FA+
Shop
BioShock 2 (No Spoilers)
16 years ago
The other day, I finished BioShock 2. Amazingly, despite all odds, I feel it's an equal and worthy sequel to a game that didn't need one.
I honestly can't criticize much about it without feeling like I'm nitpicking. The combat and gunplay tweaks are very well done. Whereas the first BioShock was a decent FPS coupled with a great story, BioShock 2 really brought the gameplay up to a similar par. Coupled with a very welcome streamlining of the hacking mechanic, the best parts of the game are easier to trigger too.
As far as the story goes, people have argued over how it compares to the first game. Without being spoilery, I would say that it's simply a different story. Rather than hinging on one key plot twist, the buildup and payoff in BS2 is a lot more sneaky and sinister. The way it unravels is actually a bit more mature and satisfying. As a whole, it's very well done. While it kind of lags in the middle of the game, the last couple levels are really what push it sky high.
Which brings me to the last point - the levels. If I had to fault BS2 for something, it's that the (enormous) levels aren't as memorable as those in BS1. Now granted, BS1's levels were more trope-based. The hospital, the theater, the industrial district, and so on. And, of course, the whole underwater city thing was new and exciting. In comparison, BS2 makes me think of the lower levels of the Titanic. It's consistently industrial, utilitarian, and dirty. There are few locations you could ever imagine being pleasant at some point. And by the dozenth flophouse, it gets a bit repetitive.
The flip side is that while a few of the physical environments aren't that interesting, they are populated by a rich and detailed assortment of story characters. I always thought the best levels in BS1 were the character-based ones (Steinman, Cohen, etc) and it's great to see more of this type in BS2. So, I guess you could say that the character of the levels comes from, well, characters this time around!
All-in-all, it's a great FPS. You should check it out if you're into that kind of thing.
I honestly can't criticize much about it without feeling like I'm nitpicking. The combat and gunplay tweaks are very well done. Whereas the first BioShock was a decent FPS coupled with a great story, BioShock 2 really brought the gameplay up to a similar par. Coupled with a very welcome streamlining of the hacking mechanic, the best parts of the game are easier to trigger too.
As far as the story goes, people have argued over how it compares to the first game. Without being spoilery, I would say that it's simply a different story. Rather than hinging on one key plot twist, the buildup and payoff in BS2 is a lot more sneaky and sinister. The way it unravels is actually a bit more mature and satisfying. As a whole, it's very well done. While it kind of lags in the middle of the game, the last couple levels are really what push it sky high.
Which brings me to the last point - the levels. If I had to fault BS2 for something, it's that the (enormous) levels aren't as memorable as those in BS1. Now granted, BS1's levels were more trope-based. The hospital, the theater, the industrial district, and so on. And, of course, the whole underwater city thing was new and exciting. In comparison, BS2 makes me think of the lower levels of the Titanic. It's consistently industrial, utilitarian, and dirty. There are few locations you could ever imagine being pleasant at some point. And by the dozenth flophouse, it gets a bit repetitive.
The flip side is that while a few of the physical environments aren't that interesting, they are populated by a rich and detailed assortment of story characters. I always thought the best levels in BS1 were the character-based ones (Steinman, Cohen, etc) and it's great to see more of this type in BS2. So, I guess you could say that the character of the levels comes from, well, characters this time around!
All-in-all, it's a great FPS. You should check it out if you're into that kind of thing.
I don't know if I'd play through it again, but there are four different endings. The first game had one main decision that determined your ending - did you harvest the Little Sisters or save them? The second actually has several of these decisions and I think the way they manifest at the end is really clever.
It still ultimately comes down to 4-5 different "decisions" in the game and the choices you make.
I like it in places, but there where parts of it that just made it un-nessarily difficult in places.
Your ment to be this powerful entity but can be taken down with a few hits.
Actually, maybe my biggest frustration with the you-as-Big-Daddy concept isn't your relative weakness, but the fact that the drill consumes fuel. It sucks fuel like a demon and I felt it was useless even with the upgrades. It's not even that strong a weapon either, so I don't see why they needed to add this limitation.
Some people have flamed me beacuse of how I feel about the game, rather then sayng "OMG THIS IS AWSOME"