Review: Bioshock 2

So Close

        I went out this past weekend to check out Dead Island, but after seeing that there weren't any copies left in what seemed like the entire Fort Smith Metropolitan Area, I decided to check out Bioshock 2. I absolutely enjoyed the original Bioshock so I was curious as to how a different development team (or teams as there were, like, 5 different developers that worked on this game) could even reach the high bar that was set with that game. After playing through to the end I will say: almost. 

       Bioshock 2 takes place eight years after the first game. This time around, the player plays as one of the prototype Big Daddies named Delta, who sets out to rescue his Little Sister after regaining consciousness from his supposed death. Over the past eight years, nothing has really changed in Rapture other than a new leader has risen to power. Rapture still looks like its on the verge of sinking into the bottom of the ocean, and splicers, Big Daddies, and Little Sisters roam the streets. Along with the environments, the gameplay also has very few new things to offer. The controls are tight, and the atmosphere is as engrossing as ever, but nothing different is really introduced until the tail end of the game.

       The worst and best part of the game is the Big Daddy that you play as. The early parts of the game are almost identical to Bioshock in that you play it the same way. The human you play as in the first game needed to sneak around security cameras and turrets or be turned in to Swiss cheese, and so does Delta. I felt that if I was playing as a Big Daddy, I should be able to mow down the smaller enemies, but instead they were working me over just as bad as they would any other guy. This wouldn't have been so bad if the coolest weapon at my disposal, the drill, didn't need almost constant refueling. After super-charging Delta with all the upgrades, though, things start to get interesting. Delta is eventually able to take on hordes of enemies with no problem in the later parts of the story, but it's kind of disappointing that it takes so long to get to do that. 

        I wouldn't say that new additions to the game are really welcome, but I didn't think they made the game worse. The hacking has been significantly improved, but some may feel that the fact that it still plays out with a mini-game is unnecessary. Also, the new enemy type called the Big Sisters act as bosses that are able to squash Delta easily. These fights do mix up things up, but don't have the kind of impact the Big Daddies had the first time they were encountered. 

        The story is, once again, the strongest part of the whole thing. It still plays out through radio communications, but builds up to a great twist that doesn't piggyback off of the previous game's twist. Also, towards the end of the game is when things really start to open up and the game begins to set itself apart from the earlier entry. 

         As for the multiplayer, I wouldn't say that I was completely sold on it, although, it does add some interesting ideas to the average online FPS multiplayer formula. The most enjoyable game type was a twist on the attack/defend version of capture-the-flag where one team defends a Little Sister with a Big Daddy on their team while the other team tries to capture her. If the Little Sister is captured she'll struggle, scream, and try to escape your grasp. The multiplayer limits you to two guns, two plasmids, and three upgrades in your loadout, but they are fully customizable and there is plenty to unlock.

        There is plenty of fun to be had in Bioshock 2. The exact same gameplay formula could be a turn-off for some, but if you are looking for more of the original, you won't have much to complain about. And if you pretend that you're not a Big Daddy for the first half of the game you might enjoy it even more. It may not have gone above and beyond what the first Bioshock was, but there is still much to enjoy. 

Final Verdict: 8.75/10