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When Bioshock was released in fall 2007, it was a groundbreaking game. With its unique blend of art deco-meets-Jules-Verne visuals and Ayn Rand-inspired philosophical debates about the nature of man and free will, it quickly became a classic. It was a great game, but a self-contained one. It wasn't designed with a sequel in mind and with creator Ken Levine moving on to other things, there was a lot of skepticism regarding the viability of BioShock 2. Thankfully, the fine folks at 2K Marin have utilized their legacy of BioShock lore to craft a fine sequel that enhances the series.
This time around you play as Delta, a prototype Big Daddy (for the uninitiated, a Big Daddy is a lumbering beast in a diving suit brainwashed to protect the freakish Little Sisters, girls who scavenge corpses for their genetic material). Awakening after ten years, you're now tasked with tracking down your particular Little Sister, Eleanor. This is easier said than done as Eleanor's mother, psychiatrist Sofia Lamb, has replaced the previous game's antagonist, Andrew Ryan, as the most influential person in Rapture (Ryan's failed underwater Utopia). Unlike Ryan, Lamb is a hardcore collectivist with her own twisted ideas about the destiny of Rapture. Worse, she knows more about you than you do, and she'll do anything to stop you from getting to her daughter.
The idea of a sequel taking place nearly a decade later than the first BioShock was a compelling one, but not without its flaws. Questions like, "How does Rapture still have electricity? What have the few survivors been up to the past nine years?" and "How come Sofia Lamb was never mentioned in the first game?" remain niggling plot holes. As such, BioShock 2 requires players to suspend their disbelief more or less to the breaking point.
Ignoring these questions is worth it though, as the main plot is surprisingly good. It drags its heels near the middle when the search for Eleanor becomes more of a backdrop for more immediate, albeit less interesting, threats. It's in the second half of the game where the story really picks up steam. Unlike the first game which was high on setting and philosophy but low on character, BioShock 2 has a surprisingly well developed cast. These are characters you actually grow to care about despite only hearing their voices for much of the game. And Delta in particular, although mute and Frankenstein-like, becomes one of the most interesting protagonists in recent gaming.
While BioShock 2's characters have gotten better, when it comes to gameplay, first impressions leave something to be desired. While the first BioShock got a lot of mileage out of its unique setting, Rapture is old hat by now, lacking that sense of mystique one got the first time around. Initially, the game feels very similar to its predecessor. While you play as a Big Daddy, you'd never know it aside from the corners of the screen being cut off by your diving helmet. You still move at an even clip, use plasmids, and have no memory. Even your drill arm is mostly a novelty, since you can swap it out for guns. Given how far down the rabbit hole the game ventures thematically, it's a shame that the aesthetics and design play things so safe. Thankfully, these feelings of deja vu subside midway through. The environments get more interesting and there are some very unique scenarios unlike anything seen in the first game; it's when the game breaks free of Andrew Ryan's great chain that it's at its best.
Despite similarities to its predecessor, there are a couple of new additions to the BioShock canon. Most noteworthy is the ability to adopt little sisters. This allows you to use them to harvest Adam, the game's currency for upgrading powers. They do this by siphoning it out of corpses while you defend them from oncoming enemies. These standoffs represent some of the best combat in the game, allowing you to set a bevy of traps and take full advantage of your ever-expanding arsenal. Watching splicers (prior citizens of Rapture who abused its genetic engineering until it ruined their minds and bodies) frantically run to and fro while being chased by bees, lit on fire, attacked by security sentries, and turned against each other is great while you pick them off one by one. This sheer madness makes up for any mechanical flaws in the combat.
Also new are the Big Sisters, which resemble some sort of female, scuba diving cyber ninjas. Their existence may seem arbitrary and silly at first, but rest assured, they're in there for a reason. For better or worse, encounters with them are triggered by dealing with every little sister in a level. On one hand, this robs the Big Sisters of the element of surprise, and ruins any sense of horror they may have. On the other hand, it gives the player time to prepare and set up traps, leading to more wonderfully absurd, chaotic mayhem.
While the BioShock series is most notable for its engrossing narratives and gorgeous locales, the other half of the equation lies in its combat which is a mixed bag. It's better here than it was in the first BioShock, but not quite better enough to justify how much more there is of it. You can now dual-wield weapons and plasmids (i.e. spells), both of which feel as if they've been retooled since the last game to balance them out. Level 2 and 3 plasmids now require charging and the hornet swarms are now actually useful, not just cool looking. Other than this, combat is just as loose as it was in the first game. Enemies never miss, they surround you from all angles, and it's not unusual to lose most of your health before you can even tell where you're being attacked from. It's also disappointing that there aren't more new plasmids or weapons to toy with. Viewed as a shooter, BioShock 2 lacks precision, which makes it all the stranger that the multiplayer component is based on it. The mode feels tacked-on, and while amusing, is hardly a reason to get the game.
The reason you should get the game is the way it enhances the fiction brought forth from its predecessor. While BioShock 2 plays things safe for too long, it does eventually manage to carve out its own identity as any good sequel should. Where the first game was heady and philosophical, BioShock 2 is personal and heartfelt. Playing as a Big Daddy isn't just a gimmick, but rather an exploration on what it means to be a father. Eleanor isn't just a girl who needs rescuing, but rather one of the strongest female characters seen in recent gaming. While the question of whether to harvest or rescue Little Sisters has lost its luster, Delta's tale involves its own complex moral choices. It asks some tough questions and the answers are equal parts haunting and touching.
BioShock 2 is not simply a retread of the first game, even if it sometimes plays like one. Its setting and structure may lack a certain punch this time around, but give it time and any concerns of it being "BioShock Too" soon subside. Yes, it's still a simple matter of scavenging for supplies and audio diaries while shooting slicers, but it proves its worth with a fascinating tale of family, devotion, revenge, redemption and love, proving that even in the darkest corners of the earth there's still room to shine. A sea of dreams indeed.
Fun Factor: Uncovering your personal story make the second dive to Rapture just as engaging as the first. Beautiful art direction and amusing combat scenarios.
Difficulty: A little unbalanced. Goes from easy to hard, then easy again. Three difficulty settings and no death penalty allow anyone to see the story through to the end.
Length: About 18 hours. There is some replay value based on the choices you make, but they don't effect things much. Might be worth a second playthrough to mess around with different plasmid setups.
On the Negative Side: Gets off to a slow start. Takes awhile before it really distinguishes itself from its predecessor.
Bang for your Buck: Anyone who liked BioShock should feel satisfied with this.
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