Bioshock 2

I absolutely loved the first Bioshock and thought that a sequel set in Rapture, albeit eight years later, was going to be far too similar to the first. Initially, my first reaction to the new game was just that. However, as I played the game and got deeper into it I began to really appreciate the differences made.

Firstly, the weapons are quite different, the most interesting addition perhaps being the drill. There is also the rivet gun and the spear gun. A funky new addition is the remote hacker, which is used to shoot darts at remote units to hack them, but can also deploy turrets to help defend areas. The shotgun makes a return but is still rubbish in my opinion although the special rounds are a little different and can be quite effective. Also returning is the machine gun (though more like a gatling gun), the rocket launcher and the research camera, although it works like a movie camera this time.

I loved actually playing as a Big Daddy. Of course the player in the first game had to turn himself into a Big Daddy, but this did not affect the gameplay at all. In the new game, you sound, move and attack like a Big Daddy should. It always spooks me a little when the Little Sisters refer to me as 'Daddy' and look at me lovingly with those vacant eyes, but it does make the player feel more like a Big Daddy. I like the fact that the player actaully takes the Sisters to 'angels' to extract Adam. It can be quite difficult fending off enemies in this process, but the turrets, rivet traps, rocket launcher mines and spear traps all come in handy.

I found the new hacking game so much better. The old one, where you had to rearrange pipes, was pretty fun to play but was so repetitive and time consuming, and after 50 hacks or so I began to hate those blasted pipes. The new game features a skill stop game - you must stop the needle on a green area or a blue one, which gives a special bonus that could be a first aid kit or extra cash in a safe.

It was a little disappointing that so much was the same in the new game, such as the vending machines, most of the plasmids and tonics, and most of the denzien types. But how different could a game environment be that is set in the same underwater dystopian city. I found that Bioshock 2 was as addictive as the first in terms of gameplay. I also found the new storyline very good, but thought that the Dr Lamb character was fairly redundant. I think perhaps if the player had a direct affect on her outcome, as opposed to the actual indirect affect, then she may have felt more relevant. I'm not saying that she has no effect on the storyline at all, far from it in fact, but the developers could have made the relationship between her and the player alot more interactive.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the game. I think those who love a good story and an addictive gameplay will love it. Those who expected a game which was totally new but at the same time a clear sequel to the first were perhaps expecting too much. I thought that the game was a fantastic sequel to the first and moved the Bioshock franchise forward - for example, we know now what it feels like to be a little sister and a Big Daddy, and we know more about the power rivalrys in pre-civil war Rapture.

I can't wait for Bioshock 3!

Bioshock 2 is another feast for those with a richer taste in gaming. I've read countless reviews that state it's perhaps a little too similar to its predecessor, which I can't understand as a negative. To me that's a huge positive, for those that loved the first, another dive into Rapture is something to be relished.

This is a completely new premise and plot though. Now you get to experience the might of the Big Daddy (with dual wielding plasmids and weapons). It's a heap of fun, and definitely more action packed than before. You'll be protecting the little sisters as you would have seen in the previous game. Your role is that of the first Big Daddy to be paired with a little sister, however it just so happens that little sister was no ordinary girl. Again the game has you digging deeper into it's rich story and eventually gives you another hugely rewarding ending.

The game play is much faster than before, more difficult with deadlier enemies (i.e, Big Sisters and upgraded Big Daddies). However to meet this your combat system is so much better than before. Tons of new plasmids, loads of weapons, the fun is finding which one's you like best. For me I love to send a swarm of bee's into the splicers then pin them to the wall with a spike. Not only that but there are times when you'll need to protect little sisters while they are harvesting Adam (the substance that makes your plasmids). Here you'll have to be smart and plant traps to defend your spot.

The graphics are once again amazing. Some of the locations aren't quite as interesting as the first game, but they're still very impressive.

Bioshock 2 also goes multiplayer with a fleshed out experience that utilizes the games frantic combat and espionage tactics. There are a variety of options (from free-for-all to protecting the little sister etc). It's an absolute blast with enough customisable options (both character and weaponery) to keep you coming back. This certainly isn't some mini-game tacked onto the main story. Although the developers haven't pushed the boat out to any major degree it's a well accomplished multiplayer.

Overall this is truly a worthy successor to the best game I've ever played. I'm taking this one to the desert Island as well.

I waited with some degree of excitement to play this game, as the original must rank of one the most innovative and enjoyable 360 shooters ever created. In this sequel, Rapture remains a great place to creep around, kill splicers and slowly build an arsenal of retro weapons alongside futuristic plasmids.

However, if we stack the vision required to create the original, covering its art deco aesthetic and pseudo-Randian philosophy, which laid the foundation for a frightening and anarchic post-utopian setting in which gamers could run wild , blow genetic mutants apart, and ultimately become one of them, this sequel doesn't really move the franchise forward much. It's fun, but the setting is essentially the same. A few new enemies and weapons are available, and the designers have picked a new philosophic bent around which to wrap the themes of the game which fits less comfortably in Rapture than that of the original game.

Don't let that stop you buying and enjoying the game, as I did. It's just that I came away feeling like this was a massive DLC add-on to the original instead of a fresh new turn on the incredibly inventive original.