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[zero margin]

So I just finished and it took me around 10-11 hours with starting on hard then switching to medium for the final 2/3 of the game. I really like the weapons and plasmids this time and the combat felt good but got a bit heavy down the stretch, story kind of fell off at the end I thought but nevertheless a good game for sure. I will go through it again for the "good" ending and more of the MP which is pretty nice.

 

[edgefusion]

Does the PS3 version have problems with texture pop in for anyone else? Or does this span across all the other versions.

Virtually every game using the Unreal engine exhibits this problem, some more so than others. Apparently it's even worse in the 360 version unless you install it to the hard drive (PS3 version requiring a mandatory installation). I don't know about the PC version but I would imagine it's just the same.

 

[Papercuts]

Didn't get very far,

Spoiler

beat Ryan's Amusements

, some early impressions:

+Sound is really good. You feel like a big daddy, the random sounds of rapture are done well and add to the atmosphere
+New hacking is awesome. Makes sense, is quick, and the fact it's real time makes it pretty hectic at times
+Drill is cool
+Big Sisters are challenging. I managed to beat the first one without dying atleast

+/- Not sure about Multiplayer yet. I only played 2 matches, but one of them was 3 vs. 5 and it is a snowball effect of bullshit. They all stuck together and were nearly impossible to stop, once you died once they all researched you and made it even harder. Also seems like higher ranks get ridiculous advantages. Was also fairly choppy.
+/- Ammo is scarce, you burn through medkits and money now. Seems like a good thing for the most part, except....

-You're a big daddy. I love how they sound and the drill, but man gameplay wise they completely dropped the feeling. You are so damn weak, I think jack with a drill would tear it up more than you can. The game is way harder, but it feels like it shouldn't be and that you should take a much bigger beating.
-The vending machines not having sound. Actually added a lot more to the experience than I realized, and I already know it's being addressed in a patch...but I don't know how they missed it in the first place, and I'll have the game beat by the time it's fixed. Also odd how they work in MP.
-The graphics. Art design makes it look good, but this really looks just like bioshock 1. Spending time actually looking close at stuff shows some pretty ugly textures, the worst thing so far was probably the underwater part, the jellyfish are hilarious.
-As awesome as the sound is, the two guns I have so far sound pretty weak.
-Escorts. I see that getting old fast.

 

[Deleted member 30609]

Virtually every game using the Unreal engine exhibits this problem, some more so than others. Apparently it's even worse in the 360 version unless you install it to the hard drive (PS3 version requiring a mandatory installation). I don't know about the PC version but I would imagine it's just the same.

no problem with texture pop-in here. when I first load the game there is <1 second before the textures fade in.

 

[darkjedi187]

Just picked up the game, haven't had a chance to play it yet. Absolutely loved the first one.

Dax01 can I still be entered into the contest. Thanks

 

[zero margin]

Oh and real fast, the soundtrack kicks ass and I am going to dl from itunes.

 

[berva]

Really a 3/10? seriously would you kindly go check yourself and make sure your not talking about Dark Void here.

 

[CornBurrito]

Oh so they are fixing the vending machines! Are there any details as to when? If it is soon then I will hold out on playing it until then. The game just isn't the same without the "STEP RIGHT UP TO THE CIRCUS OF VALUES!"

 

[BumRush]

Papercuts, without giving away spoilers, can you tell what escorts are and why they may suck? I'm on the fence for bioshock with all of the other amazing games out / coming out

 

[Lince]

just finished it and can't remember any worthwhile level of this game... I'm on tears, this is easily my biggest gaming disappointment ever, this is even worse than Devil May Cry 2. Such an awesome collectors edition, such an awesome original game... and boy what a terrible sequel, shame on you 2K, did this seriously take 2 years? technically it's sub-par and full of bugs (same bugs the original had lol !!! this is crazy !!!) uninstalling now and giving it away to a friend tomorrow, keeping the CE package and content though, I'll keep the original Bioshock inside.

edit: and ffs it has been released unfinished, without the vending machines jingles, no 360 pad support for the PC version, same FOV issues... hilarious, amateurish job all the way. Multiplayer looks like crap and is a lag-fest on the PC at least, I've really tried to find a reason to like it but man, there isn't, I just can't get over the N64 graphics of the underwater sequences, it's fucking ugly and low-res everywhere. I feel robbed, sorry for the rant and don't want to hurt fans' feelings, this is just my (possible wrong) opinion.

Peace.

 

[Deleted member 30609]

just finished it, I'm on tears, this is easily my biggest gaming disappointment ever, this is even worse than Devil May Cry 2. Such an awesome collectors edition, such an awesome original game... and boy what a terrible sequel, shame on you 2K, did this seriously take 2 years? technically it's sub-par and full of bugs (same bugs the original had lol !!! this is crazy !!!) uninstalling now and giving it away to a friend tomorrow, keeping the CE package and content though, I'll keep the original Bioshock inside.

edit: and ffs it has been released unfinished, without the vending machines jingles, no 360 pad support for the PC version, same FOV issues... hilarious, amateurish job all the way. Multiplayer looks like crap and is a lag-fest on the PC at least, I've rellay tried to find a reason to like it but man, there isn't, I just can't get over the N64 graphics of the underwater sequences, it's fucking ugly and low-res everywhere. I feel robbed, sorry for the rant and don't want to hurt fans' feelings, this is just my (possible wrong) opinion.

Peace.

credibility. reason. rationality.

 

[EatChildren]

credibility. reason. rationality.

While I dont agree with him about the under water sections, I will say many of the textures in this game are absolutely hidiously low resolution. They look nice thanks to the solid art direction and sum total of colours and lights in a particular environment, but most textures themselves are sinfully ugly.

 

[Costanza]

oh my god this CE is so nice

best CE ever

 

[Lince]

credibility. reason. rationality.

SMH Rez, SMH. it's obviously an hyperbole but they really do look UGLY.

 

[Narag]

, without the vending machines jingles

That was my favorite new feature.

 

[Papercuts]

Papercuts, without giving away spoilers, can you tell what escorts are and why they may suck? I'm on the fence for bioshock with all of the other amazing games out / coming out

It depends on what you consider a spoiler or not, it seems like a pretty big part of the game and it's probably pretty obvious since you're a big daddy, I'll spoil it anyway.

Spoiler

You pick up little sisters and go to bodies while she harvests adam and you protect her. It seems like you'll be doing this a lot. The ending of bioshock 1 had you do something similar.

There's nothing about them particularly that will make them suck, but I never like escorting in games. If they add more traps later on(which is entirely possible) they might get better.

 

[The Librarian]

All right. I finished

Spoiler

Ryan Amusements. The best way to describe the level is interesting. I definitely liked the part before this level more because Ryan Amusements is essentially a tutorial, and because of this it's fairly linear. However, the creativity that went into this level held me throughout the entire time, so I wouldn't call this level bad. I loved each "ride" and the terrors of the surface world. The most memorable part of the level, I felt, was when the Big Sister comes for you and she sucks you along the floor with her telekenesis. I was like, "What the fuck is going on?" The LS missions seem to have a lot of potential given how dynamic BioShock's gameplay is, so I'm looking forward to more.

Oh, and the game is getting harder as it progresses.

 

[Jintor]

Man, I'm glad I didn't hype myself up for this at all. Frank and Lince seem to have gone in expecting the world and were severely let down. I just wanted to go back to Rapture and have some fun, listen to cool people talk, and have telekenisis fights with a Big Sister and I am having a blast.

 

[stupei]

It depends on what you consider a spoiler or not, it seems like a pretty big part of the game and it's probably pretty obvious since you're a big daddy, I'll spoil it anyway.

Spoiler

You pick up little sisters and go to bodies while she harvests adam and you protect her. It seems like you'll be doing this a lot. The ending of bioshock 1 had you do something similar.

There's nothing about them particularly that will make them suck, but I never like escorting in games. If they add more traps later on(which is entirely possible) they might get better.

The gameplay in these segments for Bioshock 2 is far superior to the moment in Bioshock 1, though, I would say. Since it's such an essential part of the core mechanics this time around, the levels are much better designed for this sort of bunkering down and you're giving plenty of tricks to prepare yourself for these encounters.

 

[Y2Kev]

There is one section of the end of the game that DOES look N64. Even I thought it. So it's like...I dunno, early PS2, and not N64. But it's some type of visual effect and you'll see what I mean. The texturing in this game is not good.

 

[Lince]

Man, I'm glad I didn't hype myself up for this at all. Frank and Lince seem to have gone in expecting the world and were severely let down. I just wanted to go back to Rapture and have some fun, listen to cool people talk, and have telekenisis fights with a Big Sister and I am having a blast.

yes, Bioshock 2 combat is fun overall (it's exactly the same as the original but with minor tweaks and a couple of new enemies and guns, I've had a good time setting traps preparing to defend my LS from the evil splicers but can't shake the feeling of been there done that)... on the other hand everything else that made the original a true and solid GOTY is completely lost here, I avoided every trailer, every info, every screen shot... for nothing.

 

[MMaRsu]

This game rocks

 

[Solo]

The texturing in this game is not good.

Its so weird. How does a game come out worse-looking than its 2.5 year old predecessor?

 

[ezekial45]

Is the texture fix patchable?

 

[TTG]

While I dont agree with him about the under water sections, I will say many of the textures in this game are absolutely hidiously low resolution. They look nice thanks to the solid art direction and sum total of colours and lights in a particular environment, but most textures themselves are sinfully ugly.

Unreal engine, or bad implementation of it, is still crippling them. Obviously, this is not Uncharted 2, but a lot of it is just textures loading...slowly.

Also, I can't wait for the Bioshock 3 official thread, only so I can read the same argument about the last third of the original game and for the 58th time and bla bla bla :lol

 

[Lince]

This game rocks

http://awesomegifs.com/wp-content/uploads/haters-gonna-hate.gif

I'm a lover not a hater, I guess that's my problem, I played through the original three times in a row (360 ver) and a couple of months later bought the PC version and played it twice. I know that game like the palm of my hand, Bioshock 2 on the other hand I'm giving it away tomorrow, enough said.

Obviously, this is not Uncharted 2, but a lot of it is just textures loading...slowly.

bullshit, the PC version loads the entire level in a couple of seconds, there are lots of low-res textures everywhere, that's it.

 

[Y2Kev]

Its so weird. How does a game come out worse-looking than its 2.5 year old predecessor?

Smaller budget? I dunno.

 

[EatChildren]

Unreal engine, or bad implementation of it, is still crippling them. Obviously, this is not Uncharted 2, but a lot of it is just textures loading...slowly.

PC here so I dont have any problem with texture streaming. They flat out look like ass.

 

[Facism]

What be dis texture bug the bumblesquats be talkin bout?

Game looks fine on PC, just as long as you don't get too close to the textures. Like the walls are perpetually covered in manfat.

 

[JordoftheDead]

Oh, and the game is getting harder as it progresses.

The game goes over a difficulty hump around that period but once you can

Spoiler

use the camera for research bonuses and afford to buy tonic slots to stack tonic effects like armour shell and such

you can be relatively blasé about running into fights.

I've spoiler tagged it for the very sensitive, but it's stuff everybody knows.

 

[TTG]

All right. I finished

Spoiler

Ryan Amusements. The best way to describe the level is interesting. I definitely liked the part before this level more because Ryan Amusements is essentially a tutorial, and because of this it's fairly linear. However, the creativity that went into this level held me throughout the entire time, so I wouldn't call this level bad. I loved each "ride" and the terrors of the surface world. The most memorable part of the level, I felt, was when the Big Sister comes for you and she sucks you along the floor with her telekenesis. I was like, "What the fuck is going on?" The LS missions seem to have a lot of potential given how dynamic BioShock's gameplay is, so I'm looking forward to more.

Oh, and the game is getting harder as it progresses.

The level after that is a fairly large and intricately designed. A lot of separate rooms and interconnecting passage ways which makes sense considering the setting. Always nice to hear a turret you hacked half an hour ago come on from the other side of a level to take out some wandering splicers.

 

[Deleted member 30609]

my biggest problem with the game at the moment, outside of the less interesting environments which I mentioned earlier, is that the game seems to want to make me play it as a shooter, particularly once you get into the Little Sister adoption thing, but it doesn't give me enough EVE or ammo to accommodate that.

Later on in the game when I'm all powered up, I can see it being an very fun, but as of right now it feels kind of draining. If enemies dropped a reasonable amount of rivet gun ammo or eve, I'd be enjoying myself a lot more.

this is kind of contradictory to what I said earlier about the game's economy, and while I do stand by what I said, that was before I started having to deal with Brute Splicers, adoption quests and Big Daddies on a relatively frequent basis. I like having moments against Big Daddies or Big Sisters where I barely scrape through with very little ammo, but when it feels like I'm doing that all the time, it gets kind of fatiguing. I'll have 5 eve hypos, then I'll encounter a group of Splicers and incinerate them, throw something at them, and then finish them off with the Rivet Gun, and before I know it I'm down to two eve hypos or less. It just feels kind of unfair.

I'm in Pauper's Drop at the moment.

It's disappointing to see some of the scrawl on the walls literally copy and pasted between levels. It wouldn't have taken that long to add a few more in, surely?

 

[Burger]

I'm only up to the Amusement centre, but it's been awesome so far, world is dripping with details. Sure, it doesn't have Avatar graphics, but it's certainly a step above say, Mass Effect 2's 'My First Kitset Level'.

Anyway, so far it's been great. Not sure what the haters are talking about.

 

[Papercuts]

What be dis texture bug the bumblesquats be talkin bout?

Game looks fine on PC, just as long as you don't get too close to the textures. Like the walls are perpetually covered in manfat.

I don't think it's a bug.

 

[Volcynika]

Aside from the multi using P2P or whatever and no host migration, I find it pretty fun! Been running around with lots of people goin crazy. Good when a match actually finishes before a host d/cs though :lol

 

[Facism]

I don't think it's a bug.

Alrighty. Some peeps be blasting filth and lies my way, then.

 

[CartridgeBlower]

Its so weird. How does a game come out worse-looking than its 2.5 year old predecessor?

I've never been a graphics whore, and I hate to say it, but this was the first thing that jumped out at me -- just how bad this game looks, especially compared to the first which is so clean and sharp.

That so far is my biggest disappointment with the game. Everyone knew the story wasn't going to be as good, so that doesn't bother me. Still fun to explore this world, even if it does look uglier.

 

[TTG]

bullshit, the PC version loads the entire level in a couple of seconds, there are lots of low-res textures everywhere, that's it.

PC here so I dont have any problem with texture streaming. They flat out look like ass.

I guess I'm giving them a little too much credit then.

 

[Jintor]

my biggest problem with the game at the moment, outside of the less interesting environments which I mentioned earlier, is that the game seems to want to make me play it as a shooter, particularly once you get into the Little Sister adoption thing, but it doesn't give me enough EVE or ammo to accommodate that.

Later on in the game when I'm all powered up, I can see it being an very fun, but as of right now it feels kind of draining. If enemies dropped a reasonable amount of rivet gun ammo or eve, I'd be enjoying myself a lot more.

I'm just a little further but I feel that the EVE/Drops and so on are pretty perfectly balanced. I always feel like I'm desperately scavenging for the next little bit even when I'm quite alright with what I have.

 

[sweetvar26]

Uh-oh...
And moments later:

Oh wow this is fucking crap, I have been playing online and every hour it keeps crashing on me, the console just freezes, happened like 5 times today already, never before, fucking game and the 360...

EDIT: I just got back online and my buddy's console froze too, not just mine, we were both on the same team, they really have to fix this crap, my console barely freezes once a month and froze 4-5 times today, WTF?

 

[edgefusion]

It's disappointing to see some of the scrawl on the walls literally copy and pasted between levels. It wouldn't have taken that long to add a few more in, surely?

Just wait until you finish the game. The same few pieces of graffiti are everywhere, I've no idea why they didn't include more. There should've been fewer of them but each one unique, rather than the same 3 copy-pasted a billion times over the levels.

 

[zero margin]

Props to you guys who finish this on hard, you're better men than I. That shiiit is difficult.

 

[sweetvar26]

Props to you guys who finish this on hard, you're better men than I. That shiiit is difficult.

If you pace yourself you a lot of people can do it, but it will get frustrating at times, its just that if you can handle that pressure of playing it.

 

[AshMcCool]

Game's suprisingly awesome. Played Bioshock only half a year ago for the first time, so the memory is still fresh. Gameplay is definitfly improved: You get more time to carefully develop strategies, you can use weapons and plasmids at the same time(why wasn't that in the first game? Shattering an enemy within a millisecond is so awesome!) plus the levels are less linear and there is more stuff to explore. Athmosphere is top again, story is so-so but with some nice ideas. Approved!

 

[Red]

If you pace yourself you a lot of people can do it, but it will get frustrating at times, its just that if you can handle that pressure of playing it.

I'm playing on hard with vita chambers turned off, which I absolutely recommend to anyone else who's playing on PC.

Spoiler

Quick save + reload is so much faster than running back to a fight from a vita chamber :lol

 

[The Librarian]

The level after that is a fairly large and intricately designed. A lot of separate rooms and interconnecting passage ways which makes sense considering the setting. Always nice to hear a turret you hacked half an hour ago come on from the other side of a level to take out some wandering splicers.

I just spent an hour in this one little area in

Spoiler

Pauper's drop. It's the area with the diner. AN HOUR.

. Jesus.

 

[kamspy]

Concrete looks like they pulled the texture straight out of UT99.

I'm liking the game though. Overall feels like an old school PC expansion pack. Shorter, made by a less talented dev, but a reason to dip your feet back into a game you liked.

I paid $33 and I don't feel ripped off.

Matchmaking on PC is horrible. Played in 3 rooms last night. Every one had people from Australia. That's all fine and good, but I'm in the eastern US and the game is P2P. The mechanics are pretty fun for a little distracting experience. Lag kills it.

And LOL even harder at the MP textures and frame rate cap, and seemingly 640x480 res no matter what res you set it too.

Oh well. I like it enough. Shoulda been $30 for everyone at retail... and subtitled instead of sequeled. But hey, it's 2010. :/

 

[Snapshot King]

So we have confirmation they're working on a widescreen fix, what about the keybinding problems, performance issues and insane crash bugs?

 

[darkressurection]

Man, it sounds like they fucked up big time on the PC version. I am kinda glad that I ended up going with the PS3 but I hope that they can get all those bugs fixed up for you guys.

 

[Jintor]

Combat ranges from awesome to crap though, I can't keep track of all my plasmids and ammo without some kind of temporary pause or slowdown

It's really shit to find out you're using Anti-Personelle rounds against a Big Daddy when you swore you started off with Anti-Armour, not to mention your telekensis plasmid suddenly turned into electrobolt, and then a rocket hits you in the face