BioShock 2

Written by Adam Woolcott  on February 15, 2010

Review: Little sister, don't you do what your big sister's done

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Though BioShock 2 has seen many changes and improvements in combat, it does follow the same formula as the original game. Delta wanders through Rapture, fighting splicers, dealing with Big Daddies, finding audio diaries (still great tools for learning the backstory of the game), etc. In this regard, BioShock 2 might feel a bit too familiar, almost like an expansion pack, albeit an expansion pack that lasts over ten hours. It's not really a bad thing though; BioShock had some of the most polished and enjoyable mechanics in the action/shooter genre, and BioShock 2 continues this trend. The weapons are satisfying to use, the plasmid and tonic variety allows for a ton of customization, and an increased bump in difficulty makes this trip through Rapture quite challenging in many spots. The level design is solid, with plenty of hidden areas and tricky sections to go through, and most levels are a lot bigger than the ones found in the first game. Nothing quite matches the awesome of Fort Frolic, but levels like Pauper's Drop, Fontaine Futuristics and more specifically Ryan Amusements (with its hilariously paranoid anti-surface propaganda) come pretty close.



The plot is actually an improvement over the original; though a few things happen without much explanation, the game doesn't lose steam at the end... it gets better. Admittedly the first couple of hours are kind of a slow burn as you're reintroduced and learn the stakes, but the second half of the game, especially the final 3-4 hours, are as good as any game. There's an increased focus on moral choices Ц depending on your actions with both Little Sisters and with other NPCs, both the ending and the mindset of your Little Sister are affected, for better or worse. The biggest surprise is that while there aren't as many memorable characters as BioShock, the game does include one of the best antagonists ever in Sofia Lamb. A truly terrifying woman, as the game goes on you might notice the irony in that she is as much of a tyrant as she claimed Andrew Ryan to be, and is willing to do almost anything to further the cause of her УFamilyФ of splicers... and more importantly, her grip on Rapture. The other people you come across are decent enough; ally Augustus Sinclair is no angel, but at least he seems to be of sound mind. Like the first game, most of the characters are just audio recordings that explain the backstory or the motivations of current characters and events. It still works Ц you can learn of events while not being taken out of the game.

BioShock 2 introduces a multiplayer component, something that might seem tacked-on but ultimately is a good time. It even has a story in that it's 1959, during the civil war. Sinclair Solutions is doing a Уcustomer rewards programФ to test out new plasmids, and you are a volunteer for the program. Given your own apartment, you can customize your character skin with outfits, accessories, and of course a loadout of plasmids & weaponry that increase in selection as you level up, Modern Warfare style. The game features BioShock-specific takes on familiar gametypes; a standard deathmatch and team deathmatch, which work well and with plasmids presents a unique take on the mode. Capturing the УflagФ is actually replaced by a Little Sister, with the goal of grabbing one and taking them back to your vent more often than the other team. Another Little Sister variant is kind of like hot potato, involving how long you can keep her in your possession without getting killed. Though the game doesn't have a ton of innovative modes, just familiar features done in BioShock fashion, it's a pretty fun time. The maps are all based on locations from the original game, so the map design is of course outstanding. It might seem tacked on, but it's really not; as a separate developer handled the multiplayer, it gets all the necessary attention and the agreement works well.

As Rapture is really the star of the show, the visuals have to be up to snuff... and they are. Even more beat down and deteriorating, the new areas of Rapture are less glamorous than BioShock's Уupper classФ locations. A slum like Pauper's Drop features diners and pawn shops, while Siren Alley is a place that Augustus Sinclair says makes you feel dirty, even in a place with no real laws or implied morals. Even worse, Persephone is practically a black eye on Rapture Ц the kind of area that shouldn't exist in a place like it. It's still a neon-filled tribute to the art deco stylings of the 1950s (especially Fontaine Futuristics), just a lot more run down and destroyed. When you come across a window with a look out into the city, it's impossible to not look at the towering buildings that are full of who knows what, and take in the atmosphere of an underwater city Ц a given seeing atmosphere is something this series has in spades. It doesn't look leaps and bounds better than the first game, but it still looks sharp and most importantly, the frame rate never falters even with lots of enemies on the screen at once... something that happens quite often.

Continuing the theme from the first game, BioShock 2's audio is superb. The big band era soundtrack shines, and there's lots of it scattered about the levels. The original compositions also sound great and fit the gravity of the situation. Familiar sounds of Rapture also make a return, be it the moaning and groaning of Big Daddies in the distance, Little Sisters jabbering about their angels, and propaganda messages over the loudspeakers, though this time they come from Lamb directly. It creates the feeling of a living city, even one as dysfunctional and messed up as Rapture. The audio diaries and other voice acting continues to be tremendous, acting crazy when necessary and somber other times alongside the usual shenanigans. The only downer is though it seems the same actor reprises his role as Andrew Ryan, his voice is... different in this game. Perhaps by design, as the audio diaries he left behind are not the confident, matter-of-fact Ryan from the original game but instead the defeated and somber Ryan who is seeing his creation sway far from what he envisioned it to be. This is the closest to human we see Ryan become, dissolving into a sympathetic character who saw his life's work cannibalized by others. As the diaries are imperative for understanding the backstory of the game, they are acted out quite well.