At a glance...

BioShock 2 review

Sequels to popular and well-reviewed games are usually eagerly awaited. After all, there's a great base to build on, we may have fallen in love with the characters, and hopefully developers will have learned enough to iron out the mistakes and deliver something even better. That happened with Mass Effect and Assassin's Creed, both of which were great games that suffered from a few annoyances initially but these were successfully overcome in the sequels; they were eagerly awaited and they delivered. The difference with BioShock is that, while it had a few minor niggles, it was actually one of - if not the - best games of 2007, so there were no major issues that you would expect a sequel to tidy up. The original also had a story that wrapped things up to an extent, leaving us wondering where it could go next, and the addition of multiplayer in the new version was already creating some scepticism. Added to this was the involvement of multiple development studios, only one of which (2K Australia) were involved in the original, and BioShock 2 was already facing a significant uphill battle to win over critics, despite following on from such a highly regarded game.

If you're wondering how the story of BioShock 2 picks up from the original then you may be pleased or disappointed to learn that we are back in the underwater city-state of Rapture, 10 years after the events of the first game. Despite coming back to the same place, things have changed quite a bit since you were last here; previously the city was crumbling, but now it's collapsing as the oceans reclaim it. As before, Rapture is a curious place, filled with art deco architecture that represents the era of its construction (mid-1940s), but mixed with some futuristic technology that resulted from having some of the best minds in the world in one place. It has, however, lost some of the awe you experienced in the first game; it's still an impressive place with some beautiful views of the city available occasionally, but now it feels much more familiar, despite the fact that you're seeing rather different parts of the city now. It's more of the same, but that's not really a bad thing at all.

You no longer play as the human Jack, instead taking on the role of one of the Big Daddies - the powerful metal-suited enemies from the original. This doesn't, however, mean you are consigned to walking really slowly and only wielding the drill; you play as one of the prototype versions of these genetically-enhanced creatures, and thus you are able to use weapons other than the drill, as well as wielding many 'powers' (known as plasmids), such as creating fireballs and electric shocks. It's slightly disappointing to find that despite being in the position of playing as someone rather different, we still end up with the same combat gameplay as previously. That said, however, you are aware that you are in a big suit, with the weight carried across well through the sound and on-screen motion when you walk or jump, complete with a satisfying thud when you hit the ground. The combat actually feels better this time around, mostly thanks to improvements in the enemy AI. Hiding in a corner from an onslaught of ADAM-infested humans known as splicers is not going to be as safe as it once was; the splicers will make efforts to get to you, approach you from different angles, and very often will throw grenades to force you out. Attacking them, too, has become more difficult as they dodge your bullets and avoid your plasmid attacks, and at times you do feel they are a little too powerful against you as a big daddy.

ADAM remains the curse of Rapture, and a key part of the game. The biological agent is used to obtain plasmids, which themselves are powered by another agent called EVE. ADAM can be obtained from small infested girls called Little Sisters like before, and the same moral dilemma of harvesting versus saving remains - but this time the latter option plays into the Big Daddy-Little Sister bond set up in the original. As a Big Daddy yourself you need to defeat other Big Daddies to gain access to their Little Sister, and if you choose not to harvest her instantly, you will encounter scenarios where you need to defend her from waves of splicers as she extracts ADAM for you. Unlike the escort missions seen in many games, these don't suffer because you're waiting on an irritating AI-controlled partner to keep up with you who gets in your way at every turn; the Little Sister sits on your shoulder and only comes into her own during the defence stages. Even dying and coming back in a Vita-Chamber won't kill her off - she'll be waiting for you outside. Yes, the Vita-Chambers are back, bringing you back from the dead in a way that makes sense in the story, and helping to keep you in the action. They are controversial, arguably making the game too easy, but if you really need the challenge then there are Achievements available for those who don't die.

Although present through audio diaries in the game, Andrew Ryan and Frank Fontaine aren't the focus in BioShock 2, instead we have Sofia Lamb who has filled the power vacuum Ryan left behind with her efforts to establish a commune in the libertarian utopia. She doesn't hold quite the same weight as an antagonist as Frank Fontaine did, and despite some interesting twists and turns in the story - which I will not spoil here - there's nothing to match the well-executed major twist we saw in the first game. The story is generally told in the same way as before; with radio communications, on-screen actions, and the aforementioned audio diaries. The world remains intriguing despite it's familiarity, and the writing is again very well executed. Any fears that the new developers would ruin this important characteristic of the series have been allayed.

One important addition to the game are the Big Sisters, an army of metal-suited creatures working for Lamb, and appearing periodically through the game after you have dealt with a batch of Little Sisters in an area. Unfortunately they are not quite as major opponents as had been previously expected, and instead of one Big Sister battling you over the course of the game, you get a bunch of mini-boss sections where you take on a different Big Sister each time. It becomes a little formulaic, but the dynamic movements and different ways of attacking make a refreshing change from all the splicers and Big Daddies you're normally fighting. Hacking returns in BioShock 2, but instead of the Pipe Dream-type game in the original, you instead get a dial with a needle moving back and forth. You must stop the needle in the green areas to unlock doors or take control of turrets and cameras, stay clear of the red areas to avoid setting off the alarms, and aim for the blue areas for an added bonus, such as an extra health pack. It's certainly simpler, but this is a good quality when you have to hack so many items throughout the game, and is welcome after the endless repetition of pattern matching in Mass Effect 2.

A sense of exploration has been retained in BioShock 2, although the story itself remains rather linear, apart from a few important moral choices you get to make. You can explore the environment, and pick up as many secrets and Little Sisters as you chose (with some exceptions). The game also makes a big deal of your being able to go outside into the water and see more of Rapture, although these are usually point-to-point affairs, with conveniently placed walls blocking a proper venture out around the city. Thankfully these moments are both visually impressive, and convey the sense of being underwater very well, particularly if you make your Big Daddy jump.

BioShock 2 is at least as beautiful as the first game, and more so in many areas. It is again powered by the excellent Unreal Engine 3, which seems to be powering the majority of "Triple A" titles these days, with some added visual trickery as a result of the extra 2 or so years since the previous game. Water is particularly impressive, with the drips from the ceiling providing a satisfying dripping sound on your helmet, and obscuring your view. On the PC version you can enjoy a whole variety of resolutions, including the 1080p I played it at, and can expect to enjoy a steady framerate from a fairly decent setup. The way widescreen was displayed initially suffered the same problem as a pre-patched original BioShock, but thankfully this issue was quickly addressed by the developers. You can expect smooth animation and sharp visuals, and what remains one of gaming's best-looking environments.

Games for Windows LIVE is heavily present in BioShock 2, powering the authentication method for those who want automatic updates, Achievements (which tie in to the same account as Xbox Live), and online play. There's also SecureROM DRM on the disc if you buy the retail version of the game. Whatever your opinion on those elements, those are the facts.

The aforementioned Games for Windows LIVE-powered multiplayer mode is rather different from the single player component. In fact, it's developed by different people; while the three 2K studios created the single player game, Digital Extremes - known for their work on the Unreal Tournament series with Epic Games - were responsible for this new part of the game. It's actually set before the events of the original game, in 1959, and features the civil war which brought down Rapture. You play as a splicer, sponsored by Plasmid manufacturer Sinclair Solutions to try out their plasmids, tonics and weapons, and you earn access to these with each level gained. They are placed into your loadout, which is set up before each match, and features 2 weapons, 2 plasmids, 3 tonics, and upgrades for each. Levels are gained through ADAM, which is itself obtained by your actions in-game.

Providing a background story and general scenario for the multiplayer certainly makes it a more interesting experience. There are seven modes on offer which are variations on the usual fare, with the appropriate theme, including "Last Splicer Standing" which is a no-respawn team deathmatch, Capture the Sister (one flag CTF), ADAM Grab (hold on a Little Sister as long as possible), and Turf War, where teams aim to capture points on a map. The gameplay itself also differs from the standard fare thanks to the plasmids and tonics, the ability to hack turrets for use against enemies, and even the ability to 'research' your foes to get an advantage in combat. It all leads to a very enjoyable experience across the 10 maps, but it's not without it's problems. Like the PC version of Modern Warfare 2 there is a disappointing lack of dedicated servers, especially considering their presence in other Unreal Engine 3 games, and this can lead to occasional problems with lag. This removal of support seems to be part of a move by publishers towards taking more control over your multiplayer gaming, something also seen in the the lack of customisable options for your multiplayer sessions, and in the near-enforcement of Games for Windows LIVE-powered matchmaking - only private games avoid this, with no server browser available. However, these shortcomings, which are more usually seen on the consoles, shouldn't take away from the fact that the multiplayer is an enjoyable and unique experience that compliments the single player campaign well.

Ratings

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