BioShock 2 Exclusive Impressions - First Look
We head back to Rapture with 2K Marin for the exclusive first preview of the sequel to BioShock.
How do you follow up the critical, commercial, and artistic success of 2007's BioShock? The narrative-driven shooter was one of those rare games that managed to balance art style, and gameplay into a cohesive package. The game's commercial success for 2K and the fans' demand for more pretty much guaranteed a sequel of some kind. So, as you can probably imagine, we've been curious to find out what's going on with the sequel, which is being developed by 2K Marin, a newly minted studio in the 2K stable created specifically to work on the game. Since Marin is just a stone's throw from GameSpot's home office, we stopped by the new studio to get a look at the game and chat with the team about its work on one of the most anticipated sequels of 2009. Please be advised that this preview may contain story spoilers.
In case you missed the original BioShock, the game was a moody, atmospheric shooter in which you played as Jack, a hapless individual who finds himself exploring the undersea city of Rapture--a place that sounded great in theory, yet took a turn for the worse after a seemingly random series of unfortunate events. The once-glorious city was founded by business mogul Andrew Ryan in the hopes of creating the perfect society. Sadly, these lofty ideals were no match for basic human nature, and a civil war between two factions left the city a twisted and ruined version of what it was once intended to be. Instead of being a bustling borough full of shiny, happy people, Rapture became a bleak and dangerous world forever altered by Ryan's genetic experimentation, populated by hostile mutants known as "splicers," genetic collectors known as "little sisters," and the gigantic metal monsters known as "big daddies." Another key aspect of the game was that it had a fairly self-contained story that ended pretty definitively. This posed a challenge for 2K Marin, but the studio has taken the world of BioShock and used it to tell a whole new story.
BioShock 2 is set roughly 10 years after the events in the first game and tiptoes around the various possible endings in BioShock. You play as a prototype big daddy freed from his conditioning by everyone's favorite meddling scientist, Dr. Tenenbaum. The creator of the little sisters has come back to Rapture out of a sense of responsibility for a recent wave of kidnappings. It seems that young girls are being kidnapped by a mysterious creature, a "big sister," and being taken under the sea. While the specifics of the story are still being kept under wraps, Tenenbaum clearly has some knowledge of what's happening and feels responsible. (And let's face it, the lady's a little screwed up in the head, so it wouldn't surprise us if she were at least partially to blame.)
From what we understand, Tenenbaum seems mainly involved with one little sister in particular. It seems that this new big sister might have been one of the original little sisters who were freed by Tenenbaum or Jack at the end of the first game--but who didn't really cope too well on the outside. For reasons that aren't clear, she returned to Rapture and, as a result of some undisclosed process, became the big sister. (And yes, it's safe to say that this creature is also pretty screwed up--spending most of your young life in the ruines of Rapture, harvesting the genetic substance known as "ADAM" will do that to you). Following her transformation, she apparently began heading out and started kidnapping girls. Again, the BioShock 2 team remained cagey about the exact story details but did let slip that the big sister may be working with--or for--a potentially important and powerful enemy character and that this important character may not even be the big bad boss of the game. At the start of the game, your role is as Tenenbaum's champion. The doctor tasks you with helping her free the little sisters who have been converted, as well as with stopping the big sister.
Our demo of the game, titled "Hunting the Big Sister," helped set up this part of the story. We began with Tenenbaum rousing us to consciousness via radio. This time around, your character's identity is made clear, as you see your character's reflection in a pool of water. However, you won't be a typical, off-the-shelf kind of big daddy. Those that played the original BioShock will remember the big daddies as lumbering powerhouses. But apparently big daddies were much faster and more versatile back in the day.
Tenenbaum's chatter is big on tough love and urges the newly awakened big daddy (that's you) to get going. We were able to see the behemoth start walking, much more quickly than the big daddies from the original game, and use his drill (which can be charged up to deal extra damage). But it was much more interesting to see the big daddy use firearms and plasmids. Apparently, before the design of the big daddy was finalized to the models in the original BioShock, these guys could pretty much do it all. We watched our boy as he lumbered around a new section of Rapture, and the team pointed out that the original game let you check out only a small part of the massive ruined metropolis.
618 comments
"Remember splicers? The insane homicidal mutants? They're crazier now. And more homicidal." why did they write this on the Big Sister's picture
Didn't think they could extend the trip. Will be interested to see result. Art should be wicked.
There are 2 typos in this preview, at the start of line 7, page one, under the picture which is bellow the video, it says "ruines" instead of ruins and at the 5th line under the picture which is bellow the video in 2nd page, it says "slicer" not splicer. It was a very good preview though!
i cant wait for this! the 1st bioshock was a perfect FPS with style, soul and a genuine care in design. i hope Bioshock 2 does the same.
The first Bioshock was absolutely amazing. It had a great unique storyline, great graphics and plenty of violence and action. I can't wait to see what Bioshock has installed for us, It is a no-brainer im buying it the day it comes out.
@SoberWarock The game is meant to be set in the mid '90's...so probably not. I'm a fanboy of Bioshock. This WILL be good and I feel like pre-ordering.
After 10 years wouldn't you think people from outside of Rapture found out about that place by now?
sounds like they could craft one hell of a story with this one. maybe the first big daddy with plasmids was not cost effective to mass produce? kinda like arming the police with rocket launchers and grenades, it just wouldn't be practical. companies are always looking for more cost effective solutions, so they dumb em' down and make them hella strong to save cost. maybe the first prototype was too unreliable he seems to have free will which could be quite dangerous. and that right there could be the reason tenenbaum was so hesitant to unleash him. that is my theory anyway.
Also killakin the Big Daddies are people who have been majorly spliced by Adam and plasmids so there may be some out there(like your character)who are concious and not just fixed on protecting little sisters!!Man its gonna be awesome cannot wait for this game...drill time baby!!!
One explanation for this big daddy being able to cause the little sisters harm...If you remember in the first bioshock, there were radio messages that you could collect to help fill in gaps in the story. On one of them Dr. Suchong, one of the main doctors behind the big daddies, is talking about how to get the big daddies to actually defend the little sisters using plasmids. This means that there were prototypes that didn't have the need to defend the little sisters...A little anecdote... During the same tape a little sister is bothering doctor Suchong. He gets annoyed and hits the little girl. He is promptly attacked and presumably killed by a big daddy... Lol epic fail.
this game i think will be pretty good i hope it's better than the first game though i hope they have a new environment and new weapons and i also like the fact that your a big daddy in this one should be good!!!
I think the big sister is the little girl from the 1st bioshock. What i mean is that when you were in fontaine's fishers there was a radio diary of a mother whose daughter had become a little sister I think this was foreshadowing that she was going to be the Big Sister.
i agree with you tom224488 i thought they would make bio2 around the time adam and plasmids where beginning to ruin rapture but there is a possibility of a third game. anyways bio2 looks amazing cant wait till it comes out love the idea of being able to use your plasmid and weapon at the same time.
Judging by how sweet the first games plot was, be ready for some seriously messed up history behind your persona as a big daddy. This games going to be an amazing ride.
I'm so glad that this team understands the minds of the players and what we want to see. It's too easy for devs to get caught in their own ideas that seem good on the surface but lack substance in reality. I'm super excited to play this. Way to go guys.
Yeah I agree with Ystergarde, the game was really creepy. What a fantastic game, can't wait for number 2!
I was really hoping for some new information or at least a video. This preview is basically information that's already been available for at least a month. Even so, it's hard to fault Gamespot for giving me something else to read about the sequel to my favorite game.
Played it, didn't really like it. Some parts in the game just scares the living daylights out of me! Then again, I was all alone at night when I tried it out..
Maybe the big daddy you play has plasmids because you play the first big daddy.. Before the construction of big daddies was mastered and this one was harder to control because of the use of plasmids he would kill the little sisters he was meant to protect and was frozen through cryogenics. Just a thought
It's funny, I had heard BioShock was good but didn't really know anything about when I bought it. I had just assumed you played a big daddy from the cover and adverts. Then on the opposite side of that I I did a similar thing with Dead Space, bought it on reputation without really knowing anything and I assumed the guy in the scary ill fitting space suit was an enemy. I thought it was just me and then I got talking to some one about both games and they'd made the same assumptions. Anyway I'm glad you get to play as a Big Daddy, I had more empathy for them than anything else in BioShock.
how can this be just as good as the first bioshock? i have my doubts... the twists in the first game were so awesome and compelling. when i was reading this i thought they were going to make the second game go BACK in time to when the use of ADAM began to ruin rapture, and you would play as someone trying to survive it all... and in the end you see yourself consumed by the need for ADAM and realise that you yourself have become just another splicer... anyway i really really hope they dont tiptoe around whats already been set in stone and confuse the story. fingers crossed.
I can not wait. Bio1 was ridiculous, so good. And from what i am seeing from 2 so far it looks awesome. I think this could really live up to expectations storywise. The graphics looked improved and the weapons are upgraded. Woooooooooooooooo
Awesome it comes out this year, I thought it would take longer. Hope it holds up to expectations
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Game Info
- Release Date: Feb 9, 2010 (US)
- ESRB: MTitles rated M (Mature) have content that may be suitable for persons ages 17 and older.
- Release Date: Mar 29, 2012 (US)
- ESRB: MTitles rated M (Mature) have content that may be suitable for persons ages 17 and older.
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