Though it surprises me to this day, Bioshock 1 simply did not call out to me. Sure, I was deeply impressed with the game's dynamic opening and its original setting, but frankly it didn't take long until the die-and-die-again gameplay frustrated me. Upon hearing that Bioshock 2 was a 'more of the same' sequel, my hopes weren't exactly high.
Indeed, the first hour or two of Bioshock 2 hardly prove this view wrong. After a short and somewhat baffling introduction in which the protagonist shoots himself in the head, the player wakes up in Rapture and the adventure begins. This is perhaps where the game does lacks most; the awe of entering this dying, mysterious world that one gets at the beginning of the predecessor was the perfect start. Now, Rapture is nothing new; instead you're already there and expected to just get on with it. The storyline isn't as inventive either, instead of exploring good and evil, human worth and self-identity as the first did, it's now simply a struggle to save your daughter from your psychotic wife. Granted, there are emotional moments along the way, but it disappoints that 2K Games couldn't be a little more creative with the plot.
Given a little more time, however, and I found to my relief that combat is no longer such a constant losing battle. Did I mention that you play as a Big Daddy? As an anomaly to the usual Big Daddy experiments, you're not entirely programmed to follow and protect Little Sisters, you have a mind of your own, not to mention your right hand has a giant drill attached. Fear not, you won't be lumbering round like an 8-foot tall snail; you are an earlier model which makes up for a lack of titanic strength with the agility of any other human. The main difference I noticed in the balancing of the combat was that enemies are slightly fewer in number and do a little less damage. Personally, being killed and instantly being revived in a Vita-chamber rather than going back to a checkpoint really irritates me as it feels like a cheap tactic, and thankfully there was a lot less dying this time around.
Most impressive about the revamp is certainly the sheer number of plasmids and tonics. There is now about 30 different plasmids on offer, many with two or three upgradeable forms, and a selection of tonics that is two or three times the size of the previous game's. Weapons are also an improvement. Forget ordinary human weapons - the pistol is replaced with a Rivet Gun, the Tommy gun with a triple-barreled .50 calibre turret, the wrench with the mighty drill (a personal favourite). These are only the first three weapons you'll obtain, there are several others and of course all weapons can be customized, use different ammo types and upgraded to one's preference. There isn't a large host of new enemy types, but considering the more exciting armoury of weapons and plasmids at your disposal, combat never gets old.
As the hours went on, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the game did get better and better. The storyline doesn't exactly improve, but as well as collecting more weapons and exploring new areas, there are interesting extra mechanics that spice up the pacing of the game. One of these is the underwater sections. Being in a Big Daddy suit, you're able to go to Rapture's exterior and walk the seabed at certain parts. There's zero fighting on these mini-missions, just the eerie silence in stark contrast to the hell indoors, broken only by your heavy breathing inside the helmet, and the deep thuds of your weighted boots on the ocean floor. These sections (ironically) give a breath of fresh air to the gameplay and keep the pacing in check. Another major new element is the addition of the 'adopt' choice when it comes to Little Sisters; they will guide you to a fresh body to extract Adam from, and once you're done defending her while she works, you'll be able to spend this Adam at the nearest shop on plasmids and tonics. Careful though, mess with the Little Sisters too much and you're inviting the wrath of the Big Sister, whose chilling approach leading to a frantic and desperate battle will not be easily forgotten.
The single player story will take on average about ten hours, and this time around 2K have decided to include a multiplayer mode. Just about every player had their doubts about this move, and it seems this time they were quite right to doubt. While you play as a perfectly nimble human with sensible, balanced weapons, Bioshock simply isn't a game made for multiplayer. The maps aren't exactly tactics-based, and despite a good selection of game types most matches will descend into an inevitable mosh-pit of fire and electricity plasmids flying about with little room for skilful play. Adding to this is the Big Daddy upgrade which can be grabbed by whoever happens to be nearby when it spawns, leading to one player being a near-unstoppable tank for a couple of minutes, without any real weakness. If you're looking for a few games of laughs and madness, Bioshock 2's multiplayer does the trick, but this won't be your next big online addiction.
Bioshock 2, this time around, seems to have done well on what the first game didn't, but unfortunately missed out on what the first game did. Story and atmosphere have seemingly been replaced with improved gameplay, and so it's hard to say if it has really succeeded as a sequel or not. If you, like me, felt overly bogged down in Bioshock 1 by endless hordes of Splicers, then you'll be getting your gleeful revenge in this installment. However, players wanting another great narrative in a wholly new environment that will amaze you all over again will be disappointed - this is the same old Rapture again, albeit with a few new toys to play with. 7/10.
