BioShock 2

If you thought that the wonderfully crafted BioShock was a game that could not be surpassed, you had better think again: BioShock 2 nears perfection. This magnificent, sci-fi action-adventure, first-person-shooter game is a sensory delight, frightening at times and an intellectual challenge. And now there is a multiplayer option as well! Developed by 2K Marin and Irrational Games, it was released on February the 9th, and is playable on PS3, XBOX 360 and PC.

The storyline of a video game is often rather weak, providing a barely cogent backdrop for the main thrust of the game – the action. BioShock 2 is very, very, different: this game is worth buying for the story alone. The action mainly takes place in Rapture, a dilapidated and dystopian underwater city. At the heart of the story is a fierce, thought- provoking clash of world views: the individualist against the collectivist. It is now 1968, a decade after BioShock. Andrew Ryan, the city’s founder and promoter of individualism is dead, and Sophia Lamb is now the lord and master. Under Lamb’s Stalin-like collectivism, Rapture has become an unbelievably grim and fetid dystopia.

The action begins with the bringing back to life of Subject Delta, a Big Daddy, who a decade earlier had been pair-bonded to Eleanor, a Little Sister. The revived Big Daddy picks up psychic messages from Eleanor, pleading for help. As he searches for her it becomes apparent that Sophia Lamb must be held responsible for Rapture’s destruction: Lamb and her army of shrieking Big Sisters must be over thrown.

But that’s enough about the plot; I don’t want to spoil an extremely captivating story. I will add, however, that there are different possible endings: a good ending, a neutral ending and a bad ending, each with two variants.

The gameplay in BioShock 2 undoubtedly improves upon that of its predecessor. You play the part of the main protagonist Subject Delta, a Big Daddy who as well as possessing free will, is faster and cleverer than the other Big Daddies.

Combat is the life blood of BioShock 2, and it really is an excellent shooter game. There are new weapons on offer, such as the spear gun, which is useful for pinning Splicers to the wall. Other weapons include a massive rock drill and a formidable rivet gun. And you can now wield a weapon and an upgradable plasmid simultaneously. Another welcome edition is that a melee attack can now be performed with any of the game’s weapons.

Playing as Subject Delta, you can capture Little Sisters from the other Big Daddies. You are then confronted by a moral choice: do you immediately harvest her healing, power building Adam or do you rescue and adopt her. The latter choice will give you less Adam, but she can then lead you to corpses and harvest their Adam.

Although Splicers are the main enemy, the scariest enemies are the Big Sisters, whose attack comes when you’ve dealt, one way or the other, with all the Little Sisters at a particular level. The blood-curdling, nerve-jangling screeches alert you to their approach, and this gives you much welcomed preparation time.

BioShock 2 offers a brilliant multiplayer option for up to 10 players. The strong story is set in civil war torn Rapture, a few years before BioShock. The action will satisfy both veterans of BioShock and newcomers. There are seven modes: Capture the Sister, Adam Grab, Team Adam Grab, Civil War, Survival of the Fittest, Last Splicer Standing and Turf War. You will have weapons, Plasmids and Tonics; and you must keep an eye open for the appearance of a Big Daddy suit. Grab this and you will gain the incredible powers of a Big Daddy.

The imaginative visual graphics are strangely appealing. The dilapidated, damaged, barnacle encrusted Rapture has a haunting beauty. But you are not totally restricted to the underwater city environment; there are opportunities to move out into the ocean.

Although some gamers might deem the action a tad repetitive at times, this would be nit-picking. BioShock 2 is a captivating and imaginative game: a subtle blend of beauty, horror, shooting action and thought stimulation. Whilst retaining the qualities that made BioShock such a success, this game offers much more. BioShock 2 is a must have for serious gamers.