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[speculawyer]

Repeat from previous page:
Don't know if this has been posted but . . . stolen from the Zero Punc thread:

A BBC TV report on Bioshock 2
It is amusing/interesting a few reasons:
1) It is weird to see a major international news organization doing a story about some video game. But I do believe video games are more popular in the U.K. per capita than they are in the USA so I guess that makes sense. The report is kinda funny since they take it so seriously.
2) It is funny to watch some British twat explain the general bioshock setting. :lol
3) It includes a clip of the Zero Punctuation review of Bioshock 1! :lol

/Repeat

Yup, it's like it manages to actually get harder. I even

Spoiler

busted the health station with my drill in one of the fights

so I didn't even have that to use!

I did the exact same thing! :lol

Then again, it is bound to happen since

Spoiler

the enemies run to the med station to be healed and since you want to conserve ammo, you take a melee swing at him with the drill. BLAM! There goes the med station.

 

[sam27368]

If it's not too late I'd like to enter

 

[speculawyer]

I haven't started the single player but it does look like a lot of people are complaining about it being BioShock 1.5.

That was too be expected. If you do a sequel and it is set in the same world then of course it will be very similar. I think it is a bit unfair if reviews always drop points off the review because of that. The developers are stuck in a bind . . . if you make it too different, then it really isn't a sequel is it? But if you make it too similar, people will complain that it is too similar.

Yes, it is similar to the first. Get over it. If you didn't like the setting of the first, you won't like this one.


But despite being similar in setting, these are all new buildings/settings (at least what I've see so far), these are pretty much all new characters, etc.

I loved the first Bioshock, I wanted more, I got it, and I'm happy. If you didn't like the first at all, you won't like this one. If you liked the first but had some complaints (such as the one mentioned by Yahtzee in the above BBC interview) many of those complaints have been addressed. And the new multi-player is quite good by what I've been reading (I haven't played it since I don't want to see any new plasmids until I see them in the SP game.)

 

[Lince]

:lol Please stop trolling

I'm not trolling, just posting my impressions and opinions, Bioshock 2 is too similar if not a carbon copy of Bioshock gameplay and shooting mechanics, but with worse level design and without the awesome-intriguing plot of the first. Yeah there's multiplayer, new weapons and a couple of new enemies, but Bioshock 1 is still better. Just my opinion of course.

 

[TheDancingWatermelon]

If it's not too late I'd like to enter

same, put me in for this as well please!

 

[cann3dheat]

So I'm sure this has been talked about many times but my main gripe about this game is that you don't feel like a Big Daddy. You move like one, you sound like one and you have the helmet like one, but in no way do you take damage like one. Get shot a few times and your current health bar is already down. Granted, I'm playing on Hard, but Splicers pose a threat to you, whereas to the other Big Daddys they're simply an annoyance.

Yes, I understand you're an "Alpha model" or whatever, but seriously? You're trying to sell the idea of being a Big Daddy to me, but I only get the aesthetic perks and a drill, but none of the defense and attack perks? IMO, they should have just thrown a lot more enemies at you, had them be more of an annoyance and have much more focus on the drill, because I find myself running out of fuel quite fast.

Also

Spoiler

what's up with the Little Sister? I enjoy the idea behind it, but the whole feeling of attachment is kind of ruined when after you kill the other Big Daddy, she mourns for him while you let her, but once you pick her up, she's all peachy and loyal to you all of a sudden.

Just my two cents.

 

[Cagen]

Now, see, I don't understand this. What about

Spoiler

when the Big Sister breaks the glass and all the water rushes through and when you're overlooking the city on the small cliff next to the sign "Welcome to Rapture"? What about when the train falls and shakes everything in the building? How are those not memorable? How are those not exciting?

Those moments were so short I didn't really feel anything from them. I just finished the game and I am glad that from Fontaine Futuristics the game picks up, FF and Persephone are great levels that harkens back to the level design of the first game, it's just a pity you have to sit through ~8 hours of mundane levels, with admitadly a few spatterings of excitement before you get the great atmosphere and character back.

 

[MMaRsu]

I'm not trolling, just posting my impressions and opinions, Bioshock 2 is too similar if not a carbon copy of Bioshock gameplay and shooting mechanics, but with worse level design and without the awesome-intriguing plot of the first. Yeah there's multiplayer, new weapons and a couple of new enemies, but Bioshock 1 is still better. Just my opinion of course.

Yes Bioshock 1 is better ( so far, I haven't played enough of B2 ) story/originality wise BUT that is normal when you create a sequel like this. To be honest the new game as so many small refinements that it makes B2 an amazing game. The story so far is interesting, the weapons and levels are great as well.

Maybe it's not an entire new thing, but imo it doesn't need to be. Games can be fun and entertaining without being new and original.

My comment about you trolling was in response to you saying this game offers nothing new.

 

[cleveridea]

can someone explain how multiplayer works in terms of the story that is supposedly put in this mode? From an interview:

there is a story arc that happens throughout multiplayer

Are there cutscenes and then I fight other online players in random deathmatches? I dont play online games so I have trouble visualling how a non-coop multiplayer mode would work if there are story elements...

 

[Feeroper]

I am currently really enjoying Bioshock 2. I found the first one got stale gameplay wise near the end, but so far, the gameplay in this one has been pretty good.

As for story, I really like what they've done so far, but I was thinking about it the other day and I thought, what if they went in a completely different direction with this? What if it didnt take place in Rapture, at least not for a while. If you were a detective or something, investigating the dissapearces of little girls along the coast. It could be a completely different type of game in that regard.

Thats something that I always liked about Silent Hill 4, was the complete change of pace they took with the story (I know it was originally a different game entirely until the SH name got slapped on, but still!). Although it wasnt the best in the series, SH4 really set itself apart in that way. I think a sequel to Bioshock could have really played on the mystery of Rapture, seeing as it has been 10 years since the 1st game, and the recent disapearance of the little girls is a great mystery to begin with. I think that could have been very compelling.

Dont get me wrong though. I am enjoying what they did with it, that was just a thought I had.

 

[Hugbot]

I'd like to enter as well!

I just played through the into level last night, wow. I wasn't sold on the idea of a sequel, but it looks like they've taken a shaky premise and built a pretty damn impressive game on it. It got its hooks in me deep, and I had to force myself to stop playing until I beat the first (which I stopped after it got spoiled for me.) I'm looking forward to checking out the multiplayer before I settle back in with the first, hopefully it's as impressive as the game deserves.

 

[The Librarian]

A sweet night with Dax01

This.

So I'm sure this has been talked about many times but my main gripe about this game is that you don't feel like a Big Daddy. You move like one, you sound like one and you have the helmet like one, but in no way do you take damage like one. Get shot a few times and your current health bar is already down. Granted, I'm playing on Hard, but Splicers pose a threat to you, whereas to the other Big Daddys they're simply an annoyance.

There's a fine line between game consistency and gameplay. Would you rather prefer the game be a cake walk?

Besides, a canonical explanation would be something like this: Seeing as how Delta is a prototype and he can use plasmids and various weapons, he can defend himself a lot easier than your normal BD. Thus having less armor, because if you look at him, he's definitely not as heavily armored as a Bouncer BD.

Those moments were so short I didn't really feel anything from them. I just finished the game and I am glad that from Fontaine Futuristics the game picks up, FF and Persephone are great levels that harkens back to the level design of the first game, it's just a pity you have to sit through ~8 hours of mundane levels, with admitadly a few spatterings of excitement before you get the great atmosphere and character back.

The section before

Spoiler

Ryan Amusements

is anything but mundane. I played BioShock 1 before BioShock 2 came out and, aside from up until you step out of the Bathysphere into Rapture, the level design and encounters are on par with some of the original's (like Medical Pavilion). Not like Fort Frolic, though.

Anyway, time for more BIOSHOCK 2!

 

[momolicious]

I'd like to enter as well!

I just played through the into level last night, wow. I wasn't sold on the idea of a sequel, but it looks like they've taken a shaky premise and built a pretty damn impressive game on it. It got its hooks in me deep, and I had to force myself to stop playing until I beat the first (which I stopped after it got spoiled for me.) I'm looking forward to checking out the multiplayer before I settle back in with the first, hopefully it's as impressive as the game deserves.

Why would you stop playing that awesome game because someone said a spoiler to you?

 

[The Librarian]

can someone explain how multiplayer works in terms of the story that is supposedly put in this mode? From an interview:

Are there cutscenes and then I fight other online players in random deathmatches? I dont play online games so I have trouble visualling how a non-coop multiplayer mode would work if there are story elements...

You have an apartment that you can go to and you can listen to various audio diaries of the players you can play as.

 

[Hugbot]

Why would you stop playing that awesome game because someone said a spoiler to you?

I had (as always) a million other games on my plate and felt enough was spoiled that it would have soured my experience if I continued right then. It got put on the backburner until I could go back a month or two later and experience how they told the story rather than what the story was, but it got lost in the shuffle.

 

[Lince]

My comment about you trolling was in response to you saying this game offers nothing new.

yes what I meant is that it's not offering what I expected from a Bioshock sequel and that it does look and play too similar, same plasmids, same weapons, same splicers, same mechanics... just a worse level design and a new but bland plot trying too hard to be "smart".

Another thing that annoys me is that the PC version with the graphics settings maxed out still shows a lot of nasty low-res textures here and there that were not present in the first game, is there an option or setting I can change for that? I thought the engine was tweaked for better graphics? and no 360 pad support? why do you take out features of a game instead of adding on top of what you have? I'm not hyped for Bioshock 3 anymore. Tried multiplayer, fun for 5 minutes, but Uncharted 2 competitive/coop multiplayer blows this out of the water

edit: how about you being a Rapture citizen slowly transforming into a crazy mad splicer with a major-role in Rapture's fall for some unfortunate incident, fighting for ADAM and self-control at the same time? that would have been much more interesting plot-wise and maybe gameplay-wise too.

 

[cann3dheat]

There's a fine line between game consistency and gameplay. Would you rather prefer the game be a cake walk?

Besides, a canonical explanation would be something like this: Seeing as how Delta is a prototype and he can use plasmids and various weapons, he can defend himself a lot easier than your normal BD. Thus having less armor, because if you look at him, he's definitely not as heavily armored as a Bouncer BD.

Well I wouldn't prefer the game to be a cake walk, but it's just that, despite the fact that you're a (not quite beefed up) Big Daddy, I feel like my character is no stronger than the first game. I feel more like a regular character. Even making me a little tougher would suffice, giving me some idea that I'm wearing armor. The game can still be difficult if you're more powerful. Like I said, throw more enemies at me, and since ammo isn't exactly plentiful, focus more on the drill, which is an awesome weapon.

 

[KingHenrik30]

Whats the general feeling as to this game so far, as good as the original or worse?

 

[DarkKyo]

Whats the general feeling as to this game so far, as good as the original or worse?

I think I like the first level in this one just as much as the first. It's really familiar but still has a couple awe moments. Combat is pretty good, I love the weapons so far! I've only done like two levels but I like it a lot.

 

[speculawyer]

So I'm sure this has been talked about many times but my main gripe about this game is that you don't feel like a Big Daddy. You move like one, you sound like one and you have the helmet like one, but in no way do you take damage like one. Get shot a few times and your current health bar is already down. Granted, I'm playing on Hard, but Splicers pose a threat to you, whereas to the other Big Daddys they're simply an annoyance.

Yes, I understand you're an "Alpha model" or whatever, but seriously? You're trying to sell the idea of being a Big Daddy to me, but I only get the aesthetic perks and a drill, but none of the defense and attack perks? IMO, they should have just thrown a lot more enemies at you, had them be more of an annoyance and have much more focus on the drill, because I find myself running out of fuel quite fast.

Yeah, I found it kinda strange to get my ass kicked so easily by splicers. But I guess it is all about game balance. If you could just wipe out the splicers easily, there would be no challenge. But I disagree that the Big Daddies are 'simply an annoyance'. You have to plan it out a bit, you do use your environment, you do set traps, they do take much more damage, etc.

 

[SelfCon]

Anyone want a code for the PS3 multiplayer skins? PM me.

Edit: Code gone.

 

[The Librarian]

Well I wouldn't prefer the game to be a cake walk, but it's just that, despite the fact that you're a (not quite beefed up) Big Daddy, I feel like my character is no stronger than the first game. I feel more like a regular character. Even making me a little tougher would suffice, giving me some idea that I'm wearing armor. The game can still be difficult if you're more powerful. Like I said, throw more enemies at me, and since ammo isn't exactly plentiful, focus more on the drill, which is an awesome weapon.

I completely understand what you're saying, but for me, since it's a game, making it fun comes first. If 2K Marin had made it so you received damage as much as any other BD, that sense of character growth/specialization in the first game (something I really enjoyed) wouldn't be there, or it would be there to a much lesser degree. That, I think, would've been a much worse loss.

 

[cleveridea]

You have an apartment that you can go to and you can listen to various audio diaries of the players you can play as.

ah thanks that makes sense, so its straight action 100% of the time, and the story stuff is done offline

 

[The Librarian]

ah thanks that makes sense, so its straight action 100% of the time, and the story stuff is done offline

Well, you can listen to the audio diaries in your apartment online, but the actual games are 100% action as you said.

 

[CozMick]

Anyone want a code for the PS3 multiplayer skins?

Would love them very much

 

[SelfCon]

Would love them very much

Check your inbox.

 

[Olivero]

I have complete upgraded my rivet gun and it is

Spoiler

AWESOME!

What should I upgrade next?

 

[The Librarian]

I have complete upgraded my rivet gun and it is

Spoiler

AWESOME!

What should I upgrade next?

The Rivet Gun is probably one of my all-time favorite weapons of any game ever. Possibly my favorite of any game ever.

Protip for Multiplayer: Plasmids like Incinerate!, Electro-Bolt, and Winter Blast can be charged by holding the plasmid-firing trigger for extra damage.

Fake-Edit: MP just froze on me again. They need to get a patch out soon.

 

[Solo]

The Rivet Gun is probably one of my all-time favorite weapons of any game ever. Possibly my favorite of any game ever.

I can only assume you were too young and missed out on playing Duke Nukem 3D and Blood. Goddamn, now there are some weapons

Anyways, what is so special about the rivet gun? I find myself preferring the machine gun.

 

[Raydeen]

I can only assume you were too young and missed out on playing Duke Nukem 3D and Blood. Goddamn, now there are some weapons

Anyways, what is so special about the rivet gun? I find myself preferring the machine gun.

Indeed, can't wait for the weapons in Duke Nukem Forever...oh wait.

 

[Y2Kev]

I just beat it. I liked it overall, but the end has too much exposition and action. And the story is kinda wacky. Fun game.

Hideously awful texturing in a lot of the game, yikes. End is plagued with texture load in problems.

 

[dark10x]

Hideously awful texturing in a lot of the game, yikes. End is plagued with texture load in problem

I just don't get that. The textures are so much worse than what has become the standard this gen.

It seems clear to me that the engine they are using here is simply outdated. They should have sprung for full blown UE3. Although UE3 still suffers from texture pop-in, it is at least more capable of handling higher resolution textures and larger areas.

I definitely feel that this game looks worse than the original Bioshock in many ways (though that's not to take away from some of the improvements that were made).

 

[Gigglepoo]

I just beat it. I liked it overall, but the end has too much exposition and action.

Spoiler

Which ending? I thought the evil ending was incredible, but the good one gave me diabetes. Way too happy. I'd like to see a BioShock 3 that follows the events of the bad ending, though.

 

[ruxtpin]

I can only assume you were too young and missed out on playing Duke Nukem 3D and Rise of the Triad. Goddamn, now there are some weapons

Fixed for ya

 

[The Librarian]

So what are the two missable achievements you can get in

Spoiler

Ryan Amusements

?

 

[Y2Kev]

Spoiler

Which ending? I thought the evil ending was incredible, but the good one gave me diabetes. Way too happy. I'd like to see a BioShock 3 that follows the events of the bad ending, though.

Spoiler

The happy ending. What would you consider killing Gil? Was that good? It was according to his wishes....but I dunno.

The end of the story kind of became extremely murky and thick for me. It was difficult to parse what was going on beyond the actual, direct narrative...I was looking for subtext and meaning and it just became, I think, so messy.

There is nothing in this world I hate more than the alarm sound in this game.

 

[Gigglepoo]

Ending Talk!

Spoiler

The happy ending. What would you consider killing Gil? Was that good? It was according to his wishes....but I dunno.

The end of the story kind of became extremely murky and thick for me. It was difficult to parse what was going on beyond the actual, direct narrative...I was looking for subtext and meaning and it just became, I think, so messy.

Spoiler

I think there are variations on the good/bad endings depending on how many adults you kill. Not sure what killing Gil counts as, but you do get a Survivor achievement for leaving all three alive.

The good ending is murky, I agree. The bad ending is just a huge "Oh crap, what have a I done" revelation when you realize you're her moral compass, and the actual ending is just... disturbing? I was a bit disturbed. The narrative structure just isn't as coherent when you go the good route, unfortunately.

 

[Y2Kev]

I think most disappointing to me is that missing "passage of time" feeling. The game looks and the levels function essentially the same way they did in the original game. If I was going to "return to Rapture," one of the coolest things they could have done would be to really mess the place up. There were at least a few years of anarchy, and, come on, the place should be a freaking sieve given 8 years of no sane mechanics on the job. The date is practically irrelevant.

 

[ruxtpin]

I think most disappointing to me is that missing "passage of time" feeling. The game looks and the levels function essentially the same way they did in the original game. If I was going to "return to Rapture," one of the coolest things they could have done would be to really mess the place up. There were at least a few years of anarchy, and, come on, the place should be a freaking sieve given 8 years of no sane mechanics on the job. The date is practically irrelevant.

Agreed. Maybe have a handful of levels that you visited in the first game, throw a few structural damage changes and quite a bit of flooding... Toss in some unique underwater weapons and combat; could have been fun.

Edit: Thought I am happy to just go back to Rapture, so I guess I shouldn't complain too much. =P

 

[The Librarian]

I think most disappointing to me is that missing "passage of time" feeling. The game looks and the levels function essentially the same way they did in the original game. If I was going to "return to Rapture," one of the coolest things they could have done would be to really mess the place up. There were at least a few years of anarchy, and, come on, the place should be a freaking sieve given 8 years of no sane mechanics on the job. The date is practically irrelevant.

To be fair™, at the beginning of the game,

Spoiler

you see a BD repairing a leak.

 

[Empty]

Sign me up please, Dax.

If i'm not too late.

 

[Lucentto]

I have a code for the multiplayer characters for the 360, i'm not going to bother playing online so I guess i'll PM the code to whoever responds to this post first.

 

[Johnlenham]

spoiler from the amusement park:

Spoiler

that first women's bathroom where you see the shadow run across the wall, and then you walk up to the stall to get the eve hypo and when you turn around......

I screamed and threw the controller on the floor and jumped about a foot off the couch. My wife couldn't stop laughing for five minutes :lol

Hahaha I happend to move to the right and didnt notice till I spun round and just shouted "holy shit!!" and shot the place up:lol my gf also cracked up laughing.

 

[Johnlenham]

I have a code for the multiplayer characters for the 360, i'm not going to bother playing online so I guess i'll PM the code to whoever responds to this post first.

please sir

 

[RedStep]

I have a code for the multiplayer characters for the 360, i'm not going to bother playing online so I guess i'll PM the code to whoever responds to this post first.

I'll take that challenge!

Edit: Curses!

 

[edgefusion]

I think most disappointing to me is that missing "passage of time" feeling. The game looks and the levels function essentially the same way they did in the original game. If I was going to "return to Rapture," one of the coolest things they could have done would be to really mess the place up. There were at least a few years of anarchy, and, come on, the place should be a freaking sieve given 8 years of no sane mechanics on the job. The date is practically irrelevant.

How long ago did you play the original Bioshock? One of the most striking things about B2 to me is how much of a mess it is compared to B1. Take a look out of the windows, in B1 all the shops were lit up and the buildings were mostly intact, look this time and most of the lights are out and the buildings are crumbling. Same goes for the inside, there are leaks everywhere and there's tons of barnacles and sea crap all over the place..

 

[brandonh83]

I really dislike the available MP skins so here's hoping to catch someone giving away some of the codes :lol

 

[Dan]

Quick question: Can you carry multiple little sisters at once?

Edit: Never mind, found an answer. Nope.

 

[Truant]

I actually really liked the multiplayer. Awesome job, Digital Extremes.

 

[MMaRsu]

Goddamnit why can't I find any players for multi? I've been in this fucking lobby menu for 15 minutes now -_-