Posted by Tim Fischer on February 18, 2010

Bioshock 2

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A return to Rapture wasn’t just inevitable; it was a necessity. 2K Games created such a disgustingly vibrant world for the first Bioshock that it would have been a waste of a franchise not to capitalize on it. I couldn’t wait to sink back down into the depths of Rapture.

Bioshock 2 takes us back to the undersea city of Rapture ten years after the end of the first game. You play as a Big Daddy in search of his Little Sister, but not just any Big Daddy. You are the first ever created somehow brought back to life. As the original person to assume the role of the gigantic protector of the Little Sisters, progressing though the 8 massive levels of the game you come to realize that not only is there so much more to who you are, but that the main antagonist, Sofia Lamb, is also not what she seems. Lamb has been kidnapping young girls for years to supplement the aging Little Sister population. You’re ties to her and the Little Sister that you have come in search of becomes apparent as you play through the game.

2K Games spent the last few years expanding on the already spectacular city under the ocean. While none of Bioshock 2 takes place in the locations of the original Bioshock, the developers have done a great job carrying over the feel of the first game. The art deco environments look spectacular even through the entire city is in disarray. Whether you are walking around the slums of Pauper Drop or the supposed glamour of Fontaine Futuristics, you can’t help but wonder how Rapture would have looked in its glory days.

Not only were there new locations created for the sequel, but new enemies as well. All four of the Splicers are back as well as the Big Daddies. They have amped up a bit more on ADAM over the ten years making the Splicers a bit more formidable especially the Spider Splicers. Three new and very powerful enemies make their debut: Brute Splicers, Alpha Series, and Big Sisters. Brute Splicers are tanks with massive physical strength, the Alpha Series are the new Big Daddies without Little Sisters to worry about, and the Big Sisters are very powerful and fast opponents, which will attack without mercy.

The gameplay for Bioshock 2 is pretty much the same as the first game: instructions are given to you over the radio by allies for you to follow and separate exploration of the levels. Many of the missions given to you by your ally, Sinclair, have you disabling transmitters, defeating enemies, or simply finding ways to bypass obstacles. You will also hear from the little sister who is all grown up, Eleanor, on some objectives.

Taking over the role of a Big Daddy also gives you the abilities that gave many players so much trouble while fighting against the Big Daddies in the first Bioshock. You start with a drill and quickly earn the rivet gun. By the end of the game, you will also have a rocket launcher, machine gun, spear gun, and shotgun to choose from for fighting off the Splicers. The Power to the People stations makes a return appearance from the first Bioshock to enable up to 14 upgrades to your weapons. Each weapon can be upgraded up to three times. However, this time there are not enough stations to upgrade every weapon so you have to be wise about how you use the upgrades.

Researching and hacking are back as well. Instead of a one-shot film camera, you get a video camera to capture the bad guys in action to increase your damage against them and earn tonics. Hacking ammo, vending and health machines will ensure that you do not blow through the money you find too fast. Thankfully, the hacking mini game has changed. All you have to do is press a button when a moving needle passes over a green or blue section on a bar. Land on the white and you’ll get a shock losing some health; land on the red and an alarm will go off alerting security drones.

This wouldn’t be a Bioshock game without Plasmids. Those fantastic powers with names like Telekinesis, Incinerate, Winter Blast, Electro Bolt, Scout, and Decoy are back and as powerful as ever. Using Winter Blast to freeze and enemy before bashing his head in or Incinerate to fry off some health will help you fight your way through the game. While you don’t have to have every of the 11 Plasmid in order to advance through the levels, make sure Telekinesis, Incinerate, Winter Blast and Electro Bolt are in your inventory. They help immensely.

You can purchase and upgrade Plasmids with ADAM at the Gatherer Garden machines. ADAM can be obtained by either saving or harvesting the Little Sisters you encounter. However, there is a new twist: since you are Big Daddy, you can adopt the Little Sisters after you defeat the other Big Daddy protecting them. This way they can harvest ADAM from the dead for you. After they are finished, you’ll have the choice of saving the Little Sister or harvesting them. Be aware that whatever your choice is after you take care of the Little Sisters in each level you will have to face a Big Sister. Make sure you stuck up on ammo before she arrives.

Moral choices play a larger role this time around then they did in the last game. How you treat the Little Sisters and the “bosses” will influence how much ADAM you get and the ending. Remember that your decisions will influence Eleanor as well. She becomes instrumental at the end of the game.

The major difference between Bioshock 2 and Bioshock is the inclusion of multiplayer. There are 10 levels taken from the first Bioshock like Arcadia and the Medical Pavilion in which you can play Survival of the Fittest (deathmatch), Capture the Sister (capture the flag), ADAM Grab 9kill of the hill), and a few other play modes. The entire multiplayer experience is set in a time period before the fall of Rapture. You are a Splicer who tests the Plasmids and weapons you’ll earn as you level up on other Splicers and Big Daddies.

While you are originally a Splicer, you can find a suit that will turn you into a Big Daddy in most of the matches. You can also hack machines for ammo and eve as well as booby-trap them against other players. One of the more innovative aspects of the multiplayer is researching opponents that have been killed. After researching them, you gain a damage increase against them. This could mean the difference during a head-to-head fight.

I liked my return trip to Rapture. Being a Big Daddy was fun. The story was solid, but not as memorable as the first Bioshock. The environment, while gorgeous, wasn’t as shocking as the first time, but that may be because I was ready for it. Those who have not player Bioshock will probably get more from Bioshock 2, but overall I think it was a solid and fun, if not slightly predictable, sequel.

ESRB Rating: Mature Avg. playtime: Story -10 hours One-time playthrough Gamerscore: 760

Replay value: Story –Moderate; Multiplayer -High Multiplayer: Yes

-Tim Fischer
Managing Editor
Gamertag: porkroll1711