..when playing this game I felt like I was returning to Rapture and a big "Welcome Home" sign was awaiting me.

User Rating: 9 | BioShock 2 X360
*Please note that this is the same review that I have submitted for the PS3 version of the game. From what I have played of both versions, everything is just about equal between the two. There are no significant differences, therefore, I have used the same review for both versions of the game.*

What makes Bioshock 2 such a fantastic game is not only what has changed but what has remained the same. To start out, have you played the first Bioshock? If not stop reading, go play it, and come back to see if this is a worthy sequel. If you have then let's continue.

Bioshock 2 is the sequel to 2007's multiple Game of the Year award winner, Bioshock. While some things have changed in this new title, many things are just as you might remember and not just in the world of Rapture itself. The level of quality and polish here is easily on par with it's predecessor and so is the fun and intrigue. If you loved the first game then you are sure to love this one. If you were the one person who did not like Bioshock, this game won't warm you to the series.

While taking place ten years after the events of the first game, the underwater city of Rapture remains largely unchanged. That's not to say that everything is the same. It just means that it is every bit as surreal and Orwellian in feel as it was the first time around. While you are bound to explore many areas that you remember from the original there are also many new areas to explore in Rapture. In fact, exploration is much more open this time around and it rewards the player even more with new found items and recorded messages to help flesh out the story. Splicers, Big Daddies, Little Sisters, and many other things you remember and love from the first game are back and each one plays a more significant role that the first time around, especially the relationship between the Big Daddy and the Little Sister. There's also the Big Sister and she's one mean mother! There's a lot of the same ol' stuff here but there's plenty of new things here too. One thing that strikes me is how, even ten years later, the music and styles of decor are the same in style as they were in the last game. While some may complain that this makes it feel too similar, I think this is an act of brilliance because it makes Rapture and it's inhabitants seem like they have truly been cut off from the rest of the world above the surface of the ocean. I also feel like it adds to the creepiness of the game and makes it all seem like a world apart.

Andrew Ryan is dead. His replacement is Dr. Sofia Lamb. She is a psychiatrist that is now the self-appointed head of Rapture. Her vision is similar to Ryan's however the two were at odds with one another on several points. The story plays that out in full detail through messages and communication from Dr. Lamb. Splicers have been running rampant for the last ten years. Some have evolved into even more dangerous types that the last game while many are similar to what you might remember. Being a Big Daddy does make you a lot tougher this time around but with the new Big Sister to contend with, you have quite a challenge on your hands still. The Big Sister is a lot like a Big Daddy but she is far more agile and much quicker than the hulking mass that you are. She can jump a great deal higher and is quite a handful when fighting her. The story reveals that you are actually the first Big Daddy and your assigned Little Sister ten years ago was Dr. Sofia Lamb's own daughter. Dr. Lamb gets her daughter back at the very beginning of the game but you still have your bond with your Little Sister and now you are trying to reunite with her. She also feels the same bond is trying to get back with you. Dr. Lamb does not like this at all. She will use everything at he disposal from the Splicers, to turrets and cameras, and even the Big Sister herself in order to stop you. For those of you wondering if the story is as compelling as the first game, rest assured that the twists and moral dilemmas are back in full force in Bioshock 2.

Being a Big Daddy does change a few things in how the game plays. To get to the point, it's more fun but not quite as challenging. Don't get me wrong; the game is not a cakewalk. It's just that being a Big Daddy makes you one tough hombre and you have a lot more options when it comes to weapons and plasmids. You are also a lot harder to take down. If there is a problem with the difficulty level you can always choose a harder setting and that will make the game more of a challenge so it isn't really an issue. Being tougher and having more weapon options does make the game a lot more fun. Everything from the first game is back, it's just better this time around. Hacking vending machines and turrets or other things makes a return but has been refined. When hacking, you simply need to match a needle that moves back and forth with either a green section or a blue one. Matching it to blue will yield better results, such as a free item. It is a major improvement over the hacking system of the first game. You still have all the plasmids, but upgrading them is a blast and makes you more powerful. The same thing goes with weapons. Close combat is a blast just to watch blood splatter everywhere by using Daddy's drill. He also has other weapons at his disposal such as a .50 caliber machine gun, rivet guns, and so on. What is nice is being able to use plasmids and weapons at the same time. This makes taking down enemies more interesting because you are able to use combinations of different weapons and plasmids to see the effects they have on your attackers. Combat felt more "edge of your seat" in Bioshock because, being a standard human being, battles were harder. Now, in Bioshock 2, fighting as a Big Daddy may take away some of the challenge but it adds to the enjoyment factor. There is still plenty of challenge to be had though. When watching over a Little Sister as she harvests Adam from a corpse, defending her from a horde of on coming Splicers will definitely test your patience.

Graphically the game has not improved over the original. But come on, let's be honest here. Did it really need to? Since Bioshock raised the bar in the level of detail for modern shooters why should expectations be any different for Bioshock 2? The game looks fantastic and the level of detail is outstanding. The option to choose whether or not to optimize the frame rate is back and, if utilized, some of the detail in the game is lost. However I find that choosing this option results in less loss of detail than it did in the first game. So on that level the sequel does hold up better than the first Bioshock. Propaganda style posters fill the halls and windows show an ocean teeming with life; swimming around outside of the sunken city. While things look largely similar there's a lot more wreckage as Rapture has gone through a great deal of neglect over the years and the Splicers have done their part to ruin it. One thing that's nice is, because you are a Big Daddy, you get to venture outside of Rapture every so often and see the world from the ocean floor. This ability gives the game a bit more perspective and makes it feel more like an underwater metropolis. Exploring the outside of the city and the oceanic life captivates you as everything you see outside is as brilliantly detailed as the inside.

While the visuals help to keep the atmosphere, the sound also does the game justice. Little Sisters still have their creepy voices. This time around you hear them more and more because, being a Big Daddy, it is your job to watch over them. Along with their voices, the rest of the acting is top notch. The soundtrack is much the same style (1940's music) as Bioshock but the songs are different. All are authentic pieces though and will definitely give grandma a trip down memory lane. When coming across other Big Daddies, the roars and grumbles will sound familiar but you yourself hardly ever make a much noise. Hearing the Splicers is as disturbing and humorous as it was in Bioshock. Basically, it all sounds as great here as it did the first time around.

So many things here are similar to the original Bioshock which some could view as Bioshock 2's primary weakness. While the quality level is definitely here, the thing about the original that is missing here is that "new" feeling. No matter how refined it all is, we have still seen Rapture before and that does take a little away from what made the first one so special. In a way, playing this reminded me of how I felt the first time I played Doom II. In many ways it was just like Doom but at the same time the small touches made it an overall better game. It just lacked the impact of the original because it was something I had seen before. Here, with Bioshock 2, I got the same feeling. Should they decide to do another sequel, it would be interesting to see Rapture and how it has either progressed and/or deteriorated twenty or thirty years in the future. As it stands, while we have all seen the locale, it is still as breathtaking and eerie as it always was and that is enough for me.

If you are one that really needs something truly new and unique then the one thing Bioshock 2 brings us is a full fledged multi-player game. While not exactly Modern Warfare 2 the multi-player is still fun and should hold plenty of interest. As individual Splicers you do battle with others throughout Rapture. There is a certain level of satisfaction that comes with blasting your friends with plasmids and machine guns while trying to survive. There are multiple modes like Deathmatch and the like. The atmosphere is as haunting as is the rest of the game. You can also take over a Big Daddy suit should you find an empty one and really do some damage. This bit of domination might seem like an unfair advantage but it sure is a blast!

The multi-player is fun enough but the meat of the game is in the single player mode. That isn't a bad thing at all. Bioshock 2 may not have that "new" feeling but it sure does retain the "classic" feeling while offering new elements. With a compelling story that has many twists and shocking moments, along with a return to the haunting atmosphere of Rapture, and a story that lets you play from a completely different perspective, Bioshock 2 is every bit as great as the original. Being a Big Daddy can make some parts of the game a lot easier, but the brute is such a blast to play as, you won't even care. Everything I liked about the original is here again and while it isn't as fresh, it is quite reassuring. The best way to describe Bioshock 2 can be summed up like this; when playing this game I felt like I was returning to Rapture and a big "Welcome Home" sign was awaiting me.