BioShock 2 includes mutliplayer and a few improvements but this sequel offers up more of the same.
User Rating: 8.5 | BioShock 2 PC
BioShock was one of the most anticipated PC games of 2007 since it was the spiritual successor to System Shock. Although the gameplay was nothing revolutionary, it told an amazing story heavily influenced by the works of Ayn Rand and created a stunning underwater world called Rapture. Three years later, the sequel has arrived and BioShock 2 offers more of the same with a few tweaks here and there but it remains a fun game to play. Ten years after Jack left Rapture and took the Little Sisters he rescued from the surface, Rapture has fallen further into chaos and have come under the control of Sophia Lamb, who controls a cult called the Family. You are Subject Delta, the first Big Daddy to be successfully bonded to a Little Sister who happens to be Lamb's daughter, Eleanor. After being forced to kill yourself by Lamb in 1958, you awaken in 1970 with no idea how you were revived but it seems that your Little Sister is in dire need of help and you must your way through the horrific denizens of Rapture to find her. The story here is more straightforward but still effecting. I felt that it was making a commentary on socialism where everyone works for the good of the nation and the individual is suppressed. Here, Lamb wants to use her daughter to consume the sum total of knowledge of all of Rapture to create a better Utopia, thus destroying her individuality. It's a well-told tale, a much more personal tale and the ending is oddly bittersweet. Gameplay is largely the same with you wielding a variety of firearms and powerup with Gene Tonics and Plasmids. This time you can dual wield both without having to awkwardly switch between the two in the first game. You also have the ability to lay traps so you can avoid expending unnecessary ammo. The enemies are the same with a few additions such as a Brute Splicer and new Big Daddy variants. The significant addition is the Big Sister, a much more powerful, fast, female version of the Big Daddy that is able to wield any and all Plasmid powers. You'll face several throughout the game and they pack quite a punch. BioShock 2 also offers up a multiplayer suite that includes traditional modes such as Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch (called Survival of the Fittest and Civil War) but with Plasmids. Other modes include Capture the Sister (similar to Capture the Flag), Turf War (conquest mode from Battlefield), ADAM and Team ADAM Grab where you must hold onto a Little Sister to win the match. Graphics are rendered with Unreal Engine 2.5 but there are no improvements from the original BioShock. Due to console limitations, there are a lot of low-res textures and the only reason it looks good is due to the unique art style. The textures are also downgraded when playing multiplayer. Audio is strong with ambient sound during your exploration and the use of 1950's music. The score is also creepy and emotional at times. The PC version originally shipped with a few issues including the lack of widescreen, which repeats the mistake of the original. This was finally patched but when playing multiplayer on a 5:4 monitor, the image is stretched from top to bottom. BioShock 2 also uses Games for Windows LIVE for DLC, updates and achievements. While this sequel does not offer anything really significant, BioShock 2 still offers up the same great gameplay and is a welcome return to the Rapture.
