Crazy Gamers Podcast

February 22nd, 2010 — crazygamers Bioshock 2 (Xbox 360, PS3, PC) 2K Games 2K Marin, 2K Australia, 2K China, Digital Extremes
Investment/Worth Playing?–> 5/5
The sequel to 2K Boston’s 2007 masterpiece has certainly generated a substantial amount of controversy. Developed instead by 2K Marin, Bioshock 2 takes place 10 years after the events of the original game, and allows the player to revisit the familiar surroundings contained in the underwater utopia of Rapture. Compared to the first title, the player protagonist is now a Big Daddy (one of the first game’s iconic antagonists) only under the pretense that you are the original, or prototype, version of this character. Little else is known in regards to your identity, and it’s a little difficult to elaborate on that without trespassing into spoiler territory, but the basis of the game’s expanded mythos is that you are in search of your Little Sister, (the zombie-esque little girls who wander the world in search of ADAM, a powerful substance derived from stem cell research) to whom you share a bond and who also ensures your survival. New to the game is the story’s central opposition, and this role is fulfilled by the altruistic Sophia Lamb. She is a direct foil to the character of Andrew Ryan, the founder responsible for Rapture’s creation, who has since perished after the events of Bioshock 1. In the ten years that have passed, Lamb has revitalized Rapture to meet her own nefarious needs, and she has populated the setting once again with more Little Sisters, while also utilizing Big Sisters at her disposal. These characters function similarly to the Big Daddies, only in female form as they are actually grown up Little Sisters who have enhanced and refined powers due to their exposure to ADAM. As the prototype Big Daddy, or Subject Delta as they have nicknamed you, your quest involves you reuniting with “your” Little Sister, who conveniently happens to be Eleanor Lamb, a.k.a Sophia’s daughter. This obviously throws a wrench into the situation (no pun intended for those of you who played the first game) and builds the central conflict as you fight a war for survival.
The story here is solid. Much like the first game, you will collect audio diaries that have been strewn about the environment, which help to provide back story and you could actually argue that they serve as the primary means of advancing the plot. Some of these are related to newer characters in the world, but some notable characters from the first game make return appearances (Ryan, Fontaine, Tenenbaum, etc.) The same voice actors provide further work for this sequel, and deliver likewise stellar performances as the acting is utterly impressive and lends impeccably well to the stylistic aspects of the game as well as the overall sense of tone.
A game such as this, with its deep historical cannon and unique fictional structure, is difficult to evaluate and explain via review without blatantly revealing its secrets, so I’ll refrain from that. What I will say is this: if you played the first Bioshock and enjoyed it, this game is still certainly worth your time. You’re not going to get as amazing of an experience as the first, but that’s simply because that game was so superb that I doubt anyone could really top it. With what you are given, you are given a respectable alternate storyline that meshes well for the most part with what was offered before. Those of you who fall under my personal category of “Bioshock fanboy,” then you probably already have the game and know what I’m talking about. But if for some crazy reason you don’t, what are you waiting for? You’ll still find the first game superior, but this is by no means a phone-in and is more juicy Rapture fiction for you to devour and digest.
Fun Factor–> 5/5
Much like it’s predecessor, Bioshock 2 is an aesthetically alluring and immersive experience from beginning to conclusion. Even if you don’t completely agree with the utter existence of the game or some of it’s design choices as far as approach, you still have the ability to have a very enjoyable experience during your return to Rapture. You’ll initially feel like a lot of the game’s mechanics were simply copied and pasted (i.e. the nature of plasmids, some of the weapons, enemies, interface) but all of these things receive substantial additions and upgrades as the game progresses, allowing it to separate itself from the first encounter strikingly well. Dual wielding has now been incorported, so you won’t have to bother swapping indecisively between your plasmids and weapons; you can now shoot them simultaneously on the fly using the left and right triggers and cook up some subsequently wicked combinations. The upgrades themselves, accessed via the 12 Power to the People stations in the game, now have 3 tiers as opposed to 2 for each weapon, and some of these give your avatar some seriously epic abilities. Incinerate level 3 turns your literal hand into a makeshift flamethrower, which you can use to spray enemies with a steady stream of flames while also pumping their vicious hides full of armor piercing rounds via your gatling machine gun. Level 3 Telekinesis also has very comical and entertaining possibilites, but I’ll let that be something you can look forward to.
The sense of pathos and mystique are maintained remarkably well, considering this is a different team’s baby. Bioshock has received almost universal praise, and the one aspect which most people tend to agree on is the sense of character the environment exudes. The art-deco style of 60’s era scenery and architecture breathes life into the game regardless of what point in the story the player has reached, and both Bioshock games are unique in how their ambient and atmospheric qualities manage to thrive as constants. The heavily modified Unreal Engine returns and, assuming you’re experiencing it on up-to-date equipment with a 16:9 aspect ratio, both Bioshock games are some of the most visually pleasing video games I have had the privilege of laying eyes on. Say what you want about the rest of the game, but even if it were complete shit I don’t see how anyone could deny they are some of the most original and superior graphics when compared to any other game. The attention to detail specifically with any appearance of water, especially moving water, is as close to photorealism as I can recall seeing this generation, and besides maybe Bethesda or Infinity Ward’s proprietary engines I’d say Bioshock has very little competition.
Replay–> 4/5
Getting back to the controversial nature of the game, Bioshock 2 received mixed responses to it’s inclusion of online competitive multiplayer. Some were excited, some groaned, some didn’t quite know what to think. Here’s the thing: if you’re one of those “all I play is ___” gamers, i.e. Halo, Modern Warfare, Madden, etc, then you’re probably not someone who’s going to play Bioshock. Even if you do, you’re certainly not going to fully absorb everything hidden in the world (and trust me, it’s a lot) compared to those of us “die-hards.” That being said, it’s not likely you’d even touch this game mode, not because it’s not worth your time, but rather because you have your niche/comfort zone for multiplayer that you prefer, and why fix what’s not broken?
Bioshock 2’s multiplayer appeals more to those who are in search of something new, something fresh that doesn’t really exist in any other infrastructure realm. It borrows heavily from a game such as Modern Warfare 2, absolutely, but to be frank it’s one of the smartest ideas developer Digital Extremes could have pursued. Part of the issue with Bioshock is that it isn’t proven as a multiplayer game, some may argue it “doesn’t belong.” Regardless, if you’re copying arguably the most widespread and popular multiplayer around, you’re preventing your stress level at least by 50%. You unlock plasmids, tonics, weapons and audio diaries as you play, and this persistent nature of the game keeps players coming back for more, seemingly giving them the slightest nibble of a delicious delicacy, only to raise the proverbial carrot a little higher each time until you progressively make strides to acquire just a little more. It’s actually a little shocking to me that an almost no-name developer would have the guts to say “we’re just going to blatantly steal from the big guns” instead of just coming up with something half assed that better suits their personal design and/or commitment level. What they have achieved here is a multiplayer that is most certainly fun, and which mirrors MW in a very, very familiar manner. You’ve got your standard death match (Survival of the Fittest), CTF (Capture the Sister), team death match (Civil War), and even an homage to Halo’s Oddball (ADAM grab). Hacking and researching mechanics are incorporated and heavily prevalent to advance the objective based games, just enough to ensure it maintains that Bioshock feel and identity.
All in all, it’s highly addictive, and no matter what your preference is, you can have some degree of fun with it. I have to limit it to the score above at least until some unfortunate freezing and matchmaking issues are concerned, and because it tends to appeal strictly to that hardcore, Bioshock fanboy audience. Now, assuming they patch these bugs, hopefully which will come with the newly announced post-launch DLC, I could easily find myself raising said score, but that’s just me. Most importantly, any problems it may have do not do a disservice to the single player campaign. I do not feel that the experience of the single player suffered, or was victimized, in any way by the multiplayer component. Ultimately, it depends on your enthusiasm for the series in general, but even for the most casual of gamers who just want to play it through to say they did, I’m confident they would give it slightly higher than a passing grade either way.
Polish—> 4/5
I already touched on the multiplayer portion, and I have an obligation to evaluate the product as it exists. At the time of writing this review, there are some annoying bugs in the multiplayer, but hopefully DE will get that worked out so the experience will be back to normal. Getting rid of those concerns would easily bump this score to a 4.5. I’m hopeful, and also cognizant that this team is not renowned for their multiplayer, so having a big triple A title with a lot of people playing it may not have been something they were completely prepared for. It’s a new, unproven endeavor for a game like Bioshock, and no matter what multiplayer you play, it is not immune to bugs/glitches/douchebags/mods. The game absolutely shipped with much more going for it than even I was expecting, so I was thrilled to see that.
The single player game was slightly more polished, and I personally did not detect any of the texture pop in that is typical for UE games. The gameplay is smooth, crisp, and controls splendidly from start to finish, with none of the weighty, clunky movements and disoriented sense of heaviness similar to playing as a Big Daddy in Bioshock 1. The only noticeable flaw I could detect in my 12 hour play through was a minor drop in framerate during some of the later portions of the game when the enemies on screen reach a climax, and the events of the game have reached pure and utter chaos. It happened more than once and made me a little dizzy, but it was by no means incessant and did very little to actually detract from my enjoyment.
Innovation/Creativity–> 5/5
Without revealing the plot, I can say that Bioshock 2 opens with a bang. Not to say that the first game wasn’t gripping or intense, but you were playing as a character that you knew little about until you had progressed far enough into the story. In other words, did you really care about him, outside of knowing you had to keep him alive to keep playing? Here, the emotional investment is cranked up a notch and gave me an eerie, downright sad feeling, mixed with a hint of redemption and vengeance. It simply gave me more of an incentive to play to unravel the events, because it was more personal this time. Another particular gameplay sequence later in the game is a first for Bioshock, something that I won’t spoil but will say you won’t see it coming. It completely changed the state of Rapture and Bioshock as I had come to know and define it, and as a standalone experience it’s one of the most unique and artistically compelling novelties I’ve seen in recent time. I wouldn’t say it’s a twist per se, but it’s something that hits you out of the blue and alters the game with its abrupt switch in perspective.
All across the board, gameplay has been improved for the better. The research camera now functions as a real-time camcorder, allowing you to start filming before you go about creatively destroying your opposition, compared to having to swap pictures and interrupting the action. Ken Levine, the creator and genius behind Irrational games, is a big supporter of emergent gameplay, and this is the best example of emergent gameplay I’ve seen. Those of you who aren’t privy to the concept should definitely research it, then go back and play the game some more and you’ll appreciate what they’re conveying. Likewise, the pipe dream-esque hacking mini game has now been upgraded to a more simplistic “get the needle to land in the appropriate color panel” mini-game, which is most comparable to the blacksmith mini-games in Fable II. You can do this while still being aware of your surroundings and mind you can still be attacked, so it succeeds in doing less to break the suspension of disbelief. It’s also a lot easier, especially once you acquire auto-hacking tools making the mini-game unnecessary altogether. In addition, the new objective of Gathering events is a nice concept, which asks the player to protect his Little Sisters (they ride on your shoulder once you initially save them) while they harvest ADAM from the dead. In the meantime, you must utilize traps and tools and strategically approach tactical options of fighting off the waves of inevitable splicers. These sections eventually wore thin by the later portions of the game, but if you find them too repetitive they are entirely optional; these parts only get you more ADAM if you do pursue them, but are not mandatory.
The shooting is fantastic, and by God the drill is just a force to be reckoned with. Some industry well-knowns in the enthusiast press may have an attachment to the original wrench, but if you play the game through and fully upgrade things, and explore all of the ways to use them, you’re drinking crazy juice if you think the drill doesn’t completely own. I also thoroughly enjoyed the transitions the game makes between levels, as it takes advantage of your diving suit and allows you to traverse the ocean floor in some visually striking underwater excursions. These are brief, and you don’t encounter enemies, but it’s a chance to truly gaze at Rapture and remember those original feelings of wonder the first game portrayed so well. The lack of the enemies is the focal point though, since the previous game didn’t really offer many chances like this once the action got going. The action is fully present here though as well, and Big Sisters will truly test your mettle and skill and give you some of the most frantic encounters you’ve seen in some time. My first toe-to-toe experience with a Big Sister literally gave me chills, as she lunged at me with malice intended and I stormed her head-on with my power drill.
Bioshock 2 is a game that one must realize was largely brought about from a corporate influence. When a publisher sees one of its IP’s attain success, it seeks to support it and drive it to make profit, thus spawning a franchise. The original Bioshock did this upon releasing, so the sequel shouldn’t come as much surprise. The people responsible for making it, however, aren’t on the corporate side of things necessarily; they didn’t really have a choice, as the original developer was off branching into other projects. What 2K Marin did was the best that they could with respect for the series in mind, and ultimately a sequel in the boots of a Big Daddy was a smart decision, in my opinion. It by no means trumps the original, which will forever remain as a classic in my mind, but if you think Bioshock 2 is garbage in comparison and not worth your time, then I would suggest you take a closer look at why you play video games, and the criteria for which you base your standards…would you kindly?
Overall: 4.5 / 5
BEATZ