Bioshock 2Publisher: 2k Games
Developer: 2k Australia
Platforms: Xbox 360 (Reviewed), PlayStation 3
Release Date: February 9th, 2010

Story
“Step back into the unforgettable world of Rapture in BioShock® 2, the next installment in the franchise that has won more than 50 Game of the Year Awards and has sold more than 2.5 million units worldwide. Developed by 2K Marin, 2K Australia, Digital Extremes and 2K China, BioShock 2 features the perfect blend of explosive first person shooter combat, compelling storytelling, and intense multiplayer to form one of 2010’s most highly anticipated titles.         

Set approximately 10 years after the events of the original BioShock, the halls of Rapture once again echo with sins of the past. Along the Atlantic coastline, a monster has been snatching little girls and bringing them back to the undersea city of Rapture. Step into the boots of the most iconic denizen of Rapture, the Big Daddy, as you travel through the decrepit and beautiful fallen city, chasing an unseen foe in search of answers and their own survival.” [Via Xbox.com]

Welcome back to rapture, take the role of a Big Daddy as you re-explore rapture and protect little sisters as you try to unravel the new mystery surrounding Rapture 10 years later. Audio files will reveal more back story as you listen to a father’s attempts to find his kidnapped daughter, or Lamb’s notes as she recreates the little sisters as well as the new big sister.

The story is unique enough to stand alone from the first, so even if you haven’t played the first game you will still enjoy the sequel. The references to the first are small enough to not notice. If you do play the first game; however, you will understand the story in more depth and if you enjoyed the first game you will feel welcomed back and comfortable as you return in the second game.

Gameplay
Your return to Rapture finds you in control of a Big Daddy. You are only the Delta version, so you are not as strong as the Alpha versions but you are faster.  Harness the power of plasmids and and guns as you explore the run down city of rapture trying to save the little sisters and stay alive at the same time. The gameplay in Bioshock 2 is very unique with a combination of special powers and guns. The combination leads to a high number of tactical possibilities.

BioShock 2 is perceived as the mature version of the first. Everything you loved from the first game is in the second but with extra improvements as well.

Improvements

• Wrench replaced with Drill that requires fuel but does more damage.
• You can now melee with pretty much every weapon, rather than just your melee weapon.
• Hacking has been greatly improved. No longer must you move pipes, but instead your reflexes will be tested as you try to land the needle in the green to hack enemy turrets and cameras.
• Improved enemy AI, as well as more enemy variants.
• Improved story which involves less twists and is more straight forward.
• Varied Gameplay, no longer do you go from one location to another, killing things. You must now protect your little sister at spots as well.
• Dual wield a weapon and plasmid at the same time. No more switching between the two!
• New and improved upgrade system for plasmids and weapons.

For those of you who haven’t played the first game, I’d suggest to go pick it up. You can buy it for about $20 new and it is very fun. After you finish it, come back to rapture in this sequel.

Multiplayer
“Multiplayer in BioShock 2 provides a rich prequel experience that expands the origins of the BioShock fiction. Set during the fall of Rapture, assume the role of a Plasmid test subject for Sinclair Solutions, a premier provider of Plasmids and Tonics in the underwater city of Rapture that was first explored in the original BioShock. Use all the elements of the BioShock toolset to survive, as the full depth of the BioShock experience is refined and transformed into a unique multiplayer experience that can only be found in Rapture.” [Via Xbox.com]

Developed by a separate team, the multiplayer is its own unique story. Bioshock 2’s multiplayer acts as a prologue to all the events that have happened in Rapture. Play as citizen of rapture who was accepted into plasmid testing as you fight other citizens for Adam as civil war breaks lose.

Choose a character, customize your appearance by adding a mask, and customize your loadout with different guns and plasmids. Increase your level by winning games or doing certain objectives or trials in a match. A higher level gives you access to more weapons and plasmids to use. A higher level also gives you more masks to customize your character with.

With 10 levels to wage civil war on and multiple game types the multiplayer in Bioshock 2 is a nice addition to the game. Use your plasmids and weapons against other players also using their plasmids and weapons.  The multiplayer is a nice addition to Rapture and enables further use of your plasmids in the field.

Sinclair Solutions Tester Pack – 400MSP
This DLC for Bioshock 2 add more to the multiplayer aspect of the game. This DLC increases your rank cap to 50. With this increase cap comes more rank rewards, which include a 3^rd set of weapon upgrades, 20 new trials, 2 new playable characters, and 5 new masks to customize your character.

Extend your Bioshock 2 gameplay with the extra levels to gain. The additional trials will help you gain the new levels, and the additional weapon upgrades and masks will make you more unique in the battle.

Audio and Graphics
The music and graphics will easily send you back into rapture and have you exploring the splicer infested corridors again. 100 audio logs are placed within the game to further expand the story or add pointless funny bits. The game gives the look and feel of the first game, but the slight creepiness in the first game was lost in this sequel. Everything seems brighter and less gloomy. 10 years have passed, yet Rapture doesn’t seem as run down as it did in the first game. The soundtrack brings the feel of Rapture to the player. Classic music fits the time period, while splicers will be holding partial conversations or yelling at you.

Achievements
The achievements are similar to those that were found in the first game. Beat the game on the hardest setting, upgrade everything, hack everything, research everything. It even has the brass balls achievement again, although this time it is only worth 25g instead of 100g and you can now do it on any difficulty. This time around; however, they have added online achievements. You should unlock all the other online achievements just by getting to rank. Overall the achievements in Bioshock 2 range from easy to challenging, but all are possible and all of them are fun to get. Except for the audio log one, but if you explore every nook and cranny it should come naturally through gameplay.

The Achievement List can be found here.

Overview
Bioshock 2 is a welcomed sequel that delves you even farther into the crumbling city of Rapture. All the problems from the first have been redone and fixed in this sequel to give you a well polished and entertaining game. Throw in multiplayer and you will have even more fun using your plasmids and shooting enemies while trying to dodge the enemy’s plasmids and bullets. With a heavier weight on moral descisions that lead to multiple different endings, because of this Bioshock 2 has a lot of replay value. I give Bioshock 2 9 capsules out of 10.

Pros

• Hacking is greatly improved (but is not friendly towards colorblind people)
• Your choices weigh much heavier than they did in the first.
• New and improved weapons, and upgraded gameplay mechanics.

Cons

• The drill seems fun, but it turned out to be quite a disappointment.
• Although multiplayer is a nice addition, it wasn’t really needed and seems rushed.
• The game is much brighter and not as creepy as the first one.

Optional

• The game seems very familiar, even for a sequel it feels like you have seen it all already. This does wear off eventually and you will enjoy it as if it is your first time in rapture.
• Although the game is a sequel to the first game, it can still stand alone since there is a 10 year gap between games and the only references to the first game aren’t extremely big.

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