I was a huge fan of the original Bioshock game. It really stood out for me in regards to the games atmosphere and captivating storyline... Rapture truely felt like a world of its own. This was backed up by solid gameplay, with mechanics such as plasmids (which gave your character unique abilities such as unleashing a swarm of bees on your opponents), fights with the powerful Big Daddies, and a moral choice system that allowed you to access two different endings. All this together created a game I love and still replay to this day.
You can imagine how excited I was when I found out that Bioshock 2 was in the works... and that this time around, you would step into the diving suit of a Big Daddy! Now it has arrived, and it certainly does not disappoint.
The original Bioshock, while a superb game, had some gameplay mechanics that could have used fine tuning. Bioshock 2 does a great job in improving some of the previous games shortcomings. For one thing, you can now duel wield plasmids and guns at once, which allows for more flow during fights and can result in some devastating combos. Hacking machines is now less of a chore, as well as researching the enemies. All of these things are very welcome changes.
There were also some complaints that the original game was too easy... Bioshock 2 certainly is a step up in difficulty. While your Big Daddy is a much more powerful character than Jack Ryan from the first game, this time round, you may find yourself fighting 8 or more splicers at once! Crowd control (such as the use of traps) is much more important than ever, especially on the harder difficulty settings. Not only that, but at numerous points in the game, you will find yourself against a Big Sister, a terrifyingly powerful opponent.
But really, what would make or break the game for me is the storyline and atmosphere. Without it, the original Bioshock would have been a good, but not great, shooter. Fortunately Bioshock 2 wins in this regard... the storyline is just excellent, as you find out more about your origins and why you are tied to your Little Sister. Perhaps more important is the use of the moral choice system... if the first game incorporated it, this game truely embraces it. There are three unique endings to this game, and they are all worth seeing. The "good" ending has to be one of the most beautiful endings I have ever seen in a game.
Are there any negatives? Well, it isn't so much of a negative, but there are a lot of strong links to the first game. It is Rapture again, after all, and the breath-taking underwater city isn't quite so amazing the second time around. As well as that, you will fight many of the same enemies again (although the new ones you will encounter certainly throw a spanner in the works!) Still, these are just nitpicks and do not detract from the game overall.
Bioshock 2, in my eyes, is just as good as the first game. Heck, it may even be a little bit better. I would highly recommend playing through the first game before picking up this one, although it is probably not necessary. For everyone else, welcome back to Rapture!
