BioShock 2 Review

Introduction

BioShock 2 brings player back to the city of Rapture, an underwater haven for the brightest minds before a civil war led to its fall. The game takes place ten years after the events of the first game and you play as Subject Delta, the first functioning Big Daddy.

Over the last decade a new power has risen to the top in Rapture, a doctor named Sophia Lamb whose ideals opposed those of the original founder, Andrew Ryan. Unlike Ryan, who believed in the power of the individual, Sophia believed in the power of the community as a whole. With Lamb as the new ruler of Rapture, a cult-like community of Splicers has developed and it is up to you, as Subject Delta to uncover her motivations.

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Gameplay

Those who have played the first BioShock will find the sequel very familiar. The addition of dual-wielding which allows for the use of plasmids and traditional weapons, however, adds a whole lot of flexibility and fluidity to combat encounters. The new plasmid and weapon upgrades feel much more meaningful this time round as they each add unique modifiers. A fully upgraded rivet gun, for example, is able to fire red-hot searing rivets that set enemies on fire. The new upgrades provide a much larger impact on gameplay and make upgrading a more fulfilling experience.

The research system makes a return but in a much more streamlined form. In order to research enemies you simply have to select the camera and begin recording an enemy. After doing so a research point counter will appear and depending on how creatively you dispatch the enemy, more points are awarded. Researching enemies provide numerous bonuses such as damage upgrades and even tonics (passive abilities which can be equipped).

Graphics/ Audio

The city of Rapture is one of the most magnificent settings in video-games this decade but the fact that this will be the second visit for many means that it won’t have the same jaw-dropping, awe-inspiring effect it did three years ago. The graphics of BioShock 2 have begun to show their age but the sublime art design and a brilliant use of atmospheric lighting make up for this. Many of the places you’ll visit in BioShock 2 are new and the architectural designs here are excellent. Rapture looks and feels like it could have been an actual, thriving metropolis at one time.

BioShock 2′s audio is an aural extravaganza. The ambient noises such as the pipes creaking and splicers whispering all come together to create an extremely believable setting that will draw you in. The game is packed with characterful voice-acting that comes in the form of radio messages and audio-diaries. All of these ooze with quality and show off the amount of work put into creating Rapture.

Replay Value/ Multiplayer

BioShock 2 is a fairly linear experience but at certain points in the game you’ll be given moral choices as to whether to spare or kill certain individuals. These moral choices, along with the wide array of upgrades, which can’t all be obtained in a single playthrough, offer a great reason to replay the game and find out what if.

The multiplayer action in BioShock 2 offers a fun distraction away from the single player campaign. While it isn’t the main focus of the game, it does not in any way feel tacked on or an afterthought. There is a good variety of different game modes and character customization. Choosing an optimum plasmid and weapon load-out that matches your style is fun and gives you a good level of personalization.

Closing Comments

BioShock 2 is an excellent successor to the series, the wonder of Rapture has aged a little but the magic is still undeniably there. The level of quality and effort put into the game is evident as you play through it. BioShock combines great action, frantic gunfights, an engrossing story and a rich world to provide one of the best first-person shooter experiences in a long time.