While certainly less mysterious than the original, BioShock 2 delivers on just about every front for this fan.
BioShock 2, in my opinion met or exceeded most of the features that made BioShock so good. I'll walk through them one at a time.
First, the story: The opening of BioShock was like nothing I'd ever seen before. Right from the start you felt as lonely and confused as the character you were playing. BioShock 2 didn't quite match that, but then, what ever could. It was still intrigued. Here I am a Big Daddy, with an obvious emotional attachment to the little sister in front of me, yet I'm forced to put a gun to my head and pull the trigger. Confusing in the least. Which makes the rest of the story an interesting puzzle to put together along the way. Not quite as mysterious as the original, but I think part of that is due to the fact that both I and my character are not new to Rapture. Even at that, I do feel drawn into this world and these characters which is one of the things that made BioShock so amazing for me.
Part of what makes the story so rich and enjoyable is the voice acting. It was good to hear from familiar voices from the original game, but there are many new ones to get excited about. Personally I've been very impressed with Eleanor and Grace. Eleanor has the distinction of being played by more than one actor as she has aged from our first encounter with her in the opening. All of the voices are fantastic: innocent, smart, frightened, compassionate, you name it. Eleanor is played very well. Also, Grace was very enjoyable. While not as wild or eccentric as Sander Cohen from the first game, Grace has a quality to her character that made her very fun to interact with.
Beyond the story and the characters, there is of course, Rapture itself. The scenery continues to impress me. From small, cramped, dark places to wide open halls and theaters. Again, not as impressive as the first time you see them in the original game, but still beautifully done. The graphics and visuals all around are very similar to the first game which, to some, might be a little bit of a disappointment, but I would disagree. For one, you can never top that "first sight" feeling when you entered Rapture the first time. But more importantly I think the visuals have become stronger in some areas such as the water flowing in the flooding scenes and even the underwater scenes themselves. All beautifully done.
The sounds in the game are also as impressive as the first, if not more so. The balance could be a little better. For example, when I fire the upgraded shotgun, it sounds and feels like a bomb went off! I love it, although it makes my dog jump, bark and run out of the room. On the flip side, though, the recordings and loudspeaker announcements are so quiet I have to turn it up to hear the detail. But overall, the general sound and music are masterfully done.
Ok, so how about gameplay? This is a game, right? Well, there are some things I love about the game play and others I'm not as excited about. One of the best improvements is being able to fight with both hands. Makes for a lot quicker and more intense fighting experience - not to mention more versatile. The controls are almost exact to the original which is good for those coming back. I think the weapons are more appropriately dished out this time. For example, in the original, the crossbow came a little too late while the grenade launcher seemed overkill at that early stage of the game. I love the changes to the plasmids and the weapons. The trap rivet has to be one of my favorites, that is, of course, after the rocket spear. Whoever came up with that one deserves a raise! That's super fun to use.
A lot of the tonics are more useful this time around - so much so that I wish there were more slots available. Don't get me wrong, there are more slots than the original, but I wish there were more. I don't like the limit of 5 Eve and 5 First Aid Kits, but I'm one for having a lot of room for error, so I guess I need to drop my security blanket a little for this game.
The hacking mechanism is a huge improvement. Personally, I didn't mind the pipe mini-game in the first installment. I know I'm one of the few, but it didn't bother me at all. The new system is better. In some ways more challenging but in many ways much more useful. Remote hacking is also genius!
Two things bug me a little: 1 is that I feel as if you are often swarmed by enemies much more so than in the original. I'm not a fan of "chaotic" games where you're panicking because you're constantly surrounded by enemies and doing whatever you can to survive. I like to explore, and BioShock is a game that you need to explore every nook and cranny to get all the nuances of the story and the world you're in. I understand that gathering Adam brings those swarms of attackers and I appreciate that. But, the situations of coming up on a lone splicer are very few at best.
My other complaint is the amount of damage you take as a big daddy from simple splicers. I know some of them are pretty tough, but in the first game the Big Daddy was all but invincible without a great strategy. I felt a little weak in the early levels and that was a little disappointing.
Overall, I know there are a lot of opinions all over the place on this game. For me, I was a huge fan of the first and I'm a huge fan of the sequel. I haven't even finished it yet and I'll be calling for a third in no time. Would a prequel have been more fun? Maybe. Is this story a little far-fetched? Maybe. But, to me, it draws me in just as much as the first. It's creepy, exciting, challenging and a game for thinkers and not just button mashers. If you want something different but still extremely cool and challenging, BioShock 2 delivers.