Although it fails to capture the same feeling of wonder as your first trip to rapture, Bioshock 2 is a worthy sequel.
What Bioshock 2 does better then the original is Gameplay. They improved the controls and method of combat as well as added better weapons and fun defensive encounters. The ability to have plasmids and a gun equipped at the same time added a much better and smother feeling to the gameplay as well as opened the door to some very cool combos. The weapons are bigger, stronger, upgrade in more interesting ways, and are more satisfying to use. Also, new to Bioshock was a large number of optional defense encounters were you protect the little sister as she harvests atom. Although these can get repetitive and extremely easy towards the end, they are satisfying and fun. Also improved are the plasmids which upgrade in cooler ways and offer more customization.
The story line of Bioshock 2 was also very well done, and although it did not have the same level of intensity as the first, it was told more effectively and it makes you emotionally involved. The story has a few twists and turns and is equally as interesting as that of the first game.
On to the shortfalls of Bioshock 2. The atmosphere is far inferior to that of the original. This was the games biggest problem because the atmosphere is what made the original so amazing. While returning to Rapture is not boring, all the levels are very bland and don't stand out, they are not as creepy as the original and the designs don't differentiate a great deal. Although the overall experience was fun and all levels are exiting, none had the same impact as those of the first game which i will never forget. One problem that greatly took away from my experience was the windows. In the original, when you take a look out a window you see a huge city sky line, a volcano, and various other beautiful landscapes. I often look out these windows because i love the feeling and design of Rapture. Most of Bioshock 2 has none of this. On most occasions you can barely make out other buildings in the distance, it is like you are in a separate city a few trenches away, at other times there is nothing at all. This took away from the feeling of Bioshock 2 considerably. One feeling i got while playing Bioshock 2 was a feeling like i had to replay the original because the sequel does have a straight to dvd feeling to it.
I have played the multiplayer for a decent amount of time so far and I have become addicted. It allows for some fun customization and strategy as well as frantic fast paced battles. The different game modes are fun spins of game modes from other games with a Bioshock twist. I will be playing it for a long time.
To sum everything up, I love the world of Bioshock and although Bioshock 2 has its flaws i could not put down the controller until i beat it. If you liked the first game and cant wait for another tour of Rapture Bioshock 2 is a must buy.