Another overrated and average FPS
Sadly, Bioshock 2 could never break the "Been there, done that" feeling with me. Many of you will jump up and shout "What did you expect?!", and to be honest I wasn't expecting much from this one.
While Rapture is a beautiful place, the WOW factor has long since past, and the remarkable locale and art direction cannot sustain the game anymore. Unfortunately, the gameplay doesn't help this one either.
The first thing that jarred me was how weak your Big Daddy is. You are not the massive, feared killing beast of the first game. Instead your combat skills will be tested by the lowly splicers, and the hunt for drill fuel. A Big Daddy juiced with EVE should be near unstoppable. From a design standpoint I can understand the developers decision to do this; but IMO having the Big Daddy a raging destructive force against swarms of weaker enemies is better than a weaker Big Daddy facing a couple of splicers.
Some other design choices were dissapointing while playing. For example, the (I admit self-imposed) suspense of reaching the amusement park was exciting. Only to reach the park and discover that it is only a propaganda stage for Andrew Ryan. This feels completely out of place in a city where people have already made the decision to live in it.
Pros-
Graphics engine still holds it's own
Excellent sound, and for the most part, excellent voice acting
Cons-
Uninspiring story
The city of Rapture is wearing thin
Mediocre gameplay
The dream of controlling a Big Daddy is ultimately a letdown
Bottom line-
The return to Rapture is not very exciting. Playing as a Big Daddy is not as fun as it should be. While the game is not horrible by any means, the stale gameplay design will make this second romp through Rapture unmemorable compared to other games out there.
Rent this one.