Bioshock 2 - Deja Vu Rules to the end

I finished Bioshock 2 and there is little there in sense of real accomplishment as there was in the first game. As I wrote in my "half way through" review, this game follows close, almost too close to the original title. 

Towards the games conclusion the direction and story line felt more like going through the motions than unraveling a mystery and worthwhile cause. Injecting Andrew Ryan's voice recordings seem to be the only way of validating Sofia Lamb where he clearly notes their differences. A handful of voice recordings from other characters voicing their own agendas and positions on Ryan and Rapture are more or less fodder than substance.

Given that the characters aren't anywhere near as compelling as those in the first game makes this games dramatic disclosures that much more muted. Sofia Lamb's purpose, motivations, and speeches aren't gripping so the revelations that unfold in the game are allot less meaningful.

As mentioned in my previous post, the feeling of Deja Vu is prevalent. Almost on rails, familiarity plays out up to the final animated sequence. Since I saved all the little sisters in the first game, I'm treated to a similar warm purposeful ending.

It's like 2K Marin said, "if it aint broke, don't fix it". Unfortunately they followed the first games player progression so closely that its easy to compare where Bioshock 2 comes up short. There are differences, but they aren't enough of them to knock the ball out of the park. It's like riding a haunted amusement park for the 2nd time, it's not as exciting the second time around. There are no attempts of meaningful story twists and the Big Sisters really are just a new enemy class type.

What the Game Does Right

Midway through the game, updated weapons and Plasmids can really lay on the punishment. Toward the end, given your Plasmid and Weapon upgrades compliment each other, you can be a dual wielding master of pain.

I found that Electrobolt 3 and Shotgun using Phosphorous Buck was enough to bring down some biggies very quickly. The fully upgraded launcher is devastating throwing grenades that cause secondary explosions. Watching Alphas and Brutes writhing helplessly getting loads of Electrobolt and shots of Buck before going down is viscerally rewarding. 

I found Cyclone Trap 3 amusing. It's almost like a Jedi's Force Pull. Any enemy not too heavy could be hurled into walls allowing you to finish them off with cheaper ammo. It uses less Eve than other Plasmids so setting multiple traps makes allot of sense when little sisters collect Adam.

Overall, the weapons and Plasmids are the benefactors in Bioshock 2. Most of them are effective and give a level of strategy to use when taking on specific enemy types.

Summation

If you have never played the original Bioshock then you really wouldn't know what you're missing in Bioshock 2.  If you like the idea of building up and customizing your characters offensive/defensive capacities accompanied by an OK storyline that's a plus. For anyone who enjoyed the story as much as the action in the original, you should park your expectations on story and look forward to the updated Weapons/Plasmid game play.          

Bioshock 2 - Deja Vu

Somehow ... some way Bioshock 2 reminds me allot of a game I played. Almost exactly....
Hmm. Wait a minute. That would be ... the original game - Bioshock from 2007.

Really, as much as I am liking some of the polished game mechanics so far, (really liked the original) the story line is far less inspired. It's less of a driving force. Beyond the story line, it's how the game elements unfold. It follows the same pattern as the first game. I'll go so far as to say one could "Cut & Paste" the current character Delta with that of the first game and call this Bioshock 2.0. 

I would say that the battles with the Big Sisters have not added much weight to the overall story beyond wear on the D-Pad to heal in my fighting encounters. The method by which collecting Adam has changed, giving the game a more frenetic and strategic angle. Fending off Splicers and others while your Little Sister extracts Adam can be fun. By mid game I have traps, plasmids, and turrets that make these encounters more intense/enjoyable. I just don't know if these components offer enough to merit purchasing a brand new game.   

Less Inspired Story - So far

Spoilers Alert if you haven't played the first or second game.
In the original Bioshock you start off in crashing in a airplane into the sea. You happen upon Rapture by complete accident - or so it would seem.

The beauty of the first game is the story driven plot. You find out that the airline crash you  survived and virtually all events leading to the climax have been staged. That you are a pawn, an assassin sent to kill Ryan. The story unfolds in narrative and game play very well. The game elements don't make the game, they support the story.

Right now in Bioshock 2 the game elements are more interesting than the story. Where Andrew Ryan was iconic Sofia Lamb is not. Her purpose, motivations, and reasons (as of right now) are coming off as weak and bland. Ryan built Rapture, she's simply trying to take over and enforce some ill conceived socialist will on his lifes work.

Learning how Big Daddies and Little Sisters came to have a symbiotic relationship is really the only driving force right now. I'm sure at stories end I'll find out why Delta (your character) was considered a failure and was done in by Sofia. Given that the opening sequence has Sofia put a gun to your head and her surprise and intent to kill you (again), gives little mystery of why you are on this mission. Unless some serious story twist awaits, the ending is a forgone conclusion. So I think I'm more than halfway finished and Sofia's cause isn't making much of a case for herself. If I get the opportunity to take her out I'm betting I will. 

 

Bioshock 2 - A few hours in

1st off,  I played the original Bioshock and it was the first game that really hooked me into playing FPS games on the console. The game offered compelling colorful characters and intriguing story line that kept me going till the end. 

Ok now onto what the new game gets right and wrong so far.

I'll start with something noted by reviewers and the concept of being a Big Daddy. The games sound and huge drill motion really befits a huge lumbering character. You'll here huge thumps stepping down from high places and hear water spilling over your helmet and suit - very nice audio details. Despite this you are unnervingly vulnerable to simple melee attacks. I mention this because one would imagine a wooden bat would not crack your skull in four swings by a splicer. Makes one wonder what exactly your suit is made of. I'll get into what 2K should have done in a minute, but I'll get into some of the changes that are better.

Hacking of defenses and dispensers is a welcome game mechanic. Doing it just right rewards the player with added benefits. The Plasmid powers seem to have a bit more punch and the environment welcomes well placed shock and fire usage. Laying a bolt in water or fireball in an oil slick is adds a level of strategy that you can lure enemies into. The opportunities here are more than there were in the first title and help to balance the soft helmet you appear to be wearing.

As mentioned earlier - What's with your suits vulnerability?
It doesn't give much away to say that you are a humanoid character in this suit. An early in game animated sequence in the game has your character put his suit on from a 1st person view.

What would better have made the vulnerability easier to play would have been if your character were to acquire his suit as he made his way through Rapture. Far easier to explain getting struck on the head with a stick three times and being killed. Since the first game treated Plasmids as a transformation on the human level, the suit would have been an easy build up process.

Instead, like the first game you are soft and your powers and durability are enhanced as you progress through the game. Being a Big Daddy is not as bad ass as it could have been. Having a large drill and deep sea diving suit is a visual and less functional. I guess being an early prototype Big Daddy explains it, but had it been a gradual build up of the suit it would have made much more sense and possibly more rewarding.

I'm only a few hours in and the game and it still has my attention for now. It's hard to ignore some story line decisions. It's less compelling this time around, but the game play has some marked improvements from the first game. When I finish I'll do a follow up recap.