Chances are that if you've played the first "Bioshock" game, you'll be able to jump into this sequel right away and get the hang of it very quickly. Using the same engine and gameplay style as the first game, "Bioshock 2" immerses the player into the ruined underwater utopia of the city of Rapture once more; the continuing fight for survival and freedom ensues again. All the things that made the first game good - the combat, the atmosphere, the cute Little Sisters - all return. But it's not all just more of the same either; the game offers a few substantial improvements that sets it apart from the first game. For one thing, you're now able to fire your weapon in one hand and use your superpowered "plasmids" in the other all at the same time. When liberating the Little Sisters from their respective protectors, you now have the option to adopt them (meaning they ride on your shoulder and have them gather more Adam points for you to use). Weapons are all different, giving you more variety. The hacking system is totally revamped, eschewing the pipe puzzle and using a simpler, faster, arguably better minigame in which a needle races across a scale and you have to push the button at just the right spot. The game throws the familiar enemies at you, but adds in some daunting challenges: Rumblers, which are Big Daddies with advanced firepower, the Big Brute Splicers, which are big muscle-bound hulks, and the Big Sisters, which are similar to the Big Daddies, but terrifyingly faster and more powerful (and have really annoying shrieks). Altogether, a bigger challenge with a more empowering form of gameplay; it's every bit as enjoyable as the first game, and offers enough diversity to make both stand shoulder-to-shoulder as a complete duology.
The story for this game is quite a bit different as well. Frankly, I don't like it quite as much as the first game's story: "Bioshock 2" is shorter, and I found it a little hard (if not annoying) understanding the villain's motivations and her constant ramblings. I expected more plot twists, like there was in the first game, but it never played out all that predictably (for better or for worse). But these are minor nitpicks: the game's narrative structure is still as strong as the first game. It is especially noteworthy because you're not playing an actual person in this game; it puts you in the shoes of one of the Big Daddies. Aside from granting you the awesome ability to tread in underwater environments and maul everyone with your drill arm, the game offers some fascinating insight on the characters, especially since your character is always struggling between human compassion and artificial programming (expanding upon the "a man chooses, a slave obeys" theme that was introduced in the first game). As such, you are once again allowed to make moral choices in the game, which impacts the story.
Gameplay is still top-notch, offering quality graphics and sound, and smooth gameplay. This production still has a phenomenal art design; it still uses the art deco style throughout the city of Rapture, but never feels like a retread of the first game. It is especially noteworthy for its new designs for the new enemies, environments, characters, weapons, and everything else. Voice-acting and writing are not bad at all, and neither is the music.
If you liked the first game, then this sequel should be a must-play as well. If you haven't, you might enjoy this one on its own anyway. Either way, it comes recommended!
4/5 (Entertainment: Very Good | Story: Pretty Good | Game: Very Good)
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