Better than the first in almost every way
GAMEPLAY - The biggest reason why this game is so much better than the first one is that you actually get to use both hands. I hated switching between plasmids and weapons in the first one to the point where I just decided to stick with weapons. I think that just ended up making things harder on me. On the whole, however, this game is quite a bit easier than the first Bioshock as well. I would say that medium on this game is like easy on the first, and hard on this game is like medium on the first. Along with being able to use both hands, hacking is also changed. I have mixed reactions about the new form of hacking, because the old way I could hack anything within a couple tries at the very most. This one is much more about trial and error, which is more realistic, but more often than not you'll get the alarm sounded on you. Dealing with Little Sisters also yields more Adam typically, and yes you still have to deal with the Big Daddies along with the Big Sister on just about every level. As you progress in this game, you'll find that both the Big Daddy and Big Sister become very easy to deal with. Ammo is in a much bigger abundance, and many levels will have lots of strategical locations for these fights. My only minor complaint here is that I experienced a couple bugs that made me have to load a previous save. Not that it was a huge deal, but I hate it when games have unnecessary glitches like that. On the whole though, this game is a much-improved experience than the first game. - 9.5/10
STORY - As I said, this story isn't nearly as epic and thought-provoking as the first, but that doesn't mean you won't come across some very intriguing characters and situations. It's almost like this game was meant to be more of a commercial success following on the heels of Borderlands, another 2K game. Like Borderlands, this game is about the journey rather than the destination. The first game had the opposite formula, but that doesn't mean that either game left out side areas to explore. This game's story has an interesting ending to it, and a lot more rides on your actions in this game than in the first one. I went through this game being pretty selfless and helping those who I came across. It will be interesting seeing what happens with the opposite next time through... - 8.5/10
GRAPHICS - Somehow 2K managed to make Rapture even more beautiful than the first game. Just about everything has had at least a slight makeover, but it still looks like the Rapture we all know and love. - 9.5/10
SOUND - Pretty much the same as the first game, but the Splicers have a lot more things that they say in comparison to the first game. Most of the sounds remain intact, but one thing that really disappointed me about this game was how they took the greetings and goodbyes away from the vending machines. No more "Welcome to the Circus of Valuuuue!" Kind of sad, but in some ways I can understand why they took it out. - 8/10
LENGTH/REPLAY VALUE - I may be wrong here, but this game wasn't nearly as long as the first game. The first game was...what?...8 levels or so? This one only has around 6. Not to mention all the single player trophies can be obtained in a single playthrough. This game is almost only worthy of a rental if it wasn't based on such an awesome franchise. I haven't tried multiplayer much, but it does look promising. For the most part, however, fans of Bioshock should love this game despite its length. Anyone else might just want to rent this first. - 7/10
BOTTOM LINE - Newcomers to Bioshock are definitely going to want to give this game a try first. It's much more commercial and user-friendly than the first. However I will say that the first one had a better story and was much more memorable. Either way, both are great games in their own right. After having beat this game, it makes me want to go out and purchase the first one again. One thing you can be sure of though, no matter if you play this or the first Bioshock, you're in for a great gaming experience. - 8.5/10