PS3 Review – Bioshock 2
Though it was late to the PS3 party, the original Bioshock was one of the best games released for the PS3–or any console for that matter. With an impressive setting, a well-told story, and fun action, Bioshock set the bar high for an eventual sequel. Now we have that follow up with Bioshock 2. Does it continue to raise the bar set by the original?
Bioshock 2 drops players back into Rapture 8 years after the events of the first game and puts them into the role of ‘Subject Delta,’ a Big Daddy and one of the early models of its kind. Players find that they are searching for their daughter, who is being held captive at the hands of Rapture’s new leader, Sofia Lamb. It’s back into the world of Rapture, full of various splicers, new models of Big Daddies, and a new entry to the family, the Big Sister. You are given some clues as to what has happened since the first game, but if you are looking for a lot of details, you will be disappointed. Also, if you are looking for the same kind of plot twists that made the first game great, you will be left wanting, as this game shows you the enemy at the beginning, and it’s just a matter of getting to her.
If you have played the original Bioshock, then you should be right at home in the 2nd one, because the gameplay has not really changed much between the two. However, this time you assume the role of a Big Daddy, one of the fearsome foes you tangled with in the first game. Let me tell you, there is almost nothing that beats putting on that Daddy suit and mangling people with your drill. In the game you are given a weapon in your right hand, while your left hand is used for a plasmids. Plasmids in the game grant you powers like Fire or, my personal favorite, Insect Swarm, which, as its name suggests, sends a swarm of insects towards your enemies. You can easily swap between different plasmids and guns with the touch of L1 or R1. You can carry 8 plasmids at one time and collect 8 different weapons during the course of the game. Each gun contains many different uses depending on the ammunition that you load into it and each gun can be upgraded 3 times at upgrade stations throughout the game.
Just like the first Bioshock, you will find vending machines in Rapture that will sell you health, eve, and ammunition. If you choose, you can simply buy for the regular price, or you can hack the machine to get a lower price. Hacking in the game has been simplified, and it is much easier to get into vending machines, safes, turrets and security bots. When you choose to hack something, you are given a bar with a pointer moving back and forth. You simply click X once the pointer is over a green area and continue until the machine is hacked. Or if you prefer, you can always pay to hack it, but with the simplicity of the hacking system and the tonics you get later on, there is really no point.
Speaking about Tonics, during the game you will be able to use ADAM that you have collected to purchase new tonics. These tonics grant you bonuses to your hacking, researching skills, and other boosts. You start with just a few open slots but over time you can unlock 18 tonic slots to customize your Daddy the way you want. You can also film your enemies to learn more about their movements and gain combat bonuses against them. Gain more research points by filming the enemy and then proceeding to destroy it in their world.
The gameplay is not exactly the same from the first game as you have new tools at your disposal this time. For starters you now have the ability to hack cameras, turrets and doors from a distance. This is very useful as you don’t have to run up and get wailed on while trying to hack, which is exactly what I found myself doing through most of the first game. You also gain the ability to adopt a little sister and carry her around with you. Little Sisters in the game are of course little girls who are protected by the Big Daddies and go around collecting ADAM, which is a drug that has driven the residents of Rapture insane. Now you can be the one to let the Sister harvest some ADAM while you stand guard but beware, once she starts you will have half of Rapture coming down on you so be prepared. Once collected ADAM is used to purchase new Plasmids, Tonics, health and eve.
Now after you have used the Little Sister to harvest from two bodies you now must head to a vent and decide just what to do with her. You can either save the girl and release her or you can harvest the girl. The benefits here being that if you harvest her you get more ADAM but if you save a few little sisters, they will reward you with gifts that are very good. So either way it just all falls down to preference here, which for me was to save them (my fiance made me promise not to kill any).
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14 Responses to “PS3 Review – Bioshock 2”
Just beat the first one. Loved it.
really disappointed to hear that about the multiplayer, I’m still really looking forward to trying it out. It seemed like something that would have a lot of potential to be fun and innovative, and I was hoping that having an additional developer working on that would give them the chance to make it really work well. Oh well, as long as the single player is still really fun I’ll be satisfied.
@BigWoopMagazine
actually the multiplayer is fun. You can use a variety of ways to use your weapon load out with your plasmids
graphics??? have you seen darksiders and brutal legend? Bioshock 2 looks beautiful.
@wtGp – so to each their own I guess? Some people might like it and others not so much? Thats what I was thinking though, combining different plasmid load outs with different weapons might really effect the way you play… I’m playing through the first one on survivor mode right now, and I know it makes a huge difference what plasmids I choose to get on how I play through the game. I wonder how much the lag will actually ruin it though – if you have a good host it shouldn’t be a problem, right?
@Selfja – I was thinking to myself that even playing Bioshock 1 right now, it still looks better than some recent games I own,,, so even a slight improvement on that will be fine with me. I’m trying not to take any review seriously at the moment, since Bio1 set the bar high enough that its real easy to get some high expectations here.
@ everyone
The online MP is very well done…sure it is NOTHING like COD or Bad Company or any other shooter because you have Plasmids at your disposal. But for the most part I think the MP was pretty well thought out. The netcode is good…no patches needed (MW2)…the online runs great. The only thing that gets me is that the game takes like 3 min to log you onto the online menus.
It should be called Bioshock 1.5 or Bioshock: The Lost Levels
@kwietStorm
lmao.. that made my day.
I also agree with Cameron. They should update the game visually, they have the money after Bioshock 1 took off. Bioshock 2 reminds me of Bioshock 1 (visually) there probably using the same engine. Visually Bioshock 1 didnt draw me in.. it reminded me of a PC shooter. (im aware it came out on the PC). It looked like a typical PC shooter but with “powers” and a good story.
I honestly think visuals are soemthing not to really focus on, pretty much on any game that comes out now. Yes visuals are getting better, but we’ve reached the point wehre we’re too damn nitpicky. Remember PS1 when coudl couldn’t tell polygon arms from hands? now it’s like “GEEZ! this guy’s face should have moar wrinkles! he’s totally older than he looks. FAKE!!!”
most importantly is the story, and yeah, it does feel just like bioshock 1.5, but I’m fine with that. I loved bioshock, and this one is a great continuance…. but not a real sequel. mind you I haven’t beat it, but that’s just what it feels like.
Other than that, the weapons and Plasmids are inCREDible in #2. I have had a shit load of fun playing around with the spear gun attempting to pin splicers on the ceiling (which is totally possible, and incredibly rewarding)
@max
visuals are a part of the story.. why do you think FF7 cant grab the same attention as it did back in the days? because the visuals suck now. when you release a game that never changes visually, its tolerable… like COD w@w and MW1 and 2.. same thing, great game.. it never advances.
@Max
There’s a difference between being picky, and just expecting a sequel to a 2 year old game to look better. BioShock 2 looks EXACTLY like the first, and being that the first one released 2 years ago, it looks dated now. It looks like they didn’t even attempt to update their own build on top of that old ass Unreal 3. Visuals are not everything, but they play a big role in making a game believable. Now, being that BioShock 2 barely even tried to improve on the gameplay of the previous game, the graphics at least could have used a bump. As it stands, I feel like it was a waste of money. It’s just holding me over until Heavy Rain.
Am I weird? When I realized I had to give up the first Little Sister I didn’t want to.
I wanted to keep one for the entire game. I mean, I had just spent a couple hours carrying her around and protecting her as she collected ADAM. :S
I dunno, this game seems to be messing with my head, it doesn’t help that the character you play as is ‘Subject Delta’ since my PSN is Delta_Canuckian. Freaked me out the first time I heard it lol.
I kno I didnt even want 2 giv her up 2 4 some strange reason…..Ha, I got tired of her having 2 collect all that ADAM so I pretty much kept clicking “Harvest” after all that.
I think 4-5 is too much for it. Yeah what you said is right but I believe some of the levels are similar to each other which is annoying, not to mention that the story isn’t as great as the first one. Also they’re trying to make to convince you that Sofia Lamb is like Andrew Ryan which is a failure imo. But still the game’s worth playing for BioShock fans.