Bioshock 2 - Review

With Bioshock Infinite coming out next week, I decided to go back and play Bioshock 2.  I had put this one off for some time as it didn't have as many positive reviews as the first one in the series, but I wanted to see what this one had to offer and the fact that it was free through Playstation Plus gave me little reason to not give it a try.

PS+, Allowing Gamers to play games they wouldn't normally for 1.3 years

Bioshock 2 explores the relationship between Big Daddies and Little Sisters.  Big Daddies are displayed as creatures in large elaborate diving suits that escort Little Sisters, displayed as little girls ~ 8 years old but with glowing eyes and an unhealthy complexion, around the crumbling underwater former paradise known as Rapture. 

You will never un-see this

The Little Sisters gather Adam, a genetic enhancement drug, by harvesting it from "angels", or as you see them, dead people.  While they're harvesting, they're targets for Splicers, people driven mad by over using Adam and needing a fix.  This is where the Big Daddies come in to protect their Little Sisters.  Once harvested, Daddies take their Sisters back to their homes and go about their regular business.

So why is any of this important?  Well, in Bioshock, Little Sisters are presented as tortured souls that need to be cured.  They're also the only method you have for upgrading your powers which range from shooting lightning to being a master hacker.  If you want to be the most powerful Adam addict that you can be, curing them won't be enough, you're going to have to harvest them yourself.  In Bioshock 2, you play the role of an early model Big Daddy whose Little Sister is taken from him and then commanded to kill himself.  Years later he is resurrected and seeks to reunite with his companion.

Game play is very close to the original Bioshock with the exception that you may dual wield powers and weapons at the same time, making each equally important to progression.  You are guided by people trying to make the best of living in Rapture to overthrow Doctor Lamb, the scientist that took your Little Sister away.  Areas are level based, so backtracking only happens when moving from one part of the level to another and back.  Quests are your standard "Go Get This" or "Go Kill That" type quests and the storyline is presented to you via loudspeaker announcements from Lamb, communications from your helpers, or via recorders that are scattered about Rapture.  This is your typical first person shooter set in a storyline environment. 

What makes the game stand apart from others is using powers to overcome problems.  If there's a turret down the end of the hall you can either destroy it, disable it with lightning, hack it and take control of it, or have it re-prioritize targeting to the Splicers.  If you decide to hack it, you can blast it with cold to make hacking it easier, or increase your own hacking skills.  There's lots of options here, and you'll be able to play the way you want to.

Hacking in Bioshock 1

Hacking in Bioshock 2, we prefer the original

If you've played the first Bioshock, your immediate question is going to be "How does it hold up to the first game?"  I'm sorry to say that there's no major plot element that happens during the game like the encounter with Andrew Ryan from Bioshock.  There is a really cool sequence that lets you get a different perspective on the world of Rapture, but it's short and entirely for show.  In the end, it exposes itself as your average FPS with a story element and gets none deeper than that. 

If you're interested in the lore of the Big Daddies and Little Sisters, then yes, this game is a must play as it thoroughly explores the relationship between them.  If you're looking for the next great gaming experience, this isn't it.  Here's hoping that Infinity has some new tricks up its sleeves.