By Peeps
It’s time to head back down to Rapture for Bioshock 2. Bioshock 2 is the sequel to the critically acclaimed Bioshock, however this has not stopped them from making quite a few changes.
Graphics. The graphics are still amazing, but that was to be expected looking at the standard the first one set. There is a bit of an issue with corpses still getting stuck or “dancing” due to some glitches, but they have fixed a lot of the clutter problems. The new looks of some enemies and new areas are pretty spiffy and well detailed. The water effects are amazing, and the “diving” areas look great, as well as suitable. The damage is more detailed, but sometimes it seems a tad off. The weapons look good, and upgrades are still rather noticeable once installed. The plasmids have gotten some visual tweaks, but still look roughly the same for the most part.
Sound. The soundtrack is great and has good quality too. The fitting 50′s style soundtrack makes a welcome return with new songs for just random rooms, as well as new encounter songs. Splicer chatter is still around with some new lines, but still keeping quality. The circus and other vending machines do not make as much noise. The audio diaries still offer some great story insight, as well as quality voice acting. The sound quality is very good, and this does help with gameplay, especially if you prefer to use a “set up” fighting approach.
Control. Controls have changed a bit, but are still very solid. Due to dual-wielding plasmids and weapons the combat feels faster, but with familiar controls. The main change is the lack of the ability to reload Eve before it runs out, but now there is a gun bash mechanic in play.The radial still feels a tad picky, but now kits can be used in that menu. With the addition of some new guns there are some different styles encouraged here. There are also more plasmid levels available, but they do require timing and detail. Hacking control has changed rather radically, but it is now more fast paced and keeps you in battle so hack attempts seem a bit more plan required. The dive controls are simple, but appropriate.
Gameplay. Gameplay remains similar, but with some new twists. AI is a bit better planned, but still fairly straightforward. With the addition of some new Splicers, and some other new foes sometimes resource management can be hard, especially given the new cap on items. Research has changed, but now feels a bit more intuitive, and even downright amusing, given the use of certain plasmids. There are some mixed feeling about the new Big Sister fights, mostly due to the random nature and resources they may require. The main new change is the addition of an online multiplayer mode with some story added. The multiplayer is fairly solid, albeit with some odd lag issues and glitches. The multiplayer stays mostly true to gameplay, but with some changes in machine use, and plasmid effect duration, as well as a different use for Big Daddies and Little Sisters.
Overall. Bioshck 2 is an great game, albeit with some plot holes and lag issues here and there, but still a great game. The graphics look good, and sound is crisp. The resource management has a bit of a rocky start, but more options in Adam use are available. The multiplayer is pretty unique, but has its share of hiccups for now. Fans of the original may have mixed feelings about the story, but it is still a great game that should be worth a playthrough or two.
