BioShock 2 Review Posted by, Daniel. June 29th, 2010. Filed under Reviews
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In 2007 2K released “BioShock” which has gone on to become one of the highest rated games ever. It managed to weave together a stellar story into the dripping atmosphere of Rapture. Now the reigns of BioShock 2 have been handed over to 2K Marin. Have they been able to keep up with such a stellar installment, or has BioShock 2 sunk beneath the tides.
Story
BioShock 2 takes place around 10 years after the original. Instead of returning as Jack you play as the first Big Daddy to be successfully bonded to a Little Sister; Delta. In probably what will become one of the most iconic openings ever; you are deactivated. 10 years pass and you mysteriously awaken to find your Sister, Eleanor has disappeared. With Andrew Ryan being gone, a woman known as Sofia Lamb rises to prominence and seems to have it in for Delta.
BioShock 2’s story is just as gripping as its forbear and perhaps even more in some aspects. Whereas the original mostly focused its story on Rapture and its downfall; Bioshock 2 is more of a personal narrative surrounding the 3 main characters (Delta, Eleanor Lamb, and Sofia Lamb). Each suffered great betrayals, emotional pain, and deception from those close to them.
Sophia Lamb’s philosophy could not be more different from Ryan’s. She preaches for all to be one family with symbolism based off a butterfly and the body of women. As strong of a character as she is, she does seem a bit forced into the story. Audio diaries are constantly found from her and Ryan explaining how they would always fight for the loyalty of Rapture. If she really was there then why wouldn’t she ever be mentioned in BioShock as another strong force to fight with?
BioShock 2 may have some problems, but it doesn’t matter. Like the original, the game tells a very strong tale that anybody can easily get wrapped up in. In ways it even manages to surpass the original.
Score: 9.1/10
Design
BioShock 2 has been simplified for the better. The game moves at a much more linear route which helps the pacing of the storyline. The game moves you through each level by way of an underwater train. In each level the player is free to explore all over the place to collect/harvest Little Sisters, hack machines, and beat up on some splicers. Beware though, once an area is left you cannot return back to it.
The linearity though also hurts the game. Rapture doesn’t feel as big anymore. The areas you visit are smaller and much older than the areas seen in the original; you can naturally tell because most of them have been drowned in some sort of way. In fact some areas of the game, especially during the latter half of the game feel absolutely linear as every hallway is straight with side doors only being detours back to the main hallway.
BioShock 2 still however fails to change up the enemy variety. New enemies do pop up, including a new Big Daddy type which fires rockets and throws mini-turrets. A new hulking splicer also joins the list of those who want to kill you. It however just doesn’t feel like enough. You are repeatedly attacked by the same splicers all the time, in fact some models and textures are re-used so you literally are fighting the same enemies all the time.
This also leads into probably the coolest, and disappointing new enemy type, the Big Sister. During preview events 2K made it look like the Big Sister was a random encounter that would surprise you kind of like Nemesis in Resident Evil 3. However once the game is played, it is easy to see that the Big Sister is a scripted event which will usually appear after you have collected all the possible ADAM with one Little Sister who gives you the warning and sufficient time to set traps.
Morality in BioShock 2 plays a much larger role then in the original. Where in the original the choices you made only changed the ending cinematic by a teensy smidge, morality here changes the entire ending of the game. There are many different endings which affect the 3 main characters in different ways.
Score: 8.8/10
Gameplay
This game is not like other shooters. Sure you have a trigger button, but that is pretty much the only similarity. Control layout is odd at first but is easy to grasp onto if the player opens their mind. The left trigger, which is usually used for aiming down the sights, holds the plasmids. Aiming down the sights is now handled by pushing down on the right analog stick. To switch between weapons tap the R1/Right bumper or hold it for a weapon wheel, same for the plasmids.
While BioShock 2 may feel clunky to some, it’s extremely refreshing to anybody who has played a lot of shooters recently. The slower pace helps build the tension in the game. In here players will also encounter a game that actually makes you think. Every situation in the game the player can set up to sway their way. This is especially evident when the Little Sisters get down harvesting ADAM. You’re given the time to set up traps. Most weapons allow you to set different kinds of traps, such as a trip wire that electrocutes the enemy, or a rivet shot that explodes upon contact. Plasmids may be used to set traps, but the game rarely even lets you know you can use them. The trap plasmids must all be purchased at a “Gatherer’s Garden” and are usually located at the bottom of a long list of possible expenditures, including some heavy hitting upgrades to plasmids already gained for free and upgrades to your character.
Speaking of Plasmids, they are still easily the biggest highlight of the game. Having the ability to dual-wield in both the Single-Player and Multi-Player helps make the game a bit easier to manage while still being a challenge. For example there are a lot stronger enemies that will require a careful strategy and a careful balance between fire-power and Plasmids.
Despite the original game being Single-Player only, BioShock 2 features a surprisingly fun Multi-Player mode. The mode is set right before the fall of Rapture and sees a civil war breaking out by Atlas and Ryan as both sides are hired to test out Sinclair’s products. The Multi-Player has a create a class feature which allows you to choose from various weapons and buff them out in different ways, also while allowing the choice of 2 plasmids, a melee weapon, and tonics which add attributes to the character. In the matches it’s easy to find players, if you’re playing the 360 version. Finding players on the PS3 version can be a chore at times. However once a match begins its awesome. Unlike other shooters, BioShock 2 relies heavily on strategy instead of just shooting like a mad dog. A mix of plasmids and ammo is necessary as each clip carries little ammo. It’s even possible to hop inside a Big Daddy suit to unleash all hell, or just take a photo of a dead corpse to get a damage bonus.
BioShock 2 adds a lot more to the gameplay portion than its predecessor. In fact so much is added that the game just feels a lot better in every aspect. Add in a well done multi-player mode and this game just makes the other look obsolete.
Score: 9.6/10
Presentation
BioShock runs on a modified version of the Unreal Engine 2.5. BioShock 2 looks great, but it looks almost exactly like its predecessors which came out 2 years ago. Rapture to look at is still brilliantly detailed and anyone will be hard-pressed to find a whole city detailed as much as Rapture. Buildings tower over you, walls crack and crumble, and sea life clumps on walls. BioShock 2 shines deeply in its atmosphere.
Fire crackles and licks bodies as splicers scream. Lightning cracks and pops as a vat of water is electrocuted sizzling all enemies bathed in it. Every effect in this game looks amazing. The audio features a rousing score that will send shivers down the back of any players. Voice acting was such a highlight in the original that fans will be even more excited that it has gotten even better. The audio diaries are simply fantastic with the voices crackling through static as they relate their stories, or the sane citizens such as Sofia Lamb talking into your radio trying to sway you.
The dim spot however are the character models and textures. Splicers come in such little variety still with only the Big Daddies having the only good textures. Splicers suffer from the infamous plastic effect that most Unreal games seem to have. The normal humans look even worse though. All of them suffer from stiff animations, dead zombie eyes, and just in-human proportions. Makes one kind of sick to look at them sadly,
BioShock 2 isn’t an ugly game, but it’s not fantastic. Due to not much changing at all, the game looks dated, especially compared to other releases. Hopefully BioShock 3 will be more of advancement in the technology.
Score: 8.5/10
Final Thoughts
There’s no need to think about whether to buy BioShock 2 or not. The game is absolutely fabulous. 2K Marin and the many other developers have done a great job on bringing Rapture back to its many fans. The game improves upon many of the originals faults while also bring a story that is more personal and questions your morality every step of the way. Sure it may not be on the same technical level as Uncharted 2 or Crysis, but the sheer depth of its combat system coupled with its fun multi-player makes BioShock 2 one of the first must buy games of 2010!
Final Score: 9/10
The Good
Deep, Improved Gameplay
The Powerful and Morally Compelling Campaign
Interesting Protagonist
The Bad
Dated Visuals
Lack of Enemy Variety
Not as Much Awe in Rapture