Reviewing BioShock 2 without giving away too many plot points can be difficult. Therefore it is best to review the individual parts that make up the game. Sound, Graphics, gameplay, presentation. If you played the 1st Bioshock then you may have felt a little let down by the ending, but actually pretty impressed with the standard of writing and the story that took you through the game.
Rest-assured that it is pretty much the same top story telling in the 2nd game. Without ruining any of the experience you can be content with knowing that the story will draw you in and take you on yet another magical journey through Rapture. So ignoring plot points it is straight down to business.
Aside from the story there is one other important thing that a game like this lives or dies on. The atmosphere. That is made up mostly of graphics and sound. So 1st the graphics. Rapture looks stunning, there really is no other word to describe it. Irrational Games (2K Boston) have once again produced a world that is beautiful, which is an odd thing to say about a world that is mostly run down and left in tatters. The lighting effects are simply wonderful, from well lit rooms, to dark dank areas that rely on your own torchlight. It really does draw you in, to the point that it is possible to jump at your own shadow.
The art style used in the game is excellent too, it uses an Art Deco style to perfection. It shows off the period and again really immerses you in the world around you. Right up to a point that after running around in a panic finishing off splices the temptation is always there to go back and look around at everything around you. Everything from furniture, art and even trash cans have been designed to fit into this world accordingly.
Of course no matter how stunning the world can look, a game like this needs to have the sound to complete the immersion. Irrational Games once again get this spot on. Right from the get go, the music used in the loading screens are a joy to listen to. It is nearly impossible not to have a little smile when listening. The in-game sound effects work alongside the visuals really well. Ramp the volume up, have your surround sound on and prepare to be looking behind your shoulder to see what that noise was. Drips of water can unnerve as you enter a new area. Hearing the stomp of a Big Daddy along with the feeling of rumble on the pad actually make you grip the pad tighter like a child would a comfort blanket. The Big Sisters make noises that are piercing. Sound is a major factor in the story telling too. BioShock tells its story while you play, aside from a few rare moments you are always in control, within the game engine moving on through a level. Most of the story comes from Tape Recorders you collect, or via communications direct from the major players within Rapture. It really works and it means you as the player never once feel disconnected from the story or the game.
Despite being essentially a FPS game, it doesn't play like one. Not in the way you'd play a Call Of Duty game, or a Battlefield game for example. It has more in common with something like Fallout. Yes it is first-person, yes you shoot others. However it is more a journey that just happens to have those elements. It works because of this, you never feel like you need to be amazing at FPS titles to get the most out of BioShock, no matter your skill level you feel like you can take on the story mode, you never once feel like you are being held back. Yet in the same respects if you are good at FPS games then you will likely find the battles that bit easier. The balance shown in the game is spot on. Obviously it is a well know fact about Bioshock that moral decisions play a major factor in the game's story. These never actually feel too out of place and they are well placed that you may need to take a moment to make that decision. Again to avoid ruining any surprises within the game, none of these decision making moments will be revealed.
The original BioShock was a single player only experience, it was all that was needed. In BioShock 2 however, the decision was made to include online multiplayer. Again the game does well in making any skill level feel they can participate, something that other games can struggle with. The front end to the multiplayer is fantastic, keeping you immersed all the time. Rather than constant menus, the player will 1st enter a prologue which ends up acting as your main menu. Here you can choose you player type, weapons you carry, the clothes you wear. Also to enter the games you walk into a chamber that then takes you to the lobby menus. Here the game falls down a bit. It can be a bit slow and painful at times trying to find a random game to play. However once in the net-code seems stable and the action if constant.
It isn't the best mulitplayer game out there, but as a side dish to single player's main course it is a competent enough attempt. So how to grade the game? BioShock was critically acclaimed and received many perfect scores. BioShock 2 continues the story and plays really well. The story is fantastic, the gameplay is spot on, visuals and sound are perfect, multiplayer is fine. It is however a lot more of the same, it doesn't really improve overall on the original. It is far from a bad game but it isn't perfect. If you pick it up you won't be disappointed, you will in-fact be treated to a sequel of real quality. More that can be said for many movie sequels.For a chance to win a BioShock 2 Strategy guide in our competition, please click here.
