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March 05 2010
BIOSHOCK 2
Spoiler Alert: This review will contain major plot spoilers from BioShock. So if you’re yet to take that first trip under the sea, I’d advise you do that before reading our review.
While Jack roamed the waterlogged ruins of Rapture in the late fifties, this time the player is launched forward a decade to 1968 – in the larger than large boots of Subject Delta – the first Big Daddy to successfully be ‘bonded’ to a little sister. Without Andrew Ryan around to rule the roost, Rapture has fallen into the hands of slightly-mad psychologist Sofia Lamb and her horde of Big Sisters (the predecessors little ones all grown up). While Ryan once believed that each man is entitled to the sweat of his brow, Lamb’s views are quite contrasting; endorsing collective contribution and communal wealth. You have one goal as Delta – to find your bonded little sister within the confines of Rapture. Of course it isn’t that simple, with expected twists and turns along the way. While the narrative doesn’t really contain any of the ‘would you kindly?’ moments from the original BioShock, that isn’t to say this sequel doesn’t still tell one of the more engrossing and satisfying stories known in the video gaming medium. If you’re a sucker for great story-telling, then there’s a lot to love here, my friends…
While gamers may have once thought BioShock didn’t really need a sequel, BioShock 2 does a fine job of carrying forward with the journey; all the while not feeling at all forced or tacked on. However the feeling of nostalgia hits immediately, as soon as you take control. Something’s wrong – it doesn’t feel strange and wonderful anymore. Rapture has become a familiar stomping ground. This was a scary feeling at first, as I’d feared the majesty and allure of the city had simply worn off. However, as I pushed forward I still found myself spellbound by the art, and the destroyed beauty aesthetic. So while Rapture no longer feels strange; it is still a beautifully realized locale with plenty of nooks and crannies still to explore (in future releases).
Stepping into the boots of Delta, you’ll immediately feel indestructible. He’s a big unit and has a certain feel, being a prototype Big Daddy. When you land after a drop, the ground beneath you will shake – this is emphasis of Delta’s sheer size. Not to mention you have a bad ass drill at your disposal; the equivalent to Jack’s wrench, only more… destructive. Playing as a Big Daddy was always an interesting premise pre-release because it wasn’t executed as well as it could have in BioShock. It has paid off as it provides a truly distinctive feel, even if it is still just a touch underdeveloped. It’s like comparing playing as Master Chief in Halo and then as any of the ODST – it completely changes the ball game.
All in all, the core gameplay elements have mostly untouched. You still have a handful of upgradable weapons, plasmids and gene tonics you’ll gradually amass from either following the linear-narrative or from roaming the halls. This time around, however, Delta possesses the ability to wield both a firearm and a plasmid simultaneously – drastically improving the gunplay in BioShock 2 as it was always a mild inconvenience having to switch back-and-forth in the original. Though it can, at times, make the difficulty simply plummet as it becomes a simple formula of ‘incapacitating plasmid followed by bullet hose’ then rinse and repeat; a method that can, unfortunately, take down even the hardest of enemies.
ADAM plays another large role in the game, as it did in BioShock. For those who haven’t played the original, it is a genetic resource that acts as a kind of currency that occupants of Rapture use to morph their genetic structure in enabling certain plasmids, and tonics. So basically, it’s the games money you use to purchase upgrades. Being Delta, the way you procure ADAM is slightly altered to Jack’s methods. The basic idea is still there; take down guardian Big Daddy and you’re left with a scared, helpless little sister at your mercy. This time around you’re still able to harvest the slug straight from their bodies, killing them in the process. Though more sympathetic gamers may choose to adopt the little sisters, utilizing their gift to reap ADAM from splicer corpses, or ‘angels’ as they refer to them. This works as a defence game, where your goal is to keep a wave of splicers from reaching the harvest – it’s a fun way to gather ADAM as you’re able to execute a plan of defence, setting up proximity traps and finding vantage points, it is quite cool. It’s also the best way to garner ADAM before returning a tired little sister to her vent for some much needed shut-eye.
When exploring the previously unseen corners of Rapture, you bet your ass you’re going to cross paths with some grizzly characters. Constantly looking to gut you at any chance are the Big Sisters, referenced earlier. Do something that upsets the powers that be and you can bet you’ll know about it as the piercing howl of a Big Sister forewarns one hell of a struggle. Sadly, after the first time – these encounters soon become a bit stale as the ‘oh shit’ factor wears off. Other new creepy-crawlies roaming Rapture are Brutes; which are similar to Tanks from Left 4 Dead, grotesque spliced-up muscle balls that lob rocks at you – somewhat unoriginal if you ask me.
The campaign clocks in at around six to ten hours, depending on skill level and difficulty. So by today’s standards it could be considered as a longer than average experience. Much like the original, it is choc-full of terrific set-pieces that will render you amazed on the edge of your seat, sometimes even surprised. From your first tense tussle with a Big Sister, to the underwater sections; the campaign is memorable, and will leave you feeling appeased. Though, I came away with my doubts confirmed that the original BioShock could not be topped by its successor; as hard as it tried. Don’t be mistaken, BioShock 2 is a game that simply must be played. Just don’t expect it to tell a better story this time, because it simply doesn’t. The guns and plasmids feel a great deal better, and everything about the linear trip through Rapture feels finely tuned, from the aforementioned set pieces to the level design. It’s perhaps the constant sense of déjà vu and lessened sense of mystery about Rapture’s origins that renders BioShock 2’s campaign falling just behind its originator.
While I’ve always maintained my opinion that BioShock is a game suited to single-player, when news of an outside developer controlling the game’s multiplayer reached me, I’ll admit it left me with a cocked eyebrow, thinking ‘orly?’ Digital Extremes (of Unreal Tournament and Pariah fame) were tasked with crafting the game’s multiplayer component, and craft they did. It may have been that I had no expectations, but I was left quite satisfied with BioShock 2’s online play. In concept it is genius; a multiplayer game with an underlying story… which, while never stealing the spotlight, ties it back into BioShock’s true strength; it’s story-telling. It’s New Year’s Eve 1959 as you’re caught up in the power struggle of Frank Fontaine and Andrew Ryan. As one of six on-disc avatars, you take part in the civil war – as you gain ranks, you unlock newer plasmids, weapons (and their upgrades) and also new aesthetic bits and pieces. It’s a brave and, thankfully, surprisingly fun multiplayer game that can suffer from technical hang-ups. In my experience, frequent lock-ups froze my console resulting in frustrating reboot after frustrating reboot; aside from this overwhelming flaw, only copious amounts of lag really weigh down the experience.
When the original BioShock landed on shelves, it was one of the most beautifully realized, yet perplexing, visual experiences on our fine console. The city of Rapture gained instant icon status within the gaming community as a place of mystery, and terrible happenings – once again, we find ourselves simply awestruck by a city which in reality doesn’t exist. When people describe video games as an art form, they often refer to games like the BioShock series. Such a focused and visually driven experience is hard to forget. This city under the sea maintains its destroyed art deco style, and still looks as gorgeous as the day we first saw it. Sure, it no longer reeks of the unknown, but it doesn’t change the fact that Rapture, occupants included, is one of the most fascinating and admired locales video gaming has brought us.
Aurally, the sounds of the city are just as pleasing. Garry Schyman is once again at the helm, and hasn’t failed in his duty to deliver an exhilarating and familiar ride through Rapture. Having worked on the original BioShock, and won numerous awards might I add, there was never going to be another person for the job. There isn’t a moment he can’t capture – and the score in BioShock 2 will evoke a large number of emotions from you, completing the experience
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