Final impression for ppl who finished (Don't come in if you haven't!) - by Jashin
Jashin on 14/2/2010 at 11:24
Okay, I've done it.
I must say Pauper's Drop (lvl 3) and Siren Alley (4) are the high point of BS2. Ryan Amusements (2) follows closely behind. The rest are decent if not more linear, with the last lvl being the most utilitarian a la the typical shooter.
The improvement in the level design unfortunately is not sustained. I'm kinda disappointed by this cus the game got progressively weaker after siren alley and ended on a low note. The plot strength is about the same - no surprise there considering it's set in the same underwater city. The weapons are improved, the environment more organic. Suffice to say it's better than bioshock, if only for about 2/3 of it.
Oh man New Vegas can't come out soon enough. Being shooter-centic doesn't work for ultra-sophisticated games. The aspect of shooting has to be good, but it's too simple and limited an interaction for the type of story these guys are trying to tell.
-ps Err can a mod fix the "haven't" for me?
T-Smith on 15/2/2010 at 03:17
Just finished it myself.
Great game, and an improvement over BioShock 1. By fully embracing the fact that it was a shooter, it ended up being much better balanced and more fun than the first. The level design was excellent but as you said, the last few weren't as strong as the first. Still, the final act of the game remained strong (unlike the first title, where the whole thing jumped off a cliff after Rapture Central Control).
The story was well presented too. Nothing in it had the same weight for me as the "Would you kindly" reveal of the first one, but the ideas presented regarding what "self" means, furthering the idea of free will as a destructive force, was interesting.
Overall I'd say BioShock 2 did the first game justice. That said, those that didn't like BioShock 1 probably won't find anything to change their minds.
ZylonBane on 15/2/2010 at 03:42
Quote Posted by Jashin
-ps Err can a mod fix the "haven't" for me?
Oh leave it. It just contributes to your whole "Jashin only posts while drunk" mystique.
Painman on 15/2/2010 at 05:48
I pretty much agree about the levels. Pauper's Drop had some nice zones and effective use of space. Siren Alley, while it forces you to run around the first bit a little too long, makes up for it when you get to the other zone, which I really liked. Good use of space again. The "ride" in Ryan amusements was neat, and very twisty.
I'll give mild props for Dionysus Park. While it was completely flat, it was at least somewhat circular, with offshoots here and there. Given the objectives for the level, the design served the purpose. There were some good "kill rooms" off of the main track that were free of respawning splicers.
A couple things did annoy me about the place, though:
First, seeing as you just drained the place, the vending machines, etc. should not look so pristine. One or two of them were messed up, but a lot of stuff in there (not just machines) didn't flow with the barnacle and seaweed encrusted theme of the level.
Second, How the hell did Meltzer get there, mere moments after I drained it? I don't feel entirely negative about his inclusion in the final game, but that irked me.
Fontaine Futuristics - first part wasn't outstanding, but Alex the Great was memorable. I liked the second part. It was still mostly flat, but claustrophobic and creepy.
Last level - creepy, but yeah, typical shooter map. At least it wasn't terribly time consuming, as at that point, I wanted to wrap things up.
All in all, still a better game IMO than the first one in most respects. Still won't redeem the series in the eyes of those that disliked the first, though. What's interesting to me is how many people that were ga-ga over the first one, don't like this one.
Oh well. I had a good time, anyway. I'm going to play it through again, try out some different battle tactics, and perhaps be a total prick this time. This one seems more replayable than the first one, given the finite weapon upgrades, third tier plasmids, and the possibility of making use of Drill Specialist, although I wish that became available at least a level earlier.
Jashin on 17/2/2010 at 06:10
Dionysus Park was so obvious gonna be a big loop around when I saw the map. Siren Alley and especially Pauper's Drop has got the thiefy upstairs downstairs mansion thing going on. And yes, the ride thing with all the showcases was neat. I forgot about that.
I uninstalled cus I don't think it'll be all that different. Just like BS1 doing research was something I only did on the tough foes like brute, big daddies, big sis and still got through the game with a full inventory. I spared Grace Holloway and killed both Poole and Alex the Great (poole deserved it, alex asked for it), still got the best ending.
Jashin on 17/2/2010 at 06:47
Quote Posted by Painman
What's interesting to me is how many people that were ga-ga over the first one, don't like this one.
Really, where did you hear that?
Guess the open levels confused them. I remember playing Death to Spies, and thought it was awesome hardcore game. Then they made D2S: Moment of Truth EVEN harder, arbitrarily more hardcore, and I thought that one wasn't as much fun.
Madin on 10/7/2010 at 12:58
My only problem with Bioshock 2 is the difficulty level of the gameplay. 2K have somehow conspired to make the sequel even easier than the first game. Most weapons and plasmids are much stronger, plasmids that should have nerfed have been made even stronger.
The game is painfully easy and I feel it lowers the overall quality of the game.
