A few days ago I got my hands on Bioshock 2 and so this will be a post about my impressions of the game. It's another entry in my ongoing What I'm Playing series, where I blog about the games I play and what to think about them.
Looking back it can clearly be said that 2007 was an outstanding year for gaming with titles like Super Mario Galaxy, Mass Effect, The Orange Box and of course the overall Game of The Year: Bioshock. In an already strong year Bioshock made it to the top with it's genuine and strong storyline and it's perfectly tuned gameplay. The first Bioshock took the player to Rapture, a leaking underwater utopia that went terribly wrong. Created by Andrew Ryan, who wanted to free the scientist from state and religion, the utopia soon went to hell, with the people of Rapture becoming addicted to Adam, a drug that altered their DNA and gave them incredible magic powers. As the story progressed the protagonist Jack, who came to Rapture via plane crash, found out that he had been to Rapture before, slaying Andrew Ryan and killing the traitor Atlas and freeing (or abusing for world domination) all of the Little Sisters in the city.
However, in the sequel ten years have passed and the city has a new leader: Dr. Sophia Lamb, which reigns over the corrupted underwater metropolis like a goddess. Also you step into another character's boots. This time you are a powerful Big Daddy, protector of the Little Sisters. But you are not just any Big Daddy, in fact you are the very first: A prototype that is able to think for himself and to use plasmids, the magic power gained through Adam. As a Big Daddy you are far more powerful and a few splicers don't need to worry you, just drill them to death with you're giant drill arm. And so the devs included a new nemesis: The Big Sister. She's like a female version of the Big Daddy, only far more agile and stronger. A Big Sister is the hardest thing to fight in Rapture and you'll have to fight them often, as she silently watches over your actions. When she decides that you interrupt Rapture's balance too much, she's coming to get you. And then, my friend, get ready for a tough fight.
I've played the game now for about a good six or seven hours and have seen already some levels. I must say that I am relieved that Bioshock 2 is so good. That's what I hoped, but when I heard that there'll be multiplayer, I feared that this would be on the cost of the campaign. But that's not the case, because campaign and multi were developed by two different teams. I haven't tried multiplayer yet, so I won't talk about that. All I can say is that the campaign is a blast. The beginning of the game starts with a big bang and then I knew this game would definitely rock. The graphics are amazing and the gameplay is godlike. There's so many ways to fight against the splicers: Upgrade your weapons and blast them away (or nail them with the bolt thrower) or fry them, burn them, ice them with plasmid abilities. But my favorite way is to turn the room in a collection of traps. As a Big Daddy you'll have to watch over the Little Sister when she drains the Adam out of certain corpses. When she does that, it attracts the attention of the splicers. They'll come in waves to get her. So, before she starts draining, I'll fill the room with cyclone traps, which will lift the enemy into the air. These can be combined with other plasmids, for example with the incinerate plasmid. That'll throw him in the air and burn him at the same time. Having secured your sister against the hordes of the addicted gives you a rewarding feeling.
Another thing that is very cool is that as Big Daddy you can walk under water and there are segments in the game when you'll have to use that ability. I fought through the Siren Alley, across multiple floors and later the whole area became flooded, giving it a completely different look and feeling - awesome.
To sum this up now: Bioshock 2 is a hell of a ride through Rapture, it feels great to be there again and I think it is a worthy sequel. If you liked 2007's GOTY, this one won't disappoint you.
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