A mishandled sequel that should have been produced by the original team, BUT Bioshock 2 is still up there.
-Entertainmet Value is High
-Plasmid/Gunplay is top notch
-Same Bioshock Creepy Setting
-Tale of Triumph
-Heart Hitting Soundtrack and Voice Acting
Cons:
-Copy and Paste Mission Objective from Bioshock 1
-Plot Holes
-Diffiuculty Imbalance
-Not better than Bioshock 1
Bioshock 2 is a blood pumping thriller because 2K has given the gamer access to using both plasmids and guns at the same time. This is something that would of came in handy during my first run in Rapture.
Anyway, Bioshock 2 takes a step forward in the gameplay department, though everything feels the same from fire weaponry to ice blast. None of the plasmids feel too different from the first game, until you actually upgrade them to their fullest extent, but sadly, I do not think many gamers will even notice some of the special abilities. Example is Insect Swarm, you start off with the basic bee attack, but once you get Insect Swarm 3, the bees kill your enemies making them into a bee bombs. Now did I notice this was happening...NO...and I find that to be a problem. There are some many little things they added to give the game flavor, and it is nice to have them, but at the same time, they feel pointless because they are hard to notice. The Spear Gun, which is a crossbow from the first, is just as pointless as it has ever been. I barely used it and the damage it inflicts becomes a joke towards the ending. It is basically a Sniper Rifle, but it definitely does not act like a long range killing machine. Besides that, I found most of the plasmids and guns useful, but just like the first game, you will be using Fire, Electiry, Ice, Machine Guns and Big Daddy Rivet Gun (pistol). Upgrades for plasmids and guns are nice just as bullets the set ablaze or shock enemies. All nice touches.
Aside from great gameplay, the story falls short of spectacular, but it is good. The first Bioshock created a legacy because of its story, while this game hides behinds it shadow. This is a sequels that follows sequel conventions. It tries hard to be first, while forgetting to create its own identity and creating a more involving and compelling experience. Most sequels don't fall into this category, but then again alot of sequels do. Bioshock 2 is no exception. See unlike Mass Effect 2, Uncharted 2, Assassic Creed II, and Killzone 2, Bioshock 2 doesn't do anything new, nor does it do anything to make itself better than the first beside gamplay, and it doesn't even do much in that category. Bioshock 1 was about mystery and a story that was unpredictable and rewarding. This sequel has none of those qualities. The first was full of twist and turns, this game has a twist, but it is far from great. Aside from that, it just feels like I am playing a game and looting, rather than trying to uncover a story that will blow me away and have me dreaming for days. That is what made Bioshock so special. Not its weird gameplay that works, no the story, and the team who put this together were more about thrills than creating a masterpiece. I know this because once I found out a multiplayer was being included, I knew something was wrong.
Now I have played the mulitplayer and lets just say it is arcady and not fun. Guns have no feedback and you don't know if you are hurting your opponent or just giving him a pat. Lets just say, during my first match, I quit half way through because I was having no fun. Now back to the story...
Sadly, the story is full of plot holes that can only be dismissed if you have played the first. I for one was mad that every character they introduced had no true part in my world. Character were introduced that I either had to kill or just let them be, and after that, they never bothered me again. There is a man named Sinclair who follows your every move in Rapture, and at some point in the game, he is no more, and you never ever get to meet the man who has helped you along your journey. The biggest mishap comes with the one girl who I am suppose to be saving. The game does not give me an emotional reason to care about this girl, but more or less and objective. Save my little sister and leaver rapture. Nothing about this poses mystery, but is does create a tragic universe that is harsh and brutal. Fighting my way through Lamb's forces is brutal and fun. The story that is presented in Bishock 2 is topnotch. Everything from the voice acting to the soundtrack hits home, but I did not feel like I was playing a sequel, well what a Bioshock sequel should have been, but as a standalone game, this game is great. Bioshock 1 was about gameplay as much as it was about story, and maybe even more, but this time around, this team created a fun experience without the experience as far as the story goes, but the story is very good, but it is not Bioshock 1 good.
While the game is fun, the difficulty imbalances (the same in the first) ruin the fun of Bioshock 2. This game prides itself too much on run and gun fun. The first one wasn't too run and gun happy, but this one is because enemies just come out of nowhere and they seem to be stronger than you...but wait, aren't you a Big Daddy. Being a Bid Daddy in Bioshock 2 is as important as being on a team of Kobe Byrants and your Kobe Bryant. You are not stronger, and for some reason, it seems like you die easier this time around. Hated the diffuculty imbalance of the first and it is the same in this sequel. Splicers own you around every corner in the beginning and Big Sisters slap you around like a female preying Mantis. Towards the end you begin to feel like you have power, but sadly, once you get a taste of power, the game ends. On top of that, there was no ending boss fight. When the game ended, it ended, and I all I could think about was either using the resale value to purchase Heavy Rain or let it stack dust until I wanted to play it again. Even though I say this, this is was amazing. It is the most fun I had this year when it comes to gaming behind Bayonetta.
Bioshock 2 was an exciting game, but when you compare it to its own competition it falls short, but this doesn't mean Bioshock 2 isn't a good game. As a package, Bioshock 2 is worth the money. Yeah you get a multiplayer thats far from exciting (others may think different), but the single players campaign is enough to justify giving up space on your shelf so it can occupy space until you randomly feel like getting a Bioshock fix. Bioshock 1 for a good story, Bioshock 2 for gameplay.
Actual Score: 8.7