Bioschock 2 Review
Bioschock 2 Game ReviewGenre: Survival Horror/First-Person Shooter
Developer: 2K Marin
System I played on: Xbox 360
Year: 2010
Okay, so I've had some complications writing this review. This will be my third time trying to write it out, but I believe third times the charm. Several nights ago, I finished Bioschock 2, and before I delve further I want to tell a little more about my background with the Bioschock universe. As I slowly started getting into the gaming loop after becoming a collector, I started hearing a little of Bioschock, and how it was being called one of the best games of all time. It had intrigued me, and as time went on I was able to add it to my collection. I actually didn't have the results that were that great, and didn't find it an outstanding game. In fact, I found it repetitive, and when I got stuck I gave up. After some time, I told myself if was being close-minded, and tried again, and this time I made it to the end. I still couldn't find it an outstanding game, but could see why others did. Recently I was able to obtain the second game, and even though I couldn't find it that great of a game again, I still thought this one was better, and still both are a hell of a lot of fun. First off I'd like to say I did not play the multiplayer, but I really don't think that's harming the review. I'm not a big multiplayer kind of guy, but from what I heard the multiplayer was pretty good. Bioshock 2 takes on a new role, one different from the last one, as this time you get to play as a Big Daddy. This new role I find better than the protagonist from the first one, and I like Subject Delta more than the other guy, whose name I even forgot. Subject Delta has a personal bond to his Little Sister, and because I don't want to delve to much into spoilers I'll leave it at that. I find the stories in the games are about equal. In the first game, it was a lot more dynamic, and engrossing, and took hard turns that surprised you. In the second game, sure it feels like the lesser version, but I personally felt a lot more involved with it. As a Big Daddy, I felt everything I did was to move forward to my own goal, and that I was more emotionally involved with the characters, and the world. In the first game, I felt if Rapture died, that a certain part of me wouldn't feel much, but now if Rapture died, and all I did within it, I would now definitely care. The stories are about even to me, even though many think the story of the fall of Andrew Ryan is far better. But one major improvement is the gameplay. Combat is greatly improved, as the new weapons and weapon upgrades are awesome, and move smoothly in a double wield with the amazing plasmids. Also, the combat I think moves smoothly, and never gets crazy like it did in the first Bioschock. Multiple times in Bioschock one I felt the scream was just going crazy, and the annoying screams of Splicers and things around me were never ending. I didn't feel that once, and even though they many times had large amounts of Splicers around me, they were spread out, and their AI was smart enough to not just gang up and scream at me annoyingly. But when I say gameplay, I don't just mean combat, I mean everything gameplay wise. I no longer had the long pipe system to hack, and I actually felt way more involved with the Little Sisters, and actually had to work to save them, and not just run around the level trying to find them. Speaking of levels, the level design I liked a lot more. I felt a lot more like exploring, and I felt the reward for checking extra nooks and crannies very rewarding. In this game are dozens of little audio logs, but this time around I listened to all of them, and thought the story I heard from them was interesting. But the one thing, the one thing Bioshock one outdoes the other is theme. Everyone goes on about how the world of Rapture was so breathtaking, and even I can see how that was much more superior in the first game. Even though I liked my return better, in terms of theme, Bioschock just brings you into a much more unique world, and hits the theme as the story carries out. But I will say that the game is great, and even though I still can't find either game at all outstanding, I still find them both great. This one I plan to one day replay, and if I find any changes while replaying, I'll update the review as I do in each of my reviews. But all I know for now is that this game is still really great, and I can't wait for the rest of the Bioschock games to continue forward. I will say another reason why I like this game more. Because, in Rapture, my sight of the world is through the world is through a glass, and I am a Big Daddy, and that's my Rapture.
Bioshock 2 gets a 4/5
Spoilers: First off, I want to talk about my own person profile to the end. Like in Bioschock 1, I decided to save the Little Sisters. Why? Because if you don't save them you ARE A MONSTER! In my second play-through I will harvest their evil looking asses, but for now I'll assume anybody who kills them is evil! In the first game, saving the little sisters had a huge role while fighting Mr. "Thank You Kindly," and in the resolution. Now, I felt it was more added on. The ending was nice, had good closure, but my Little Sisters didn't matter worth crap this time around. But I will say this is the most overenthusiastic I ever got from just a game's climax. The moment I took over the body of a Little Sister, I was a emotional wreck, and I don't know why. My jaw was dropping from the littlest crap, I said "awe" aloud during the ending. But I will say by how awesome the game was from when you do take over the Little Sister, it's pure gold, and that's why I excuse it not having a end boss.
Badges
Badge Info: In every review, I give badges of honor or shame, to see what badges and rankings mean, see bottom of page. But for Bioschock 2, remember Splicers and enemies count as characters!
Bioshock 2 gets THE CHARACTER BADGE
Bioshock 2 gets THE "CREATIVITY" BADGE
