BioShock 2!

[Hu$tla]

Well, I haven't been playing much since I have little time lately but this game is very good. I even take into consideration that it might be cooler than the first one. Changes are for the better. Playing as Big Daddy makes you feel like you're in power. When you jump, you feel that you're a big, metal "monster". Also using plasmids and weapons at once is a very nice idea and it works perfectly. Not to mention new, way better than the old one, hacking system. This one is fast and really fun. And distant hacks are dope as well.

I love scenarios like this one:

You open the door and you see two splicers. There is a broken turret right next to them. They don't see you. You shoot the turret with a hacking dart and hack it very fast. Then it kills your enemies for you. Same thing goes for security cameras. Oh, there is more to that. There's a special "blue" hacking spot. Of course it's more difficult to hit but if you do, you get special bonuses. For example if it's safe you get extra money, if it's health station you get first aid kit for free, if it's turret - its damage is improved.
You may think the game's too easy with that shit? Hell no. I play on "normal" and I almost died a couple of times. Especially when I confronted one of the Big Sisters and Big Daddy. It's good to come up with a plan before you attack those BDs. You can carry maximum five of both Eve's and health kits and only 600$ can fit in your wallet (still better, in the first one you could carry only 500$).

I can go on and on about this game but what's the point? Maybe I'll write a review once I finish the game.

Oh, and excuse me my mistakes, I ain't no English man

[Hu$tla]

Originally Posted by FallenIdol

Is it harder than the first? Cause the first was easy as hell. And the last boss in the first one was probably the easiest boss I've ever beaten in a game.

It's definitely harder than the first one IMO. Of course it's a good thing. I hate easy games, they're getting boring pretty soon. The more game is challenging the more I want to play it.

[Jay]

**Long Poast Alert**


Some random thoughts....

PROS:

- The ability to use plasmids and weapons at the same time. This allows for some great combination kills and there are no more clustered transitions from one to the other. Once both are upgraded, the kills become devastatingly ho66co6e.

- Being a "prototype" Big Daddy still makes you very vulnerable at first. Since you're a rough draft so to speak, you aren't as hulked out as the other Big Daddies and Big Sisters. Your outfit is pretty outdated and ghetto, too. Also, in the decade that has passed, the splicers have gotten stronger, some new types have emerged and they have mastered the art of swarming against larger opponents. This is almost like a squad of fire ants working together to take down a tarantula. The numbers game is in full-effect. The AI is pretty consistent throughout, but towards the end, you are simply too bad ass to be threatened by them that much (including Big Daddies and Big Sisters). They still put up a good fight by attacking in groups, though.

- The live hacking game. I love it. The pipe-game was dumb IMO because it took you out of the game, was time consuming and boring. With this, it is live, so you're vulnerable while hacking. It would have been nice to see the stores implement some sort of "live" type layout.

- Rapture itself. The city is pretty banged up, but the art style still shines through. You get a feeling of deja vu as you go through the city. It feels familiar, yet new and exciting at the same time. For those who feared it would be the "same old, same old" (in regards to the atmosphere/environments), fear not. The new environments are fantastic for the most part. This game is all about creating a surreal atmosphere; even when revisiting Rapture, it is still simultaneously very creepy, dangerous and beautiful. It's also cool to be walking along and seeing some Splicers fighting a Big Daddy/little sister.

- The Story. A lot of people were concerned that the story would suck, but it is pretty enjoyable. There aren't as many twists, turns and surprises as last time, but the campaign is very solid and you quickly get immersed into the story. Some characters I feel weren't developed enough for you to really care about, but the ones that really needed to be definitely were. The story also doesn't peak as early as BS did, and the final battle is 10x better than that bullshit in BS.

- BS2 also has noice branching options in the larger story tree. There are I believe 4 different endings (good, neutral, bad, DWAMN) based on your decisions. These decisions involve more than just harvesting/saving little sisters this time as well.

NEUTRAL:

- The gameplay seems a bit dated compared to many other FPS out there, but it works. At times I felt like I wanted a revamped engine, but as the game went on, I realized this gameplay works best. It can still feel a bit clunky at times, but the ability to customize your weapons/plasmids/gene tonics and the wide variety of kill options you can pull off still make it fun. The emphasis on strategy, setting up traps and game-planning is also pretty dope.

- Graphics. I am not a "graphics-whore", but I would have liked to see some more improvement in the visuals. Like I said earlier, the art style and presentation are still very, very good, but the visuals seem very dated in 2010. Also, elements like the game's use of shadows isn't as cool this time around.

- Multiplayer. I watched my cousin play a bit of this, and it's decent, but nothing I'd spend too much time on. It won't make you stop playing MW2, BFBC, UC2, GOW, or whatever else. There is a bit of a story in here as well, which gives it some purpose. Still, not very memorable overall.

- The pacing is also pretty decent in this game, but I feel they could have switched it up more. You start off a bit slow, then there is a sense of controlled frenzy for the last portion of the game. There are many "collecting" portions of the game (like last time) to switch it up as well. The pacing is on-par with the first game, but it all feels too familiar to BS.

- You can stretch out the length of the game if you choose to harvest as much Adam as possible through various means, but I feel these unofficial "side missions" are a cheap way to make the game longer. At it's main story core, the game isn't too long. Also, it is more linear than BS was, and BS was pretty damn linear There are less opportunities to backtrack and explore. Then again, some may like this too.

CONS:

- One of the biggest "new" elements of BS2 the developers mushed about was the ability to go out into the sea. However, these "ocean-exploration" segments of the game are merely transition points, and few and far between. I felt like it was a cop out and/or false hype, since you don't get to do that much of anything in the ocean. Grabbing "Adam slugs" was fun, though.

- Another gameplay aspect the developers talked up was the "anytime, anywhere" unpredictability of the Big Sister. This too isn't true. All your encounters with her are scripted, and even parts of the game where you randomly see her (swimming in the ocean, hopping in the far background) are scripted as well. You don't get a sense of panic and uncertainty that the developers hyped up (regarding Big Sister encounters). When you're walking along, you don't have to fear she will pop up out of nowhere and slice your azz....which would have been awesome. I haven't played on Hard yet, so maybe this happens on Hard....hopefully.

-------


Overall, a very solid sequel and a game worth playing, especially if you're a BS fan. Ultimately, this is a game about (in-game) morals and this time, the choices you make directly effect another major character in the game in a very cool way. If you went around harvesting, killing everyone etc, the game does do a great job of making you feel like a "monster" through the repercussions of your choices. Very cool and a thoughtful way to put a spin on things.

[Steel Curtain]

That was a noice review man. I actually read it all. I just started playing it tonight, and I agree with pretty much all you said based on my experience so far

[salutethegoat]

Finished it today, and got the best ending (surprisingly). Took a good 5 hours for me to get into it yesterday then I started it today and played the rest. This is a really great game. Much of the "WOW" factor is gone this time around since I've seen Rapture before, but it was still fun revisiting the place, and some of the new maps like the museum were cool. The shooting is Bioshock-y as hell, for better or worse. And I died many a time before I got it through my head that just because I'm a big daddy doesn't mean I can soak up bullets like one. Dual-weilding was a great addition but once you get the level 3 plasmids it's over for anything the game throws at you.

Story was to my fucking surprise pretty much on par with the first one, I still prefer the story in 1 but that might be because of that WOW factor I was talking about. It's too early to go and spoil the story in this, but man, it's good.

Atmosphere is still top notch and so is the design. Not really anything major to complain about other than the fact that this series really needs another installment now to fill in some huge gaps in the story and that I expected the Big sisters to be a bigger deal. Could've had a few more new enemies as well.

[Steel Curtain]

After playing a bit more, it does get better and more interesting. It doesn't have the same 'wow' factor of the original, but it is still very good and definitely worth playing. Couple of quick pro's and con's for me

Pro's -

- The new camera system for taping enemies is much better and makes more sense
- Making the hacking quicker and the ability to hit them from afar with the gun
- Overall challenge of the game is a plus
- Having the lil sisters harvest adam for you and carrying them around is pretty awesome
- Like the weapon selection
- The amount of Adam you can get and the number of things you can buy with it right from the getgo
- Voices, sounds effects and music are all good, like the original

Con's

- Plasmids are all pretty much the same as the last game
- The drill uses wayyyy too much oil for the damage it does. It ends up not even being terribly useful, when you would think you would be a total badass with it
- The whole big sister thing ended up being pretty lame. I thought it was gonna be one character who chases you throughout the game; ala Res Evil 3 Nemesis, instead it is all in scripted events and at the end of the levels, where you can easily kill her as a regular enemy
- Not being able to backtrack at all really kind of sucks, especially if you missed something along the way for an achievement or something
- Lack of being able to really 'explore' anywhere. You are pretty much totally led along the entire time, in what feels like a 'beat the level and head to the next' kind of game
- Underwater sections suck and seem pointless

[Jay]

I believe there is a gene tonic to make the drill fuel more efficient, but yeah...that thing is a fucking gas guzzler lol.

[Day Man]

I just beat it today. MUCH better than the first Game. It managed to keep the same "charm'' as the first, but everywhere the game could have improved, it did. Out of the gate, the game is TOUGH. But several plasmids and weapons, it flows much better, and only mobs of enemies give you any pause. Weapons + Plasmids rawks.

There are several tonics and research bonuses that make the drill an insane killing machine. Extra damage, fuel efficiency, projectile reflector (bullets included), drill dash (Bad. Ass.), etc. I primarily used the drill and different plasmid combos.

Towards the end of the game, nothing, not even multiple Big Sisters were a challenge. Also, I only seemed to use certain weapons, as others seemed to be of limited use. I never used the spear gun or the shotgun, and rarely used the grenade launcher. The only times I used the spear/shotgun was for novelty and to increase research faster.

I got the good ending, but I'm not sure how I feel about it. I won't spoil anything, but while it was poignant, I felt let down. Also, the end-game fight was easier than the first, if that's possible.

Things that make the game easy: mini-turrets, summoned strong bots, insect swarm.

[Steel Curtain]

I really did enjoy the game. At least it wasn't disappointing, like many big name games tend to be nowadays

[BooThisMan]

Originally Posted by Steel Curtain

I really did enjoy the game. At least it wasn't disappointing, like many big name games tend to be nowadays

+1