Game Review – Bioshock 2
I’m Elliot and my review is on the bestselling game from 2K………………Bioshock
2.
Firstly I will say that Bioshock 2 is the best game I’ve
played on the Xbox, which is a pretty big statement, because I’ve played lots
of games in the past such as; Dead Space, The Call of duty series, Left for
Dead, Fable and loads of others, but Bioshock 2 stands out from the crowd. That’s
why I am reviewing it today, with so much passion.
Bioshock 2 is the sequel to the original Bioshock. When
the city of Rapture was first unveiled as the underwater world ravaged by civil
war and self-destructive genetic mutants, it turned a lot of heads. This
strange and unforgettable world was also one of wonder, that’s why Bioshock 2
was one of the most anticipated games of 2010. Set nearly a decade after the
events of the original, BioShock 2's Rapture is just as atmospheric the second
time around but the sunken derelict city of Rapture has lost much of the mystery
that made it so memorable in the first game.
Everything seems kind of the same playing through, and
the story that accompanies your journey is not as impressive or shocking as the
original. However, BioShock 2 plays host to several enhancements over the
first, including an expanded set of moral dilemmas, improved shooter mechanics,
and a surprisingly fun and multiplayer aspect. Whether or not you've had the
nerve to enter Rapture before, BioShock 2 is an all at once beautiful, thought-provoking
experience that stays with you even when you turn of your Xbox, PS3 or other
platform you have. It will leave you thinking for days on end; about what
should I do, play stealthy, go out all guns blazing, harvest or adopt the
little sisters?
Essentially it’s a first-person shooter. The key
component of BioShock 2 is its story, and while it features a powerful narrative
with a satisfying conclusion, it is not without its issues.
Whereas much of the first game focused on the city of
Rapture and the mystery of how it fell out of the hands of Andrew Ryan (the
creator of rapture). BioShock 2 barely
touches on these aspects, and as a result, you really need to play the first
game before diving into the second one. There is reading on the big details
buried within the menus for those who haven’t experienced the might of the
original, but unfortunately, this isn't brought to your attention, so pretty
much, they expect that you know about the original plot from Bioshock to fully
experience the stunning city of Rapture and all its inhabitants in this second
installment.
I think the only problem with the story is that you don’t
know everything you want to know such as;
·
Issues with the way certain story elements or characters
from BioShock were grandfathered in.
·
To larger problems with your very existence as a Big
Daddy. It never becomes clear why you alone among the Big Daddies can use
plasmids, for example.
But to be honest you only want to know those details
after completing the game, because frankly Bioshock 2 has a seriously addictive
story line.
However, in
my opinion, it has a better story to the original game, purely because you
return to Rapture in the eyes of the enemy of the first game, the Big Daddy.
Who in their right minds wouldn’t want to play as a big daddy, seriously those
guys are like the guardians of Rapture, to play with all that authority and
power, I think that is one of the biggest reasons why Bioshock 2 was a massive
success with fans of the first game and with new Player’s experiencing Rapture
for the first time, within the confines of the Big Daddy suit.
On to the
major difference between Bioshock and Bioshock 2………Multiplayer!
Bioshock 2 introduced
multiplayer to the game, I think to give the game something more than just the
10-12 hour long story. I myself was very optimistic about the multiplayer
factor of Bioshock 2, how was it going to play out? What will the type(s) of
multiplayer modes are there? And finally is it fun? Bioshock 2’s multiplayer
ability was extremely good. The multiplayer is set to accompany the story part
of the game, with the maps corresponding to different areas you visit
throughout the Campaign. Although you would assume that having the same
experience walking around the places you’ve already been to would be boring,
well you’re wrong. The whole multiplayer world of Bioshock 2 is very much based
on popular online game modes, from Call of Duty or other games with a massive fan
base for online play. It has game modes such as;
·
Team
Deathmatch
·
Capture
the flag (well cause its Bioshock, it’s called Capture the sister)
·
Turf
War (Very similar to domination in the Call of Duty series)
·
Last
Splicer standing
·
Survival
of the fittest
·
ADAM
grab (Which is based on a free-for-all game type)
·
And
finally Kill’ em kindly (Which is Bioshock’s own game mode, as in the player
has to win by using Gene tonics to kill others, such as “Backstabber – Instant kill
from behind”, “Death Trap – In case an enemy passes the player, killing himself
as well as the attacker”, “Fast feet – Which allows the player to get away
quicker”, “Slugger – This tonic allows the player to kill another in one hit,
however the swing of the weapon is slowed, so getting the timing of the swing
is key”
Those are the
main game types featured in Bioshock 2. The Gameplay is very good considering
how basic it is, the movement as a character is relatively quick and assured
with an easy swapping between plasmids and weapons. The only criticism I have
of the multiplayer aspect of the game, is that the servers are sometimes
incredibly slow and sometimes find yourself waiting for about 10 minutes for a
match making connection, However detracting from that minor error, the overall
multiplayer of Bioshock 2 is incredibly fun, somewhat hard at times, but what
online multiplayer isn’t!
Oh……how could
I forget the trick to playing Bioshock 2 online, is to get to the Big Daddy
suit if you can, whoever suits up, is in for a treat, such as becoming a
juggernaut on Modern Warfare 3, you get increased health, better and more devastating
weapons to dismember the opposite team in many game modes. On the other hand
the movement is annoyingly slow when you’re inside the Big Daddy suit, making
you vulnerable to group attacks, or even being killed from behind.
Overall, I
think it was very clever of 2K to add another element to Bioshock 2, because it
has been collecting players, who wouldn’t usually touch any game unless it’s
Call Of duty, and creating their beloved game, but portraying it in an
atmospheric and mutated way, typifying the Bioshock style.
“Andrew Ryan dreamt of a world where his fellow man could
endlessly pursue self-happiness and self-fulfillment, so he chose the
impossible--a city beneath the oceans. When given the opportunity, the citizens
of Rapture chose self-destruction in their selfish and twisted pursuits of his
ideals”.
Above is a quote taken from the start to the original
Bioshock game. Precisely what any player of Bioshock 2 would picture when
roaming around Rapture. This is one hell of a sequel and has the changes needed
to boost 2K games into a company with power in the marketplace of modern day
games.
It may not be as mysterious and intriguing this second
time around, but it is never the less host to a powerful and moving script that
allows you to realize--or pervert—Andrew Ryan's principles at your own
discretion. Regardless of whether or not this is a return visit to the broken
paradise, which is Rapture; there is plenty to be found here to make it a
worthwhile, meaningful, and compelling game.
I have really enjoyed analysing and reviewing Bioshock 2.
There are not a lot of things wrong with the game, its bigger and better than
the original. But by sticking to their guns, 2K games haven’t taken away too
much of the structural foundations that were put in place in Bioshock. This
should be a game that will live long in the gaming world, purely because not
many companies can pull off a sequel without making catastrophic mistakes in
what the fans and consumers want. It is the one of the best and most artistically
brilliant games I’ve ever played.
Rating: 9/10
