BioShock 2

Console:

Playstation 3

Genre:

First person shooter.

Setting:

Retro future Utopia...i.e. the game is set in the 1960s, but it's an alternative world scenario...a place where humanity has advanced significantly in their development...more advanced than our current society. The sequel explores new parts of the city of Rapture.

Story:

If you liked finally playing as a Big Daddy in the original, you should get a kick out of playing as a Big Daddy for the entire length of the sequel...except for one part where you play a...

The story concerns your Big Daddy becoming separated from your Little Sister. This separation is harmful to both parties health, so you must locate your charge. Of course, powerful forces are working against this outcome and your life is in danger.

Graphics:

As far as character representation goes, this is a step up from the original...they're more realistic, less stylised than the cartoonish looking splicers of the original. It's actually a pity that this level of character representation wasn't in the original...then maybe we could have expected an Uncharted 2 like step up in visual quality for the sequel.

Sound:

Probably less obvious repetition in character utterances than the original. Some noises seem to be constant...like there is a faulty elevator or some other mechanical/electrical device. Not a huge issue but sometimes I wished that that noise would just go away.

Good about the game:

The weapons/plasmids/tonics have been tweaked. The plasmids especially are fun. On acquiring a certain plasmid I'd think to myself "Wouldn't it be cool if you could..." and then I'd try doing just that. And it would work! It's good how the makers have thought out the logical consequences of some plasmids, so you actually can do what you think that plasmid should allow you to do. Best example of that is the "Scout" plasmid. Personally, I missed the crossbow of the original (for it's precision shooting) but the speargun did become my default weapon (for being able to regather fired ammo).

If you enjoyed the "upgrade" paths of the original, the sequel has the exact same quality, but is a bit more polished in execution.

Misjudgements in the game:

I'll start by way of introduction saying that since you play the top of the food chain in the original game, the sequel knocks you down a peg. This was a bit naff for mind, but it brings up the first misjudgement...where strategy is crucial in taking down these ultimate warriors, it's disappointing that the first time you fight one of them you are not in control of the circumstances in which you engage them. They're tough to beat, so to not have the ability to fight them on your terms sucks. There was a similar problem in the original, and like the original, this misjudgement goes away in subsequent battles.

As with the original, the splicers are a constant annoyance...more so than in the original. Another naff splicer is introduced too. At least in the original you could find ample opportunities to use plasmids like the Cyclone Trap...set pieces in the game. In the sequel you probably don't even have to use them. Related to this, with the research you do on splicers, it turns out you won't be able to fully research them anywhere in Rapture...some of them are limited to certain parts of the city...which is annoying...some classes of splicers I didn't get to fully research as a result and for some of those I could have really used my Cyclone Trap plasmids to good effect in set pieces...which never arrived (e.g. in defending yourself from attack after performing an action).

My third misjudgement is the lack of a final boss battle as in the original. The Frank Fontaine fight there was too hard, but in the sequel there's a feeling of anti-climax as the final fights aren't really different in kind to the normal hurly-burly of defending your Little Sister when she is gathering ADAM. And if you have certain tonics and plasmids, your task is made easier and you can simply discover how to do things better next time if you die.

Niggles:

How the game basically rewrites the history of Bioshock. I really didn't see any scope for a sequel to that game and the scenario seems manufactured out of nothing. However, the ending does have a pay off, even though I didn't buy into the story's new characters.

It would have been nice to have your moral choices highlighted more explicitly. And in the case of Gil Alexander, the game makers seem to have had a different take than me on the moral thing to do with him...relating to in game trophies.

Some characters from the original story make cameo appearances but are soon forgotten. That was a pity. And even some new characters of interest eventually disappear, never to be heard of again.

General observations:

I was prepared to give this game the same score I gave for the original (85/100), but have knocked it down a smidge due to the anti-climax of the ending. Even though I wasn't sold on the premise of the sequel and found some new character classes naff, the game held the same addictiveness as the original.

Personally I'd recommend the original over the sequel for my view of the 'real' story of Rapture. But if you don't feel like returning to the original but want something similar, play the sequel...it has polished some of the exciting weapons of the original. But the lack of use for certain weapons in game and the inability to gain research points on certain character classes anywhere in Rapture is a disappointment.

Bioshock 2 may have sacrificed storytelling for cleaner gameplay, but the story is still well written and better than your average VG narrative. Sophia Lamb isn't nearly as charismatic as Andrew Ryan but does a pretty good job of getting me to despise her, making her a decent antagonist at worst. Gameplay tweaks seem minor at first, but dual wielding guns and plasmids, the ability to melee with any weapon, and the new real time reflex-based hacking system made a world of difference. I had more fun protecting the little sisters in this game than the first. Probably due to the unstoppability I felt having improved plasmids, weapons, traps, and ample time to set up and unleash my inner Macaulay Culkin whenever I was ready to harvest.

This game keeps up with it's reputation, And as much as i loved the first Game i do indeed love this too.

And as i played through the game, I really feel the Father and Daughter connection. and the end was not disappointing at all. it was really really suitable with the feeling and the story. Almost like you get tears.

Very well i'm a bit optimistic, but if there should been an improvement, then it would be the Huge Feeling, Because the health was not as much as in the previous game, so that got lost somehow.

Anyway i think i rated this Game Fair. 8 out of 10 (Little Sisters)

Pros:

• Good story and characters
• Gameplay has improved abit from 1
• Great graphics
• Good variation of weapons and abilities

Cons:

• Not allot of differentiation from Bioshock 1
• Story not as interesting as it could be
• No real great plot twists

Verdict: All in all, does kinda feel like a Bioshock 1.5 however it's still very enjoyable and fun to play. I shouldn't, but it's hard to not compare with Bioshock 1. Still a really good game thou

8/10

This game may not be as ground breaking and awesome as Bioshock 1, but it is still a fantastic game. The atmosphere this time around surpasses the original, it truly does immerse you in this world. I bought this game three times, one for the Xbox and twice for the PS3, one of which was the special edition. Alright time to get started.

The Game: The first thing I noticed right out of the gate is the graphics are much more clear and better done. The story was pretty weak, but the rest of the game more than makes up for it. The game play is much better this time around, it's much more fluent. You can equip a weapon and a plasmid at the same time. I didn't notice a big difference in quality between systems, they are about even. My favourite gun in the game is the shotgun, you can upgrade it with cylinders for rapid firing. The spear gun is also pretty cool, it almost feels like a rifle. The sound track is no where near as good as the one in the first game, which was very disappointing. As i've mentioned the atmosphere surpasses the original, there is one part where you enter a secret facility, it feels so barren, like no one has entered it for a while, it is truly a great feeling moment. The hard difficulty mode was actually pretty easy compared to the first game's hard mode. Finding all of the audio diaries was much easier this time around, I even completed that objective twice. The big sisters are more of a nuisance, but I found a way to help the little sisters without having to fight the big sisters. It's weird to be carrying around a little sister thats looks up to the big daddy, it makes you choose not to harvest them. The level's are expertly designed with plenty of hidden areas to discover. Overall the single player is a great experience.

The multi-player: I don't have much to say other than I didn't like it, I felt they could have left it out and put more stuff into the single player. Overall it's forgettable.

Minerva's Den: If you liked the main single player then I recommend getting this, it's a good addition. Just don't expect a good end boss, you can beat him pretty quickly.

The verdict: The game is fun and well worth your time and money, the single player has great replay value, but skip the online mode.