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BioShock 2

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8.1 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 34 critic reviews
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Based on 243 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: 2K Games

Developer: 2K Marin - 2K Australia - Digital Extremes

Genre(s): First-Person Shooter

Players: Multi

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

Release Date: February 9, 2010

Summary

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. Multiplayer in BioShock 2 provides a rich prequel experience that expands the BioShock gameplay. Set during the fall of Rapture, players assume the role of Plasmid test subject in the underwater city that was first explored in the original BioShock. Players will need to use all the elements of the game's toolset to survive as the full depth of the BioShock experience is refined and transformed into a unique multiplayer experience that can only be found in Rapture. [2K Games]

Also On Metacritic

GAMES: BioShock

Cheat Codes & Hints: GameSpot Guide

Also On The Web: Metacritic Feature: BioShock 2: Inisde the Reviews Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

Games Radar (in-house)

The weapons are better. The plasmids are better. The enemies are better. At some points, even the storytelling is better. What’s most amazing and surprising about BioShock 2, however, is that by diving deeper into Rapture’s tortured history and exploring more of Rapture’s haunted world, it actually manages to make the original BioShock better, too.

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100

GameShark

If BioShock 1 is ultimately about what it is to be a slave, the sequel shows – with a sophistication rarely seen in gaming – what it is to be a parent, with the power to love or to harm.

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Hardcore Gamer Magazine

As far as single player goes, I think nothing will capture the initial highs you got from taking in Rapture for the first time, and the enormous twist the original delivered. However, the sequel’s story is just as intense and has its own narrative highs and a mean twist of its own, and I think the end payoff is a bit more impactful and sinks in better than the ending of the first BioShock.

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Game Over Online

Was the return to Rapture worth it? Absolutely. Although the odds seemed stacked against the developers, having to do without both Ryan and Levine, they have delivered a rich, awesome trip through one the most fantastic video game environments ever built.

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PC Zone UK

To my mind, this is a better, tighter and more emotionally engaging game. [Apr 2010, p.78]

ImpulseGamer

Bloody amazing! The original game went beyond those clichéd first person shooters and in creating a sequel, the developers have fleshed out the city of Rapture even more but more importantly, have streamlined the gameplay, making it a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Of course, without the detailed characters and story of BioShock 2, it would not have reached these levels and of course, the luscious graphics.

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Game Revolution

Rich, philosophical story...that's not as clever as the original story.

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IGN

It's a game in which story, setting, and gameplay are expertly blended to create an experience that's as thought-provoking as it is entertaining.

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3DJuegos

Maybe Bioshock 2 is not as emotionally engaging as its first iteration, but at same time retains the main virtues of its predecessor. A game that shows the maturity that the First Person Shooter has achieved in this generation.

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PC Format

They may seem like fairly minor tweaks, but what's changed in this sequel makes for so much more than the original. [Mar 2010, p.84]

Gamer Limit

While it doesn't quite have the same penetrating, vivid experience as the original, BioShock 2 spins a thrilling tale of Sofia Lamb, "The Family," and their maniacal ideals of Utopian society. Multiplayer does have its' high points, but pales in comparison to the finely crafted single player.

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PC PowerPlay

Immersive, engaging, versatile, and packed to the brim with character and backstory. [Mar 2010, p.56]

Total PC Gaming

Stunning and emotionally engaging with a sadistic tactical combat system. As much fun as the original. [Issue#30, p.45]

PC Gamer

Similar and slightly improved mechanics make this a worthy sequel, despite a sadly less-memorable story. [Mar 2010, p.70]

VideoGamer

If 2K had managed to tell a story that equalled or bettered that found in the original, we'd have been left with an unquestionably better experience, rather than just a more exciting, smarter shooter.

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GameZone

Bioshock 2 is an atmospheric, immersive game that does more than just hold a candle to its beloved predecessor. The campaign is engaging, the multiplayer is great, and the new gameplay elements are excellent.

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Cynamite

Who’s the Daddy? You are - if you choose to play this brilliant action game.

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InsideGamer.nl

BioShock 2 feels like coming home after a long holiday. The game has a lot of elements which we saw in the first game, but also some nice improvements. Rapture is still a very nice place to explore and we love the fact that you can use guns and plasmids at the same time.

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AtomicGamer

Sure, it's all here, but we've seen it before. BioShock 2 manages to pull through with superior action, though, and despite its problems, it still makes for a damn great game.

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PC Games (Germany)

A wonderful shooter with a lot of well-crafted details which almost reaches the outstanding quality of its great predecessor.

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Computer Games Online RO

Although 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.

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Vandal Online

A conservative return to Rapture, but full of quality.

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GamerNode

It can't top the original, but BioShock 2 stands on its own as a great installment to a hopefully continuing series.

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Everyeye.it

The second trip in the sick architectures of Rapture is still highly enjoyable, but this time you'll miss the fascination of discovery. PC version suffers from some minor glitches that should be fixed soon.

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Worth Playing

BioShock 2 is still worth the price of admission to Rapture. Although it feels far more action-packed and is more of a linear submarine ride into the deep blue than the original title, what it does exceptionally well is bringing even more of Rapture's storied existence to the surface for some closure.

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GamingExcellence

BioShock was so ahead of its time when it first came out, that its sequel can be forgiven for simply following in the same path and hitting the same notes.

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RealGamer

Whilst Bioshock 2 may feel very similar to the original game, it does expand on the characters and story that were introduced in the original game and once again allows you to create a very customisable playing experience through the use of Plasmids and Tonics.

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GameStar

On the one hand it’s like the first game, on the other hand it isn’t. The philosophical background and the shocking moments are gone. But the new game still offers lots of weapons, interesting fights and great environments.

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FiringSquad

This game is still very enjoyable. If you’ve played the first one (and you should, if you haven’t), there will be some severe déjà vu happening, but that doesn’t mean it’s not still better than a lot of games these days.

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Cheat Code Central

BioShock 2 is a great game that I thoroughly enjoyed playing. Unfortunately, the experience wasn't as fresh as I'd have liked. It seems like the dev teams didn't take enough chances for fear of alienating the rabid fan base. Still, despite the overwhelming familiarity of the title, there's a load of quality gaming to be found here. It's definitely worth suiting up and heading back into Rapture.

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GameSpy

The first time was rapture, the second time's been solid, but a third visit to the depths would make me wonder if creativity's been lost to the abyss.

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AceGamez

Bioshock 2 is a fun game. There’s nothing here that’s groundbreaking, and if you’ve played the original you’ll fit back into the sequel like a comfy pair of slippers.

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2404.org

In some grand, twisted irony, the multiplayer integrates itself into the fiction in a much better way than the singleplayer does.

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Absolute Games

BioShock 2 is a sequel inspired not by the Muses, but by quarterly financial reports.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 8.1 (out of 10) based on 243 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

yoshi gave it a9:
Firstly can people plz not give it a zero for things like "its glitchy" as it is probably your computers fault. becausethere are some reviews were people HAVE NOT PLAYED THE GAME. I mean how can you rate the game if you havnt played it... Awesome game though the combat is very fun and enjoyable with a excellent single player and multiplayer experience. Do not vote if you havnt played the game.

Julio D gave it a9:
When I played Bioshock I soon found myself inmersed in the game and losing track of time. The same happened with Bioshock 2. Unfortunately when it comes to the PC release I have noticed they released the game with a handfull of bugs and issues and have had to handle a few. To sum it up it is a worthy sequel that competes with what the original game achieved but can't give it a 10 because the game experience is affected by these certain issues.

Adam gave it a10:
Bioshock 1 was just AMAZING! And this game is fucking AMAZING!! I LOVE IT!!! Much of the things in the game are taken from the first, but it doesnt make it less good! If u have the money, then go buy it!!!!

Raxous gave it a10:
A fantastic game from start to end. I had no technical bugs at all and enjoyed every second. If anything I would have loved a longer challenge, but it's expansive, exciting and engaging. A game EVERY gamer should play!

Freddy P gave it a4:
Whole game is like the worst bits of Bioshock 1. Unimaginative, and just downright dark, dull and dreary. The reviewers who are calling this a masterpiece and "stronger" ... are on drugs. Don't waste your money. The original was fun. This isn't.

Chris W gave it a10:
Just about as perfect a sequel as you'll find! The only downside is that it doesn't generate quite the same sense of wonder that the original did. Looks gorgeous. New weapons, new locations, new enemies - the big daddies are easier to take down, but the big sister is twice as difficult as anything you'd find in the original. About 15 hours in (1/2 way through I think). Same sense of humor...all in all, a great effort by 2KWherever!

Amber H gave it a6:
While I don't think anyone expected Bioshock 2 to surpass it's first title, we all expected it to not suck. Not entirely the case sadly. Pros: Combat flow has improved greatly, the simple addition of using both hands freely was a great start, and the evolution of staged plasmids was a good choice. Additionally the Insect Swarm and Cyclone Trap plasmids are actually viable tools this go around, in particular the swarm. Cons: Most everything else. The story is toned down, with much least of a impact or moral debate to be had over who was right and wrong this time. Additionally not many surprises to really be had, barring one near the end that does show you another side of Rapture that is nice to see. Overall however the biggest part of Bioshock is lost in the second one, the atmosphere. It looks like Rapture, it sounds like Rapture, but it never FEELS like Rapture. It doesn't help that they tried to make the Big Sister look 'sexy' or the Little Sisters look 'cutier.' Oh, and the multiplayer is an utter mess. Unbalanced as possible, horrible netcode, terrible peer hosting system without host migration; about as bad as it could of been. Swarm + Grenade Launcher = easy free kills. Unless you're the host, then it's Electro Bolt + Elephant Gun = easier free kills.

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BioShock 2

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