This is only my 2nd review, and After looking at my first review, which oddly enough happened to be Bioshock 1, I realize how terrible my review was. I only stated what was wrong with the game, and then gave it a 9.5. This is only because I happen to be a huge Bioshock Fanboy, so naturally I tried to not be bias and pointed out what I thought wrong with the game. So for this review I will state What I found wrong with the sequal to Bioshock, then move onto why this really is a good game. For those of you who havent played it, there will be SPOILERS as I want to point out what I thought right and wrong with the game no matter what. Just to Warn you. So without further ado, my Bioshock 2 Review. I will also review the multiplayer at the end.
FAULTS:
Bioshock 2 has several faults, but to start out with is the story length. I being the Bioshock fanboy I am, tried to find out alot about the game before it came out, and people said that it was going to be short- 10-13 hours. At the time I thought nothing of it, 10-13 hours? Plenty of time, isnt that how long the first was? How naive I was. I got the game the day it came out, and didnt get home till about 6 to play the game. I greatly enjoyed it, and at 2 in the morning, I saved and quit. I was at Fontaine Futuristics, and I had school the next day, so I needed to stop. I came back the next day and beat the game- only something felt wrong. In fact I beleive that just maybe the game glitched and flew over a large part of the game. In fact it was so short I didnt really truly get a chance to try out my Insect Swarm 3 plasmid as I had been wanting to. WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED? There are about 8 levels in the game compared to the firsts whopping 12, and though that doesnt seem like a large amount- trust me, You'll notice it.
Jingles- I loved the jingles from the first game at the vending machines "WELCOME TO THE CIRCUS OF VALUES!" And they are gone in the secound game, this could make sense as time has passed maybe the machines have broken down to a degree? However 2k stated that someone accidentally turned off the sound for the vending machines. They have also stated that they will probably try to get that fixed through a patch.
Big Sisters- Big sisters are good- if they were explained. Me being the fanboy I am, new months ahead of time that the big sisters were grown up little sisters that came back to Rapture, however this isnt really explained well in the game. Also, the single Big Sister character seems like maybe it would have been a better way to go.
Returns- When I got Bioshock 2, I expected to return to levels in even worse shape than when I saw them in Bioshock 1. My favorite level was Medical Pavilon, but I doubted that would return, however surely Fort Frolic would right? I mean, the designer for that level in the original was now in charge of the sequal- how could it be missed? I wanted to see Cohen and Ryan (I am a believer that they are alive) but even though I would have preferred seeing Ryans rotting corpse to what I got- ABSOLUTLY NOTHING. You dont see Cohen, You dont go to Rapture central control- Hell you dont even see Fontaine's mengaled corpse. I swear there better be some really good DLC with these places along the line...
Bioshock 2 just doesnt give me the same feeling that the original did, it was a completely different feel (some would say that was a good thing) But at least we are back in Rapture- and guess what you doubters- you cant have Bioshock without Rapture, so for those of you that think we need a new area- get over it.
GOOD POINTS:
Combat- Combat is vastly improved. The gathering sequences were actually fun, but eventually became tiresome to do 3 times on each level. And the game is remarkably more EFFICIENT than the original. You ever bore a drill through a guys hear while simultaneously burning him to smithereans? Outa try it some time.
Weapons- From the drill to the spear gun, the weapons are vastly more entertaining than in the last game, in fact I find myself using every single one, unlike in Bioshock 1 where the Shotgun and crossbow where the staples of (at least my) weapon diet. Its very fun to nail people to walls, have them fly around the room, blow their brains out with a shotgun, bash their face in with a drill- I think you get the idea.
Plasmids- Plasmids have gotten a big boost, Insect Swarm 3 turns dead corpses of fallen foes into Bee bombs, attacking anyone who walks by, Incinerate! 3 can be used as a flamethrower, Electrobolt 3 can create a lightnign storm, I'll let you find the rest, however the game doesnt really give you alot of time to test out all the powers and combinations- I understand it should be an RPG, but I would like some time to try Insect Swarm on a big sister, unless you get the plasmids you wan at the very begining,this wont happen, and dont expect a whole lotta time with their fully upgraded forms.
Difficulty- Lately I have heard alot of people complaining about the difficulty- SHUT THE F**K UP! The game hits the difficulty mark right on, compared to the first game, easy is equal to the medium of the first, medium is equal to hard, and Hard is equal to survivor. Also, health, hypos, and ammo are much more rare. Making the game come closer to the originals spiritual successor, SS2. Instead of not trying and always being able to survive, now I literally have to fight to survive, between Brutes, Alpha Series, and Big Sisters, it does get a little hard.
Ending- I am a pure soul, so I only save little sisters, even on secound or third playthroughs, I always save, I cant even hurt Holloway, or the others. But I have seen what all four endings are, and they are alot better than the original's. (although I had no problem with the original's ending) The twist is especially good, and even though I said I would put spoilers, I cant bring myself to post it.
-MULTIPLAYER-
Before Infinity Ward's cock sucking little fanboys rush out to defend their shitty Mw2 multiplayer (Mw1 was MUCH better) Let me say this, the only good Multiplayer games I even bother with are Uncharted 2, and Bioshock 2 (Halo 2 if I had an Xbox, NOT 3!) Its fun, remarkably well made, has an excellent level up system, and great story to go along with it, as well as sticking to that Bioshock feeling.
VERDICT
I give Bioshock 2 a 9.1 out of 10. Its not as good as the original, and I recommend that one first, but if you think about it, what better could you hope a sequal to be? It is just that- a sequal. Not to mention a sequal to Game of the Year, done by a different group, without Ken Levine. But, they managed to live up to what they needed to, now lets start praying for some good old dlc!
FAULTS:
Bioshock 2 has several faults, but to start out with is the story length. I being the Bioshock fanboy I am, tried to find out alot about the game before it came out, and people said that it was going to be short- 10-13 hours. At the time I thought nothing of it, 10-13 hours? Plenty of time, isnt that how long the first was? How naive I was. I got the game the day it came out, and didnt get home till about 6 to play the game. I greatly enjoyed it, and at 2 in the morning, I saved and quit. I was at Fontaine Futuristics, and I had school the next day, so I needed to stop. I came back the next day and beat the game- only something felt wrong. In fact I beleive that just maybe the game glitched and flew over a large part of the game. In fact it was so short I didnt really truly get a chance to try out my Insect Swarm 3 plasmid as I had been wanting to. WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED? There are about 8 levels in the game compared to the firsts whopping 12, and though that doesnt seem like a large amount- trust me, You'll notice it.
Jingles- I loved the jingles from the first game at the vending machines "WELCOME TO THE CIRCUS OF VALUES!" And they are gone in the secound game, this could make sense as time has passed maybe the machines have broken down to a degree? However 2k stated that someone accidentally turned off the sound for the vending machines. They have also stated that they will probably try to get that fixed through a patch.
Big Sisters- Big sisters are good- if they were explained. Me being the fanboy I am, new months ahead of time that the big sisters were grown up little sisters that came back to Rapture, however this isnt really explained well in the game. Also, the single Big Sister character seems like maybe it would have been a better way to go.
Returns- When I got Bioshock 2, I expected to return to levels in even worse shape than when I saw them in Bioshock 1. My favorite level was Medical Pavilon, but I doubted that would return, however surely Fort Frolic would right? I mean, the designer for that level in the original was now in charge of the sequal- how could it be missed? I wanted to see Cohen and Ryan (I am a believer that they are alive) but even though I would have preferred seeing Ryans rotting corpse to what I got- ABSOLUTLY NOTHING. You dont see Cohen, You dont go to Rapture central control- Hell you dont even see Fontaine's mengaled corpse. I swear there better be some really good DLC with these places along the line...
Bioshock 2 just doesnt give me the same feeling that the original did, it was a completely different feel (some would say that was a good thing) But at least we are back in Rapture- and guess what you doubters- you cant have Bioshock without Rapture, so for those of you that think we need a new area- get over it.
GOOD POINTS:
Combat- Combat is vastly improved. The gathering sequences were actually fun, but eventually became tiresome to do 3 times on each level. And the game is remarkably more EFFICIENT than the original. You ever bore a drill through a guys hear while simultaneously burning him to smithereans? Outa try it some time.
Weapons- From the drill to the spear gun, the weapons are vastly more entertaining than in the last game, in fact I find myself using every single one, unlike in Bioshock 1 where the Shotgun and crossbow where the staples of (at least my) weapon diet. Its very fun to nail people to walls, have them fly around the room, blow their brains out with a shotgun, bash their face in with a drill- I think you get the idea.
Plasmids- Plasmids have gotten a big boost, Insect Swarm 3 turns dead corpses of fallen foes into Bee bombs, attacking anyone who walks by, Incinerate! 3 can be used as a flamethrower, Electrobolt 3 can create a lightnign storm, I'll let you find the rest, however the game doesnt really give you alot of time to test out all the powers and combinations- I understand it should be an RPG, but I would like some time to try Insect Swarm on a big sister, unless you get the plasmids you wan at the very begining,this wont happen, and dont expect a whole lotta time with their fully upgraded forms.
Difficulty- Lately I have heard alot of people complaining about the difficulty- SHUT THE F**K UP! The game hits the difficulty mark right on, compared to the first game, easy is equal to the medium of the first, medium is equal to hard, and Hard is equal to survivor. Also, health, hypos, and ammo are much more rare. Making the game come closer to the originals spiritual successor, SS2. Instead of not trying and always being able to survive, now I literally have to fight to survive, between Brutes, Alpha Series, and Big Sisters, it does get a little hard.
Ending- I am a pure soul, so I only save little sisters, even on secound or third playthroughs, I always save, I cant even hurt Holloway, or the others. But I have seen what all four endings are, and they are alot better than the original's. (although I had no problem with the original's ending) The twist is especially good, and even though I said I would put spoilers, I cant bring myself to post it.
-MULTIPLAYER-
Before Infinity Ward's cock sucking little fanboys rush out to defend their shitty Mw2 multiplayer (Mw1 was MUCH better) Let me say this, the only good Multiplayer games I even bother with are Uncharted 2, and Bioshock 2 (Halo 2 if I had an Xbox, NOT 3!) Its fun, remarkably well made, has an excellent level up system, and great story to go along with it, as well as sticking to that Bioshock feeling.
VERDICT
I give Bioshock 2 a 9.1 out of 10. Its not as good as the original, and I recommend that one first, but if you think about it, what better could you hope a sequal to be? It is just that- a sequal. Not to mention a sequal to Game of the Year, done by a different group, without Ken Levine. But, they managed to live up to what they needed to, now lets start praying for some good old dlc!