Reviewing Bioshock 2.

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