# Bioshock 2



## bmd (Apr 10, 2009)

This time around you get to play as a Big Daddy. 

Here's the first bit of footage. Link

Can't wait!


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Apr 11, 2009)

Played the demo of the first one and found it a bit meh.


----------



## revol68 (Apr 11, 2009)

Kid_Eternity said:


> Played the demo of the first one and found it a bit meh.



god your a right muppet, you don't like resident evil 4 and bioshock, why don't you piss off and play wii sports with jamie redknapp!


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Apr 11, 2009)

revol68 said:


> god your a right muppet, you don't like resident evil 4 and bioshock, why don't you piss off and play wii sports with jamie redknapp!



Are you like 12?


----------



## revol68 (Apr 11, 2009)

Kid_Eternity said:


> Are you like 12?



It was meant to sound childish you clown.

honestly though bioshock was fantastic, even my girlfriend thinks your a retard for not liking it.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Apr 11, 2009)

Oh is she 'special' like you?


----------



## fen_boy (Apr 11, 2009)

Kid_Eternity said:


> Played the demo of the first one and found it a bit meh.



I'm normally shit at fps and get bored half way through, but I loved Bioshock. The setting and story were what made it.


----------



## bmd (Apr 11, 2009)

Kid_Eternity said:


> Played the demo of the first one and found it a bit meh.



I loved the setting, walking around Rapture and imagining it being real, which wasn't too hard given the amount of work they'd put into it. The gameplay was pretty good I felt, nothing spectacular but given the level of anticipation for it, I think it fared quite well.

What did you find meh about it?


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Apr 11, 2009)

I thought it looked nice but the story felt a little contrived. The main thing though was the way the weaponary worked, found that annoying with the charging stuff...

To be fair I did only play the demo so it could have got better but what I played really didn't convince me to play more.


----------



## tommers (Apr 11, 2009)

Kid_Eternity said:


> I thought it looked nice but the story felt a little contrived. The main thing though was the way the weaponary worked, found that annoying with the charging stuff...
> 
> To be fair I did only play the demo so it could have got better but what I played really didn't convince me to play more.



you're a wrong un.  

It was good.  As others have said, the atmosphere made it.  Take that away and it was just another shooter but it had me playing it till it was finished, which not many games do these days.

The only thing that annoyed me about it was the way you respawned constantly with no ill effects...  Took me ages to kill a Big Daddy but you could just keep chipping away with no worries.


----------



## XR75 (Apr 11, 2009)

Bob Marleys Dad said:


> I loved the setting, walking around Rapture and imagining it being real, which wasn't too hard given the amount of work they'd put into it. The gameplay was pretty good I felt, nothing spectacular but given the level of anticipation for it, I think it fared quite well.
> 
> What did you find meh about it?



Poor mans System Shock is what the usual criticism is.


----------



## Boycey (Apr 14, 2009)

i liked the first bioshock but there were a few issues, the enemies arbitrarily getting tougher- not smarter/different/better armed, just needing more bullets to off really really annoyed. half of the weaponry plasmid thingies were fucking pointless, electric shock and telekinesis were the only ones that weren't utter gimmicks (hurling a dead body with telekinesis is about the only one shot kill and still isn't as cool as a gravity gun). the graphics were beautiful but at times the level design was irritating and unvaried, the final boss was utterly underwhelming and i'd discovered by that using the wrench jockey plasmid combined with one that replenishes health with wrench strikes made taking out the toughest of the big daddies a piece of cake- atlas was little more bother as he kindly supplied me with a swarm of drones to hack and turn against him.

it really annoys me when mastery of a couple of simple tricks is enough to defeat every single enemy and challenge, shows a real lack of attention to gameplay by the developers IMO. halo on the other hand...


----------



## bmd (Apr 14, 2009)

XR75 said:


> Poor mans System Shock is what the usual criticism is.



Do you think we'll ever get the kind of games again that Looking Glass/Irrational/Ion Storm used to make? Some ex-Looking Glass personnel were involved in Bioshock I think but as you say, it wasn't the successor to System Shock 2 that everyone thought it would be. But then neither was Deus Ex.

I completely agree with the comments Boycey made above about the flaws that Bioshock has, but then I have yet to find a game that doesn't require your co-operation, in some way, to not look for these ways to beat the game but for ways to explore it.


----------



## treelover (Apr 18, 2009)

I've found it hard to get into Bioshock for some reason, yet the opening scene with the plane crash, the water on fire and the first entry into Rapture promised something much more. I certainly am not a fan of the Unreal 3 engine which i think is too cartoony and the textures poor.


----------



## Boycey (Apr 21, 2009)

Bob Marleys Dad said:


> I have yet to find a game that doesn't require your co-operation, in some way, to not look for these ways to beat the game but for ways to explore it.



t*h*ere is *a*t *l*east *o*ne that springs to mind


----------



## bmd (Jun 5, 2009)

I wonder when this is out...


----------



## tommers (Jun 5, 2009)

Bob Marleys Dad said:


> I wonder when this is out...



poor mate.  really poor.

nice trailer though.  very _defined_


----------



## bmd (Jun 6, 2009)

tommers said:


> poor mate.  really poor.
> 
> nice trailer though.  very _defined_



It was shit tbf. 

Still not merged either. 

I might pm a mod soon.


----------



## bmd (Feb 9, 2010)

Out today! Who's getting it?


----------



## g force (Feb 9, 2010)

Got it....will start playing in about 2 hours


----------



## fen_boy (Feb 11, 2010)

Enjoying it so far, but it's very much more of the same and graphically it hasn't moved on at all. 

There's no wrench for melee attacks, which is annoying me as I spent the whole of the first game running around battering everything with it. The drill's not as good because it needs fuel.


----------



## bmd (Feb 11, 2010)

fen_boy said:


> Enjoying it so far, but it's very much more of the same and graphically it hasn't moved on at all.
> 
> There's no wrench for melee attacks, which is annoying me as I spent the whole of the first game running around battering everything with it. The drill's not as good because it needs fuel.



You can just melee with the drill. I quite like the battering ramness of the drill and have only used the powered bit of it when I've run out of everything else.

I totally agree about it being more of the same and it not having moved on graphically. There's also a lot of stuff used from the first game. I also feel that the way of progressing through the game could have done with a bit more thought. It's hard to be specific without giving something away.

I can't actually tell if anything has been enhanced from the first game. That said I'm quite liking it but for me the whole thing about the first one was the wonder of Rapture and that's pretty much gone now. I would have liked to have gone into Rapture with it in a different state to just more decay.


----------



## g force (Feb 12, 2010)

I see that for sure but i'm really enjoying it...it's more an extension of the first game but the further you get in the more rewarding it is. Having said that I died trying to kill the third big sister last night.


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Feb 12, 2010)

thinking i might trade in ac2 and resistance2 for this tomorrow.


----------



## bmd (Feb 12, 2010)

Paulie Tandoori said:


> thinking i might trade in ac2 and resistance2 for this tomorrow.



If you liked the first one you'll like this one. Plus there's multiplayer on this. I've not tried it yet but apparently mp is played in a pre-war Rapture, which sounds pretty cool.


----------



## futha (Feb 13, 2010)

Anyone given the multiplayer a go yet?


----------



## FridgeMagnet (Feb 13, 2010)

I'd be interested in buying this if

(a) the plot and setting are up to the same standards, which worries me as I can see them getting lazy and just exploring themes raised by BS1 as opposed to being as inventive as it was, and

(b) some of the annoying gameplay issues in 1 are better dealt with, which I have more expectation might be the case.

Really it's about the ideas - I never played BS1 through to the end because I felt the gameplay started to get in the way of the story and the gameplay wasn't nearly as diverting.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Feb 13, 2010)

When you say the gameplay got in the way of story how do you mean?


----------



## FridgeMagnet (Feb 13, 2010)

It was a grind vs plot thing. I felt that I was being expected to do too much shooting and resource management and subgaming just to get onto the next piece of plot, and the grind in itself wasn't all that entertaining any more. The set pieces weren't as diverting and shooting up splicers and big daddies was becoming routine. (Plus, when you have basically unlimited lives, it makes it seem even less meaningful.)

I don't have a lot of persistence with gaming, I quite freely admit it - I demand lots of plot and drama, or at least regular new shit, and actual gaming challenges are only tolerable for as long as they seem achievable, rather than just being hard for the sake of it and requiring me to memorise timings and details of irrational tests. Portal and Fallout 3 were about the right level for me.

edit: that's not to say BS1 isn't a terrific game with many fantastic aspects, just not the absolute perfect game for me


----------



## bmd (Feb 14, 2010)

I agree with you FM. Gaming isn't fun for me when the grind drags me out of the immersion in the game. I need a bigger gun to get to X so I need to kill another 40 dudes. It feels a bit like that with the camera this time round. You get so many upgrades from taking photos that it's difficult not to use it but really, why would I be taking photos of someone about to smash my head in?

The respawn chambers sometimes propel you through levels, so you need to get to X but there are loads of dudes in the way. You get killed and respawn at a chamber much nearer your goal from where you were fighting. Then you get killed again and you're at another chamber even closer.

Also the respawn chambers are sometimes right there where you're fighting, so you can just chip away at a Big Sister and respawn, step out of the chamber and chip away a bit more.

That said I do like it but it's noticeable that some of the game seems about the mechanics of it rather than a coherent story.


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Feb 14, 2010)

purchased today and enjoyed what i've seen so far mostly. it's a bit fallout-3-lite as far as gameplay goes but the narrative has been enjoyable and little girls with shining eyes scares me. well spooky.


----------



## revol68 (Feb 14, 2010)

Paulie Tandoori said:


> purchased today and enjoyed what i've seen so far mostly. it's a bit fallout-3-lite as far as gameplay goes but the narrative has been enjoyable and little girls with shining eyes scares me. well spooky.



if you haven't played the first one you really should.


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Feb 14, 2010)

never played the first one and now got the second. convince me why i can't just plough into the sequel..

[/johnny-come-lately]


----------



## FridgeMagnet (Feb 14, 2010)

Paulie Tandoori said:


> purchased today and enjoyed what i've seen so far mostly. it's a bit fallout-3-lite as far as gameplay goes but the narrative has been enjoyable and little girls with shining eyes scares me. well spooky.



Thing is, that's one of the parts that makes me concerned. That was such an iconic part of the first game - now for BS2 it's on the posters. Can't they come up with new stuff with the same impact?


----------



## revol68 (Feb 14, 2010)

Paulie Tandoori said:


> never played the first one and now got the second. convince me why i can't just plough into the sequel..
> 
> [/johnny-come-lately]



first one has a really good story and really introduces the whole world of Rapture brilliantly, especially it's 'objectivist' capitalist ideology.

I've not been tempted by the 2nd one at all and I don't think I can be arsed even downloading, feels like they are just milking it and in turn doing a great disservice to the first one.


----------



## ruffneck23 (Feb 24, 2010)

got this yesterday , about 4 hours in , its ok , but not worth the hype ( glad i didnt buy it   )  it feels more like an expansion pack rather than a full blown sequel


----------



## g force (Feb 24, 2010)

Ah okay....see what you think 10 hours. I felt it started really slowly but really picked up as you moved through Rapture, esp when you got to the Big Splicers, Houdini's and Big Sister on a regular basis.

All I can say is Trap Rivets are your friend.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Feb 24, 2010)

g force said:


> Ah okay....see what you think 10 hours. I felt it started really slowly but really picked up as you moved through Rapture, esp when you got to the Big Splicers, Houdini's and Big Sister on a regular basis.
> 
> All I can say is Trap Rivets are your friend.



LOL! That's some endorsement, spend ten hours of your life playing before you can actually enjoy the game!


----------



## g force (Feb 24, 2010)

Ha ha....nah it all just falls into place the more you play it. The characters and little things that hark back to the first game make it really enjoyable.


----------



## ruffneck23 (Feb 24, 2010)

i didnt actually say i wasnt enjoying it


----------



## bmd (Feb 24, 2010)

I think for me the 1up review says it all - 



> Overall, BioShock 2 is a good game, and its mechanics improve upon its predecessor in almost every respect. But the original BioShock was a standout title because of the story it told, and in that sense, BioShock 2 is just a pale imitation. It's an unnecessary sequel that doesn't feel like an extension of the Rapture universe as much as a retelling of the first game with new mechanics.


----------



## Boycey (Mar 3, 2010)

reviewed by zero punctuation today


----------

