Bioshock 2 Review

Bioshock, one of the few game titles that can have me grinning like a Cheshire cat as I think back to the first time I set my eyes upon Rapture, rescued a little sister and yelped in fear at the noise of the Big Daddy's drill. Since the teaser ending of Bioshock 1 fans have been waiting eagerly for the release of the sequel to this epic underwater title and finally after many trailers, screenshots and highly amusing You Tube clips of the ‘Uber Limited Edition' they have finally released, Bioshock 2 and boy have we been rewarded for our patience.

The game starts with setting the scene based in 1960s Rapture, a city built under -the-ocean by the magnificent Andrew Ryan. If you don't recognise this name I highly recommend you play through the first Bioshock as Bioshock 2 refers a great deal back to its big sister in the sense of character names and the back story of Rapture itself.  Offering new plasmids, weaponry and an alternative view on the Rapture story, Bioshock 2 also comes with a new feature; multiplayer mode, something I will cover later in this review.

Following the opening sequence you take in your first breath, as a Big Daddy. Yep, that's right, Bioshock 2 you are all about the metal slugging, drill wielding maniac who those cute little girls call ‘Daddy'. The story is based upon your experience as one of these submarine knights who must rescue the Little Sisters, but as with the previous Bioshock something in your bones is telling you that there is something not quite right about the whole thing and the Sherlock Holmes magnifying glass and hat comes out as you keep your eyes and ears wary of any hints towards what the secret might be.

The game play itself is all based in first person shooter mode, with the plasmids upon one hand and your weaponry swung across your other, you are given clear tips and instructions on how to wield each to your advantage, although it can take a bit of getting used to quickly stunning an enemy with an electrical bolt before bonking them on the noggin with your drill. The weapons available to you are collected at specific stages of the game, often including some challenge to achieve them first. There are upgrade stores where you can increase their fire speed, damage or prevent overheating but these are spread widely across the game so choose wisely when upgrading as often it's best to upgrade your favourite weapon first, leaving the least used ‘til the final stages.

Plasmids work in the same manner, ranging from electric bolts to telekinesis and incineration - just be sure not to blow off wind near yourself whilst using this one otherwise you may find you set your behind on fire. The EVE is still the source of energy to use your plasmids, much like a can of Red Bull to you or I, it's highly sought after by everything in the game - enough to die for it which many a splicer has found on occasion. The plasmids are available to upgrade through select machines in the game, but again, they are widely spread throughout the levels so be wary of splashing out on one specific plasmid as you will use these for constantly changing occasions unlike the weapons.

Although nothing has changed in regards to the use of EVE you will find yourself becoming frustrated by the short amount of EVE hypos and first aid kits you can carry around with you at any one time. However, as with Bioshock 1 you are given the option to spend the ADAM you collect on increasing the size of your health and EVE bar. This won't often be enough though when you come face to face with the newest enemy of the Rapture gang - the Big Sister.

No matter how many trailers of gameplay you watch before you begin Bioshock 2, the moment you hear that screech of a Big Sister your heart starts pumping faster, your ears twitch as to where the noise came from and your palms sweat rivers. The Big Sister is twice as mean, noisy and angry as the Big Daddys; designed to take you down by any means necessary, this includes their own use of plasmids, unique needle piercing weapons and if it happens upon a splicer mid-fight, well I will let you see that experience for yourself, but I assure you - it's not pretty!

As the story develops and you meet your first splicer, Little Sister and Big Sister you will also begin to meet more of the metal clad enemies held within the Rapture walls. The Big Daddys  have not left since their appearance in the original Bioshock but there is two new versions known simply as Alpha and Rumbler, these both appear often throughout the game, with the Alpha version playing a large part in the storyline as you continue through to your watery destiny. Each with their unique skills and abilities as well as the ‘perfect' method of killing them, you will find yourself gaining more confidence with each you kill but the first time is always the worst. Although there is no particular advice to offer, remembering the wide range of plasmids you have available and your nearest Gene Bank will help you along the way.

Speaking of new enemies Bioshock 2 has gained a whole new gameplay this series with the introduction of the multiplayer. Now, I will be the first to admit that I am not a fan of FPS multiplayer, mostly due to my lack of experience and skill when it comes to being quick enough off the mark, but I have found the Bioshock 2 multiplayer is designed for everyone to enjoy. The character selection is limited to a set number each with their own different style, from a deranged house wife in a dress and apron; to a goggle wearing psychotic doctor.  

Once your character is selected you are given the opportunity to add a mask, choose their melee weapon - my personal favourite being the frying pan, as well as arranging their weapons and plasmids, although the down side to this is there are only 2 slots for each when you first start out. The games themselves are split into your standard multiplayer style selections of; Free for All, Capture the Flag (or Little Sister in this game), Territory holding and Last Man Standing. These can be played either in a team or as a single person, the game hosting from 2 up to 10 players with the option to play specifically with your friends or in an open match. If you play as an open match you join as the lowest rank, number 1; you earn yourself points by killing enemies, researching their corpses, getting an assist on a kill, capturing the territory or little sister and many others. Once the match ends these points go towards your score which allows you to level in rank. Number 2 , offering upgrades to your weapons, increasing your damage and adding a plasmid slot, I did not play long enough on the multiplayer to discover the top rank but I did find myself up against a rank 9 whose shots would tear a whole through my chest even if he looked at me.

This was the main negative issue I found with the multiplayer, there are no matches for each rank, so if you are just starting out you find yourself dying quickly to the hands of rank 5+ players, often leading to you spending most of your time dead than alive. There is the opportunity to grab the rare spawning Big Daddy suit that will appear once in each game, if you are lucky to be standing next to it as it spawns prepare yourself for mayhem as you one shot enemies, have constant use of ammo and EVE and the fun jump-stomp-on-head ability. In all, the multiplayer has an excellent design idea and the plan was clear for what the developers wanted it to offer players, but for someone who finds the graveyard being the new hang out spot it's something I will leave to the professionals.

As I reach over to grab my water suit helmet and shotgun, I find myself thinking that Bioshock 2 has everything a gamer wants; excellent graphics, fantastic sound and music (you may find yourself chilling out to your grandparents vinyl following an hour in Rapture), enemies that will offer even the most experienced gamer a challenge in the hard mode setting.  As well as the multiplayer which although does have its flaws can be a great deal of fun when playing with friends who know to go easy on you.  Bioshock 2 can safely say that it does live up to the expectations of its Big Sister.