Upon beginning Bioshock 2 my first impression was one of unease. Trying to put aside any preconceptions lingering from its critically adored predecessor was always going to be tricky but it was nevertheless possible that the sequel could stand alone on it's own merit or prove a worthy continuation of such solid groundwork. This endeavour was dashed as soon as I sat through the opening cutscene and was amazed at the brevity with which I was rushed into the driving seat. The now infamous plane crash and bathysphere journey that first brought us to Rapture have been seemingly forgotten and, after a brief set-to with some Splicers and chat with the game's nemesis, Sofia Lamb, you awake in the middle of splicer central with nowt but a drill to defend yourself. Now it's not a bad thing to get straight into the action but the world of Rapture has such a rich depth that it would have been nice to be drawn in to the mood before being flung into action.
This time around, Well-to-do megalomaniac psycho Andrew Ryan is replaced as the evil overseer in residence by the equally well-spoken posh nut-job Sofia Lamb. Rather than slowly giving the player the sense that something may be amiss with Lamb's vision of Rapture's true purpose (as with the previous game's treatment of Ryan), we are sledgehammered into full awareness of her dire intentions by the fact that a) she makes you shoot yourself in the head in the opening cutscene and b)her name adorns every friggin wall in the game in various doomsday slogans.
As you travel through those first few areas, the unease still persists. Possibly because, with so little time to immerse yourself, everything looks like Rapture but it doesn't feel like Rapture. It may also be because it's not just the intro that feels rushed. There's evidence that some areas weren't thrown together with quite as much attention as they may have deserved, whilst others retain the trademark lustre. Lazy texturing is occasionally evident and while this is still excuseable, it exposes a lack of sufficient garnish that Rapture deserves.
The game's predecessor and it's cousin Fallout 3 were both notable for having implemented music cues appropriate to the historical setting. Bioshock 2 attempts this but with all the subtlety of a nude tapdancer. Instead of the dulcet notes of Beyond the Sea lilting from an old record player or crackling into life as one picks up a stray radio signal, these seemingly random chunks of 50s americana are blurted out over the game's loading screens, stopping as abruptly as they start and doing nothing to set the scene.
The loading screens themselves seem excessively long for a game of such recent release. When sitting amongst peers that have found ingenious ways of smoothing over loading issues (Mass Effect notable in this category but not for entirely positive reasons. Google 'mass effect elevator'.) it seems somewhat shoddy to be presented with a static screen and skippable 'tips' that become mostly redundant 30 minutes into the playthrough.
One thing that is much improved is the system of hacking. Not only can you now hack from a distance with a purpose-built dart gun but the hacking minigame itself is much quicker. No longer requiring the player to channel water through pipes, it's as simple as hitting the A button at the right time when a needle is in the right position and bonuses and free items can be earned by doing this particularly well. It certainly serves to keep the momentum going and it's not long before you're hacking with confidence.
Bioshock 2 takes place from the perspective of 'Subject Delta', an early Big Daddy prototype (displaying more than a passing resemblance to a steampunk Bomberman) who has been out of action for the best part of ten years whilst Rapture fell to ruin around his ears. Strangely, despite being a Big Daddy, renowned for being walking tanks, Subject Delta is about as armored as a wax jesus. Playing on the normal difficulty will find you powering through first aid kits and even the most idle of Splicers can usually dispatch you with 2-3 well placed clobbers. Some compromises obviously had to be made when making a Big Daddy the protagonist; players would soon tire of clumping around rapture at a snails pace groaning like a clinically depressed zombie. That said, Delta does feel like a curious mix. The only real evidence that you're in a Big Daddy's shoes is the drill on your arm and the ungodly clodhopping thump you make when jumping up and down. The rest of the time you're ambling around at a fair pace, jacking-up with plasmids just like the original protagonist. It's a fair compromise and mostly gives the player the best of both worlds.
Of course no Big Daddy experience would be complete without the little sisters. Although driven to find his own little sister, Eleanor, Delta is able to adopt the numerous strays that litter Rapture in order to collect Adam. This process is both original and troublesome. For some unknown reason the collection of Adam is like a beacon to surrounding splicers who appear as if from nowhere in their droves to terrorise the little sister out of collecting the precious red goo. Given your tiny health allowance these battles are often frustrating exercises and a failed extraction will often find you mopping up the stragglers of the last attempt before you can have another go. One can only imagine these get easier as the game wears on and Delta is given more tools to steel himself against these onslaughts but this is certainly off-putting early on.
For the most part, Bioshock 2 is not a bad game but it does serve up a 'more-of-the-same' experience. 2K Marin have picked up the mantle well and created more of the same lush environments, unique weapons and a few pleasant tweaks to the established formula. Where it falls down is in it's presentation and attention to detail. Bioshock 2 has it where it matters but the game as a whole doesn't quite stand up to intense scrutiny.
Score: 7/10
