Bioshock 2 returns us to Andrew Ryan's submarine utopia ten years after the events of the first game. This time though instead of a hapless jet-setter/plane crash victim, you are one of the Big Daddies you hunted in the first game. This introduces some new play mechanics as you get to now wield that kick-ass drill that the Big Daddies liked to push through you first time around and you get to find out why Rosie seemed to have such a blast nailing you with rivets. And it is fun.
Being of course a special Big Daddy comes with its perks like being able to use plasmids. Few things are more fun than filling a room with bees and setting splicers on fire when they try to run for it, I'm just saying.
The original story introduced us to the idea that perhaps Randian objectivism isn't the best option for setting life goals as the purely objectivist dream of (I suppose) billionaire Andrew Ryan, the underwater city of Rapture tore itself apart over things like working class rights, the desire (and some (including me) say need) for religion and simple greed. The story of the sequel continues this observation and introduces us to discussions of free will and what constitutes it, and what truly is the meaning of utopia? In some ways it seems simpler and less impactful than the former's story, but it is still thought provoking. The focus this time seems more on the characters themselves than on the city and this is displayed by there being actually quite a few non-splicers milling about nowadays. Most notable being neoantagonist Sofia Lamb who, for whatever reason had the notion to rebuild Rapture into her version of utopia. Chaos ensues, there is fire and bees everywhere, it's a good time. There aren't really any crazy twists in the story this time which is actually a pretty major relief after that whole Modern Warfare 2 fiasco, but the story does manage to stay interesting throughout the fifteen or so hours you'll spend stomping around in wet boots.
The little sisters also return and the bulk of the games choices once again surround whether you'll harvest them for tons of Adam all at once (a process that kills them (you monster)) or rescue them, netting you less Adam (initially), but turning them back into little girls. The dynamic surrounding them is different this time though. Whereas before you found them, killed the Big Daddy, than made the call; this time you can adopt her and take her to find you an Adam filled corpse. Since Adam is the substance that essentially caused the fall of Rapture, as soon as you set the Little Sister to her task, every splicer in town makes a play. These moments definitely add to the difficulty and tension, but I suppose it serves to illustrate the question, how far will you go for Adam?
So if you're the Big Daddy now, who do you have to look out for? Big Sister, that's who. The Big Sisters are Sofia Lamb's answer to you and every so often they make that known by showing up and making you waste all the ammo you've been hording up until then. The fights with them are some of the most intense in the game as they flip around and generally beat the crap out of you and have an incredible tolerance for bullets (and bees). The trouble is that after about the second time you fight one, you know when she's coming so you are totally prepared. It takes a lot of the mystery out of it, but the effect is only somewhat diminished. She's still tough.
A few issues from the last game have been addressed in this new outing, but somehow they don't feel like real improvements so me. There have been lots of complaints about the loss of the ability to backtrack in the game, but personally, I never wanted to backtrack anyway. One change that was welcome was the ability to turn off the Vita-Chambers which instantly respawn you if you die. I never actually turned them off because this game is a pretty good challenge with them on, but I like the option.
There is also technically a lot more water in this game, which is good for a game about a failed underwater city. I say technically because the parts in which you are walking around in the water feel really tacked on and unnecessary. It seems almost like they didn't get around to making those parts until it was nearly too late and they didn't really get to do the idea justice. Perhaps the underwater splicers illustrated in the Special Edition art book is evidence of this. Whatever the case, it was a good idea that didn't go where it should have.
Overall, I must again say that if you didn't like the first game, you probably won't like this one either. It really doesn't feel revolutionary. Having said that, it does feel like a natural extension of what Bioshock brought us in 2007. It's an outrageously fun game. If you like philosophy, art deco, bees, go get this game. It's not an ultra fast paced war game and for the ones looking for a straight up shooter, you may want to look elsewhere, but for those who want more proof that games are in fact art, Bioshock 2 is it.
Played on Xbox 360 on Hard.
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