Every sequel has the unfortunate task of living up to its predecessor. Especially when the original was so ridiculously good. The second adventure through the horrific halls of Rapture doesn't quite match the excellence of Bioshock 1, but on it's own merits, it is a magnificent game.
Story
The first game saw you playing as the mostly blank slate of Jack as he is introduced to the underwater dystopia of Rapture. Tracking down and killing the man behind the city and unraveling one HELL of a twist. All the while confronting the most interesting bosses in recent memory - the Big Daddies. These mammoth walking tank-men fiercely protected little sisters. Little sisters are young girls who are conditioned to find dead bodies and drain their life force called "Adam" and Adam is used to splice one's genes to give the user super powers called Plasmids. These include the ability to throw lighting or fire or various other things from your hand.
In Bioshock 2 - you play as the first Big Daddy ever created who is known as "Delta". From the opening cinematic you are immediately aware of your actions in the first game as you see first hand what its like to be a Big Daddy and protect a little sister from raving lunatics, and what it's like to be attacked with Plasmids. From the outset, your little sister is taken from you, and your main objective is to get her back. Throughout your journey, you will learn a lot more about the history of Rapture and more importantly, the history of the Big Daddy project and how you ended up in the position you're in - giving you two main motives: rescue and revenge.
The fantastic opening scene
Just like the first game, the majority of the story comes from the environment. The developers of both games really captured the feeling of a deteriorating underwater city, and a lot of story just sort of organically grew in the player's mind just by looking around. The critical path story was delivered well through audio diaries and direct communications with the villains, but overall it's the feeling of being in a city under the sea in a perpetual state of the 1940s that makes this game's story stand out.
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| Hey! He's not sleeping at all! |
Gameplay
Most would agree that the story of the first game outshines the second, but the gameplay in Bioshock 2 is a huge improvement over the first. The basic structure remains the same with a large arsenal of physical weaponry and Plasmid trickery at your disposal. The biggest and most interesting change is your default weapon which is now the iconic drill. Unlike the wrench in the first game, the drill is brutally destructive at close range and can be leveled up and modified to unleash extra damage and bonuses.
The other big addition is the "Big Sister". Since ten years have passed since the first game the little sisters you encountered in 1960, are now 16 years old - and they are mother effing PISSED. Designed to be a counterbalance to the Big Daddy's slow and powerful build, the Big Sisters are lightning fast and rabidly vicious. It's not really clear why they're attacking you, as they usually come out after you save every little sister in a level, but they put up one hell of a fight, man. I was sent to a Vita Chamber like 15 times in an early fight against one of these beasts.
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| Big Sister is waiting... |
In terms of actual gameplay - you'll find yourself employing a multitude of play styles. First and foremost, you need to play the role of a scavenger. Just like the first game, you are constantly low on resources for the majority of the game - breathing a sigh of relief with every round you pick up and every medkit you stockpile.
Next, you'll play the role of a hacker. Nearly every piece of steam-punk inspired machinery in Rapture can be hacked. From security cameras to vending machines, nothing is off limits. The hacking minigame is another thing that has seen a huge improvement in this one. In Bioshock 2 you must hack machines in real time - this is done by timing a needle to land in the green zone rather than the red zone. A little less creative than the old model, but infinitely less time consuming and monotonous.
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| The hacking minigame |
Finally, in the most interesting role, you'll play the protector. One of the most interesting new elements of this game is the ability to adopt a little sister and have her gather Adam for you. The kicker here is that you can only gather Adam from specific corpses which the game predetermines. These are usually set in a wide open area or a room with four or five entry points. In other words - not easily defensible. What this does though is forces you to think strategically. You look for every possible portal of entry and take special care to make use of your new Plasmid-based traps and "land mine"-esque defenses. So you create your defense perimeter and then set your little sister down to gather - which your enemies can smell - and boy do they come a'runnin. Think of it like intentionally calling the horde in Left 4 Dead. Now you have to protect yourself and your little sister while she gathers the precious Adam in a horrific two minute battle that feels like 20 minutes. These are easily the most exciting and memorable parts of the game.
Presentation
The guys behind the Bioshock series know how to present a game. Every single element of graphics, dialogue and music were flawless. Characters voice overs were extremely believable, the 40s-era score was beautiful and added to the immersion of living in another time period, and the graphics and design were simply immaculate. I must have added over two hours to my play time just looking around at the architecture and art that made up Rapture. Every area was wholly unique with no repeat areas from the first game - and each one was beautifully designed in classic Art Deco fashion. Vibrant colors and interesting lighting populated the landscape, making this game stand out amongst the brown and tan shooters on the market.
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| Dionisus Park |
Review in Ten Words or Less: A more refined, fun but less shocking experience.
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