It´s almost a given that any game with "Shock" in the title carries some huge expectations. Irrationals "sequel-to-a-spiritual-sequel" has some huge shoes to fill, both in terms of gameplay and storyline, and the inclusion of a multiplayer mode was a surprise to many. So, Big Daddy is back, and this time he is meaner than ever before.

First things first, I am going to assume that most people reading this have played the first game. If you haven’t, I strongly recommend you play that first as the story and characters of the first tie into the world of Rapture so strongly that you will only get half an experience (and a confusing one at that!). For those who have, Bioshock 2 is set around 8 years after the first game, with the city of Rapture in a worse state than it was before.

Rapture once again provides a believable backdrop to the plot, with your character this time being one of the iconic Big Daddies. You play an earlier prototype, reactivated at the request of one of your Little Sisters and pitted against Sophia Lamb, a former psychologist turned spiritual leader of the remnants of humanity dotted throughout the city.

The story is less strong this time around, and seems to take some time to get going. However, the addition of more secondary characters gives each level a better identity than before, and fleshes out the edges of the tale in a far more direct way than in the predecessor. Also, your character can now wield a plasmid and weapon at the same time, losing the annoying switching required in the first game.

Presentation-wise, Bioshock 2 is more of the same. Unreal Engine 2.5 is in the engine room again, and very little has been tweaked since the last game. Unfortunately, this means we still suffer "pop-in" at the beginning of levels, and the graphical fidelity is not quite as high as today's latest blockbusters. Rapture is still colourful and slightly cartoony, and many of the newer characters are even more scarred and twisted than before. The sound is of a high standard, with quality voice work, excellent orchestral pieces for mood setting, and good sound effects.

Level design seems a bit haphazard. Some zones are deeply atmospheric and believable, whereas others feel too claustrophobic and scrappy. A couple of times, areas felt like poor reconstructions of key levels from the first game, which dampened my experience a little. However, some sections (such as Ryan Amusements) tapped the same levels of design greatness we expect from the franchise as a whole, adding further layers to the city of Rapture.

Multiplayer:

This time the single player is only half the story. Digital Extremes have produced a multiplayer suite bundled in with the game, which is a first for the series. All the classic modes are here, with the odd twist: Capture the Flag, for example, now involves a little sister, and the weapons and plasmids are re-tooled for deathmatching.

For me, the matches were relatively enjoyable, although a lot slower paced compared to many other FPS MP games out on the market. The levels are a lot tighter too, making battles a lot more hectic. The inclusion of Big Daddy power up suits (lose your plasmids, but gain some serious armour) adds a small amount of planning into your matches. However, at the moment, the weapons are very unbalanced, meaning newer players will be at a severe disadvantage compared to more experienced opponents. A patch is strongly needed to fix this as the experience can be very difficult for beginners if not completely turn them away from the game.

Final Word:

I can’t help but want to refer to Bioshock 2 as "Bioshock: The Lost Levels", and the inclusion of a multiplayer seems to strengthen my argument. I managed to breeze through the single player campaign in a little over 8 hours, and the story didn’t really get going until the last third. It also felt less grand then the Jack Ryan story of part 1, and it seems as though 2K Marin opted to play it safe. This is a shame, as the staples of the series (plasmids, Rapture, etc.) really give a lot of room for experimentation and I feel a chance was missed here.

The bottom line is this: if you in any way enjoyed the first game, you should (and probably did) buy Bioshock 2. The new story is a good continuation, playing the game from a fresh perspective is great, and the moments when B2 shines, it is as bright as the first episode. The multiplayer is never going to stand up to the likes of Modern Warfare and Killzone 2, but it is certainly engaging, and the smaller scale is very refreshing for many people. Overall, there are plenty of reasons to pick this lesser classic up, although I just wish the developers had aimed a little higher.

Genre: FPS

Platforms: PC, Xbox 360, PS3

Developed by: 2K Marin, 2K Australia, 2K China

Published by: 2K Games