Was the return to Rapture worth it? Absolutely.
PG Exclusive Review
Play... the Pakistani way!
Pros:Play... the Pakistani way!
- Rapture, though a familiar setting, is still as atmospheric and spectacular as before!
- Deep moral choices that have an impact on the story.
- Combat is satisfying and highly customisable.
- A well-presented and engaging plot.
- Surprisingly good multiplayer.
- A few minor issues with the all-new multiplayer mode.
Rapture... an unusual place created and founded by an ambitious Andrew Ryan. Rapture was intended by Ryan to be a place of complete freedom. A place where man can condone in all sorts of scientific research without fear of being restricted or prohibited by any religious or political head. A place where technological advancements were expected to be made for the betterment of mankind! Unfortunately, this underwater utopia had become nothing but a place where lunatics roamed about in search of Adam! Adam, mind you, is like a drug to the people of Rapture. It's what drove them mad. Ryan's vision had faded away and this dystopia became inhabitable. In the original Bioshock you took the role of Jack and fought your way through various kinds of enemies including the Big Daddies. In Bioshock 2, however, you play as the Big Daddy himself!
In the first instalment players were introduced to the eerie world of Rapture! Back then, it felt creepy and incredible at the same time! We were taken to one of the most unique places ever created in gaming history! It's presentation was awe-inducing. To be able to bring that atmospheric feel onto a sequel seems next to impossible. Greatness is hard to duplicate. But do not fear, for 2K Games have welcomed us back to a Rapture that still feels as spectacular as before! It is obvious that gamers won't be as impressed as before, but they will be intrigued to explore every bit of this land to see what became of it after Jack's departure.
Big Sister will be angry if she finds Little Sister with Big Daddy!
Throughout the game you'll come across Little Sisters. These little suckers are able to track down Angels, beings with lots of Eve on them. Eve, for you, is used as your 'mana.' With it you can use the various plasmids at your disposal. What are plasmids, you say? Why, they are the gloriously unsuccessful inventions of the scientists working at Rapture! They are the product of the scientific mind when left alone, and no intervention from any political and religious superior, and they also happen to be one of the reasons for Rapture's inevitable downfall! To put it simply, Plasmids are special powers you attain that let you take down your enemy in different ways. For example, if you acquire Incinerate, you'll be able to burn the Splicers by producing flames from the palm of your hand! Similarly, you can have Winter Blast which lets you freeze your enemies or Telekinesis, with which you can pick and throw objects! The best part is, these intriguing little powers of yours aren't only used for combat, they also play a major part in accessing new areas to explore, disabling machines (Electro Bolt), and the overall progression of the game. For example, if there were some valuable items you previously saw trapped in ice, then after obtaining Incinerate you can melt the ice and take all the loot!
The Plasmids do a good job of adding a lot of diversity in the combat, which would have been simple aim-and-shoot without them. But that's not to say that simply aiming and shooting is boring. Hell no! It's equally as fun as using the Plasmids! Your arsenal is limited to five firearms, two helpful tools, and one awesomely epic drill! Though there may not be that many guns to shoot around with, the game does provide with different types of ammunition for every weapon. To select a weapon press the R2 button (RB on the 360, I think) and in front of you will be a cycle with all the available weapons. After selecting your weapon of choice you can choose to have whichever type of ammunition you want by pressing up, down, left, or right on the D-Pad. Early on in the game you'll have the Rivet Gun. Obviously designed as a repair tool for Rapture, the Rivet Gun doubles up as a great ranged weapon. It is powerful, and with the upgrades and right ammunition it will serve you well. Also accompanying you during the early stages will be the Gatling Gun. This is a powerful machine gun which churns out rounds rapidly but suffers from pretty drastic recoil. With the right ammo this gun is invaluable.
Amongst the helpful tools are the Hack Tool and the Research Camera. The former allows you to hack cameras, turrets, and other bots at a safe distance. The Research Camera lets you take pictures of your victims and to 'research' them. That way, the next time you come across the same type of enemy, you'll be able to do more damage per hit. They're all fine and dandy and really enhance the overall gameplay experience. And then there's the Drill. The Drill is your basic melee weapon and you can punch with it or rev it up and bore into people. The Drill runs on Drill Fuel, which you’ll find dotted around throughout the environment and on corpses. Occasionally you’ll see a Fuel Station where you can get free fuel but for the most part you’ll need to buy it from vending machines. By keeping the R1 button pressed (RT) while having the Drill equipped, you'll be able to use this metallic corkscrew to bore into your enemies and watch the satisfying blood splatter about.
You will also attain several different Tonics throughout the game. These provide a unique ability if you 'put them on.' They don't require any Eve, so they're really helpful to have around. An example can include a Tonic that lessens your Eve consumption by half. You can purchase Plasmids and Tonics at various Gatherers' Gardens, and you can buy your weapon different upgrades at the 'Power to the People Stations.'
It's all right, because I like the way you burn.
One of the main concerns that fans of the series faced was the inclusion of an online multiplayer mode. A single-player game that takes up multiplayer needs to be extra careful with the new mode. If they screw up, then the overall image of the game is ruined. Honestly, I did think that the newly introduced online mode would ruin this incredible singe-player title. But boy, was I gratefully wrong! Do not underestimate Bioshock 2's online competitive multiplayer: it's highly engrossing, a lot of fun, and rewards you every step of the way! Getting into a game is simple; just select the Multiplayer option from the main menu and then choose to go to Player Lobby. There, select your game-type and the next step is to wait for a perfect match. Most of the time you'll only have to wait a second or two before the game finds you a game and pits you against others, but there are times when you might have to wait more than ten to fifteen minutes. It isn't a total let-down, and is actually quite worth the wait.
The online mode is more or less the same as the single-player mode just with a few exclusive Plasmids, Tonics, and weapons. Unlike the single-player, this mode has many more weapons for you to toy around with! You'll have to unlock them as you level up. That, and you can unlock several different attachments for your weapons. You can only carry around two different weapons and two different Plasmids in one 'Loadout.' A Loadout can be described as Bioshock 2's take on Modern Warfare 2's 'Class' feature (where you 'create a class'). Among the few Plasmids that are unique to the online mode is Aero Dash. With it you are able to dash forward at the blink of an eye, thus, enabling you to make a quick escape from a trap laid out by an enemy or letting you dodge upcoming enemy fire. Aside from the Plasmids, the online multiplayer has other few unique features too. If you happen to fell another player, just walk up to him/her and press the X button (A button) to start 'researching.' By doing that you'll be able to do more damage to that particular player you researched. That, and you can hack the several turrets laid out on the many maps. They'll fight for you, and earn you Adam (experience), but they can easily be hacked by opponents.
The online mode is more or less the same as the single-player mode just with a few exclusive Plasmids, Tonics, and weapons. Unlike the single-player, this mode has many more weapons for you to toy around with! You'll have to unlock them as you level up. That, and you can unlock several different attachments for your weapons. You can only carry around two different weapons and two different Plasmids in one 'Loadout.' A Loadout can be described as Bioshock 2's take on Modern Warfare 2's 'Class' feature (where you 'create a class'). Among the few Plasmids that are unique to the online mode is Aero Dash. With it you are able to dash forward at the blink of an eye, thus, enabling you to make a quick escape from a trap laid out by an enemy or letting you dodge upcoming enemy fire. Aside from the Plasmids, the online multiplayer has other few unique features too. If you happen to fell another player, just walk up to him/her and press the X button (A button) to start 'researching.' By doing that you'll be able to do more damage to that particular player you researched. That, and you can hack the several turrets laid out on the many maps. They'll fight for you, and earn you Adam (experience), but they can easily be hacked by opponents.
Who would've thought that multiplayer could work so well in a single-player only game?
Of course you also have several multiplayer modes to choose from. 'Survival Of The Fittest' is your friendly neighbourhood 'Free-For-All' game-type while 'Civil War' is 'Team Deathmatch.' My personal favourite game-type is 'Capture The Sister.' It bears a resemblance to Killzone 2's 'Search And Retrieve' game-type, but has a slight difference. In it, you have to snatch the Little Sister from the enemy team, who also have one player as the Big Daddy, and make sure she is taken to the Vent. If the time runs out, the enemy team gets one point, and then the next round begins!
Not only is the multiplayer fun and addictive it's also, surprisingly, well implemented. The online mode has it's own story behind it. It takes you back to the time after the original Bioshock and before Bioshock 2's story takes place. Basically, it's after Jack's adventure and before the Big Daddy's endeavour. The game types make sense too. We're Splicers and we're addicted to Adam. To get Adam we need to kill. The only problems you'll probably face with the MP are very minor. Dying is a pain as whenever someone kills you, you'll have to wait a painful ten whole seconds to be able to rejoin the fight. At first, these measly ten seconds may not sound like much. But when your mood is set and you're quickly killing many enemies, you'll want to instantly rejoin the fun rather than have your adrenaline rush die out within those long ten seconds you have to wait before you can respawn. That, and you'll also probably be frustrated by the Plasmid 'Incinerate.' If you happen to burst someone into flames using that Plasmid and walk up to him for, say, a melee strike, you'll be consumed by your own flames and see your health bar go down! It is a nice touch of realism and is quite helpful for burning up groups of enemies, but when your own fire turns on you every time you walk past the flamed opponent, you'll know how annoying this powerful Plasmid can get.
Value/Worth: 9.5/10
The single-player will take you around ten hours to beat (took me seven). There are many Audio Diaries, which reveal some background of Rapture, which you can collect throughout the game and they'll probably increase total playtime by a half hour. Don't forget, after the enthralling campaign you have the addictive multiplayer!
Graphics: 9.0/10
The game pays a close attention to detail and every time you strike an object or a wall you will leave a mark. However, there isn't that 'shine' or 'polish' in this game like there is in other splendid titles it's surrounded by.
Sound: 9.0/10
The soundtrack and the sound effects are all top notch and are great to hear. That, and the believable voice-acting will provide a filmy adventure!
Gameplay: 9.5/10
Highly customisable weaponry makes for an extremely fun combat! The Plasmids add a unique touch to this FPS and can be used for non-combat purposes too!
Multiplayer: 9.3/10
It's addictive, it's fun, and it's highly rewarding! This is one multiplayer experience you are guaranteed to have a helluva' good time with!
Overall: 9.4/10
For fans of the original this is a must-have! It can be considered a crime for those who enjoyed the first one to not own the sequel! Welcome back, Project Delta.
Not only is the multiplayer fun and addictive it's also, surprisingly, well implemented. The online mode has it's own story behind it. It takes you back to the time after the original Bioshock and before Bioshock 2's story takes place. Basically, it's after Jack's adventure and before the Big Daddy's endeavour. The game types make sense too. We're Splicers and we're addicted to Adam. To get Adam we need to kill. The only problems you'll probably face with the MP are very minor. Dying is a pain as whenever someone kills you, you'll have to wait a painful ten whole seconds to be able to rejoin the fight. At first, these measly ten seconds may not sound like much. But when your mood is set and you're quickly killing many enemies, you'll want to instantly rejoin the fun rather than have your adrenaline rush die out within those long ten seconds you have to wait before you can respawn. That, and you'll also probably be frustrated by the Plasmid 'Incinerate.' If you happen to burst someone into flames using that Plasmid and walk up to him for, say, a melee strike, you'll be consumed by your own flames and see your health bar go down! It is a nice touch of realism and is quite helpful for burning up groups of enemies, but when your own fire turns on you every time you walk past the flamed opponent, you'll know how annoying this powerful Plasmid can get.
Value/Worth: 9.5/10
The single-player will take you around ten hours to beat (took me seven). There are many Audio Diaries, which reveal some background of Rapture, which you can collect throughout the game and they'll probably increase total playtime by a half hour. Don't forget, after the enthralling campaign you have the addictive multiplayer!
Graphics: 9.0/10
The game pays a close attention to detail and every time you strike an object or a wall you will leave a mark. However, there isn't that 'shine' or 'polish' in this game like there is in other splendid titles it's surrounded by.
Sound: 9.0/10
The soundtrack and the sound effects are all top notch and are great to hear. That, and the believable voice-acting will provide a filmy adventure!
Gameplay: 9.5/10
Highly customisable weaponry makes for an extremely fun combat! The Plasmids add a unique touch to this FPS and can be used for non-combat purposes too!
Multiplayer: 9.3/10
It's addictive, it's fun, and it's highly rewarding! This is one multiplayer experience you are guaranteed to have a helluva' good time with!
Overall: 9.4/10
For fans of the original this is a must-have! It can be considered a crime for those who enjoyed the first one to not own the sequel! Welcome back, Project Delta.
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