Minerva's Den is exactly what DLC should be: a well-made expansion of the core game that spawned it.
Cons: Combat is kind of repetitive
Poor Bioshock 2. Faced with the impossible task of following up on the classic Bioshock, it focused on offering more of the same with small improvements. In the end, Bioshock 2 was really good-still heads and shoulders above most games. Nonetheless, since it wasn't a significant change from the first game, most people wrote it off. However that seems like a small shame compared to what Minerva's Den had to face.
Minerva's Den is a downloadable episode for Bioshock 2 only available on the PC through Games for Windows Live. This means that the only people who will play it are those who like Bioshock 2 and still want more content for it. And those determined souls must then deal with the horrors of Games for Windows Live. But if all you want is more Bioshock, Minerva's Den is absolutely worth the hassle.
This small self-contained episode sees you playing as Subject Sigma, another Alpha Big Daddy, as you explore Rapture's computing center. This is where a supercomputer commonly referred to as "The Thinker" runs many of Rapture's automatic services. As with every part of Rapture, things have gone to hell and now Reed Wahl and his splicers are seeking control of The Thinker. Thus, you and one of the computer's founders, Charles Porter, work together to take back the computer and escape from Rapture.
Of course, it wouldn't be a Bioshock story if things were that simple. Despite a smaller cast (no doubt a result of the smaller budget of the DLC), the story here is just as engaging as anything in the first two Bioshock games (though the twists aren't quite as brilliant as Bioshock 1's brilliant mid-game turn). As with Bioshock 1 and 2, the primary form of storytelling is through audio logs and intercom chatter. If you've played either of the previous Bioshock games (and I assume you have if you're looking for DLC for one of them), then you will be right at home here.
Same thing goes for combat, which is basically identical to Bioshock 2. You get a couple new tools, but otherwise things are the same. As always, mixing plasmids, hacking, and environmental cues is fun, though as always, it can get a bit repetitive. In an attempt to have a little something for everyone in every combat scenario, the level designer(s) don't really experiment enough, and only a couple encounters stand out.
Still, this IS a Bioshock game, so combat is merely one element of the gameplay. You spend just as much time exploring the, once again, beautifully destroyed environments and listening to audio logs. This is important, because that mixture of slower exploration/storytelling, and faster combat makes for excellent pacing, helping disguise any repetitions that might exist in either component. The result is a 5 hour experience that just breezes by.
Bioshock Minerva's Den is a rare DLC package that operates on the same level of quality as the superb base game it was spawned from. It's basically more Bioshock, but enough care has been put in that it doesn't feel any worse for its lack of innovation. Chances are, if you liked Bioshock 2 and you are reading this, you should absolutely get Minerva's Den. It's worth its meager price, the 5 hours it takes to finish it, and it's even worth dealing with Games for Windows Live.