Bioshock 2

Bioshock 2. If you haven’t played the original then go and get it. Now. This review isn’t going anywhere. In fact, you should play the original before getting the sequel.

The original cover featured a diving-suited giant, the Big Daddy, one of the toughest opponents to face. So too does two, only this time the cover character is you. Subject Delta, an alpha series big Daddy. Overuse of the Greek alphabet aside, you are one of the first successful models and were assigned to protect a Little Sister. A genetically-modified little girl who sings about angels while harvesting genetic materiel from corpses. Waking up after years of inactivity, you begin hunting for your lost Little Sister.

There are several new features from the original. Subject Delta’s enormous strength and size enable him to wield the rivet gun, drill-arm and many other heavy weapons that in the previous game you were on the receiving end of. Each one has a very different feel, and unlike many other shooters, each continues to be useful right until the end. The biggest improvement however is the research camera, which has been upgraded from a snapshot to a film reel, and gained unlimited ‘ammo’. Rather than trying to line up a shot of an enemy for maximum points, you simply start the film running and try to get in as many different attacks as you can before it dies.

You also have access to new plasmids, genetic tonics granting the ability to throw fire and lightning, or more unusual things like bees or mind-control tomatoes. All the originals are present, with a handful of new ones and a much better upgrade system. Previously, an upgraded power would deal more damage but now an upgrade lets you charge the power for new effects. Upgrade the Incinerate! Power, and your fires become explosions or flamethrowers, lightning bolts chain between targets, frozen enemies shatter into deadly shards and many more deadly effects await. Another nice touch is that each upgrade requires the previous level, so you don’t feel punished for upgrading early.

We also see some new enemies, along with the original cast of splicers. Special attention should be drawn to the Big Sisters, a new model of protector for the Little Sisters, they actively hunt you and other than a few scripted sections could show up almost any time. A shriek in the distance warns you when one is after you, giving you a short time to prepare before the fight starts. As she leaps around you, firing the same plasmid-powered attacks you have access to, you feel much more like a Big Daddy lumbering in it’s diving suit than at any other time.

The diving suit itself is a point of interest. Trailers promised us the ability to leave the underwater city of Rapture and explore outside, the sea-bed. This does indeed happen, but it is something of a disappointment. Delta puts away his guns and fistful of lightning, the diving helmet becomes more pronounced, restricting your vision, and water rises in an airlock. Then the door opens, and you step out into the ocean. You wander through a threatless valley of coral to another airlock, and reverse the process. Sometimes a small cliff prevents you from turning back, and later on you can loot drowned opponents or sunken crates for supplies, but the sections feel pointless.

Exploring the indoor areas feels much the same. Any game with a story to tell has a linear plot, but Bioshock 2 doesn’t even try to hide it. You take a train from one location to the next, solving the problem preventing you from driving further. Railroad plot has never been more literal, and for all that Delta’s allies call him a freed slave, you never seem to have an agenda of our own. You feel less in control than in the previous game, which is something of an irony. To say more would spoil it though.

Overall, this is a great sequel. It has it’s flaws, but they are minor in comparison. The combat is challenging, the story captivating and the atmosphere just as perfect as before.