The team over at 2K really doesn't need to try much harder to get me completely excited for BioShock 2. When I was given the opportunity to see the game a few months ago I was a tad skeptical. The first BioShock is probably one of the best games I have ever played, and the idea of it possibly being soiled by a sequel can be scary. After I left the first-look demo, I felt much better; I felt reassured that the game's sequel was in good hands with the new team behind the title.
Too many times we have seen excellent franchises go to shit with a poorly designed sequel where developers hope that the game will sell well based on it's name alone and not its standalone value. The new team behind BioShock 2 seem to have just as much passion for the title as I do, and they seemed to have left no detail unnoticed. The spirit of Rapture is back even 10 years after we last visited.
First, here is a little recap of what we already know. Ten years after the original BioShock, we play as the first Big Daddy ever (yes, that doesn't make sense, but we're going to have to play the final game to get all the answers). We are a faster, more agile, more powerful prototype Big Daddy, and we have the choice to save or harvest Little Sisters (usually Big Daddies can only protect Little Sisters, not harvest them).
As the first Big Daddy, we can also use plasmids (which have evolved over time), change weapons, and harvest ADAM from corpses. We are being watched and hunted by the Big Sister, who is much more powerful than we are. The Big Sister has been kidnapping little girls from the mainland and bringing them down to Rapture.
What else waits for us down in this sunken city? We will have to wait to find out this October.
The multiplayer portion of BioShock 2 will be a new addition to this series and will be taking place during the fall of Rapture. You play as Jacob Norris, a guy just trying to survive in Rapture by feeding test data to Sinclair Solutions in exchange for a safe place to stay and various weapons.
One of the coolest things from the multiplayer demo was the interactive apartment which will act as our hub. In this hub, you can customize your character, walk around, or get in a bathysphere which will take you to your mutliplayer matches (all this is optional, by the way).
Free-for-all mode was demo'ed for us at this past E3, with 10 maps that are available to play with for up to 10 different players. During the battles, you will be able to earn experience points that raise your rank, giving you access to new weapons, plasmids, and tonics. These ranks also help with matchmaking, making it easier to be placed with other gamers who are on the same level as you are.
In all honesty, BioShock 2 doesn't need multiplayer, but it is an appreciated and exciting addition to the game. I am looking forward to now being able to take BioShock online and play with friends.
I have no doubt that BioShock 2 is going to take our breath away just as much as the first one did, and I patiently await my return to Rapture.
