[Mr. Retro]

Obviously, we already have a topic about this gem, but I wanted to give my own review seperate from that topic since it's been such a while.

Well, today I picked up the Collector's Edition of Bioshock 2 thanks to having it pre-ordered, and all I have to say is "Sweet Mercy fuck wow yes uh-huh." Inside the case is a vinyl LP (that's a record for those who don't know) with all the ochestral music of the game, along with a CD that covered the rest of the music, which is incredibly superb. Three posters from Rapture itself, now pinned up on my wall, an artbook of excellent quality, and most importantly, the game.

Let me just say: If you loved Bioshock, you're going to love this. All the same features are back, but beefed up to insane levels. No more do you have to just worry about single Splicers, you probably won't worry at all as you take down three at a time. In stead, they'll be attackign you en masse in a vicious attempt to take you down. That's not to say this game is easy. No, even on medium mode, this game is merciless, with smart AI and a habit of exploiting everything you didn't think of in an attempt to take you down. Enemies are tough, and you have to be smart not to focus on one too much, or you'll be very familiar with the Vita-Chambers. The plasmids return, and though I haven't had a chance yet to advance far enough to see the new features the plasmids have, they are there. Most importantly, you can dual-wield your gun and your plasmid. No more must you hastily swap between gun and electro-bolt to fry your enemies' brains, now you can do it with a quick tap of both buttons.

But this isn't just the same old thing, either. You're a Big Daddy, and you get to enjoy every minute of it. The first weapon you start out with is the drill, and it is a mean sonuvabitch. Don't expect to use it too much, though. It chews through fuel almost as fast as your enemies, and the most powerful attack you have, the drill dash, does it even faster. As time goes on, you pick up the iconic rivet gun, a machine gun, and as far as I've played the game, a shot gun as well as the handy research camera. You also now have the option of toting around a Little Sister who can harvest ADAM for you from corpses, which leads to one of the hardest parts of the game: the Goddamn Swarms. You're sure to die once as Splicers come out of nowhere, and are quick to build up. Thankfully, your little sister is waiting there for you at the Vita Chamber, and you now know the pattern the Splicers will come out in. You're also faced with the same moral choices as you were in the original game, the most simple being the "Rescue or Harvest" option with the little sisters, and it only goes on from there. Possibly the most beautiful part of the game, though, is the ocean. With your pressurized suit the sea can't even stop you as you walk out into the murky depths surrounding Rapture, with no need to worry about enemy gunfire. Just remember, as you go along, Big Sister is watching, and she's pissed. Definitely not a pushover, that one. Due to my distaste for multiplayer, I have not tried it, but I will give you an update on that when I do.

Now for the bad bits: While the music certainly is good, some parts are insanely repetitive. It follows the same root as Oblivion when you're being attacked, with the same "YOU'RE IN DANGER YOU'RE IN DANGER YOU'RE IN DANGER" orchestal music we've all come to loathe. Dear God, I reached the point where I was threatening the game so it would shut up. Thank God for music volume toggles. Also, the changes to the research camera are less than stellar, and I really don't see why to change it either than to make the game more hard. Finally, the game has the same habit of freezing as the original, and it's a pain in the ass. Also, there's really no reason to be scared anymore, like in the first. Who're you gonna be afraid of? You're a Goddamn Big Daddy. I guess they couldn't help that, but still, it's kind of jarring for the first to play like a survival horror while the second plays like you're the fucking God of Destruction.

Still, I give this game an 8/10. It's a must buy for any hardcore or even softcore gamer. It's got all you love, and more.

[???????]

We have a topic about this? Where?

I'm refusing to read the review because I haven't bought it yet, but in your opinion, how does this compare to the first game? Is it better or worse?

[Mr. Retro]

I'd venture to say it's equivalent to the game. It's missing some of the spooky charm, but it is still an insanely good game. Also, there are no spoilers beyond what's already be spoiled by the designers, dudester.

[???????]

WELL I HAVEN'T BEEN PAYING AS MUCH ATTENTION TO WHAT THE DEVELOPERS HAVE PUT OUT THERE AS I SHOULD HAVE SO THERE

Anyway, I just read the review. It's nice to see that the game is getting harder. Going into the ocean sounds like it'd be pretty fun. I don't remember the first game freezing at all, except for when my disc got screwed.

As for the score, I'm kinda against people giving final scores to a game before they've experienced most of what a game has to offer because there is chance that your opinion may change, for better or worse. Your review isn't bad or anything, but I've seen way too many people claiming a game to be either extremely good or bad without even having made it through a good portion of the game in the past. Of course, those reviews were usually riddled with fanboyism or blind hate, but still.

[Mr. Retro]

I guesso, but I have a bad habit of never finishing games until much later (I still haven't completed the final dungeon in Link's Awakening), so it's probably for the best.

[Kvitne]

My preorder of the collector's edition is just sitting at EB Games, waiting for my paycheck to come in on the 15th... ;_;

[Mr. Retro]

Make sure you have a digital record player then, dude.

[Kvitne]

I've got a record player, and a huge collection of records. One of the main reasons I'm getting the collector's edition.

[Mr. Retro]

Awesome. I'm picking up mine this weekend.

[???????]

I forgot to comment on the first one playing like a survival horror: It kinda failed at that because there was no real penalty for dying. Yeah, you didn't wanna die, but there was no real motivation to not die outside of having to walk a certain distance all over again. In a lot of instances, you could keep on dying until you finished off tougher enemies. On top of that, the game wasn't that difficult and there wasn't a creepy game over sequence. I'll admit, it succeeded for a bit, but once the player realizes that they'll just come back via the last Vita-Chamber they passed with everything they were once doing not reset, I feel even less afraid to die than I would when playing a Mario game.

This post has been edited by ???????: 10 February 2010 - 04:34 PM

[Kvitne]

Vita-Chamber spamming doesn't work in this one because enemies actually regain health after you're killed. That was never an issue for me in the original because I never really died...

[Mr. Retro]

Well, I just finished the game, and I gotta say, the score's gone up from an 8/10 to a 9/10. It truly is a must have. Going through the good ending, it even introduced me to a new concept. What if Utopia is people, and not a place?

[Kvitne]

Fucknuts and a half I'm loving this game. Being a Big Daddy kicks so much ass. This is by far one of my favorite game franchises. I just love how it oozes with style. Makes me want to live in Rapture more than fucking Avatar could make me want to go to some ass-backwards place like Pandora.

[Mr. Retro]

And that's saying something, considering Rapture is pretty much Hell on Earth.

[Sway]

I no play either game.

[SirMan]

Eh, I personally thought the game could've been a bit more. Perhaps there could've been a couple improvements in the combat system, or the overall length the game be...lengthened. The story was a little vague in some areas, and the ability to walk out into the open water would've been awesome if you could explore the city, find treasures or some sorts. Then again, I'm pickier than a broken crane machine.

I liked the game nonetheless, but the first one personally still takes the cookie pie cake.