Roughly ten years after the events that took place in BioShock, the sequel twists things up a bit. The game places you firmly into the heavy boots and diving helmet of one of the original game's primary antagonists - the feared Big Daddy. Not just any Big Daddy however, you assume the identity of the original prototype named Subject Delta. Without giving too much away, Subject Delta loses his bound Little Sister companion, and ends up under his own willpower to an extent, and sets off to track her down. Along the way, many mysteries of Rapture and the Big Daddies are further explored, as well as quite a few others. For the most part, the sequel does not touch on the exact events which transpired in 10 years earlier.

Like the first BioShock, BioShock 2 is all about the narrative. The game does not rely on traditional story scenes, CG or in-game, in any significant way. Subject Delta doesn't speak, and nearly everything you learn about the mysteries to be solved is gleaned from the environment, audio recordings or direct communication. All Delta, and you as the player, knows is what you see or hear directly while exploring Rapture. So in the age of cinematic gaming, BioShock 2 is still rather unique. This limited perspective is also one of the features that makes BioShock 2 (and the original before it) such a chilling experience.

A Big Daddy may seem like a big, lumbering oaf of a creature, but Subject Delta is relatively spry, especially considering that he is one of the original prototypes. Other than his huge hand-mounted drill and the inability to jump all that high, Delta controls pretty similarly to most other FPS characters. He is surprisingly weak in terms of defense/armor, at the beginning of the game especially. There are some basic differences in BioShock 2 though as compared to the original game. Delta can now dual wield a plasmid (on his left hand) and a weapon (on the right) instead of switching between them as in BioShock 1. This changes the flow of the action in the game a bit and provides a lot more in the way of interesting ways to dispatch of your foes or defend yourself. Speaking of interesting, there's a complement of new Big Daddy weapons which are unique enough and especially deadly once upgraded or used in conjunction with plasmids or tonics.

You're not the only Big Daddy in town in BioShock 2. There are a few other Big Daddy variations, complete with their own Little Sisters still working within Rapture to harvest and refine the highly sought after ADAM slugs. ADAM, which are described as powerful stem cells capable of providing useful genetic mutations, are utilized by Subject Delta to unlock a variety of new abilities. When you "rescue" a Little Sister from another Big Daddy (by attacking and defeating him), the Sister can then be adopted as your own and used to track down and harvest ADAM from infected bodies around Rapture. Once a couple of ADAM slugs are extracted, Project Delta can either harvest a large amount of ADAM from the Little Sister, which would kill her, or heal and release her and earn a much smaller amount of ADAM. Your decision in this little moral dilemma affects the game in terms of difficulty and storyline. Choosing to rescue a Little Sister will result in you having much less abilities throughout the game, thus making the experience more challenging for example. There are a number of other black and white moral choices presented in BioShock 2, all of which can have their own specific repercussions. I'm always a sucker for being the good guy in any game I play that provides such an option, and certainly didn't regret it in BioShock 2.

There's a lot more than just mutant human splicers, various Big Daddies and Little Sisters roaming about Rapture. Big Sisters, who are lankier, faster-moving (and presumably female) versions of the Big Daddy will move in to protect a newly adopted Little Sister on occasion. It's a rather frightening experience. There's also a large, brute type splicer that's rather fond of rushing you when they spot you from a distance, along with a wall-climbing spider splicer.

BioShock 2 isn't an open world game by any stretch, though there are times when thoroughly exploring the environment and taking on optional tasks, like adopting a Little Sister or researching enemies, pays off in spades. You could forge ahead with the story, but the game has a very transparent way of convincing you to take your time and work on increasing Delta's abilities. Ammo and EVE injections (for plasmid powers) are usually in short supply, enemies are not push-overs, and it requires effort to "level up" so to speak. Often times you will have more ability tonics and plasmids than you have slots to hold them in, so balancing your gameplay style, stock and the current situation is an important skill. Many items within the game, from vending machines and electric locks, to security bots and turrets can be "hacked" and manipulated in different ways. The time-based hacking mini-game is a lot more straightforward than the Pipe Dream-style game in BioShock 1, and somewhat easier as well. Weapons can also be upgraded in certain circumstances, and since there are more weapons than upgrade machines within the game, even those situations force you to make an important decision on the spot. These little choices and light RPG elements make BioShock 2 much more than a first person shooter with a story.

In terms of graphics, the engine looks very similar to what we saw in the original BioShock in 2007, and all in all, it's still impressive looking with excellent production values. It is the unique art deco style, attention to detail, interaction and moody lighting that really draws your eye to the game. Rapture, being a domed underwater city and all, doesn't have many large, wide-open "environments", so the detailed interiors in the game are an important feature. There are a small handful of times when Delta needs to actually venture outside of the airlock, though it's usually for a short time and it's nothing especially extraordinary. The game keeps a very solid framerate even with all sorts of action going on, and the options even provide for a way to "unlock" the framerate, to allow for a potentially smoother experience at the expense of some visual effects. Darkness and shadows are an important factor in how the game looks, so make sure to properly adjust the brightness slider when the game prompts you for the first time.

The audio in BioShock 2 is most definitely every bit as important as the visuals. Besides setting the tone of the depression era world of Rapture, the audio journals and communications provide for nearly all of the story telling within the game. The surround sound effects are incredibly well done, and absolutely terrifying in certain instances. hearing the screech of a Big Sister tracking you down, or the bassy "thud, thud, thud" of a Big Daddy lumbering about will definitely give your audio system a workout. In 5.1 audio, it's extremely important to listen for audio cues of where attacking enemies may be approaching from.

One of the biggest additions to BioShock 2 is the online competitive multiplayer. As with Uncharted 2, many gamers originally said "why bother?". Similarly, like Uncharted 2, the multiplayer is surprisingly enjoyable. I always prefer a good single player experience over a multiplayer one, though as long as it doesn't negatively impact the development of the single player campaign, it never hurts to have the extra modes. Because Digital Extremes, and not 2K, separately developed the multiplayer component for BioShock 2, it worked out for the better. The online multiplayer serves as a "prequel" of sorts to BioShock 1 with players taking on the role of Plasmid test subjects and fighting it out. Rapture is in much better shape, and many of the decrepit locations found in BioShock 1 and 2 are shiny and new. The gameplay is more fast-paced, customizable, and experience based. I doubt it'll take much attention away from Modern Warfare 2, but it serves as a nice bonus alongside the core game.

If BioShock 2 has any flaws, it is that it feels a little too similar to BioShock 1 and the story isn't quite as original or involving. The gameplay has evolved to an extent, though the setting (as cool as Rapture is) hasn't changed all that much. Also, for some reason, playing as a Big Daddy doesn't seem to have the same impact as expected. Yes, he moves slightly slower and has a big drill, and that's really it.

BioShock 2 is a unique FPS and it definitely still stands out from most of its peers. The fantastic setting and light RPG elements really pull you in, and the customizations, challenging game play and new online multiplayer modes will keep you coming back for more. It's definitely worth it to book a trip back to Rapture.

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