Admit it: you thought Bioshock 2 was going to suck, didn’t you? You thought that the first game was such a complete experience that it didn’t need or leave room for a sequel. Well, until I played the second installment I would have agreed with you. Thankfully 2k games have changed my mind due to their crafting of such an atmospheric and eminently playable adventure.

The game is set 8 years after the events of the first, with players taking on the role of one of the original Big Daddies. As anyone who has played the first game will know, the story in Bioshock is central to the entire experience. Because of that I will try to avoid mentioning any specifics of the narrative so as to avoid spoiling it for any of you.

Whilst I did enjoy the story that runs through Bioshock 2 it was not as involving as that of the first game. This was partly down to the fact that it felt somewhat shoehorned into the canon set up by the first. Major events from the history of Rapture are revealed during the game that were not even touched upon in the original, and this can feel rather forced at times.

I was also slightly disappointed with the characters in this game, again this was due to the high quality of the people we met in the first. There is just no-one here that compares to the sheer lunacy of Sander Cohen or the thrill of meeting Andrew Ryan for the first time. The characters in the second game are much more forgettable.

What with all the discussion of the lofty ideals discussed in Bioshock it seems that people sometimes forget that the game is at heart an FPS. I’m glad to report that this part of the game has been sharpened up nicely. It’s now possible to duel wield a weapon and a plasmid, both of which are upgradeable. This creates opportunities for even better combat experiences. You can be setting cyclone traps which launch splicers into the air and then set them on fire, or pin them to the wall with your spear gun, or use your hypnotise plasmid to set them on each other. The different ways in which you can approach each situation give a tremendous variety to the entire game.

The Vita chambers from the original make a re-appearance, only this time around they are more of an essential inclusion. In Bioshock 2 you are going to die, a lot. Thankfully the checkpoints and Vita chambers are well placed and stop any one section from becoming a chore. Having said that there is the option to turn them off, and even an achievement for completing the game without using them. Good luck to anyone attempting that!

The decision to let players take on the role of a Big Daddy in this game was something of a controversial one amongst fans. I’m happy to report that in gameplay terms it’s definitely been a good one. Smashing into splicers and cutting them to ribbons with your drill really is as fun as it sounds. Despite playing as such a powerful character there is still a constant feeling of foreboding permeating the whole experience. Hearing the stomp of another Daddy, or the screach of a Big Sister is enough to get your heart racing. Hell, even the voices of splicers around the next corner can be enough to put you on edge.

Talking of the Big Sisters, as fun as they were to fight during the game, I did feel that they were a bit of an unnecessary inclusion. Their back story is rather poorly explained and in my opinion the Big Daddies provide far more entertaining opponents. You just can’t beat setting up all of your traps and turrets and planning your route through an area before angering one of those hulking giants.

The question of harvesting or saving little sisters also returns this time around, only with a slight twist. As the player is now a Big Daddy it’s possible to choose to adopt the little sister and use her to collect adam from dead bodies. Doing so will attract splicers in large numbers, attracted by that lovely adam, so you had better be ready to defend your little sister against their onslaught. In many of the reviews I’ve read this part of the game has been criticised for it’s repetition. I have to say that I completely disagree with that evaluation. Yes, you do go through this process many times during the course of the game but in my opinion these were some of the most enjoyable sections of gameplay. It really is exhilarating setting up a defensive position using whatever traps and plasmids you have at your disposal and then battling the onrushing splicers.

Graphically the game is a wonderful sight to behold and ratpure is every bit as beautiful a place to explore as it was before. There are plenty of interesting places to visit and marvel at. The soundtrack is also just as excellent as before and compliments the whole atmosphere perfectly.

This time around Bioshock has ventured into the overpopulated sphere of the online shooter. The competetive part of the game has actually been developed by a different studio than the single player game in the hope that they would be able to craft a better experience. As much as I wanted to love the multiplayer, it really does feel completely unnecessary. Most games I played were laggy and this was excentuated whenever someone used the incinerate plasmid. The multiplayer as a whole reminded me of the tacked on efforts we’ve seen in games such as Condemned 2 and The Darkness. You’re better off concentrating of the single player game which is far superior and leaving the multiplayer well alone.

I had plenty of doubts before playing Bioshock 2 and that’s made me all the more pleased at how well the game has turned out. It’s exceeded my expectations in pretty much every way. The only let down was the story, but this is mainly due to the unavoidable comparisons with the first game which had one of the finest narratives in gaming history. As a standalone game Bioshock 2 is an experience not to be missed.

Verdict: 8.5/10. Miss it, miss out.