Review: Bioshock 2 – return to Rapture
The eerie world of Rapture is back with a new story plot and main character. The FPS/RPG sequel to the highly acclaimed original Bioshock delves players back into the twisted world of Rapture in the shoes of a big daddy this time. Will the sequel to the critically acclaimed title live up to its fame?
Story
Eight years after the events of the first game, the player takes control of a prototype Big Daddy called “Subject Delta.†The fallen city of Rapture is under new control by another crazed psychotic individual named Sofia Lamb. Even though Lamb is just as crazy as Andrew Ryan was her view of what constitutes a utopian society contrasts greatly.
Under Lamb’s care the Little Sisters have matured into something that is much more dangerous than the Big Daddies called Big Sisters. Without spoiling the story too much, the story mainly revolves around the origins of the main character Subject Delta. You take control of a Big Daddy that is slowly recovering from the effects of brain washing and comes to terms with the reality of his daughter. The main character also comes to grips with his death after being turned into a Big Daddy.
I would say that the story is just as good as the first one if not better. However, Bioshock 2 does feels a bit more like a side quest because the focus is around another part of Rapture that was not shown in the first game. Sofia Lamb took a backseat in the first game but the entire second game revolves around her story in the sequel. The way most of the back story is told is similar to the first game in that clues are given via audio longs scattered throughout the game.
Overall the folks at 2K Games managed to craft a fine story on par with the first title. The immersion remains one of the most attractive qualities about the game. I would say that the ending is definitely better than the first game. However, there is a little twist at the end that could turn out to be a pleasant or frustrating surprise depending on how you play the game.
Gameplay/Controls
The gameplay in Bioshock 2 remains largely unchanged. You are controlling a Big Daddy now so the weapons and movements are a bit different. Initially you will feel restricted as the movements are cumbersome but with Tonics the gameplay will change dramatically.
Plasmids and Tonics do make a return with a little more selection and improvements over the first game. The first game introduced Plasmids but Bioshock 2 takes the telekinetic powers to another level by adding more dimensions to them.
Upgrades will have more dimensions for Plasmids with each upgrade adding a little something different to each power. For example the lightning Plasmid offers chain lightning, charging, and auto-fire with each progressive upgrade. The Tonics return with more choices as well. These perks offer more abilities such as increase in drill damage, damage resistance and the capability to move faster.
Unlike in the first game the developers have tossed the camera and opted for a video recorder to earn perks. Recording enemy kills can help you learn new moves and techniques such as charging with the drill.
The video recorder will also allow you to level up by recording kills to earn a rating score. Higher ratings will give you a boost to your progress percentage allowing you to kill enemies more efficiently, and faster. The video recorder is a vast improvement over the single point and shoot camera as there is no film collecting needed. Also, the video camera adds a bit of showmanship as your rating will increase with more creative kills. With an added dimension to the Plasmids and video recorder, 2K Games was able to take the gameplay mechanics to the next level.
Design/Visuals
Unlike the first game, Bioshock 2 is much more linear than the original. In the first you could travel back and forth to pick up missed items. However, in Bioshock 2 there is no way to travel back once you proceed to the next level. This isn’t a big issue as the game does a better job at streamlining you towards your next objective, leaving less time wandering around.
One of the biggest design improvements over the first game is the hacking mini-game. No longer will you be relegated to the frustrating timed pipe game. All hacking games will occur in real-time also and will depend on your reflexes more than anything else. Be warned as you can die while hacking as enemies will still be able to fire upon you.
There is a little more at stake with the hacking game as failing to land your needle on either the green or blue area will lead to either alerting the bots or an electrical shock. Landing on the blue area, which is the hardest, will open up a perk such as more money.
Hacking opportunities have also become more strategic as the developers have incorporated a remote hacker. The remote hacker can be shot from a gun and allows you to hack any device from anywhere on the map. This can be used strategically to attack a group of enemies by hacking a flying bot and turning it against the group while comfortably far away.
The new multiplayer is a nice addition to the already satisfying single player campaign. The multiplayer does feel a bit experimental and tacked on but its difficult to argue that it doesn’t provide replayability and value. You start out with one Plasmid initially but by leveling up with kills, you can unlock more weapons similar to that of Call of Duty.
There is a slew of multiplayer modes which are all pretty much variants of your average fair. The fact that you can jump into a Big Daddy armor during “Survival of the Fittest†is pretty neat as you will be able to go on a rampage. The one issue I’ve seen in the multiplayer mode boils down to the matchmaking. It was frustrating to be matched against players who had leveled up to a point where it was impossible for me to kill them.
The visuals have not changed dramatically over the first game, which is not necessarily a bad thing. With all niggling issues aside, the beautiful visuals and immersive world of Rapture have been successfully delivered a second time.
Wrap-up
Overall, Bioshock 2 is just as good as its predecessor. The story is equally as good, with an arguably better ending. The gameplay mechanics have been enhanced to provide more dimensions than the first game. The length of the game is also comparatively similar to the first game. The multiplayer mode does provide more replayability, but is nothing to really write home about.
Like the characters in the game, Bioshock 2 has evolved since the first game with more moral decisions that must be made and an evolution in gameplay mechanics. I would highly recommend everyone to pick up a copy of Bioshock 2 if you haven’t already.
Score
4.5/5
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March 1st, 2010
Foist.
March 1st, 2010
Canada sucks so much fucken suck, it FUCKS! It fucken sucks so much COCK sucker mother fucker BULL FUCK THAT!!!!
But the thing that really mother fucken ass lick balls ass shit fuck ass balls BALLS PISSED ME OFF was that Canada beat us in the Olympic Gold Medal hockey game. Ride ol’ cheatin bastards….That game was HORSE SHIT!!!
……So FUCK off balls shit got hell damn balls boobs fuck fuck B-I-T-C-H.
March 1st, 2010
Total uber pwnage mother foiker!!!…..hee hee hee pwnies
March 1st, 2010
To you cheating Canadian FUCK WIPES that totally screwed us over in the Olympic Gold Medal hockey game….you know all I have to say to that is that you know, I’m an American……and…..I can suck my own cock.
March 1st, 2010
…Ok Sega, take a chill pill or just carry on sucking cock.
March 1st, 2010
by liquid.
Sega’s not far behind ya.
March 1st, 2010
bye*
March 1st, 2010
“sour cum” Wonder how you know it’s sour? LOL
March 1st, 2010
Canada Kicks Ass!
How did they cheat Sega? Do you need a tissue?
March 1st, 2010
Liquid
it’s fine for you to come and drop flamebaits and down talk the 360…….but come on dont be a dick to the writers.
I know you are just fucking around and stuff, but lets it up the hate to the real enemy, the 360 and the xbot gang
March 1st, 2010
“its only CAD you can be a dick to now and he just ignores me.”
Dave and Mike are doing the same…they haven’t even bother to try to ban you
well back to the gaming talk:
I just beat Heavy Rain…all my charaters survived and the ending was great. you will never guess who the “killer” is.
my friend also beat the game and only 2 of his characters suvived, his ending was completely different than mine. I read that Heavy Rain suppose to have up to 25 different ending depending on your dicisions you take during the game and also depending if some characters die or not
March 1st, 2010
Sony is planning franchising the game
March 1st, 2010
Has anyone else got the error number 8001050F on their ps3. I cant play assassins creed 2 because it cant find the trophy data and apparently a lot of other people are having the problem with different games.
March 1st, 2010
@Funkinstien
it’s a internal clock issue, a patch is on its way.
March 1st, 2010
@Liquid
I think David Cage will work on the next Heavy Rain game. the first trophy you get on the game is “Thanks for Supporting Interactive Drama” which means if Heavy Rain does well he will defenitely will want to work on the next game.
but either way, Heavy Rain is a Sony IP so if Cage doesnt want to do, im pretty sure someone else will at Sony’ worldwide studios
March 1st, 2010
I guess we’ll just have to wait.
im pretty sure QD next game wont be Heavy Rain 2. That story is done and a sequel won’t work for it since you can get so many different endings
but Sony said they were looking to expand the franchise kind of like the Final Fantasy Franchase where every game has its own unique story and does not relate to the previous game.
March 1st, 2010
Bug cripples original PlayStation 3 models
A bug has crippled original PlayStation 3 units, leaving users unable to access the PlayStation Network, and compromising trophy and game functionality of a number of titles.
The problem began last night, leading to the assumption that a calendar bug is to blame. Users of the slim PlayStation 3 model are unaffected.
“We have found out that some users are experiencing a network connection failure when signing on to PlayStation Network,†said Sony Europe. “We are currently looking into the issue to identify the cause of this network connection failure and will update further information as necessary (on the Blog or official website). We appreciate for your understanding and continued support.”
According to Eurogamer’s Digital Foundry, users experience a 8001050F error when the console attempts to connect to the PlayStation Network, resetting the system to January 1, 2000.
Even offline systems are affected, with titles that synchronise trophies failing to start. PlayStation 3 test units used by developers and press are also said to be affected, and PSN content and games on the PlayStation 3 hard drive cannot be activated. This also effects some Blu-ray movies.
Sony has so far only acknowledged the issue via its official blog, but not offered any further advice to users.
March 1st, 2010
CAD, it’s a leap year issue. Ironically enough, Microsoft’s old model Zune had a situation where it didn’t even want to turn on for one full day because of a leap year.
The more you know….
March 1st, 2010
True, it sucks. It’s even worse because off-line games can’t be played.
Considering what other people around the globe are dealing with at the moment (Hatti, Chile), not being able to play my console for a day or so isn’t the end of the world. I’ll manage to survive somehow.
March 1st, 2010
I’ll rent 2012. My video store rents stuff early!
March 1st, 2010
I’ll play on my PS3 Slim just in case, I was playing yesterday and my 60GB was working fine.
I might have to lower the difficulty on Bioshock 2, I keep getting own by a Big Sister and 5 first aid kit are not enough.
March 1st, 2010
Basically it should be up within 24 hours. And DO NOT use your phat system until it’s fixed.
Official statement:
“We hope to resolve this problem within the next 24 hours. In the meantime, if you have a model other than the new slim PS3, we advise that you DO NOT use your PS3 system, as doing so may result in errors in some functionality, such as recording obtained trophies, and not being able to restore certain data.
“As mentioned above, please be advised that the new slim PS3 is not affected with this error. We are doing our best to resolve the issue and do apologize for any inconvenience caused.”
March 1st, 2010
@Roca,
Freeze her. Then setup traps.
March 1st, 2010
hey BJ
what are you playing right now?
March 1st, 2010
@Phranc,
She is too fast for traps….my problem is that I dont have enough Eve packs or Health pack to keep up with her.
Im playing the game on hard with no vita chambers, so whenever I died is GAME OVER for me
March 1st, 2010
oh yeah, I forgot you weren’t playing with vital chambers. You should have did the game on hard with vital chambers and on easy without so you can get the trophy.
March 1st, 2010
is there a NG+ like in the first game?
March 1st, 2010
What is that?
March 1st, 2010
new game + (plus)
you start a new game with everyting you unlocked during your first playthrough. I know Bioshock 1 had this mode, but idk about Bioshock 2.
basically you can play another playtrhough with all your plasmids, weapons, plasmid upgrades & weapon upgrades
March 1st, 2010
“what are you playing right now?”
Um nothing. My PS3 won’t work.
March 1st, 2010
Not sure. I haven’t tried.
March 1st, 2010
I didn’t realize there was a NG+ for the first BioShock. I might have to go back to it at some point.
It’s funny that you asked what I’m playing now. I had a gift certificate to Best Buy, so I just bought Heavy Rain. I came really close to getting Borderlands though.
March 1st, 2010
you should get borderlands whenever you have a chance (or extra money to spend)
March 2nd, 2010
Lol you deleted my comments Mike!? Lmao damn. What is it going to take for you guys to BAN me!!!! Lol last year and the year before you guys wold ban me almost every 5 minutes.
Oh and let’s get the record striaght, Canada sucks ass Ncaisse. Your nation is BALLS compared to the U.S. We run, destroy, and own EVERYTHING!!!! So shut your arse you noob hoe
March 2nd, 2010
Just bought BS2 today. Try it out tonight
March 2nd, 2010
That sounded like a dare Mike.
Well I double dog dare ya Mike…..
March 2nd, 2010
@Mike
I think that was a pretty good review there.
I definately want to get my hands on Bioshock 2.
The first one was awsome and the only game I have ever seen that could creep out my girlfriend. That’s quite an accomplishment. Creeped me out as well..The game really did a good job at setting the tone and pulling you into the environment. Out of all the games I have played few ever did that.
March 2nd, 2010
Try Dead Space Fahkin. The original FEAR was also pretty creepy at times.
March 2nd, 2010
“Oh and let’s get the record striaght, Canada sucks ass Ncaisse. Your nation is BALLS compared to the U.S.”
Say this again when yours is bankrupt from trying to spend their way out of debt.
I’ll come down and by up some cheap land.
March 2nd, 2010
@phranc
Dead Space was pretty good. I had picked it up at some point last year. I had really enjoyed it but it just didn’t have that creepiness that Bioshock had lol.
Bioshock had everything… Scary environments… weird crazy and creepy inhabitants…
The game just really excelled in those parts..
Not to mention going up against the Big Daddys and the little sisters too.
March 2nd, 2010
Mr Buuuuuubbbbbles!
March 2nd, 2010
I like how DS took the story telling method of Bioshock (recordings) with the isolated feeling of…well I can’t really even think of another game that did it that well.
Bioshock always felt to me like a trial and error game. After each encounter I always felt there was a way I could of handled the situation better. Not taking anything away from Bioshock, but the B2 let me down a bit, and I’m having some difficulty picking out why as when you look at it…They are very similar. Maybe I expected more from the sequel and instead got pretty much the same.
March 2nd, 2010
Mr Bubbles lol.. that was great.
I never really had much trouble going through the Splicers that come at you but every fight with a Big Daddy was really something to behold. Early on they can kill you so easily that it created this incredible tension and fear about actualy getting too close to it.
Big Daddys’ can easily be called one of the baddest game enemies/villians of all time
March 2nd, 2010
When that things running at ya, theres not too many other games that initiate that “OH SHIT” factor.
March 2nd, 2010
Can anyone verify if Bioshock 2 has a NG+ feature….?
March 2nd, 2010
LOL. That reminds me of my brother in-law.
I got him to try GOW this weekend because he picked up a PS3. When the dragon head pops out at him on the boat he jumped and almost hit the dam floor. LOL
March 2nd, 2010
Ncaisse,
Lol. That is funny.
March 2nd, 2010
“Say this again when yours is bankrupt from trying to spend their way out of debt.
I’ll come down and by up some cheap land.”
I’m sorry when I last I recall who was the most powerful sovereign nation?? And which nation was brave enough not be chicken shit to enter wars to bring about change in the world?….regardless if we’ve made a few enemies along the way, the ends justify the means.
And tell me, why does everyone invest in the U.S. Because we’re the most profitable nation. So you don’t qualify to speak to me when it comes to financial standings my northern friend
And last I recall I don’t remember seeing foreigners crossing over Canadian borders for employment. If so, please tell me
And who has the most advanced technology and freedom based principles? Yeah, my point exactly. Case closed.
March 2nd, 2010
And one more thing, why do other nations consider Canada as the “vagina” of the world? lol.
Name one thing you have to offer that is superior to ours?….tick tock….tick tock…tick tock….:-P
March 2nd, 2010
I thought France was the vagina of the world.
Wow.. You learn something new everyday.
Now since we’re south of them are we the assholes?
March 2nd, 2010
Canada owes America alot of things…
Thanks to us not every Canadian citizen is an uptight snotty piece of shit Frenchie. Some cities, like Vancouver, are more Americanized. I’ve been there 2 times and it was almost like I never left the US. Cept it was cleaner and the people were nicer there lol.
Thanks to us Americans, Canada doesn’t look so bad to the rest of the world lol. Face it, People in foriegn countries would rather see a Canadian than an American.
Probably the biggest reason that Canada owes the Us ie because if we weren’t here where would all the Mexicans go? That’s right! Right into Canada. Smelly little cockroaches moving right into your neighborhood under your nose… turns your stomach doesn’t it?
Canada has sucky beer. I will take a Yueng Ling any day over a Molson.
March 2nd, 2010
“I’m sorry when I last I recall who was the most powerful sovereign nation?? ”
LOL Key word there is “was”
March 2nd, 2010
@Fahkin
Apparently the Canadian womans hockey team agrees. They were drinking Coors light, which is headquarters and brewed in Colorado.
March 2nd, 2010
“And last I recall I don’t remember seeing foreigners crossing over Canadian borders for employment. If so, please tell me ”
LOL you have no idea dude. We have so many foreigners its ridiculous. I want the Gov to close the borders. They come here for the dam free welfare and Heath care.
Also to get into the US through the CDN US border.
Our troops are fighting along side the US the whole time.
March 2nd, 2010
Molson rocks! LOL
March 2nd, 2010
I would rather have the Mexicans then all the Middle East people we get here
Some are ok but Ottawa is full of them.
Bring on the Mexicans They know how to party!
March 2nd, 2010
Jk I don’t care who comes here. You Americans want to come here that’s fine with me.
March 2nd, 2010
I plan to spend my winters in southern US as soon as I can.
I love it there.
March 2nd, 2010
First off….”I thought France was the vagina of the world.
Wow.. You learn something new everyday.
Now since we’re south of them are we the assholes?”
I just wanted to give a big LOL. Ha ha ha that was funny.
And second….Ncaisse….do you know who Swollen Members are? If not then……SHAME ON YOU DUDE!!! lol. By the way I dedicated an entire youtube page to the best Canadian band of all time! Swollen Members! I just uploaded their latest video Meltdown http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPPV9bju0H8.
There’s a ton of other videos of the Canadian band I did but I afraid Dave or Mike may mark my comment as spam
March 2nd, 2010
And by the way Ncaisse I’m just kidding around about the Canadian stuff. Quite frankly I don’t give a damn about who’s the most powerful sovereign nation.
I have better things to do in my life like achieving academic success, buying a new car, relocating to a decent size mansion, and getting my cock sucked by the hottest women….before i die
lol
March 2nd, 2010
Oh! And completing all of my PS3 games before PS4 arrives
March 3rd, 2010
With the ps3′s list of great exclusives you may have more luck with the “cock sucked” goal.
March 3rd, 2010
I would like to see Canada and the US become one huge nation. That would be sweet.
I have great respect for the US even though “they got themselves in another jimmy”
March 3rd, 2010
“With the ps3’s list of great exclusives you may have more luck with the “cock sucked†goal”
LOL
March 3rd, 2010
hah, I was about to kill the Big Sister!
I got close to a Big Daddy while she was attacting me and I just let them both fight to their death!
and while they were fighting each other I used the research camara on both of them! hahaha
March 3rd, 2010
LOL sounds like a bug.
March 4th, 2010
Ah dude that would be sweet! Canada+USA=United North America, North Canerica, United Lands of America. lol or something. Seriously that’s a great idea.
By the way….I’m done with Bioshock. That game pissed me off so much when it first came out! I’ve played the first one and said ‘no more”. So Bioshock 2, Gears of War 2….I’ll pass.
March 4th, 2010
“game pissed me off so much when it first came out!”
How so?