and speed is greatly increased as well as the charging rate, making it a slightly more reliable weapon. A fully charged secondary shot can still deal up to 250 damage, and will often leave a fully armoured opponent with just a few hitpoints left.

The blast radius upon a direct hit is large, at about 380 units (compared to rockets/flak shells at 220, and shock combos at 275), making the weapon dangerous to the user at close range.

The UT2004 version tones down the distance of charged shots a notch, but it can still be very lethal. The distance a glob flies is based on the amount of charge in the shot - primary fire shots still go as far as they did in UT2003, while a fully-charged glob travels considerably less far. A direct hit of a fully-charged shot does up to 210 damage, an amount rivalled only by triple-stacked rockets and a well-placed shock combo, and easily enough to kill an opponent with maximum health or 100 health and 100 shield. This still leaves the biorifle an effective weapon against armoured opponents.

Unreal Championship 2: The Liandri Conflict

Bio Rifle
Game info
Type	Projectile
Properties
Primary Fire	18
Primary Fire	18
Secondary Fire	119 max
Secondary Fire	119 max
Ammo
Maximum Ammo	100
Maximum Ammo	100
Death messages
Primary fire	"<Fragged> was melted by <Fragger>'s green pals."
Primary fire	"<Fragged> was melted by <Fragger>'s green pals."
Secondary fire	"<Fragged> swallowed <Fragger>'s wad."
Secondary fire	"<Fragged> swallowed <Fragger>'s wad."
Bio Mist attack	"<Fragged> breathed <Fragger>'s green cloud."
Bio Mist attack	"<Fragged> breathed <Fragger>'s green cloud."

"The bio rifle is the standard canister gun loaded with Tarydium ammunition. The Tarydium is processed from its stable crystalline form into a reactive biotoxic sludge. The primary fire shoots a semi-sapient blob that will pursue enemies at a limited distance. The alt-fire combines multiple canisters for a more deadly blob that can pursue opponents more vigorously.
After loading a full alt-fire charge, pulling fire and then releasing will detonate the blob in mid-air to generate a biotoxic cloud."

– UC2 manual

Primary Fire

Fires individual blobs of toxic goo that bounce around and pursue the nearest player. If no-one is found, the blobs dissipate after about 10 seconds. The globs can be reflected, but it is very difficult to do so. Try to wait until they are at the top of their arc before performing a reflect.

Secondary Fire

Fires a large charged blob that splits into 7 smaller blobs upon impact. The large blob can be deflected if it is done in mid-air before it detonates. If the blob hits the ground, it bounces towards the nearest player just like the smaller blobs.

Weapon Combo

Also known as the Bio Mist Cloud. Press and hold the left trigger to charge up a large blob. When it is fully charged, pull the right trigger to launch the shot. Release both triggers at the same time to cause the projectile to release a large cloud of poisonous gas that persists for about 10 seconds. Make sure you wait to release the trigger buttons until after the blob is a fair ways away from you to prevent getting caught in the poison. This shot cannot be reflected. Has no effect against the Skaarj.

The UC2 version of the gun does a maximum of 119 damage when fully charged. Each individual glob does 18 damage (17 on the alt-fire) and when charged holds up to 7 blobs. The combo mode on the gun poisons the person it strikes and does 8 damage per second until the poison wears off.

Liandri robots have resistance to the mist, while Skaarj characters are immune to it.

Unreal Tournament 3

Bio Rifle
Game info
Type	Projectile
Properties
Primary Fire	21 16 (Vehicles)
Primary Fire	21 16 (Vehicles)
Secondary Fire	21-210 16-168 (Vehicles)
Secondary Fire	21-210 16-168 (Vehicles)
Ammo
Weapon Ammo	25
Weapon Ammo	25
Pickup Ammo	20
Pickup Ammo	20
Maximum Ammo	100
Maximum Ammo	100

"The GES BioRifle processes Tarydium from its stable crystalline form into a reactive mutagenic sludge. It can rapidly disperse these toxins for wide-area coverage, or fire a virulent payload of variable, but usually lethal, capacity. In layman's terms, this means the BioRifle can pepper an area with small globs of biosludge, or launch one noxious glob at the target. The BioRifle's ability to carpet an area with a toxic minefield makes it a notoriously effective defensive weapon."

– Weapon description

Primary Fire

Shoots glowing globs of Tarydium sludge.

Secondary Fire

Loads up to 10 units of sludge, holding the large glob in front of the gun for everyone to see. When the glob is shot against a wall, some smaller globs splash away from it. If, however, the large glob hits a player, it will stick to him or her continuously apply damage until either the glob is used up or the player dies. In the latter case, the remaining glob explodes, causing additional damage to other nearby players.

This weapon fires a big slow arcing gob of sludge that can instantly take out a heavily armed opponent or stick to floors and walls, then break apart into smaller pieces creating an instant minefield. Players with a large amount of slime attached to them will get rapidly "chipped" in damage, but they will have a second or two to fight back before dying, giving them a chance to take out the enemy who hit them.

Related Achievements

	Goo God  10
	Get the "Biohazard" award in 10 matches.

Unreal Tournament 4

Bio Rifle
Game info
Type	Projectile
Properties
Primary Fire	21
Primary Fire	21
Secondary Fire	21-210
Secondary Fire	21-210
Ammo
Weapon Ammo	25
Weapon Ammo	25
Pickup Ammo	20
Pickup Ammo	20
Maximum Ammo	100
Maximum Ammo	100
Death messages
Weapon fire	"<Fragged> was slimed by <Fragger>."
Weapon fire	"<Fragged> was slimed by <Fragger>."
Suicide	"<Fragged> was slimed."
Suicide	"<Fragged> was slimed."

"The Bio Rifle is often seen as a comedic weapon of choice in UT for its outrageous frags. This dangerous green goo is one of the biggest damage dealers in the game, and one hit can easily change the flow of any game, but aiming with the Bio Rifle can be difficult: its sluggish, natural, and loud loading can give away your position, making you vulnerable."

– Weapon description

Primary fire

Average rate of fire blobs that will detonate when hitting players. Hitting the environment will let them rest and act as mini mines for a short duration.

Alternate fire

Hold to charge up a big slow bio blob that deals a ton of damage and is highly lethal when hitting players directly. When hitting the environment these will last for a long time and are great for setting traps (i.e. doorways).

Tips - Speedy Blobs

While holding down primary fire - holding secondary fire will spawn small speedy blobs with very little friction that slide across the floor.

Tips and tricks

General

• While goo sticks to someone, the player who fired the goo is credited with any damage the victim receives while the goo sticks to him or her. If you see someone "wearing green" in a deathmatch, consider not firing at that player until the goo is used up. If the player survives the goo, you get an easy kill, otherwise you wouldn't get anything besides wasting some ammo. (The person who shot the bio glob, in fact, will get credit for the kill even if your shot is the fatal shot.)

Unreal Championship

"The bio rifle may be the most underrated weapon in Unreal Championship. Used skillfully, this is a powerful defensive weapon as well as a weapon that can wreck the other team’s plans.
It isn’t much good at a distance, however, and it can be difficult to aim. This unusual weapon also is difficult to master because its attacks are unlike those of any other weapon.

The primary attack shoots out small green blobs of toxic goo. These hurt other players on contact and can stick to walls and explode when another player comes into proximity. Fire multiple rounds quickly for the most stopping power. Try to hit your enemy with two or three shots.

Charged up, the bio rifle releases a single, large blob of toxic goo that explodes into multiple smaller blobs of goo. Each is as deadly as a primary fire goo blob. A direct hit from a fully charged bio rifle’s secondary fire is a one-shot kill. The secondary fire also creates a wide blast area. Drop a blob in the middle of a group and follow up with primary shots to finish off any survivors.

Use the bio rifle for maps with multiple levels and tight spaces. It’s deadly from above, and if the secondary fire is used effectively, it can be as frightening in tight quarters as the flak cannon.
It’s not useful for maps that are flat and open. Long-distance shooting is not the bio rifle’s forte, and it’s hard to use it as an ambush weapon when your enemies can see you coming.
Always hold the secondary trigger down so the gun is fully charged. You can release it as soon as you see someone. Even if you’re close to your prey, it will be destroyed or badly damaged."

– Unreal Championship Prima's Official Strategy Guide

Unreal Tournament 3

• In UT3, reportedly, an interesting strategy is to drop a Stasis Field and fill it full of goo. By default, bio goo lasts for about 11 seconds, inside a Stasis Field it will last up to 8x that duration.
• In UT3, the primary mode can be very useful to annoy Darkwalker drivers from behind the billboards on DM-HeatRay.

Trivia

• The GES in the weapon's name stands for Green Exploding Shit or Green Exploding Stuff.
• In Unreal Championship 2: The Liandri Conflict, the Bio Rifle and the Grenade Launcher share the same model, only changing the ammunition type.
• According to previews, the weapon was NOT going to appear in Unreal Tournament 2003.

References in other games

Main article: References to the Unreal series in other games

• Duke Nukem Forever: The Impregnader is a weapon that works exactly like the GES BioRifle.
• Heavy Metal FAKK2: Lord Tyler, the final boss, sometimes spits out a glob of green goo that splits into smaller globs upon impact, very similar to the GES BioRifle.
• Warframe: The Stug goo-launching pistol is extremely similar to the GES BioRifle.

Awards

• LevelSkip mentioned it as one of the best FPS weapons of all time.

"The Biorifle is the second weapon on this list to come from Epic Games' Unreal Tournament series. Unlike the flak cannon covered above, the Biorifle is all about being sneaky and laying traps.

The primary fire for the Biorifle allowed you to shoot little blobs of toxic wasted that exploded on impact with anything organic. If your blobs came in contact with the ceiling walls or floor they would stick to it for a couple of seconds before exploding. This sticking mechanism allowed a good player to little the halls with blobs that would explode as opponents walked into them.

What's better than sticky blobs of exploding toxic waste? Giant exploding blobs of toxic waste of course. Secondary fire allowed you to charge up a large mass of jello-like waste that killed someone outright if it hit them or exploded into eight small globs if it came in contact with a solid surface. I mentioned above that the Biorifle exploded when it came into contact with anything organic, well that last time I checked the person firing the weapon was just as organic as the person being fired at, so an unskilled player was as much a target as the person they where shooting at.

Toxic waste bombs and self-inflicted pain are two reasons why the Biorifle deserves the number four spot."

– LevelSkip

Preview Notes

Unreal Tournament 2003

"Rumors regarding the bio rifle's removal from UT 2003 are greatly exaggerated. Not only is it back, but it is perhaps a little more deadly. The primary fire can be used repeatedly to create a large puddle of explosive goo. Very cool stuff."

– Unreal Playground

"On another up note, after fan uproar (and I like to think a little bitching by yours truly), the team decided to put the BioRifle (aka the goop gun) back in the game. Yes, yes...the goop gun was extremely under-used by most UT players, but I personally loved the gun, and I could take out most of the scrubs at the IGN offices with the explosive, corrosive green jelly. They've even made the BioRifle a bit more powerful as you can shoot it farther and it explodes quicker than in the original. You can also build up your goop pile now if you constantly shoot it in the same spot, so I'm really looking forward to gooping up some people good. Take that, Dan! Eat some goop, Steve! Shove it up your brown eye, Ivan! Oh yeah, it's been a long day."

– IGN

Gallery

First-person view (Unreal)

First-person view (Unreal Tournament)

Official UT99 artwork of the Bio Rifle

UT3 concept art

UT3 Promotional Render

Unreal Tournament Bio Rifle guide

UT4 Biorifle guide

UT4 concept art

See also

• Canister Gun, a scrapped weapon from Unreal Championship 2 and Unreal Tournament 3 which had the Bio Rifle as one of its functions.