Recently Bioshock 2 was pulled down from Steam, PlayStation network, and Xbox Live a few weeks ago. To the uninitiated it may just seem that this due to music licensing issues caused it too be pulled down, while other like myself may see this in another way (as in people got smart and they stopped selling it). Bioshock 2 is one the biggest let downs ever created, when compared to it’s predecessor Bioshock. While Bioshock was an amazing experience with a gripping story amazing voice cast, and amazing underwater utopia Bioshock 2 is the of the copy and paste of the original while bringing nothing new to the table or anything important to the franchise (except Minerva’s Den which I’ll get to at the end). The following has a few spoilers so if you haven’t played it….just shrug it off.
Setting & Gameplay
Bioshock 2 takes us back into rapture ten years after the first game. Your tasked once again with finding and saving little sisters while fighting off splicers (genetically enhanced humans that have become crazy due to splicing there genes with new DNA ability’s). While the levels aren’t cut and paste from the first game you are still in Rapture the under water utopia that is breaking down at every turn. And you do seem to run into similar audio tales from the first game with most of the voice cast reprising your role. But that’s the extent the game goes. Your still in the same environment, doing the same objectives, still talking to a lot of the same characters.
Story
The only major thing difference from the get go is that your a first generation Big Daddy (super spliced human beings in a diving suit) that is able to use powers and weapons at the same time. This was a minor change from the original formula as your protagonist in the past game had already been thru a lot of the same simulator powers and guns. But unlike the first game where your character past had effected the titular characters of the game, “Johnny Topside” is just a big daddy with very little past and no real impact on the story other than how you affect Eleanor. The other characters like Sinclair and Sofia lamb are one dimensional. Sinclair only wants to sell the city, while Lamb only wants to make Eleanor the savoir of mankind. Theirs no other dimension to the characters. Even Elinor who by the end of game is suppose to be a reflection of your choices in the game only is super nice or super evil. The plot points forgiveness and acceptance just seemed shewed in at the last minute.
If you take nothing out of this whole rant take this: Bioshock 2 is a cash grab in a very bad way. There’s only one good part to it…
Minerva’s Den
The best part of Bioshock 2 doesn’t even come with it. Minerva’s den is four hour DLC campaign where you play as another big daddy called Sigma. The story really works well explaining how a computer called the Thinker (A advanced computer that has been spliced) can effectually compute the future by mathematically seeing all probabilities and outcomes (and becoming a god in the process). It’s a rock solid premise and has solid characters. Even Sigma has a part in the story directly that leaves you questioning the premise of the game. It really come’s off as Frankenstein meets Homeward Bound.
Pick it up if you ever want to see what a solid DLC feels like.
EDIT: As of today (5/3/2015) Bioshock 2 has comeback to sale!
Words As My Weapon 