The Five: BioShock 2

It's sink or swim time for Rapture, and for the BioShock franchise.
4/23/2009 10:24 PM | 4 Comments | Page 1 of 1

The 10-Cent Tour: Last week we got our first up-close look at BioShock 2, which is easily one of the most anticipated sequels of all time. It was cathartic for me to finally see the game in action. But I walked away from the demo feeling like someone had poured some salt on my tail. In fact, my ensuing discussions with Kuo, Narcisse and Vogel led to this feature.

1. Yes, you play as a Big Daddy. But did you know that, in the game, you're actually the very first Big Daddy ever created? I know what you're thinking: But I already played as a Big Daddy in the last game. The difference here is, you're not putting on a Big Daddy suit like it's a Halloween costume. This time, you actually are a B.D., complete with a high-powered arm-power drill, which can seriously f*** up any Splicers who get too close to you.

2. Since you're inside a diving suit, you can now venture out into the surrounding waters. I spent hours staring hypnotically through Rapture's various windows at the surrounding sea life. So being able to actually go outside of Rapture was truly exciting for me.

3. The game takes place a decade after the original. Which means (we were explicitly told) that the Splicers have had 10 more years to fool with their DNA and mutate. The demo Splicers looked identical to their counterparts from the previous game, but I have a feeling that you should probably brace yourself for something far more hideous and dangerous.

4. A new point of view requires new gameplay strategies. Since you're a B.D. now, you'll eventually get the chance to adopt a Little Sister. As she harvests Adam from a nearby "angel," the challenge is to fend off the rabid Splicers who will attack her, and you, in the name of grabbing the Adam for themselves. The battle I witnessed looked hectic. But it lacked the drama of the you-versus-Big Daddy battles of the original game, and it felt instead more like something you could do -- and have done -- in previous FPSes.

5. Big Sister: Too much, too soon? I saw the Big Sister running around. She looks like a lady version of the Big Daddy. You know, slimmer, but wearing a similar diving-bell suit. 2K claims that she's your main nemesis throughout the game. I'm not buying it. 2K seems a little too forthright with all its Big Sister talk. Perhaps there's something else -- a Big Huge Sister, maybe? -- that hasn't been revealed yet. This can't possibly be BioShock 2's greatest mystery.

The CG Forecast: Damn this jaundiced eye of mine! The demo left me wanting more, and hoping that the next time I see the game, I'll like what I see a bit more than I did this time around. It's an early look, so I'll cut it some slack for now. Let's pray BioShock 2 doesn't wind up on next year's Number Twos list.

This preview is based on a publisher-driven demo of the game.