Phasmtis' Bioshock 2 Review

I love Bioshock 1, so much so that I bought the PS3 copy even though I already owned the 360 copy so needless to say I was looking forward to Bioshock 2, so much so that I was giddy waiting for my collector’s edition to arrive.

When I started playing it was awesome, character design seemed improved as did the graphics and the new plot was great too and top it all off multiplayer. Then I played on and the game doesn’t go that many fathoms down (It’s shallow).

The games flaws though easily overlooked become apparent when you think about it and that ultimately ruins the game. Everything seems good until you look closer, graphics, game play, character design and even multiplayer and the company doesn’t have that owe we are new excuse to pull because a separate team worked on the multiplayer and yet the game still feels like the single player is missing out because of that.

Likes: Being a Big Daddy, New Big Sisters, New Brute Splicers, First half of story

Dislikes: Second Half of story, Lamb, game can be considered propaganda, slurring Andrew Ryan to make Lamb a more tolerable character, ending (good, good one), unnecessary killings, flaws, balanced multiplayer

Game play

Well to start off you are a Big Daddy this time around and you are Delta and if you played the first be ready for a surprise, you suck. That’s right something that I found over look able because well I enjoy a challenge becomes a rather let down if your not like myself. Instead of being a super badarse, you are not that different from the first games protagonist, hell the AI attacks you too.

To counter your apperent weakness you are given some pretty powerful but lame weapons, the rivet launcher is forgettable, literally you will forget to use it. The Auto Hack is only used really when they make you and to deploy turrets which are pretty sweet. The Spear gun takes too long to reload which kills its enjoyment, but pinning people to walls is fun. The launcher is okay, but the weapon which is awesome is the drill, though it doesn’t make a bloody mess like is should it is still awesome to charge into splicers with it. Unfortunately you need fuel and problem with the drill is it is over powered against Big Daddies and Big Sisters, upgrade it and you can take down early level of each without getting hurt that bad.

Now the games staple is the Plasmids, which for those who don’t know what they are, plasmids are genetic modifications both stat wise and offence, defense and tactically. While there are some great plasmids they don’t have the impact force the first game had, literally, I am not talking wow factor I mean they literally were not as impactful in the game. The Bee hive mod, my personal favorite from the first game actually completely sucked considering the bees wouldn’t do anything. Even when you power them up they feel let downish, like they should have more power behind them but don’t. You’ll see what I mean with the electricity and fire level three mods. They are both rather a letdown. Great tactically if you keep zapping something while you use duel wielded weapon to kill their health.

That’s right new this time around is that you can duel wield weapons and plasmids at the same time; and it works control scheme wise. Duel wielding has been seen in many games, but nothing is more satisfying or should be depending on how you feel about the plasmids power levels (vets may take issue, new comers you’ll love them).

Now the game play leaves many loops that are never explained, like how can you save the little sisters without a mod that allows you to save the little sisters? What happens to the characters you can save? These questions ultimately ruin the game play once the novelty of being a Big Daddy wears off, which for me was near the end of the game.

Characters are left to be forgotten and I personally take major issue at the ending, it was lame. Now I would love to explain why but spoiler free review here, sorry. I believe though that many of you who get the good, good ending will feel the same way unless you are really philosophical and I already did some thinking on self so this was an epic fail in my opinion.

Multiplayer wise it is fun and great but I feel that the plasmids were toned down a bit too much. There is nothing worse than seeing a guy you set on fire go out without touching water. You are filled with a “well that’s freaking lame” feeling. Though there are many unlockables with various differences and tactical advantages but a patch is needed to iron out some kinks.

Graphics

Graphically at first the game looks better, at first. If you look around the sea looks nice but the running water looks horrible in areas especially when one area floods later on. Coral looks nice, the barnicles on the walls look nice and I even thought the character design looked nicer this time around but ultimately the nicer aspects were killed by the lesser areas.

Except for multiplayer, the studio which did multiplayer truly knows what they are doing here. The levels look nice and seeing Rapture before the civil war is truly something to behold. Multiplayer graphics I have no complaints about.

Presentation

EPIC FAIL. Listen the games whole presentation centers around making Lamb a tolerable character which in ways she is but they went too far. They slandered Ryan to make him look like a villain when he should be alive (vita chambers), the last chapter ultimately sucked as did the ending and frankly the game can be considered propaganda for socialists and not the good ones ether.

Now at first the game does appear to be taking just another perspective, Lamb the counter balance to Ryan but then as the game progresses, you find audio tapes of Ryan being sad and remorseful and losing in debates which is something that if you have played the first game you would not likely see him doing, or at least not that poorly. Then you have in the closing how they push forgiveness and Lambs extremist nature.

The whole time they try to disguise it as socialism but it is really the same self philosophy that Ryan pushed but in a completely different light. Lamb who is made out to be and believed by everyone to be a saint and using her daughter Eleanor to bring them salvation is ultimately doing it for herself and is using the same extremist nature that you see around you today.

Through all of this crap they completely sink the entire story with the revival of the extinct slugs which adam came from and even in one level plants fused with adam which begs the ultimate question why were the girls needed if you could fuse plants with adam? Really kills the whole we need to use the girls aspect that the first game presented and we accepted.

Value 2/5

Fun Level 3/5

Closing comments

Bioshock 1 was a great game and Bioshock 2 is a disgrace to its name. Aside from the stuff that made the first game awesome and the addition of Multiplayer Bioshock 2 doesn’t do a great job with anything really, which is sad. The story had too many holes, the game play not up to standard; characters which simply disappear and a crappy ending ultimately ruin this game. Though it is not completely ruined it is seriously damaged and in ways that simple patches won’t fix. The only way to salvage this game would be to remake it aside from that all you have is multiplayer which will not last as long as other game and will ride solely on plasmid action and the Rapture setting (well they are that great). When all is said and done no recommendation for this game, it isn’t an avoid but it isn’t a buy ether. If you find it used go for it.

Note: I got the collector’s edition

3/5

Parental warning: Aside from the blood, gore, questionable ethics, the game also will introduce your children to socialism, not a bad philosophy but it is ultimately something you will want to choose if you want to expose them to it.