Bioshock, one of the more memorable games of 2007 saw the release of its sequel this week. With favorable reviews preceded by even greater anticipation, 2K seems to have expanded upon an already great title in ways that are well received. This game like most, isn’t without flaws but the overall feel of the game more than makes up for the minute failings.
Set 10 years after the original, the game opens with the player in the role of a Big Daddy who for being defensive of a Little Sister is compelled by “Lamb” to commit apparent suicide. The player character, known as “Subject Delta” is a unique Big Daddy in that he's faster, stronger, and have free will.
Graphically the game had a potential for much to be desired – but only if you entered the game with the mindset that there should have been graphical improvements. It utilizes the Unreal 2.5 engine, same as BioShock 1 and ends up giving the impression that the lack of graphics update is more of a decided artistic styling of the game rather than a limitation of creativity or inaccessibility to a more recent engine. This isn’t entirely bad however, in that at least the game looks and feels very familiar – there’s visual consistency. The bloom lighting is still a bit much, and the textures are kind of strange in terms of blood, but all in all it’s not jarring considering it’s exactly like before and the possibility of, as stated before, a determined artistic style. I can’t do much other than to assume the mind set was “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it“. Along with that, the fact that there wasn’t a focus on the graphical aspects leans towards and is evidenced in the apparent focus on game play mechanics and a underlying message that despite the efforts of Jack, things have not changed too drastically in terms of the state of Rapture.
Some players have complained about a constrained field of view in respect to the previous title, but it’s important to keep in mind that as the player, we’re looking through a divers helmet and have a contorted body where our head hangs a little low and we’re hunched over from the weight. It is as if we’re almost looking out through the top of our eyes, and the effect is pulled off rather well.
The mechanics didn’t change completely; we’re not being thrown into a different method of play. What we’re given as players with BioShock 2 is the pre-existing foundation with minor tweaks and a few additions. Additions like the ability to melee attacks with any weapon and set various traps. This works well for BioShock 2 for a couple of reasons, the first being premise. Playing the game in the role of a Big Daddy and having tools like the hand drill, a melee attack is logical. The second way in which this works well is that the storyline is much more personal from a player perspective. Subject Delta is fighting to reunite with his paired and assigned Little Sister and in terms of types of attacks, melee is more personal that firing a gun or “pushing”an explosive canister – it’s coming in close physical contact with highly dangerous and warped characters on a personal level and extinguishing their life and that’s something that takes a will to execute without fail; it adds dimension to Subject Delta.
Players will note that since they have the opportunity to play as a Big Daddy they have more interaction with them. Instead of harvest / rescue the option is to harvest / adopt. Harvesting is, as before, the ‘negative’ method to obtain ADAM but if players opt to adopt a Little Sister they can ride around on your back and be tasked with harvesting it from various bodies strewn about in the wake of your adventure. The catch is that during her harvesting of ADAM Splicers will attack you both. Splicers will not damage the Little Sister, but will slow the ADAM gathering process and allow more Splicers to attack the player and the Little Sister. She can only be sent out to harvest bodies twice before you ahve to choose again to harvest her or rescue her. With that, players find themselves in a position to be doubly good or doubly evil but not really easily walking the line and reflect upon the previous titles deceptive manipulation.The ambiguity of the morality in BioShock 2 is masterfully played, but partly due to the players expectation to be manipulated. Is it better to play it safe or better to go all out, or is it better to be something in between? Well… as former President Bill Clinton smartly defended years ago: “That depends on what your definition of ‘is‘ is.”
A familiar aspect to the game is the numerous audio files that serve to fill in the gaps between the first and second title and give a more detailed image of the motivations behind the actions of past personalities. How these directly tie in is something you’ll have to play the game to discover (remember, I’m not going to spoil the game), but suffice to say they do add to the twist from the original and give a much better overview of the history within Rapture. Another tweak of a familiar function is ‘research’. In BioShock 1 players could obtain a camera and take a picture. Depending on the quality of the picture as well as what the subject was doing, players were awarded more research points to upgrade their inventory. In Bioshock 2 players no longer take still images, but record movies of them for the same ends. It adds a nice little challenge and forces players to really take a look at their methodology. Besides, the research data is more concise this time around.
It doesn’t stop there either – plasmid upgrades and weapon tweaks have better progression and add to the sadistic ways in which one chooses to dispatch a splicer (and I’m constantly reminded of Eddie Izzard when I launch bees at splicers – “covered in bees!“). It is rather satisfying to be able to have greater powers commonly associated with sequels as a staple improvement, but also have them make logical sense given that you are a Big Daddy. As such, players can also at times, experience the outside of Rapture. In the previous game we only got to see the inside of the decaying underwater metropolis and flooded areas were an off limits (presumably also lethal) environment – but not anymore. Being able to walk around and see the decay from the outside up close adds to the scale Rapture is in.
Finally, hacking was not just tweaked but retooled. Previously the hacking was simply a timed ‘pipe dream-esque’ puzzle. The game was essentially paused while hacking took place and the player could concentrate on it and obtain success casually. BioShock 2 says “fuck you” and doesn’t pause the game. On the other hand, the hacking is simpler – click a bouncing meter needle at the appropriate time. So, it went from an archaic puzzler on GBA to a Brain Age stress test. Love it or leave it, that’s what players are going to be working with to get those extra perks, like a much needed and less available First Aid kit or EVE.
In BioShock 1 players discovered that they really didn’t have any free will and the control phrase was “would you kindly” as a method of control. BioShock 2 plays with a similar concept in a different context. There isn’t so much a catch phrase for players to look for, but something possibly more sinister and emotionally jarring. This review is spoiler free so I won’t divulge the twists involved with the multiple endings, other than it carries the same degree of “What in the fuck?”. How it is interpreted and whether or not players find it aggravating, disappointing, adequate or intellectually interesting is entirely dependent upon the contexts the game is taken and the subjective attitude of the player. It is one of the things that has made the series memorable – that jolt of inevitable reality at the end and that feeling of ‘distant closeness’. It is after all, a game that takes place in a dystopian setting with undertones of fallacious egos and greed. Players should have some idea that things aren’t always going to be sweet roses and gift bearing cuddle bears.
One of the most popular video game franchises of all time is set to receive a Netflix film adaptation, according to an announcement on Tuesday afternoon.
Gee...can't wait to see how many things they change and stray away from, oh don't forget the miscast actors
Netflix did well with Dare Devil and the Punisher and I hear the Witcher is pretty good I know when I had Netflix at the time Stranger Things was also good. But Bioshock I love the franchise Bioshock Infinite is my favorite game I would pay the $21 Canadian just to check out Bioshock. Normally I would never renew my Netflix after they did their price hike but Bioshock would be worth it.
Love Bioshock but I'll prepare myself for the likelihood this will be both crap and a pale imitation of the source material. That covers most video game adaptations and Netflix films.
The best games are able to create a never-before-seen setting and weave a completely engaging story into its DNA. One series beats almost all others out for its environmental storytelling and narrative: BioShock.
Hurts to see the word "worst" related to Bioshock saga.
The 3 games are masterpieces.
oh great. Can’t wait to see the posts of game titles in a ranked order without context as to why.
In a podcast with Wassup Conversations, Jordan Thomas, director and the writer of BioShock 2 reveals his initial ideas for a new rapture and how they were shut down by 2K.
"My first proposal was about a little sister, it was playing as a little sister and it was much more horror-oriented pace and about vulnerability, closer to Thief frankly, but I was told no, we want it to be our Gears of War, this need to be a big shooter franchise with an emphasis on the shooter element, and so what I think of the protagonist of a shooter as is a big lumbering sort of porthole on a stick with guns sticking out in front like you’re almost a vehicle."
And he also wanted it to be above the sea or in space. What a wasted opportunity.
It's surprising the game turned out to be good with this guy at the helm. The combat mechanics were actually the biggest improvement in the sequel as much as he wouldn't want to hear that, everything else was inferior.
Bioshock is awesome
Thats why u dont have it