BioShock 2 (2010) : Video Game

Whoever thinks that video games cannot be measured as art, they should certainly have a look into 2K’s BioShock Series. After the successful launch of BioShock back in 2007, everyone has been fervently waiting for a sequel worthy of its name. Its not just simple gaming but experiencing the utopia of Rapture is something far beyond expression. BioShock 2 thrives in delivering a powerful, disturbing yet beautiful game thus consequently bringing forth a creditable conclusion.

The year is 1968; eight years since the events of the first game BioShock. Andrew Ryan has died & in his absence altruistic Dr. Sofia Lamb has taken control of the undersea fallen paradise, Rapture. In the beginning through assorted flashbacks, it is soon revealed that in 1958 our playable character Subject Delta was the first ever Big Daddy created; however he was forced to commit suicide by Sofia Lamb. The reason behind this was to sever Daddy-Sister bond as Subject Delta’s Little Sister, Eleanor was Lamb’s daughter.

After almost eight years when Eleanor, now a teenager takes aid of little sister in reviving Subject Delta, their only desire is to be reunited once more. Standing between you & Eleanor is now 'The Family', Lamb’s pheromone controlled Splicers or former citizens of Rapture whose years of using genetically enhancing drugs called ADAM have lead to complete psychosis & physical deformity. For those who have not played BioShock, I will just do a small briefing about this enhancement drug. In BioShock it was revealed that the greatest invention in the city of Rapture was ADAM. This was a form of unstable stem cells harvested from certain kind of sea slug parasite. From this ADAM special kind of serum called Plasmids used to be processed & introduced into the body. This usually led to genetic modification & mutation thus giving the users super power. However excessive use of these drugs often led to insanity. This was the major factor for Rapture’s eventual downfall.

The antagonists in both the BioShock are worlds apart. As Fontaine had the label of evil intensions, Sofia Lamb’s interpretation was quite different. Her hate for Subject Delta was justified as she held him responsible for turning her daughter, Eleanor a Little Sister, even though we all know the truth.

Various new features have been introduced in this new edition, making the gaming experience even more lucid. Making use of plasmids & weapons has never been so easier. In order to survive Rapture’s unsympathetic environment you will need to scavenge for resources. The hacking feature has been moderately improved thus making it less tedious than its predecessor. Moral dilemma related to harvesting of ADAM from Little Sister still remains the same as its original. No matter how you play the game, sooner or later you will face one of the deadliest enemies in the Rapture universe; the Big Sister. They are the former little sisters retrofitted with armor & weaponries very similar to what we have seen in Big Daddy, however their extreme agility makes them a difficult target. They are Lamb’s new line of defense. The eerie shriek of the Big Sister before the battle will certainly send chill.

Graphics looks more or less the same as BioShock; this time we do get the chance to explore the world around Rapture. Just like its original; the playable hours are pretty long depending on the adopted difficulty style. BioShock 2 is more methodical than other shooter games & requires substantial amount of attention.
 
Whether this is your second visit to Andrew Ryan’s fallen paradise or not, the nostalgia for Rapture is still apparent in BioShock 2. Highly recommended.

Note : This title is available in following formats : PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 & Mac OS X

My Rating : 10/10