“In BioShock 2, you step into the boots of the most iconic denizen of Rapture, the Big Daddy, as you explore through the decrepit and beautiful fallen city, chasing an unseen foe in search of answers and your own survival.” – Steam Synopsis
As far as my perspective for the past decade or so goes, BioShock 2 was kind of like the black sheep of the trilogy. While BioShock 1 is lauded as a timeless masterpiece (which, in many ways, it is), BioShock Infinite is either hated or beloved. 2 is just kind of there. I understand how this general sentiment came to be, because 2 can often just feel like an extended DLC of 1. Mainly due to being set in Rapture again and having similar enemies. But I’m here today to say, I think 2 is just as (if not slightly better than) 1. Where its story isn’t as memorable or thought-provoking as 1’s, it’s more personal and relatable. And the gameplay improvements were so immediately noticeable and very welcome. The QOL improvements make this game way more replayable than its predecessor. Dare I say, I actually had fun playing this the entire time.
BioShock 2’s story isn’t groundbreaking in any way; it honestly might be too straightforward for its own good, but it works. It’s all about rescuing the little sister who was once in the care of the protagonist (Subject Delta). The story does a great job of making you care about both characters and their relationship. The main villain, Dr. Lamb, is no Atlas or Ryan, but she is very interesting in her own right. Her views on mental health and a “happy society” are interesting, and learning about how she became a cult like figure in Rapture that threatened Ryan’s rule and vision was as well. As the three central characters, they work really well. The side characters add just enough, and like the first game, the settings tell a story on their own. I’ll also say that the ending was actually very cool and very heartwarming. The biggest theme for this story is forgiveness or punishment, and throughout, we’re constantly having to make those choices. I think for the most part it’s pulled off very well, and it all comes together at the end.
At a glance, you may be fooled into thinking this game plays the same as the first one. Let me tell you, it does not. There are so many quality-of-life changes that add up to this game feeling monumentally better than the first. The hacking gun and the changed hacking mini game, speed tonics, and use of plasmids are way more fluid. The enemy encounters are way less frustrating, and the addition of big sisters was a great way to spice things up. For as much frustration as I had playing BioShock 1, I had a blast playing this game on a gameplay level.
In the best way possible, BioShock 2 is more of the same when it comes to the setting and visuals. I don’t think any level that we get to visit in this game is better than any level in the first game, but a few stand toe to toe, mainly the early amusement park level, because getting to learn about how Rapure was built was amazing. But the levels were fun, and the audio tapes are still some of the best parts about the game. Especially Ryans this time around, hearing him have to deal with both Atlas and Dr. Lamb, and learning about the new areas of the game. It was weird having more animated cutscenes than the first, and they definitely age the game, but not in a bad way.
BioShock 1 had some challenge room DLCs that I dabbled in, but ultimately didn’t care enough about to play more or finish. This game has the same, but also a separate story DLC (Minerva’s Den) that follows Subject Sigma’s mission to free the thinker from one of its creators, and this DLC is pretty damn good. The story isn’t that strong until you get to the ending, and all the pieces start to come together, and that twist is revealed. It’s pretty good. This DLC isn’t a must-play by any means, but with it only being 3 levels, it’s worth the few hours for more fun gameplay, seeing more of Rapture and a good story.
So yeah, I really enjoyed this game pretty much the same amount as the first one, but for different reasons. The story isn’t as good or groundbreaking or even memorable as the first, but it has its own redeeming qualities that make it good. It’s more straightforward, and more personal, and it has a great ending. The gameplay improvements feel amazing. I had a blast playing this game and its DLC, which also features a solid story with a great ending in its own right. This is definitely a worthy sequel that deserves more love than it has gotten since its release.
BioShock 2 Remastered – 8/10
