The first Bioshock had a very interesting overall moral theme: To fight the monsters, you had to become a monster yourself. In order to survive in such a twisted otherworldly city as Rapture, you had to lose a little bit of yourself at a time. This includes killing splicers with no mercy, modifying your body in unnatural and sometimes revolting ways, and having to choose between harvesting and saving little girls, knowing your life is on the line. Thus, the main character had a very interesting arc...you yourself became a splicer, the very monster you were fighting.

Bioshock 2 continues this character arc themed storyline, however, many people don't notice it. This sequel is more about redemption of the main character, rather than transforming into something you're not. Many reviewers complain, "Why do I not feel like a Big Daddy for the first 9 hours of the game?" That is because you are not playing as a Big Daddy, but rather becoming one throughout the course of the game. Not to mention the fact that you are an Alpha series, and are thus weaker than most models. You are embracing your role as Eleanor's "father", and you eventually grow into quite an ass kicking beast by the halfway point.

You start out the game, dazed and confused, not knowing what's going on. You soon realize your little sister is still out in the dilapidated city, and she needs your help. This story of love and adventure gives the player a better connection to the main character, as you can almost feel the fatherly care he has for Eleanor, and pain he feels when being seperated from her or seeing her hurt. The sheer exhiliration you feel when your knocking five or six splicers around the room with your drill whilst shooting fire and electricity, knowing your performing your honorable duty to the one that Subject Delta loves, the only one he loves, is an experience I have yet to feel in a game.

As you progress through the game, saving little sister after little sister, adopting them and protecting them, you feel as if your becoming a true Big Daddy as you grow more powerful. And as you finally become strong enough to take down other Big Daddies with ease and grace, you realize- you are the ultimate Big Daddy. You are the strongest, the best. Better than all the rest. And you are Eleanor's last hope.

My greatest moment playing the game: I had just placed my little sister on a corpse to collect adam, and quickly went up a nearby set of stairs to a balcony overlooking the area. As I saw splicers showing up to bother her, I jumped over the railing with drill in hand...the satisfying, heavy BOOM you feel every time you land, knowing your a hulking beast...it let me know very well, this girl counted on me. I was able wipe them all out, and at that the little sister says, "You always protect me from the monsters." An awesome feeling.

This is a feeling unmatched, in my opinion, by any other game in which there are companions, save for ICO. You start out a weakling little Alpha model, and slowly become the Big Daddy you were meant to be.

Bioshock 2 is the perfect example of character development for gaming, in my opinion. Character development is not limited to simply changing the characters standpoint on issues and moral opinions. Rather, character development can apply to acceptance of ones destiny, or perhaps simply becoming a hero over the course of the game, like Infamous or Fable 1 (Fable 2 was in no way as good of a character development theme as fable 1, as your character never seemed to age and grew huge muscles within moments).

Here's hoping more game developers have more advanced characters as the years go by, and remember that gaming is very much an art form, in so many ways, even if the world doesn't know it.