(Full review follows below)

• Game Name: Bioshock 2
  
• Original Release: 2010
  
• Genre Tags: FPS; Atmospheric; Action; Story Rich
  
• My Overall Grade: A
  
• Estimated Playtime (Campaign): 8-20 hours
  
• Multiplayer Aspect: Auxiliary
  
• Recommended To: Established fans of the genre; Those intrigued by the genre; Fans of the intellectual property; Aesthetes; Strong narrative advocates; Game atmosphere connoisseurs

Bioshock 2 returns the player to the vividly atmospheric world of Rapture and reintroduces all of the positive qualities that were prevalent in the first installment of this franchise. It is very, very similar to the first; so expect it to play like a refined continuation rather than an entirely new game. But it does offer a more intimate perspective on the underwater dystopia, as the player will take on the role of a unique Big Daddy this time around and will be much more connected to the city. Most of the features are extremely similar to their counterparts in the original game; however there was definitely fine-tuning applied to some aspects. Perhaps most prominently, the combat and overall gameplay is significantly more exciting this time around. Overall, it is a great game that was mostly successful in living up to the high standard set by the first game.

Now, it is essentially a direct sequel. Having played both games, I would suggest that you attempt to play the first one before this, if you can afford the time and money. Although, it isn’t entirely necessary and you could opt to read a synopsis rather than play through the entire first game. But I would suggest you at least do that to get a little background information. Doing so will provide you the opportunity to fully enjoy the subtle nuances throughout the game.

As for the specifics, Bioshock 2 is a fundamentally well-crafted game for all the same reasons the original was. At the forefront, there is once again an exceptionally intriguing atmosphere and a wondrous gameworld design. The city of Rapture continues to fascinate. Throughout your adventure, you will probably notice that all of the subtle niceties and ancillary details add up to create a very immersive and pleasurable experience. I personally feel the ambiance of the gameworld is best quality of this game and holds true to the brand.

The multidirectional storytelling that was expertly executed in the first game also returns in this sequel. The main storyline will unfold as you progress through the campaign, but you also can learn a great deal about the backstory and lore if you explore and if you seek out the collectibles. A lot is left up to the player to determine how much he/she wants to learn about the lore. The narrative elements are mostly well written and enticing; and the foundation of it all is the superbly idiosyncratic NPCs. It all comes together quite nicely. All of that said, the narrative elements as a whole may feel a little less interesting in Bioshock 2 than they were in the first— perhaps due to the unavoidable loss of novelty of core concepts that is intrinsic to all sequels.

As for the actual gameplay, it is significantly more exciting in Bioshock 2 than in the original. There were nice refinements to the combat system, and the fact you now can maul people with the patented Big Daddy Drill is an added bonus. But also the actual fight sequences are better designed, and the layout of the combat zones provides more opportunities for creativity and hazard-kills. And new gameplay systems like the harvesting of ADAM from dead splicers really brings the high-action combat element of the game to the forefront of the overall experience much more than in the first installment.

There is also a multiplayer mode and although it has the potential to be quite fun, it suffers from a low population and not-so-friendly community of regulars. If you have the patience to deal with the wait times and inevitable toxic matches, you will occasionally find yourself in some games that can be pretty enjoyable. But I wouldn’t count on the multiplayer adding too much value to the game; the focus is definitely on the campaign.

In summary, I would say that Bioshock 2 is a very good game, although perhaps not quite as masterful as the original. It is strongly tied to its predecessor, and so it would probably be best to play both if you want to get the full experience. But either way, most established FPS/RPG gamers should be fully able to enjoy this game, especially fans of strong narratives and intriguing atmospheres.

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[h1]AT A GLANCE[/h1] (Full review follows below) [list] [*] [b]Game Name:[/b] Bioshock 2 [*] [b]Original Release:[/b] 2010 [*] [b]Genre Tags:[/b] FPS; Atmospheric; Action; Story Rich [*] [b]My Overall Grade:[/b] A [*] [b]Estimated Playtime (Campaign):[/b] 8-20 hours [*] [b]Multiplayer Aspect:[/b] Auxiliary [*] [b]Recommended To:[/b] Established fans of the genre; Those intrigued by the genre; Fans of the intellectual property; Aesthetes; Strong narrative advocates; Game atmosphere connoisseurs [/list] [h1]REVIEW[/h1] [b]Bioshock 2[/b] returns the player to the vividly atmospheric world of [i]Rapture[/i] and reintroduces all of the positive qualities that were prevalent in the first installment of this franchise. It is very, very similar to the first; so expect it to play like a refined continuation rather than an entirely new game. But it does offer a more intimate perspective on the underwater dystopia, as the player will take on the role of a unique [i]Big Daddy[/i] this time around and will be much more connected to the city. Most of the features are extremely similar to their counterparts in the original game; however there was definitely fine-tuning applied to some aspects. Perhaps most prominently, the combat and overall gameplay is significantly more exciting this time around. Overall, it is a great game that was mostly successful in living up to the high standard set by the first game. Now, it is essentially a direct sequel. Having played both games, I would suggest that you attempt to play the first one before this, if you can afford the time and money. Although, it isn’t entirely necessary and you could opt to read a synopsis rather than play through the entire first game. But I would suggest you at least do that to get a little background information. Doing so will provide you the opportunity to fully enjoy the subtle nuances throughout the game. As for the specifics, [b]Bioshock 2[/b] is a fundamentally well-crafted game for all the same reasons the original was. At the forefront, there is once again an exceptionally intriguing atmosphere and a wondrous gameworld design. The city of [i]Rapture[/i] continues to fascinate. Throughout your adventure, you will probably notice that all of the subtle niceties and ancillary details add up to create a very immersive and pleasurable experience. I personally feel the ambiance of the gameworld is best quality of this game and holds true to the brand. The multidirectional storytelling that was expertly executed in the first game also returns in this sequel. The main storyline will unfold as you progress through the campaign, but you also can learn a great deal about the backstory and lore if you explore and if you seek out the collectibles. A lot is left up to the player to determine how much he/she wants to learn about the lore. The narrative elements are mostly well written and enticing; and the foundation of it all is the superbly idiosyncratic NPCs. It all comes together quite nicely. All of that said, the narrative elements as a whole may feel a little less interesting in [b]Bioshock 2[/b] than they were in the first— perhaps due to the unavoidable loss of novelty of core concepts that is intrinsic to all sequels. As for the actual gameplay, it is significantly more exciting in [b]Bioshock 2[/b] than in the original. There were nice refinements to the combat system, and the fact you now can maul people with the patented [i]Big Daddy Drill[/i] is an added bonus. But also the actual fight sequences are better designed, and the layout of the combat zones provides more opportunities for creativity and hazard-kills. And new gameplay systems like the harvesting of ADAM from dead [i]splicers[/i] really brings the high-action combat element of the game to the forefront of the overall experience much more than in the first installment. There is also a multiplayer mode and although it has the potential to be quite fun, it suffers from a low population and not-so-friendly community of regulars. If you have the patience to deal with the wait times and inevitable toxic matches, you will occasionally find yourself in some games that can be pretty enjoyable. But I wouldn’t count on the multiplayer adding too much value to the game; the focus is definitely on the campaign. In summary, I would say that [b]Bioshock 2[/b] is a very good game, although perhaps not quite as masterful as the original. It is strongly tied to its predecessor, and so it would probably be best to play both if you want to get the full experience. But either way, most established FPS/RPG gamers should be fully able to enjoy this game, especially fans of strong narratives and intriguing atmospheres. [i][url=http://steamcommunity.com/groups/murphyslawyercuration#curation]Follow my curation page to see more of my recommendations![/url][/i]