When first rumors hit the internet that there was a good chance gamers would get the opportunity to head back to Rapture, needless to say I was a bit excited. Bioshock is on my all-time favorite game list just because the atmosphere and story was so impressive. I can’t describe how impressed I was with the delivering of the twist near the end of the game. I waited for Bioshock 2’s release with the hope that it wouldn’t ruin the series for me, that 2K Games wouldn’t do something to screw things up. And yes, I still haven’t forgiven them for releasing the patch that made my game unplayable.

Once I started into the game, everything felt eerily familiar. The heavy sounding footsteps of a Big Daddy really brought back memories of plowing through the first game and running into one of those brutes, only now I was controlling one. After the introduction and training level I was set free to stomp about and pound some Splicers with my drill. Rapture felt familiar, and very different at the same time. Things had changed while I was away, but it felt like I was there to put an end to things.

I won’t dog on this game at all just because it still is a good game, but it is no where close to what the first one was. The first game had a sense of exploration and wonder associated with your first steps into Rapture, whereas this game has more of a “man on a mission” feel. It does pull a good story along with it though. The only bad thing I have to say is that the multiplayer seemed a little touch and go. When you kill someone, sometimes they get a few precious moments to keep firing at you before it registers your kill.

Stepping back into Rapture as a Big Daddy is a whole new experience. I really enjoyed the fact that the plasmids had been tweaked slightly. Insect Swarm comes to mind since it is really effective in this game. One thing that really just made my day when I found out is that you can be a Big Daddy in multiplayer by picking up the suit that randomly spawns on the map. My first match the suit spawned in front of me – much mayhem and death ensued.

Personally, I would plop down $60 for another go at fighting my way through Rapture any day. This game delivered that, even let me wander a bit outside of Rapture, and included some decent multiplayer and customizable loadouts. Being able to choose what tonics and plasmids to take into the fight along with guns really adds something to the multiplayer. They picked some good plasmids to toss in there too… I know John enjoys his Houdini plasmid.

Bioshock 2 is one of those games I recommend people pick up and try out if they were a fan of the first game. Even though it isn’t nearly as good, it still brings some elements to light about Rapture that the first game didn’t. This game should be taken as a new perspective on a familiar place. There’s really not much more I can say without spoiling the story, so would you kindly go figure out the rest for yourself.

Platforms: PC, PS3, Xbox 360

AMMIH Rating: 4/5

SMS (Sicky’s Motion Sickness) Rating: 4/5 (Lower is Better)