BioShock 2 (2010 Video Game) User Reviews

Wonderful Storyline

[Tiinusen · 8/10 · 15 February 2010]

This game keeps up with it's reputation, And as much as i loved the first Game i do indeed love this too.

And as i played through the game, I really feel the Father and Daughter connection. and the end was not disappointing at all. it was really really suitable with the feeling and the story. Almost like you get tears.

Very well i'm a bit optimistic, but if there should been an improvement, then it would be the Huge Feeling, Because the health was not as much as in the previous game, so that got lost somehow.

Anyway i think i rated this Game Fair. 8 out of 10 (Little Sisters)

Unnecessary sequel but still as addictive as the original. 82.5/100

[dfle3 · 8/10 · 28 March 2011]

Console:

Playstation 3

Genre:

First person shooter.

Setting:

Retro future Utopia...i.e. the game is set in the 1960s, but it's an alternative world scenario...a place where humanity has advanced significantly in their development...more advanced than our current society. The sequel explores new parts of the city of Rapture.

Story:

If you liked finally playing as a Big Daddy in the original, you should get a kick out of playing as a Big Daddy for the entire length of the sequel...except for one part where you play a...

The story concerns your Big Daddy becoming separated from your Little Sister. This separation is harmful to both parties health, so you must locate your charge. Of course, powerful forces are working against this outcome and your life is in danger.

Graphics:

As far as character representation goes, this is a step up from the original...they're more realistic, less stylised than the cartoonish looking splicers of the original. It's actually a pity that this level of character representation wasn't in the original...then maybe we could have expected an Uncharted 2 like step up in visual quality for the sequel.

Sound:

Probably less obvious repetition in character utterances than the original. Some noises seem to be constant...like there is a faulty elevator or some other mechanical/electrical device. Not a huge issue but sometimes I wished that that noise would just go away.

Good about the game:

The weapons/plasmids/tonics have been tweaked. The plasmids especially are fun. On acquiring a certain plasmid I'd think to myself "Wouldn't it be cool if you could..." and then I'd try doing just that. And it would work! It's good how the makers have thought out the logical consequences of some plasmids, so you actually can do what you think that plasmid should allow you to do. Best example of that is the "Scout" plasmid. Personally, I missed the crossbow of the original (for it's precision shooting) but the speargun did become my default weapon (for being able to regather fired ammo).

If you enjoyed the "upgrade" paths of the original, the sequel has the exact same quality, but is a bit more polished in execution.

Misjudgements in the game:

I'll start by way of introduction saying that since you play the top of the food chain in the original game, the sequel knocks you down a peg. This was a bit naff for mind, but it brings up the first misjudgement...where strategy is crucial in taking down these ultimate warriors, it's disappointing that the first time you fight one of them you are not in control of the circumstances in which you engage them. They're tough to beat, so to not have the ability to fight them on your terms sucks. There was a similar problem in the original, and like the original, this misjudgement goes away in subsequent battles.

As with the original, the splicers are a constant annoyance...more so than in the original. Another naff splicer is introduced too. At least in the original you could find ample opportunities to use plasmids like the Cyclone Trap...set pieces in the game. In the sequel you probably don't even have to use them. Related to this, with the research you do on splicers, it turns out you won't be able to fully research them anywhere in Rapture...some of them are limited to certain parts of the city...which is annoying...some classes of splicers I didn't get to fully research as a result and for some of those I could have really used my Cyclone Trap plasmids to good effect in set pieces...which never arrived (e.g. in defending yourself from attack after performing an action).

My third misjudgement is the lack of a final boss battle as in the original. The Frank Fontaine fight there was too hard, but in the sequel there's a feeling of anti-climax as the final fights aren't really different in kind to the normal hurly-burly of defending your Little Sister when she is gathering ADAM. And if you have certain tonics and plasmids, your task is made easier and you can simply discover how to do things better next time if you die.

Niggles:

How the game basically rewrites the history of Bioshock. I really didn't see any scope for a sequel to that game and the scenario seems manufactured out of nothing. However, the ending does have a pay off, even though I didn't buy into the story's new characters.

It would have been nice to have your moral choices highlighted more explicitly. And in the case of Gil Alexander, the game makers seem to have had a different take than me on the moral thing to do with him...relating to in game trophies.

Some characters from the original story make cameo appearances but are soon forgotten. That was a pity. And even some new characters of interest eventually disappear, never to be heard of again.

General observations:

I was prepared to give this game the same score I gave for the original (85/100), but have knocked it down a smidge due to the anti-climax of the ending. Even though I wasn't sold on the premise of the sequel and found some new character classes naff, the game held the same addictiveness as the original.

Personally I'd recommend the original over the sequel for my view of the 'real' story of Rapture. But if you don't feel like returning to the original but want something similar, play the sequel...it has polished some of the exciting weapons of the original. But the lack of use for certain weapons in game and the inability to gain research points on certain character classes anywhere in Rapture is a disappointment.

Big Bad Daddies are baaaaack! This time its personal!

[ratcat0 · 9/10 · 17 March 2010]

Some may argue that the Graphics are not as nice in this installment of the Bioshock series, not true especially if you are using a 3d setup and this game is definitely geared for 3D. In the Graphics options menu there is an option for turning 3D on/off so perhaps the developers know or have an inkling of where future games are headed and indeed 3D will soon be appearing on our TV sets if the current Hype is to be believed. The current 3d gaming setups are limited in range. From Zalman to NVIDIA. Using an NVIDIA setup requires that you purchase a monitor with 120 Hz refresh rate (expensive) and TVs are on their way with this and much higher refresh rates. You will need at least $1000.00 for the glasses and monitor plus a very fast graphics card and a quick computer plenty of RAM and at least a dual core 2800 to get the most out of 3D. On to the game. The quest for ammo and money give you an added objective in this game which can be a bitch or a blessing depending on how you like your games. Some (like Borderlands, see my Borderlands review) shower you in money and weapons/ammo. In BioShock2 you are constantly scavenging for money to buy ammo or health kits. If you die without a health kit to spare you are mercilessly sent back to a re spawning station where you are given some health and Eve (Eve is your plasmid power). From there you have to backtrack to you objective and kill, Mame and destroy newly spawned enemies in the form of Splicers until you get back to where you were. Fairly linear in design but some nice tricks to keep you off the beaten track such as finding Adam (the necessary tender for purchasing upgrades to your special powers) with the help of a little sister who roosts on your shoulder whilst screaming platitudes like "your'e the best daddy ever!, and beating up other Big Daddies. Most sequels are a sad disappointment depending on the age gap. Take half-life and Doom 2 for instance, the sequels in both these cases were beyond unbelievably fantastic. In this instance most people would be expecting mediocre at best but they will be pleasantly surprised. 9 out of Ten little sisters in this level!!

The return to Rapture is a delightful one

[u_mbaptista · 10/10 · 19 October 2011]

Bioshock 2 may have sacrificed storytelling for cleaner gameplay, but the story is still well written and better than your average VG narrative. Sophia Lamb isn't nearly as charismatic as Andrew Ryan but does a pretty good job of getting me to despise her, making her a decent antagonist at worst. Gameplay tweaks seem minor at first, but dual wielding guns and plasmids, the ability to melee with any weapon, and the new real time reflex-based hacking system made a world of difference. I had more fun protecting the little sisters in this game than the first. Probably due to the unstoppability I felt having improved plasmids, weapons, traps, and ample time to set up and unleash my inner Macaulay Culkin whenever I was ready to harvest.

Bioshock 2 Review

[Moviememmer · 26 October 2019]

Pros:

• Good story and characters
• Gameplay has improved abit from 1
• Great graphics
• Good variation of weapons and abilities

Cons:

• Not allot of differentiation from Bioshock 1
• Story not as interesting as it could be
• No real great plot twists

Verdict: All in all, does kinda feel like a Bioshock 1.5 however it's still very enjoyable and fun to play. I shouldn't, but it's hard to not compare with Bioshock 1. Still a really good game thou

8/10

An excellent sequel for the hardest act to follow on gaming

[Lewis-836-931683 · 9/10 · 4 September 2010]

There can be no denying that the predecessor of this title was the most intelligent 360 game that really put the 360 on the world stage. Its intuitive game-play accompanied with a compelling and original storyline brought huge relief to 360 gamers after a period of frustration where only Oblivion stood up to the mark in the early goings. Now, some years on, the brains and little sisters at 2K Marin and now 2K Australia have taken us back to the mid-Atlantic bathysphere which leads us back to the glorious underwater utopia-gone-wrong, Rapture. Possibly the hardest act to follow on the 360, and now with the introduction of multi-player, to keep up with the team death-match virus that seems to be spreading throughout new 360 titles, with the help of Digital Extremes offering a feast of innovative new multi-player options, Bioshock 2 looks to be the first great all-rounder on the 360.

The games story is all based around the character you play. The games protagonist has been caught up in what seems to be a parental struggle. With a tragic event forced upon you at the hands of a maverick and shrewd woman, you are put out of action for a very long time, and thought to be dead. However, due to a special connection with a Little Sister, you come back to life with the help of Tennanbaum, the creator of the little sisters from the first Bioshock. From this, you once again explore the world of Rapture. You can see the vast damage and bloodshed caused by the maddened citizens as they prey on Adam control in the city. Never before seen areas are now at your disposal to explore, with all the hallmarks of BioShock still visible to see, I'm talking the eerie atmospheres, the crazed foes, the sublime detail given to each and every location, and of course the outside world of the ocean which serves not only as a viewing spectacle, but it also serves as the closest character friend you have.

The plasmid civil war hasn't stopped raging since the ten year gap between both titles. But this time, instead of being the helplessly controlled Jack who stopped the megalomaniac Frank Fontaine, you now step into the heavy divers suit(ed and booted) Big Daddy. But unlike the hunkered and quite simple Big Daddy's from BioShock, you play as a prototype Big Daddy who has full control of the plasmid abilities and also happily the favoured drill and Rivet gun respectively, with many other weapon varieties that were seen in the first Bioshock.

Of course, you get all the perks that you would expect from being the Daddy. Scaring the crap out of splicers is just the tip of the iceberg. Because you now can use both plasmids and guns at the same time, it makes the game-play more tactical than ever before, allowing traps to be made, controlling groups of enemies with minimal effort and also throwing innate and familiar household objects to stun your foes as you finish them off in as bloody a mess as you see fit, to further decorate the world in a coat of splicer red. All this sounds quite appetising and somewhat simple, but don't underestimate what you could run into in this place. The splicer's are now in tighter packs, making it harder to dispatch them without sustaining significant injury. There is no room for complacency in these kinds of fights. Also, ammo is an issue, which may come as a surprise and an Achilles heel for most players.

The single player as a whole is very tough. Thank God for that I say! The game offers you the chance to be the Big Daddy, which in turn makes you feel purposeful and powerful, but BioShock 2 very cunningly and subtly makes the story a fun and exhilarating challenge. But is doesn't stack up to the first Bioshock. Of course it was a hard act to follow, and honestly it has done the best it can considering, but it has only just fallen under the bar set.

Of course however, we have multi-player for the first time in Bioshock. The somewhat rustic looking online multi-player takes gamers down a trip to memory lane as locations from BioShock have been re-envisioned to create multi-player environments, such as the Kashmir Restaurant, one of the first areas in BioShock. The multi-player itself is surprisingly effective and quite addictive, but not to the standards of the Call of Duty games of course.

Bioshock 2 then is a solid all rounder; with a single player that takes precedence over the multi-player. It was a very risky move by 2K to introduce the multi-player after such a successful first effort of a story driven game. Bioshock 2 still offers its great vibrant world of Rapture, offers a new dynamic to the game utilising the Big Daddy's obvious high standing in the Rapture hierarchy. The multi-player does a good job for nostalgic Bioshock fans as you can revisit your favourite locales once again, but in the hustle and bustle of plasmid enthralled multi-player action. Top- notch Bioshock sequel that will wet any gamer's appetite.

This is more like it

[TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews · 8/10 · 20 April 2011]

You are one of the first Big Daddies, and ten years after you are left for dead, you come back to rescue the young Eleanor(...yeah, it is kinda cliché) who you are personally bound to(and her to you, so you can not leave before you are reunited, in fact, you'll go into a coma or mad if you stay apart for overly long). This puts you in Rapture again, the underwater city of the best artists and scientists for them to be free to pursue their craft with no one to prevent them. It was to live the dream of pure individuality and freedom, somewhere you could satisfy your desires. This time, it isn't Andrew Ryan in charge, who wanted that... it's Sofia Lamb, the mother of the woman you are trying to find. She represents the equal and opposite reaction to his ideology, with a restrictive, authoritarian religion(or cult, since it isn't big enough). This was the perfect way to approach a sequel; not repeat, but respond. You again choose whether to rescue(complete with the faith healer gesture) the Little Sisters, or harvest them(is it just me or does the start of that look like you're putting on a handpuppet-show?) to define the strength of your character(do you put yourself or others first?), and this time, you can also "adopt" them, where you protect them as they gather(and then return them to a vent) the ADAM(letting you unlock and upgrade tonics(that you don't have to activate) and plasmids(that you do... and you can now dual-wield, that in one hand and a weapon in the other(no switching back and forth)! And yes, you can use them at the same time!), the special abilities(electricity, fire, ice(and you can now freeze others solid, and shatter them into pieces! And these are now all projectile, no idea why they weren't before), hypnotizing enemies, etc. And you can now charge them up for other benefits, such as hitting more with a single use, or stronger FX!) of these. Those have been increased in power, and since everyone has them, this has a real "war of the titans" kind of thing going on, with amazing battles(and a fantastic climax). These are both FPS', and this one offers something that goes beyond the basic for that. You have the usual set of weapons, with all-new ones, since you're no longer a mere person... and yes, you get the drill, and yes, you can do the "dash" move with it(!)(you can use it to smack others, as well). There's a pistol, a shotgun, a machinegun, etc. You can hack at a distance using darts(bear with it, being able to move during it gives really cool opportunities), it's now based on timing("stop the needle in the correct zone"), so it doesn't pause during. Yes, this is simply more intense than the original. The objectives and enemy types(some once again climb ceilings, and you actually have to use different tactics against them, and they have cool first appearances this time) are varied this time, so you don't get bored. Then again, this is pretty short, with 10-12 hours of playing time, meaning you can complete it in a single day, as I did. There are only three difficulty settings and not much else to get you to play it again. Well, there is one thing... multi-player(set during the civil war a decade or so earlier, and with plenty of unlockables). It's got all the modes you'd expect, FFA(team and otherwise), CTF, Hold the Flag(with an LS in place of it), Domination and Last Man Standing. As you play it, you get higher in the ranks, and those specify what your arsenal can be filled with, and this automatically evens the matches so that experts don't go up against noobs. That does bring me to the remaining problem of the excessive streamlining. They don't really fix that(customizing remains pretty minimal, this has nothing on System Shock 2 or Deus Ex), if the risk does remain(like with Kane & Lynch: Dead Men... I think it helps that there are bullets and manual aiming, that's why Assassin's Creed and the newer Prince of Persia titles fail in that regard). You still have an easy time buying ammo and the like, and basically never run out(I do like that they further limit the amount of healthkits and the like). This is challenging, intense and fun, however. Part of it is how emotionally engaging this is. You care about the cause, and the people involved, and you want to *win*. The story is gripping, with a marvelous and effective intro and conclusion(with highly effective use of the first person perspective). You're not some undefined, bland person that there's no reason to care about other than that he exists and happens to be in the place where there's something interesting going on that we haven't seen before, you have a purpose, a mission, and for it's formulaic setup, it really manages to strike a chord. This builds atmosphere well, being creepy and unsettling, by use of the grotesque or "slightly off" sights(I do think we tend to miss the disfigured faces and bodies of the Splicers, because it goes so fast, their movement(and they now randomly dodge your strikes), yours, and then with the ragdoll physics... it does make good sense that they'd follow a fanatic rather than "they're insane"), the tense score and the various ambient sounds(and silence). Level design is also magnificent, and we see new areas under the sea. The graphics are well-done, with expressive faces for the few fully animated scenes, and real-looking animations in-engine. Controls are intuitive and easy to remember, you get into this quickly. You do not have to have played the '07 one before this one to understand it, it merely uses the same setting, and neither of them spoils the other one. There is disturbing, brutal, violent, bloody and gory content in this, as well as swearing. I recommend this to any fan of the concept. 8/10

Amazing Sequel To One Of The Best Games Ever Made

[j-witz-rules · 9/10 · 6 March 2015]

-This review may contain spoilers-

Bioshock 2 is a fantastic game. My favorite thing about it was the gameplay. It was so fun and interesting, and I loved the story as well. Not only that, but the environments you explore in this game is so beautiful!

SUMMARY; In Bioshock 2, you play as Subject Delta, a big daddy who gained consciousness years later after losing contact with a little sister named Eleanor. Your goal in this game is simple: find Eleanor. But along the way, you meet people who, based on what you do, will change your ending.

GAMEPLAY; As I stated before, I loved the gameplay so much. I even replayed some of this game just because of the gameplay. Rapture looked absolutely beautiful, and I enjoyed searching the environments because I loved the way it looked.

STORY; As for the story, I did like it. I also really liked the characters, and I felt like it was so interesting to see how these characters interacted with each other. There is more endings as well, and they are all amazing.

If you liked the first Bioshock, you may like this one. Although they are a bit different, both are amazing. Even though it's not as amazing as the first Bioshock, I still enjoyed this game a lot.

A Decent Sequel

[bruce_campbell_rulz0804 · 8/10 · 19 February 2010]

First Game Trumped BS2 in story, but this one added new weapons, afew new enemies and a decent enough story to tag you along but not to really invest you in the game until really last 4 hours or so of the game, it was neat to play as a little sister and see it as little sisters do, but i mean your a big daddy and you get smacked around pretty easily, but gripes aside it is a good play graphics are very nice, voice acting is well done and controls just like in 1st game are very fine tuned and you can get used to easily and get right into the game it is a decent sequel, not sure if its worth 60 dollars but would say its def. worth the rental price, and will be a fun game to play and beat on the weekend, and all endings are well written but good ending is very great and feels like it fits the story of the game very well

so it doesn't get the 10/10 the first bioshock game got but it deserves the 8/10 from this time around and maybe in next game it can take place ina diff. underwater city or different location all together.

Perfect sequel!

[madman-82321 · 10/10 · 15 April 2020]

This more of the same from the first game but in my opinion this surpasses the original! This game is so underrated and alot people skip this and always talk about Bioshock 1 and Infinite. This game is a true gem and needs to be experienced as well.

Good, but significantly weaker.

[StuffedMannequin · 6/10 · 20 February 2010]

I don't consider myself a major gamer. When I was younger, I had to play anything I could get my little fingers on. I have some old favorites that I played over and over again as a youngster, many of them now considered to be classics of their day and I still occasionally play them now and again. Now with the new generation of gaming, I consider myself pretty experienced. I own all three consoles and have played several dozens of games that have come out for each. Very rarely do I look back affectionately at games that have come out, but but Bioshock left me in awe and pure joy. It grabbed you with immersion, with a mystery that you needed to solve, filled with memorable and creative moments that I found myself replaying through just to experience again and again. No game I've played this generation has been held so closely to my heart as Bioshock, and very rarely to I find myself excited for a sequel to a game, but I can genuinely say I was excited about Bioshock 2.

It's in my nature to keep my expectations low for any game. I wasn't expecting the awe and glory the first one gave to me, but I have to admit it came with expectations. I knew the premise and I thought it was excellent. There were some things I had to get used to but eventually appreciated. I admired returning to Rapture after all these years and soaking in the beauty that it had to offer, now worn, aged and destroyed but littered with colorful coral and sea life. As I progressed through, a lot of the soul and admiration I had for the first game wasn't present in this sequel.

First off, game play. I can say that this sequel is significantly harder than the previous game. I played through on normal, and your enemies do much more damage than they do before. On top of that, you cannot carry more than 5 Eve hypos and medical kits (6 if you're upgraded). The combat is much easier and more fluid with simultaneously using weapons and plasmids at the same time, and many game play aspects were added, such as defending the little sister, which was about as much fun as taking out your first Big Daddy in the original. The hacking system is also much more fast-paced and fun than the previous title, so much so that I found it very difficult and flow-breaking when I went back to play it again.

If anything, the sequel makes me appreciate Bioshock 1 much more. As I mentioned before, I felt that the original Bioshock had a lot of soul to it in many different aspects. Not only was the story deep and intuitive and fascinating, but it was also filled with character, style and general soul. I feel that Bioshock 2 lacks these aspects. I will give a few examples. Bioshock 1 was filled with bizarre, twisted yet intriguing characters that both were repulsive and admirable. Dr. Steinman was a particularly fascinating character, somebody whom you listened to as he slowly descended into creative and egotistical madness as he becomes more addicted to ADAM. Sander Cohen was another starring moment that made the game more than just an above average shooter, as you run around and create his "masterpiece". Bioshock 2 lacked these interesting characters. Many of the audio diaries scattered about featured a suffocating cast of characters that you heard from once and then never again. A lot of the bosses that you fight lack the creative dimensions the first one had, and the ones that had the potential to be interesting were killed off before you could learn more about them.

Another thing that added much to the character of the game were the Splicers. There were several sets of Splicers, all with varying personalities and dialog that gave them more depth than just your average, static enemies. Some of them interacted with one another or with their environment (one moment that added immersion was walking around and listening to a Splicer observe and comment a failed teleport), some were funny, some of them were frightening, but they showed various emotions such as sadness, anger, insecurity, egoism, and insanity. This added to the character of the Splicers that reminded you that you weren't just fighting generic monsters, you were fighting human beings who wanted to live their dreams and instead were caught up in a situation beyond their control. Bioshock 2 feels lacking in this department. There were very few Splicer models, and I swear I must have killed the same one at least over a hundred times. Their interactions were also very limited and I never heard many dialog options from them that strayed far or different from the original.

It is known by now that the sequel would have a weaker storyline than the first, but it had potential. Everything that needed to be said was said and done in the first, and very little was done to expand upon or hold the mantle of the political climate of Rapture in Bioshock 2. There were very few memorable moments, the only one I can think of off the top of my head was playing as a little sister, but other than that, it felt more like a tacked on expansion pack than a full-blown sequel. Tennenbaum makes an appearance once and then disappears for the rest of the game without closure, and instead replaced with Sinclair, while interesting, takes too long to be interesting.

In all, Bioshock 2 is good as a shooter, and you'll probably enjoy it if you enjoyed the first. But for me it felt like it lost much of the soul and creativity the first one had. If anything, after completing it, it made me go back and play through Bioshock 1 and appreciate it more than I did before.

awesome.

[commandosterben · 10/10 · 24 June 2010]

This is one of the best first person shooter games I have ever played. Great story line, awesome weapons and better fighting. The enemies are more varied that the first game, including Big sisters, Rumblers, Brute splicers and more. The loading music is good, it fits in very well with the whole feel of the game, I particularly enjoyed the "Inner Persephone" loading music.

Only one problem, It is a little too short, I would have liked it to be longer.

The different endings are also awesome, Depending on how you play the game. I have seen them all.

so 10 out of 10 for Bioshock 2. Well worth it. I've played it more than 20 times already!

Had fun but not as much as the first or Infinite

[AB-Reviews · 7/10 · 31 October 2020]

This game was more of the first which was fine for me. The story is great still but the gameplay is what I had problems with. It's not problems that will ruin the experience but it's choices I wasn't fully on board with but still liked

• playing as a big daddy the whole game (Ik it's the story but personally like what bioshock 1 did with a blend of suspense and action while here it has more action. Felt that choice was the reason why action had more presence)

• letting u use plasmids and weapons at the same time (still liked that you could do this but Infinite it felt more purposeful since it was full on action instead of how the first 2 handled it.

• background for rapture being just wallpapers. (Loved taking the atmosphere in with the first one with the city being all around u while it's just a plain background most of the time in this one)

I recommend this game still since the choices I listed were more personal and don't think most ppl had a problem with this

My Thoughts on Bioshock 2

[schroederagustavo · 5/10 · 8 April 2020]

OK, so there's some things I loved in this game and some things I didn't like so much. Let's start with what I appreciated. I think the gameplay in this game is most definitely a step up from the first Bioshock. The double wielding plasmid and weapon system is really, really fun and I appreciated the simple, but incredibly useful lightning bolt, then drill hit combo. It's a very effective way to save ammo and really good to use on splicers. There's a bunch of new weapons introduced here that I really liked, such as the machine gun that looks more like a mini gun, the drill is really good, and I loved the hacking tool as well. Even though for example the spear gun wasn't as useful for me for my style of play, I really liked it and I can say there isn't a single weapon or plasmid for that matter that I didn't at the very least enjoy using in the game. Since you play as a Big Daddy this time around, the game forces you to go against many more enemies at once and this is, I think where the game really shines. Using the double wielding plasmid and weapon system is really cool, fun and entertaining. Hacking makes a comeback here as well and I also think it's a major step-up from the first game, where I thought it was way too hard to hack pretty much anything, so I never did. Here, I think it's balanced pretty well, so the game encourages you to go for it, even though it isn't always too easy to get away with it. By the end of the game you unlock Eleanor's plasmid, so you can summon her as a big sister and she's really effective and so much fun to play side by side with her.

Graphics-wise, the game is also really good and even better than the first Bioshock. This game did come out a few years after the first one and it really does show in the graphics department, especially when looking at water. Seriously, playing this game on PS4, the water that often comes into a room, like a little waterfall, is some of the best looking water I have ever seen, it's really impressive. For the first Bioshock, the thing I liked the most about that game was the world and the world-building in that game, a lot more than the story. Rapture felt like an actual place in that game and finding out what had happened through audio tapes was one of the things I enjoyed the most about Bioshock. In Bioshock 2, we still play in the city of Rapture, although in different areas of the game. And there are parts of it that I really enjoyed, for example in this game there are different parts where you get to go out into the water, so you walk from one building to the next on the outside in your big daddy suit, I thought that was really cool and refreshing. There's a part of the game that, to be honest, I thought was absolutely glorious, beautiful and really cool to play through. That part that I'm referring to is the Ryan Amusements level, which is some kind of theme park, with plasmid shops and a ride, that whole part of the game is amazing. I loved every second of it and it's when the game drew me in the most.

However, I was pretty disappointed for almost the entire remainder of the game after that. Most of the game you have to get to the Fontaine Futuristics area and the way you get there is mostly through the Rapture subway system, so you ride a train there, but you have to make several stops along the way and deal with the people running that level, so they can let you through, so you can eventually get to where you're going. So, let's start with that. I thought designing the entire game as essentially pit stops is not only lazy, but pretty tedious. And the Ryan Amusements part is I believe the first (and strongest) stop. After that, I thought the entire level design for pretty much the rest of the game was pretty generic and boring. Now, story-wise, I think on paper, this would have been an interesting story. At least the part about the ideologies of the people in charge. So, in the first Bioshock, you learn about Andrew Ryan, essentially a super capitalist with an extreme emphasis on individual achievement rather than on trusting governments, groups or organizations. Here, the main baddie is Sophia Lamb, a famous psychiatrist during Rapture's heyday, after Ryan's death took over the fallen city. She has exactly the opposite view of Ryan and her ideology consists of getting rid of the individual and focuses all on group identity. She uses terms like "the family" and her main goal, it turns out, is to use her daughter's consciousness to absorb all the other individual minds of the people in the city and turn it into one collective consciousness living within her. I'm not going to lie, I thought that pretty stupid. And in general I think the characters in this game are generic, poorly written and boring. Sophia Lamb talks like a generic bad guy from a Bond movie and by the end I was just sick of it. Combine that with the fact that most of the game design here is really generic as well, I actually found it rather hard to finish the game.

Speaking of hard, the game is too difficult to play on Normal and is meant to be played on easy, in my opinion. And the fact that you're a big daddy in the game does not mean anything other than you can walk under water, fall large distances and not get hurt and you get a drill. Oh and the screen size is slightly reduced. But you are not stronger than in the first game and you cannot take more damage than in the first game, which I think is stupid and beats the purpose of being a big daddy in the first place. The little sister design is also undeniably a step back from the previous game. Whereas in the first one (which I finished last week by the way), I found it morally impossible to kill a little sister, here I killed them because they are not cute at all and they are actually annoying, so there's a poor design job. Also, the addition of Big Sisters wasn't something that I particularly enjoyed in the game, they're just generic looking robots that are kind of athletic and jump around really fast. It's as if all of the awesome creative things that this game does it dumps into the Ryan Amusements level and it's only because it deals with the story of what the creators of the original game setup.

Here's the deal, this is not a terrible game, but it's not a good game either. The gameplay is truly awesome and so is the Ryan Amusements level. But the story, characters, writing, world-building are generic and poorly thought out. Oh and the voice acting is also weak and the voice acting of the splicers, particularly the women splicers and the things they say is hilarious, which I'm going to count as a positive, by the way, just because of how funny it is. "DON'T YOU DARE DISRESPECT ME!"

Lacks story, but every thing else is great.

[DustinRahksi · 8/10 · 22 February 2013]

This game may not be as ground breaking and awesome as Bioshock 1, but it is still a fantastic game. The atmosphere this time around surpasses the original, it truly does immerse you in this world. I bought this game three times, one for the Xbox and twice for the PS3, one of which was the special edition. Alright time to get started.

The Game: The first thing I noticed right out of the gate is the graphics are much more clear and better done. The story was pretty weak, but the rest of the game more than makes up for it. The game play is much better this time around, it's much more fluent. You can equip a weapon and a plasmid at the same time. I didn't notice a big difference in quality between systems, they are about even. My favourite gun in the game is the shotgun, you can upgrade it with cylinders for rapid firing. The spear gun is also pretty cool, it almost feels like a rifle. The sound track is no where near as good as the one in the first game, which was very disappointing. As i've mentioned the atmosphere surpasses the original, there is one part where you enter a secret facility, it feels so barren, like no one has entered it for a while, it is truly a great feeling moment. The hard difficulty mode was actually pretty easy compared to the first game's hard mode. Finding all of the audio diaries was much easier this time around, I even completed that objective twice. The big sisters are more of a nuisance, but I found a way to help the little sisters without having to fight the big sisters. It's weird to be carrying around a little sister thats looks up to the big daddy, it makes you choose not to harvest them. The level's are expertly designed with plenty of hidden areas to discover. Overall the single player is a great experience.

The multi-player: I don't have much to say other than I didn't like it, I felt they could have left it out and put more stuff into the single player. Overall it's forgettable.

Minerva's Den: If you liked the main single player then I recommend getting this, it's a good addition. Just don't expect a good end boss, you can beat him pretty quickly.

The verdict: The game is fun and well worth your time and money, the single player has great replay value, but skip the online mode.

Good Second

[abcdeisthekey · 10/10 · 13 February 2021]

This game really takes the first game and flows nicely from the ending of BioShock 1 to this game. I feel like I wasn't a scared going into this one as the first game though

bioshock 2

[zoe_stinson · 10/10 · 8 April 2011]

This game is the best game I have ever played in my life! Although I haven't played very many games in my life I don'y think I will ever play one as good as that. I Have played this game over 5 times and every time it felt like something new was happening. The graphics were only better on the little sisters though. It was more suspenseful when you came across a splicer in the 1st one because the graphics were creepier in the1st one. But i like the plot better in the second one and i wouldn't change it at all. I think they did a great job making it. When i first heard about it i though it would be lame but when i actually started playing it was addicting.

This Bioshock has the better plot, however the feel when you see Rapture for the first time just can not be recreated.

[Aaron1375 · 8/10 · 12 October 2011]

I won this game just recently and overall I enjoyed it about as much as the first. Like I say in the summary I enjoyed the plot better, however seeing Rapture for the first time is something that can not be recreated so while its plot was good the scenery largely remains the same. This one also really does not feature any big epic fights on par with the one in the previous game between yourself and Fontanie. This one is different though in that this time you are a Big Daddy who ten years prior was forced to kill yourself by the antagonist of the game Sophia Lamb while she reclaimed her daughter Eleanor. Well you wake up and Eleanor seems to be guiding you as you make your way through Rapture to rescue her. You see a familiar face and are also aided by a man named Sinclair who it was refreshing how his character played out. This Bioshock is a bit more linear than the previous incarnation, as in that one you could revisit previous levels, while in this one you go through an area and better have everything done before leaving as there is no chance to return. The combat largely remains the same as you have weapon in one hand and a plasmid in another. There are different weapons this time as you are a Big Daddy, and there are some interesting things to do, but the combat is essentially the same. Those you fight do not vary much either as you have the splicers and other Big Daddies, the most notable new entry is a new protector of the Little Sisters known as the Big Sisters. They are somewhat tough, but not overly so. So it is nice to revisit Rapture and see the sights once again while the plot is much improved. They just needed more new things to see and do to exceed the previous game.

Underrated

[onrushingoose · 10/10 · 4 July 2020]

Real real good Heheheheh please play it that would make me happy

BIOSHOCK 2: Big Daddy & Little Sister

[Jinxxa_Wolf · 10/10 · 25 February 2024]

BIOSHOCK 2, might not have received as much praise as its predecessor and perhaps it might have appeared less original, but I've always played it as a direct continuation of the previous game, albeit under a different character perspective. Bioshock 2 is a chance to delve deeper into the mesmerizing sunken city known as Rapture, to explore it more thoroughly.

"In 1968, the first successfully-bonded Big Daddy is reawakened to save his Little Sister from the clutches of Rapture's new leader, Sofia Lamb."

Perhaps these were deleted scenes from the first game, hacksawed and frankenstiened scenes and places, shaping it into its own entity. I care not. I love Rapture so much, that further exploration of it's leaking walls and cracking halls shouldn't need excuse.

BIOSHOCK 2 was a worthy sequel to the masterpiece that was the first Bioshock. It was nearly as compelling and takes place a few years after the events of the previous game. This game is aesthetically similar and almost as immersive as the first game, with more areas of Rapture to be explored, plus new and old characters added to the mix.

Overall, I loved the sequel, as it adds to the legacy of Bioshock rather than detracting, as many sequels tend to do. This game is captivating, super-fun and filled with more fascinating lore and is a wonderful expansion of Rapture, with similar, if not the same controls and graphics. Great play!

"Bioshock 2" is a heavily-flawed, but all-in-all worthy follow-up to the original masterpiece...

[TedStixonAKAMaximumMadness · 7/10 · 1 May 2012]

Graphics... 7 out of 10 Choppy pictures and some wonky effects are a big problem with the graphics in "Bioshock 2." The design is beautiful once again, and Rapture is brilliantly realized as it was in the first game, but the Unreal graphics engine just doesn't do the creativity justice. I'd give the graphics a solid seven.

Sound... 10 out of 10 Magnificent voice work and an eerie score highlight the incredible soundtrack, which more than makes up for the ho-hum graphics. Everything is tight, well-recorded and oozing with atmosphere.

Controls... 8 out of 10 Controls are are bit mixed for me, but are strong overall. It's hard to keep up with combat at times, and the button layout occasionally get frustrating. But solid controls.

Story... 5 out of 10 Much more generic than the first. You play as a Big Daddy searching for your Little Sister, Elenor. Taking place a few years after the original, the city of Rapture has fallen since Andrew Ryan's demise, and is now under the control of Lamb, an evil woman who has taken control to spread her ideals. It's a weaker plot, and feels like a let-down.

"Bioshock 2" is a much more generic, watered-down retread of the original game, which I consider a modern classic. It initially felt like a let-down, and it felt as though it lacked focus much of the time. Your goals and objectives feel less clear than in the first game.

However, upon subsequent playings, the game has grown on me, and I appreciate it a lot more in many ways.

I equate "Bishock 2" to a decent but unneeded movie sequel. It's fun to re-visit the world and the characters, and the familiarity with it all is a blast, but it's a more empty, pointless experience. I can safely say that "Bioshock 2" is a game strictly for uber-fans of the original.

As it stands, "Bioshock 2" gets a pretty good 7 out of 10. It's good for fans, but is nowhere near the genius of the original.

Underrated Dystopian Sequel

[ochoamanuel21 · 9/10 · 10 August 2011]

To say that this game is similar to the first one and that it lacks the presence and awe of the previous title is to disservice the game since it is obviously very different in terms of tone and the story is more personal than the previous installment. The story takes place 10 years after the first one well after Ryan is dead and his citizens are tired of his philosophy of the self who they easily sway into the opposite view of Lamb which is one of unity sacrificing the self like communism and the protagonist is a previous outsider of Rapture who got turned into a Big Daddy and his mission is to unite with his little sister who turns out to be Lamb's daughter. The idea of a unionized family of Splicers changes the game-play to a more challenging aspect since every single Splicer teams up against you instead of the every one for himself from the first game. The game-play itself is faster paced from the upgradeable plasmids, faster hacking and dual weapon and plasmid combination. I like the fact that the villains Grace, Stanley, and Alex Gill are ambiguous when it comes to the scenes where Delta has every reason to kill them, especially Alex Gill, but mercy is a central theme since it will shape Eleanor's character at the end. Definitely buy this game!

And did we tell you the name of the game, boy? We call it riding the gravy train.

[atk92 · 4/10 · 23 January 2014]

In my opinion Bioshock is one of the best games of all time. The characters, the setting, the combat and the story were absolutely top notch. As long as you don't care about the story or the characters, Bioshock 2 may also be a good game for you as well. This game solely strives to recreate the setting and the combat style from the first game. That is it. What? You liked the strong characters from the first game, that were well-rounded and had great, insightful observations about Rapture? Shove that. Andrew Ryan has been replaced by the monotonous Sophie Lamb, one of the least interesting and least intimidating villains I have ever encountered. She is one note the entire game. Seriously, her tone literally does not change whenever she talks, and she just says the same dribble throughout the entire game. Atlas is replaced by Sinclair, who I will say is the only character with a reasonable amount of thoughtful writing.

The story is absolute rubbish and doesn't try to be innovative or intelligent. I am glad to see that they were so original that they literally ripped the half***ed morality system straight out of the first game. Yes, they kept the worst part of the first game. You get to be a Big Daddy, which is cool for about the first ten minutes of the game, then you just realize that you could have played the last two hours of the original game and gotten the same experience. The combat is almost identical to the first game, with a few minor tweaks so that I can't shout blatant plagiarism. The one thing this game gets down pretty well is that you feel like you are in a Rapture that is 10 years older than the first game. I liked the advanced decay of the city, and thought that some of the new design choices were pretty imaginative.

Unfortunately this is just a gimmick. Much like the combat and being a Big Daddy, the setting of Rapture was the platform that this game was sold on. There was nothing from a narrative standpoint to sell this story on, and it actually manages to devalue the first games story if you consider it in cannon. (Which I don't. Yes, this story is so bad I refuse to acknowledge it's existence.) It is a shameless installment that wasn't necessary in any way, shape or form, and has no right to exist. My rating may be a little harsh in the eyes of some, but this game is the epitome of a terrible sequel.

Revisiting Rapture

[mmuggi · 5/10 · 13 April 2021]

Rapture is revisited in this second outing, which is a more linear game. You play as a Big Daddy, giving you the ability to handle both a weapon and a force at the same time, giving a bit more depth to combat. However, neither the plot nor the characters are as strong as in the first game of the franchise. The enemy Big Sister is a worthy enemy, and there are some delicious horror elements.

Ken Levine was not part of this game, and that may be one of the reasons for this somewhat more disappointing game.

Unnecessary and underwhelming

[malcolmfrasu · 5/10 · 18 August 2021]

Not sure why this game exists other than to capitalize on the success of the first game. It doesn't add enough new or innovative gameplay wise to make it feel any more interesting and its story lacks any meaningful depth or any well written characters. Just feels like a shell of the first game with almost nothing inside.