Bioshock 2

OK this is a review based on the game and not the DRM issues, Steam or the limited activitions. I disagree with all these things (except Steam which I personally find to be a superb service on the whole) and my thoughts regarding games publishers deciding how many times we can install and enjoy their games would'nt fit on the entire Amazon site. Just be aware that I am strictly against the idea. Anyway, having purchased and (agonisingly) download the game from Steam I am in a position to give an opinion based upon the actual game and not the issues surrounding it. So here goes.

The game is set 10 years after the ending of it's predesessor. After the downfall of Andrew Ryan and Fontaine, Psychologist Dr. Sofia Lamb has taken control of the under water city of Rapture. After wrestling control of her biological daughter Eleanor from the grasp of Big Daddy 'Delta' (who you will play as) she sets about controlling all the little sister's throughout Rapture. (sorry to anyone not following, go back and play Bioshock to understand my ramblings). At the start of the game Eleanor Lamb is now all grown up and wishes to be reaquainted with her Big Daddy and also stop her insane mother from destroying her beloved utopia. From this point onwards the events of Bioshock 2 take place and I would hate to ruin anyone's enjoyment by revealing parts of the plot, just know that although the story is not as strong as the original, it has enough twists & turns to entertain throughout the 8 or 9 hour playing time. However, my first complaint is of the prime antagonist (Dr Lamb), she is just not that prominant and her desires seem tame in comparison to Andrew Ryan's breath-taking plans. The use of radio-relayed messages to tell the story and give a little insight/backstory is still an inspired move but does also seem a little dated now after both the original Bioshock and the fantastic Batman: Arkyum Asylum implemented the idea so well. But all-in-all the plot and script is still of a high calibre and most should find it enjoyable.

One area in which the game has received a bit of a face-lift are the physics of combat. The game feels much more fluid than the original with the use of the right mouse button to execute plasmids (magic powers for the un-iniciated) and the left button for the use of various guns. The whole experience just feels better and gives you an unending amount of ways in which to dispatch your foes. One complaint which could be levelled at it is the fact that their are very few new plasmids to play around with and the ones which are new only become available towards the end of the main story. This is a problem I would also label at the rest of the game, it all feels like we've been here before with the developers seemingly taking the minimal amount of risk. The layout of the HUD (Heads Up Display) is exactly the same as the original, the game uses the same Unreal engine so it looks and plays the same as the original and the art design of the levels is exactly the same.

One risk the developers did take was to implement a new hacking method in which you have to stop a moving arrow within a certain area. The fact that you have to do said task whilst fighting off splicers (the zombie-like mutants) makes for a much more frantic experience than the first games 'PipeMania' inspired minigame. General fights are now also a much more chaotic and exhilerating experience, with splicers taking cover behind any object and trojectiles seemingly ricocheting off of all surfaces. Big Daddy battles are also a much more tactical excersise. You can now employ the use of mini-turrets and hacked security terminals to fight alongside you.

This sequel also introduces the Big Sister. These are basically various Little Sisters who have grown and taken their fashion sense from the diving suit prima-donna's The Big Daddy. Their goal is to release all the little sister's from their supposed incaptivity by the ambling Big Daddy. The arrival of any Big Sister fight is met with a banshee-like squeal which warns you of your impending doom, for Big Sister battles are the most challenging aspect of the entire game and the finish of any will be met with ahuge amounts of relief and a great sense of satisfaction.

Another disadvantage this game suffers from is the lack of memorable locations. The first game had many places which will live long in the memory like Fontaine Fisheries or Olympus Heights (who could forget Sander Cohen?). At the end of this game I struggled to differenciate one area from another, instead it all felt like one long level which by default makes the game feel longer and more laboured than it's predesessor. This is a shame as the idea of Rapture and it's epic innards are what most draws me towards this series of game.

The multiplayer aspect of the game feels a little stilted and tacked-on for me. I don't beleive the game needed the added dimension that multiplayer brings and there are much better online shooters already on the market. The three modes of play are entitled Survival Of The Fittest (which is basically solo deathmatch), Civil War (team deathmatch) and Turf War (Capture and Hold). All are rudimentry and do their job well enough but I don't think I'll be giving up my time on Left 4 Dead, Team Fortress or Call Of Duty any time soon.

So in summary, I'd argue that the basics of this game in some ways surpass the original with much better fighting physics and the introduction of the dreaded Big Sister, but in so many ways it is the inferior sibling with the weaker storyline, dissapointing locations and poor antagonist being the main culprits. This feels like a proper sequel and not a rushed release and most people who enjoyed the original will find much to admire here as well.

It bugs me so much that people give low reviews of this game because of the Windows Live aspect. That's so unfair to the creators who have produced a wonderfully atmospheric and charming game. I adored the first Bioshock so much and I am loving the follow up. It's excellent being able to play as a Big Daddy and to have a certain amount of free will in the choices I make in playing the game, whether that is to harvest or save the Little Sisters or how to tackle enemies with the vast array of weapons and plasmids at my disposal.

Rapture is a sublimely beautiful world to visit (though, being about half-way through B2, I do feel the levels were somewhat better designed in B1), and the storylines of Bioshock 1 and 2 are engaging affairs that make you want to understand more about your character and the world you are thrust into.

For me, the Bioshock games are as important to first-person-shooter gaming development as the Half Life series as they show how a computer game can be so much more than a series of fire-fights and can, indeed, be as valid to experience as any book, film or TV show, especially as they are so much more immersive.

To be honest, I miss Rapture when I'm not there and find myself eager to get back to the city and the story, as well as the gameplay, and that is the mark of a finely created video game.

(I think I am having a very strong instance of deja-vu...We have we been here before, haven't we?)

Now, I want to make it clear from the start that this is primarily a Warning Review, focusing on little or non advertised facts on BIOSHOCK 2. Nevertheless, my points on the game design and gameplay follow. But first things first:

FACT 1 (UNDISCLOSED):
The game requires Internet Connection to install and play because it HAS TO BE ACTIVATED. This is nowhere to be found in the Amazon product description so be warned, you will not be able to install and play this game on a PC that cannot access the internet. This is more serious than it seems (please read on).

FACT 2 (LITTLE ADVERTISED):
BIOSHOCK 2 requires you to setup an OnLine WindowsLIVE Account in order to save the game, claim achievements and auto-update. However, similarly to Fallout 3, it is also possible to create and use an OffLine WindowLIVE account. So, this is not a major worry - unless achievements is important for your enjoyment of course. In that case, you will have to be OnLine to play even a Single-Player session.

FACT 3 (UNDISCLOSED):
This game comes with an INSTALLATION LIMIT. Some would argue that a limit of fifteen installations is large enough for anyone. I, on the other hand, would argue that the length of the chain is of little importance, as long it stays attached to one's leg. Any limit on the number of installations makes BIOSHOCK 2 a rent-a-game. For good reason.

The ACTIVATION REQUIREMENT together with the LIMITED INSTALLATIONS mean that the copy of this game that you paid full price for, well,...never actually becomes yours. The possibility of you replaying the game in the future depends on both the survival of the publisher and its willingness to allow you to so some years down the road (both major uncertainties). And, no, I very much doubt that failing corporations will have the decency and the resources - not to mention the legal rights - to develop and release an Activation-Requirement-Removal patch. The usual practice is to pull the plug and disappear into the night.

The really insulting part is that all this is done for no reason whatsoever! If "more installations are available upon request" what is exactly their purpose in the first place? Why pay for the activation servers and the phone service to give out activations upon request for ever - when you could have had a game with no Activation Limits to begin with?
And the first person who tries to answer that by using the phrase "to fight-piracy", first get me a tissue because I am laughing to tears and, secondly, please simply google to find out how that fight is going.

Most game developers/publishers (from THQ and KALYPSO to UBISOFT and EA) have realized that asking your customers to jump through hoops only for the privilege of ...buying and using your product is not the way to earn neither their trust nor their hard-earned money. Especially during a recession.
So what they did was scale back on any intrusive, draconian and (possibly) illegal forms of DRM. All except 2K GAMES and some former soviet game developers that is. Protecting one's investment and labor is only fair. Insulting your customers and stealing back the product you just sold to them in not.

Now, if anyone still cares: I tried the game on a friend's computer and it is ...not very good either. It is not even as good as the original Bioshock.

Apparently the graphics have been left to age on their own - and have done so ungracefully. Max out the details and see the...pixels upclose and personal staring back at you! (Before anyone asks: WinXP on INTEL i7 920, nVIDIA GTX260 and 3GB of RAM).
The water/dry-land transitions have been hastily slapped together (swirling bubbles but no changing level of water in my faceplate?).
The guns are slow, hold annoyingly little ammo and are either too powerful or too hard to aim. And that is not the worst part either.

The worst part is that playing Big Daddy is a cumbersome chore! You move like crusted molasses, jump (and land) like a pig that ate too many beans and have the faceplate almost constantly obscuring your view.
If venturing into the ocean floor impressed you, well, think again: you can be directed to walk around but you cannot shoot while outside Rapture.

All in all, a mediocre game that is definitely NOT worth its DRM trouble!

My advice: wait until the price matches the product.