As a sequel, it does pretty good job on improving game mechanics. It gives you the possibility of playing as Big Daddy, which in itself is pretty awesome (I love drill bashes). However, the fact, that it's rapture again, takes away the joy of discovery. Also it lacks something super memorable, like Andrew Ryan from 1st Bioshock.

Anyway, it's pretty good game. If you don't mind, that it's so similar to it's predecesor, you can find it as an enjoyable experience.

Basically if you liked the first one game-play wise you will enjoy this one as well because they didn't change very much, which is a good thing in my opinion.

The weapon selection seems a little bland, but the melee is a lot of fun.

The continuation of the story is the reason I played and for the most part I really enjoyed it. You basically play as a Big Daddy and interact with the little sisters.

After the first bioshock you have always wanted to know about the birth and first months of this city ? Wanted to see how the citizens became mad and crazy because of the plasmids ? You'll get some answers with this game.

So in this sequel you'll be one of the first Big Daddy, after a long sleep you wake up in a desolated city with only one idea, find the little girl you have to protect !

For a standalone game it's great but the improvement from BioShock 1 is really little.

I looked forward for more diversity of weapons and mission objectives but the game didn't achieve these.

I enjoyed the shooting, I enjoyed the Rapture atmosphere, I enjoyed the story, but it is quite like a Bioshock 1 expansion rather than a squeal.

If you already own BioShock, #2 may not be a smart purchase unless you're a fan of the first. Bioshock 2 plays almost exactly like the first, with the addition of some new weapons, powers, and enemies. The story is a slight continuation of the original, but the plot keeps the gameplay from getting too stale. As usual, the game looks great, and the set pieces and terrain are phenomenally well done.

A darn fun game, but it's simply a rehash of old material with a bit of multiplayer tacked on (multiplayer that nobody plays, I might add). You could do a lot worse for the price.

Bioshock 2 is slightly more bland and linear sequel to its famous and critically praised predecessor.

The strongest assets of both games are its setting and atmosphere. This Jules Verne style depiction of a libertarian-industrial anti-utopia deep under the ocean is clearly a work of very competent designers, with its dimly lit steel corridors, propaganda posters, omnipresent pipes, valves, water leaks and windows that allow you to marvel at the beauty of the ocean's depth. Similarly, monster and character design is very well done, both intriguing and scary.

Sadly, the gameplay is much less involving, a strictly linear "corridor shooter" combining the use of classic firearms with magic-like genetic enhancements (courtesy to mysterious gene-altering substance called "Adam"). The story, however, is average at best, told mostly by recorded audio logs and written notes (System Shock legacy, no doubt), telling the tale of how this would-be utopia of free, enterprising, strong-willed pioneers of the deep ocean turned into a nightmare of sorts.

The game is not bad by any means, but it just did not have that special kind of magic for me (I admit I play games mostly for the story they tell).

Bioshock 2 is a good game, with a great look. I love almost everything about this game except the guns, I don't think they feel quite right, but I don't know why. The game would've gotten a 5/5 if it didn't run with "Games for windows". So a nice 4/5.

That's a great game, they improved almost every aspect of the first game. The combat is better because you can use your weapon and the plasmid at the same time; the hacking system was changed to something faster and the game don't stop when you decide to hack, so you need to be more careful, because the enemies can kill you, while you try to convert their turret to your side. The story is 10 years after the first game and it has the same quality. It's a great game.

Great sequel. I loved playing Bioshock and was expecting a lot of Bioshock 2, It delivered. Just as the first Bioshock; Beautiful underwater city with lots of detail, amazing graphics and fun gameplay.

The only critique I have is that playing against Big Daddies in the first Bioshock was like fighting against a tank. Now, playing as one in Bioshock 2, it seems like you're as fragile as porcelain.

I understand why BioShock 2 was made, I appreciate some ideas the designers had and acknowledge that it improves certain areas, I can’t help but feel that some of the magic was lost along the way. The single-player hiccups brutally pull you out of what otherwise is a captivating world you can explore to discover its secrets, and on the long run, the multiplayer won’t be anything more than a cute break between two Bad Company / Modern Warfare 2 matches, despite the rewards given for your loyalty.

That’s why I’m not even sure if I should be happy or sad knowing that there’s going to be a BioShock 3 (and more). On one hand, the potential to make something truly outstanding is there, but I can also clearly see the pit in which the series risks to fall if the producer’s won’t treat it with the respect it deserves.

Just bought this game here at Gamers Gate for an excellent price, but have played it before.

Set approximately 10 years after the events of the original BioShock, the halls of Rapture once again echo with sins of the past. Along the Atlantic coastline, a monster has been snatching little girls and bringing them back to the undersea city of Rapture. You are the very first Big Daddy as you travel through the decrepit and beautiful fallen city, chasing an unseen foe in search of answers and your own survival.

Whilst perhaps not as good as the original Bioshock. Bioshock 2 has a great concept and atmosphere it reminds me a little of System Shock 2. The graphics are amazing. Well worth purchasing.

Bioshock 2 has 'second team' stamped all over it. It lacks the confidence of the first one, and clearly the budget as well. However, while it might not be quite as good a game, it does have a nicer story than the first one - and doesn't descend into a farce at the end by importing a fire elemental from the forgotten realms for you to fight.

Multiplayer is pretty dull in deathmatch mode, and while other interesting-looking game modes are available there didn't seem to be anyone playing them when I tried recently.

Overall, the single player is a good quality game that's worth playing.

A good sequel to a great game. The environment is just as beautiful, and the sequel is just as fun to play as the original. You'll have to go through GFWL to get the add on features, which is a little disappointing since each expansion costs more than what GG has the game for on sale right now. A great game to get if you liked the first, and want more BioShock fun before BioShock Infinite is released.

Fantastic steampunk universe FPS/exploration adventure game. This game is well design in story, progression,graphics, and control. This is one of those "must-get" games regardless of preference. 10/10 game that needs to be played to be understood why.

Not as strong as the first one story-wise and the gameplay doesn't offer anything new, but still a solid experience. Basically if you liked Bioshock you'll like Bioshock 2 but if you were hoping for a redesign than it's not the game you're looking for.

This game is very much a letdown. If you called this game anything else, it would probably get a low 90 from all the major review sites. The game takes out the "open-world" ability of the first one, to a much more linear expierence.

The game does include achievements for xbox live, but does not work with a controller - something I found quite odd.

Bioshock 2 is just a great game. Don’t believe it is a RPG, though. It is a shooter with some basic elements of a classical RPG. For example, you can improve your character using plasmids and you can upgrade your weapons in various stations disseminated in the game. So, clearly, it is not a very deep RPG. But the visual of the Rapture (the place where you are) is great, and above all the general immersion level is outstanding. Even if I know that I ‘cannot die’, I am constantly on the edge of my sit when I play, afraid that some Big Sisters will show up and trash my avatar.

The major problem of Bioshock 2 is that if you played the previous game, you pretty much know what to expect. I played the original game and I was blown away by it. Consider that I really do not like shooters. In this sequel I appreciate several improvement to the gameplay, including that you can set up ‘harvest-points’ for ADAM and you have to hold the forth until the little girl has completed harvesting. Nice touch. Everything else is pretty much the same, but overall a nice welcome back to the Rapture.

In the end, I truly recommend this game. For the price you can get right now, you will have hours of battles and moral choices (well, sort of, as I said it is not a deep RPG). In the meantime, I am looking forward to Bioshock Infinity, maybe I will get that one right away, it looks very promising.

Bioshock 2 is a commendable sequel to the original, which was one of the best experiences I've had in gaming recently. It improves upon the first game's strong points and eliminates the bad ones. The gameplay is still fun, if not more, the story will keep you playing, and the art style remains unique and well-translated, not recycled from the first game but slightly special to the sequel.

If you've played Bioshock, you know what to expect with Bioshock 2, but your first visit to Rapture will always be the best. The graphics in the game are stellar thanks to a switch to the Unreal engine, and every ounce of atmosphere, from the glowing deep sea plants to the droplets of water falling on your metal helmet, will immerse you. Even the gameplay is quite good, so assuming it is every bit as good as the first game, the real focus is on where the story lets it all down.

Bioshock was a game full of mystery and wonder, but Bioshock 2 missed that boat somehow - it lost its magic. You're still exploring Rapture, the enemies are the same (with some additions), many of the characters are the same, but it feels a bit forced all throughout, and the plot line is nowhere near as interesting as it could have been. It's a game you will play and enjoy immensely, but the idea the story could have been more engaging nagged at me from beginning to end. The execution simply was not as natural as it was in the first game. That's a difficult act to match, but Bioshock 2 took the world of Rapture, recreated it bit by bit, but failed to give its players a reason to care about what was happening in it. The events that take place within seem like they're happening to someone else and have no bearing on you, so it amounts to an incredible gameplay experience with immersive visuals and atmosphere that you are *touring* and don't have as much attachment to as you should. The first game snared its audience from the very first moment in a traumatic way, but this one begins slowly, proceeds slowly, and finally picks up near the point you realize you're close to the end.

Great game, great effects, incredible attention to detail, but Bioshock 2's story is not as gripping as the original's, or even its spiritual predecessor, System Shock. This makes it great fun to play and amazing to behold, but it's not the complete package it could have been, and as an aside, it may be because all resources were not directed at making the story better. In the development time 2K Games had, they spent a large chunk of it developing a multiplayer portion no one played, which in hindsight (since Bioshock Infinity will not have multiplayer), was a huge shortcoming that took away from the memorable game it could have been. Bioshock isn't a competitive multiplayer game, but they tried to make it one, and it failed to compete with dedicated multiplayer shooters like Call of Duty. It never had a chance.

Therefore, play Bioshock for an unforgettable story and experience, and play Bioshock 2 for a less memorable or engrossing experience because you were a fan of the first. Not that this is a bad game, but Bioshock 1 is better by a *lot.*

You are Subject Delta, a "Big Daddy" who is suddendly waken up from his deep slumber to rescue "Eleanor", the "Little Sister" he is in charge of...

As you travel the vast halls of Rapture peril once again lurks in every corner in this sequel to Bioshock: splicers, other big daddies and a new foe: the big sister! Battle it out across the echoing corridors of the underwater city using plasmids and weapons as your ultimate means of foe vanquishing in your quest to find and stop Sofia Lamb's evil scheme!

Graphics: The Unreal engine never gets old, does it? The game looks great and runs equally good...

Sound: Amazing effects and score! The game truly is outstanding in this area.

Gameplay: Superb, you won't forget Bioshock 2 anytime soon...

5/5

What a great game. All the problems that plagued the original such as corrupt saves have been fixed. The multiple endings really made playing this game through multiple times worth it. I highly recommend this game to prospective buyers.

The game is quite pretty, and keeps the whole mood of Rapture from the first game in tact. The story is still decent, not as good as Bioshock, but the game play improvements even it out in my book. My only real qualm with the game is that it will crash out randomly, and if I hadn't saved for that 30 minutes I had to replay it, which would usually just end up with me walking away from the game for a week or so at a time. Over all, I give it a 3.5/5 for the beautiful scenes and sounds.

One thing I'd like to ad though is if you buy this game for multiplayer, it seems like most people have already stopped playing it online, and you have to wait sometimes upwards of 10 minutes to get into a match.

I only bought and played the first Bioshock because the demos made it apear to be a game changer; DX10, water effects, great story, fantastic music... and it was all true. I only bought and played the second one, because the first one was so terrific.

Understanding that, it was not bad at all. It was a little dull at first, because it's so similar, but little by little the fantastic writting, and beautifully rendered environments, drew me in.