The second BioShock installment is even more memorable than the first.
And so it was that the developers of BioShock 2 had a particularly nasty task lying ahead of them. The original BioShock was one of the best-rated games of its generation, and many aspects such as the interesting story, as well as the phenomenal artistic direction and locale would be hard to do proper justice to. BioShock 2 however, does not only emulate the success of the original: it improves upon it considerably, resulting in an adventure that is even more memorable than the first.
Even though the setting of BioShock 2 again is Rapture, the story's ideological focus is the mirror opposite of the one found in the original BioShock. While that game critically observed objectivism, the sequel instead deals with collectivism, with the original antagonist Andrew Ryan, who was the archetypical individualist in many ways, being succeeded by Sofia Lamb, whose near cultist ideals profile her as Ryan's antipole within Rapture. The ideological backdrop of the story isn't quite as smart or subtle as in BioShock 1, but the superb central plot surrounding the separation of a father and his daughter more than compensates it, seeing as it does a great job at motivating the player forward in his adventure, generating many emotional and even difficult moments along the way.
It's not just in terms of story that the developers chose to take a different approach. The protagonist is now a Big Daddy, one of the feared enemies from the original game, an interesting design choice that not only altered the way the story turned out, but the gameplay as well. As would be expected from such a walking tank, the Big Daddy carries some more heavy weaponry. Apart from the logical weapons, such as a heavy machine gun and a grenade launcher, there are some new tools as well, such as a rivet gun and, more importantly, the Big Daddy's iconic drill. This melee weapon can either be used to drill right through enemies, or to hit them with an incredibly powerful blow. Even if it's the first weapon you encounter, it will prove to be a true lifesaver right until the end, seeing as even the toughest enemies (such as Brutes, enemy Big Daddies and the fear-invoking Big Sisters) will not be able to resist the damage from the drill for long, especially after it has been upgraded.
The other weapons have a much better feel to them as well. The rivet gun replaces the fairly obsolete pistol from the first game and is much better suited for getting headshots and eliminating small groups of enemies. The machine gun and shotgun are more powerful, making for more satisfactory gunplay without undermining the challenge as the enemies have grown more numerous and their intelligence in combat has been slightly improved. Like in the previous game, each gun has several ammunition types, most of which deal more damage to a specific type of enemy. Some types, however, are used to set traps. Properly placed enemy turrets, electrical wires and proximity mines, for example, can eliminate an incoming wave of enemies before it even reaches you. Some of these ammo types were already present in the original game, but the broader selection of ambush tools makes for more variety in terms of action. All of these enhancements and smart upgrades make the combat in BioShock 2 much, much more satisfying, because the player now has a bigger opportunity to engage enemies with creativity rather than brute force. Additionally, weapons and Plasmids (superhuman powers such as electrifying, incinerating or freezing enemies and objects with your hand) can now be wielded simultaneously, making it easier to experiment with combos. The weapons themselves feel more balanced as well, with every one of them serving a clear purpose throughout the whole game.
Beside the drill, the hacking tool is perhaps the most useful new addition to the player's inventory. This device allows you to hack turrets and cameras from a distance, making it possible to let the situation in a certain room escalate without the enemies being aware of your presence. The hacking itself is more efficient as well. The minigame of the first game, in which you had to construct a pipe from one point to another before time ran out, has been replaced completely by a short sequence in which you have to let a fastly moving needle land in the right area of a gauge. This is easier and faster than the original system, but in contrary to the that system, the hacking is real-time now, meaning the game won't pause if you hack something. This way, the pacing of the game is not interrupted while the initial challenge is kept largely in tact.
Another gameplay aspect that received a major overhaul in BioShock 2 is the gathering of ADAM. In the original game, this genetical substance, used to unlock more plasmids and upgrades, could be collected by either rescuing (exorcising) or harvesting (killing) Little Sisters after you had defeated their protectors - the Big Daddies. This time around, the player will have the possibility to adopt the Little Sister after her protector has been slain. Each Little Sister can lead you to two dead bodies from which ADAM can be extracted. This process takes some time, however, and it attracts hordes of nearby enemies who will try and steal the ADAM. This makes for some of the most fun combat situations in the game, seeing as you have time to set up a whole network of boobytraps before initiating the process. You still have the choice of harvesting the Little Sister as well, but this has consequences for your game. Without spoiling too much, you truly harvest what you sow in Rapture, and being too much of a brute might get you into trouble later in the game.
Despite all these changes, not everything in BioShock 2 is different. The setting will be very familiar to those who have played the original, but fortunately it doesn't feel like a carbon copy. Like in the original, the levels mostly provide a solid balance between exploration and linearity, and it can be worth your while to not dash from one point to another without checking out the many explorable sidepaths present.
The artistic design is familiar as well, being on par with that of the original. It's interesting to see how the collectivist propaganda of Sofia Lamb's cult contrasts Ryan's individualist philosophy that was omnipresent in the first game. This is even noticeable within BioShock 2 itself, with one of the early levels being an amusement park that presents Ryan's philosophy in a nutshell, and with that the ideals that Rapture was founded upon - and collapsed under. Fans of the original will appreciate this smart reference, while newcomers will be able to get a pretty good idea of who Andrew Ryan was and what he stood for.
Another aspect that has been left untouched is the storytelling. Most of the plot unfolds in-game, with the player constantly being informed of the current state of events through voice messages from the various colourful characters of this game. Additionally, tons of voice recordings are scattered throughout Rapture, all of which shed a bit of light on the context of the story. Like in BioShock 1, all of this is supported by truly superb voice acting. Especially characters such as Sinclair and Grace have been brought to life phenomenally well by their respective voice actors.
Unfortunately, the graphics did receive a bit of a downgrade, despite running on the same engine. Many textures turn out very blurry upon approach and even the water doesn't look quite right in comparison to the first game. BioShock 2 is by no means a bad-looking game, but that's mostly thanks to its astonishing artistic design. Overall it's a bit disappointing that BioShock 2 isn't at least on par with its predecessor in the graphics department, especially when you take into account the 3-year gap between the two games.
In many ways, however, BioShock 2 is the ideal sequel. It offers improvements where needed, doesn't fix what's not broken, and isn't afraid to implement some bold new ideas. It can be played by newcomers, yet it also has enough smart references and subtle hints to make those who did play the original feel rewarded. BioShock 2 is a very worthy sequel and, frankly, it's even better than its predecessor. This game teaches us that being the successor to a great game does not need to be a curse.
But what Bioshock 2 really teaches us, is what maturity in video games actually consists of. It's not about how much limbs fly across the room, nor how 'epic' the adventure feels, but it's about offering a sophisticated, progressive and highly enjoyable experience that remains in our hearts long after we've concluded it.