Back in 2007/2008, with the release of BioShock, we were shown that games from the FPS genre can still be unique and innovative - not just in terms of graphics, but gameplay and storytelling as well. Three years later, we get our hands on BioShock 2, the sequel to a masterpiece of art, immersive atmosphere, addictive gameplay and great storytelling. 2K Marin faced a real challenge because they had to make BioShock 2 better than (or at least equal to) its predecessor and add many gameplay and visual improvements to the series as well. Did they succeed at this hard task? To find out, I have made various comparisons between the two games throughout this review.
In BioShock, we crash landed in the middle of the ocean and discovered the mysterious, underwater city of Rapture. Soon we found out that it was created by Andrew Ryan and it was meant to be some kind of a Utopia where "the artist would not fear the censor", "the scientist would not be bound by petty morality" and "the great would not be constrained by the small". Basically, a city without government, censorship and organised religion. In BioShock 2 we return to Rapture once again, eight years later, but this time as a Big Daddy. The protagonist of the story is Subject Delta, an Alpha Series Daddy - one of the very first Metal Protectors. Fans of the first BioShock probably dreamt about this, so yes, you do actually get to play as a Big Daddy. After a brief, but nonetheless impressive introduction, Delta is separated from his "daughter" Eleanor who is a Little Sister (one of those creepy, possessed girls that we met in BioShock). From there on, Delta's main goal is to find Eleanor - whether he likes it or not - he has been bonded to her and if they are separated for too long he either goes into a deep coma or dies.
Many will say that the story of the first BioShock game is unmatched and that this sequel's plot is worse. I cannot agree with that group of people, however I do not think that the first game had a worse story either. In the first BioShock we descended deep down into the dystopian city of Rapture, we didn't know what to expect and we were surprised by countless, unexpected plot twists that the game frequently threw at us. This time around, in BioShock 2, even though it is easier to predict the outcome of almost every event, the story of a father separated from a daughter makes the whole experience sad and gloomy (especially considering the fact that it takes place in such a dark environment). There isn't as much depth to the plot as there was, but the whole story just makes more sense than what we saw in BioShock before. The thought of Delta being separated from the only person that means something to him keeps the player immersed, right till the end of the game.
There has been a large improvement made over the first BioShock in terms of gameplay. The previous game in the series introduced Plasmids, drugs that were one of the "wonders" of Rapture. In BioShock 2, we can use Plasmids again and they still allow us to do things like: shoot lightning out of your hands, light a fire with a snap of your fingers, freeze your enemies and shatter them into a thousand pieces and shoot hornets from your wrists to disorient and deal passive damage to your enemies. Plasmid usage still uses up EVE. But this time, each and every Plasmid can be upgraded up to three times - instead of two. Also, the biggest noticeable change in gameplay is double wield. In the first entry in the BioShock series, you could only use Plasmids and weapons one at a time. For combinations during combat you had to switch between the two. In BioShock 2, you wield both a Plasmid power and a weapon at the same time. This allows for faster and cooler combinations and overall, adds more depth to the combat in the whole game. You get around the same amount of weapons, but different ones - with the most noticeable change being the Drill that you get instead of the Wrench which you receive in BioShock. The Drill is probably the most original weapon in the game and the iconic Big Daddy tool. It runs on fuel, however it can be swung for a weaker attack that doesn't use fuel and it can also be upgraded three times - just like all other weapons in the game.
Another major addition to gameplay is the adoption of Little Sisters. When you encounter a Big Daddy, you have to kill him first to get to his Little Sister. Then you can choose between "Harvesting" or "Adopting" her. If you harvest a Little Sister, you get more ADAM that can later be spent on new Plasmids, Health & Eve upgrades as well as Tonics that grant you passive abilities, but she is killed in the process. The other choice, "Adopt", allows you to carry the Little Sister to dead bodies from which she gathers ADAM. Each Little Sister can gather only two times. However gathering the ADAM takes some time and during this process, enemies will be attracted to your location and try to stop you at all costs and get the Little Sister. This is a great opportunity for some strategic preparations, like setting up traps such as: trap rivets, proximity mines and mini-turrets. This adds much more variety to the gameplay, just like the ability to dual wield. Once your Little Sister has gathered enough ADAM, you can choose to "Rescue" or "Harvest". Rescuing saves her, but you get no extra ADAM. Other than the gameplay changes/improvements mentioned before, the hacking mini-game has been completely redone and the Research Camera has been greatly improved. The hacking mini-game is now in real time but it also takes less time to finish. The Research Camera films enemies while you perform different combos and plasmid/weapon combinations on them. It also gives you more worthwhile rewards (like increased movement speed) rather than just damage bonuses against enemies.
The enemies in BioShock 2 remain mostly the same compared to BioShock, but there a few changes and completely new enemy types. One change that was definitely made for the better is that almost all enemies can now throw grenades at you, instead of there being one enemy type that only throws explosives. You still encounter Big Daddies, but there are two new types - the Rumbler & the Alpha Series, in addition to the Rosie, Bouncer and Elite Bouncer Daddies. You can also meet a new enemy type called the Big Sister (a grown-up Little Sister). Big Sisters are the toughest enemies in the game, you will encounter them only after you have dealt with every Little Sister in a level. The most common enemies that you will meet are the horribly mutated Splicers, the denizens of Rapture - and also the new Brute Splicers. Character models of all enemies haven't undergone any major improvements since the last game (with the exception of Little Sisters) which is very disappointing.
The most noticeable, major flaw of BioShock 2 is that visually it has almost taken a step backward. What do I mean by almost? Well I can't say that Rapture looks worse than it did before, it actually looks more beautiful with the underwater plant life growing all over it, but I can't say that it looks better on the technical side either. There are many low resolution textures visible almost everywhere and character models are starting to age when you look at other games released in 2010. At least there has been an improvement in water effects (which is hard to believe that it could get any better, because it was so amazing in the first game already).
One thing that I feel like I just have to mention about this game are underwater sequences. Through most of BioShock 2, you will use the "Atlantic Express" train to take you to different parts of Rapture (after completing a level). But sometimes you will get to play through an underwater sequence. This is by far my most favourite gameplay aspect of this game. Once you are underwater, you will be able to slowly and cautiously swim through a linear path that leads to another area. I always took my time with these beautiful moments and looked around to stare in awe at the amazing plant life, Rapture's buildings towering all around me, fish schooling next to me and the occasional shark swimming above.
Audio in BioShock 2 is just what you'd expect. Music helps to set the mood and atmosphere for all of the levels perfectly. The soundtracks sound very familiar compared to BioShock but some of them sound even better - which is hard to believe, but it's true. While the main theme may not be as memorable, it is still fantastic and all of the other soundtracks are top-notch. Also, voice acting is terrific. Each character you meet/hear over the radio has a unique accent, personality and traits, all thanks to those great lines of dialogue.
The last thing I would like to cover is Multiplayer. Yes, BioShock 2 has multiplayer and it's good, addictive, fun but frankly not very innovative. It begins with character selection - you can select from a small number of unique characters that have different voices, appearances and back stories. Then the gameplay starts in a single player apartment… your very own apartment. Here you can change your clothes as well as your weapon/plasmid/tonic loadouts. I think this idea could have been amazing, if only they took this thing further but sadly, the things I mentioned are the only things you will ever need your apartment for. Once you walk out the door, into a Bathysphere and pull the lever, you enter the game lobby. Here is where you select matches. As you kill off your enemies (one by one) in multiplayer battles, you advance in rank and gain access to new customization items, weapons, plasmids and gene tonics. Once again, this idea of earning new plasmids and abilities is great, but if only they took it further and the customization options were broader. When you kill another player in a match, you can research their body for temporary damage bonuses (which you possess until you are killed by that player or the game session ends). One very good thing about multiplayer are the maps that are from a period of time JUST before all of Rapture went to hell, and that any player can turn into a Big Daddy and become greatly overpowered in almost any match if they can find a Big Daddy suit.
Now let's go over the positive:
+ Playing as a Big Daddy is immensely fun
+ Underwater gameplay sequences are delightful
+ Improved gunplay and the addition of dual wield
+ Engaging story with characters that you get easily attached to
+ More BioShock atmosphere, soundtracks and gameplay at its finest
And the negative:
- Many low resolution textures all over the place
- Story is more predictable compared to that of its predecessor
- The removal of U-Invent Machines
- Not as mysterious as we have seen it all before
- Once you are finished with a level there is no way to go back
To sum up everything I have covered about this game, I will say the following: if you have played BioShock and enjoyed it, then this is a must-buy. You will enjoy it even more. However, it will be easier for you to find flaws in its plot if you compare it to the first game. If you played BioShock and didn't like it, there's a high chance that you won't enjoy your second journey to Rapture too, because even with all of the new additions to gameplay, the game still runs on the same engine and is pretty much 'more of the same, for the better or worse'. But if you haven't played any BioShock game yet and this sequel caught your attention, then you should buy it because you will most probably get hooked into the story from the start and immerse yourself in the game's atmosphere. I recommend this game to almost everyone.
It is very hard to say if BioShock 2 had beaten its predecessor or not. To answer the question I asked at the beginning, I must say yes. 2K Marin had succeeded in their task of making the game mostly equal to its predecessor. However I can't say that they made a better game. When you look at it from a perspective concentrated on gameplay, this sequel has obviously beaten the first game in the series. But in terms of storytelling, I can't decide for sure and visually, the game isn't as impressive now as BioShock used to be at the time of its release.
OVERALL RATING – 8.5/10 (Great)
NEW GS RATING – 8/10