Comments on: Sea Change: Eyes-On With BioShock 2

By: David Mac

David Mac — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 16:06:50 +0000

This preview effectively makes me want to play Bioshock 2. I felt the first ended well enough and tied up all the loose ends, but this idea of two new creatures, both human and not human at the same time, competing for dominance in an underwater dystopia – filled with junkies and creepy little girls – should be enough to excite anyone about the story. Sure, the politics in the first one were okay, but if you want a political story, you should read some Ayn Rand or something. I think this game is going to surpass the first (okay I HOPE this will surpass the first) in every way.

By: JP

JP — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 16:35:46 +0000

I want to point out that citing the Looking Glass lexicon “problems vs puzzles” concept is NOT to be construed as comparing Bio2 to Shock2. We use fancy words all the time, but that doesn’t mean we’re making the same (amazing, inspirational) games as the good folks who coined the fancy words 10-15 years back.

To give a bit more context to that quote from me, it was in response to a Tom question about whether Bio2 would feature puzzley sequences like the “challenge rooms” found in the Bio1 PS3 DLC. Apparently I couldn’t resist using my best GDC language instead of just saying, “no.”

By: DigitalSignalX

DigitalSignalX — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 20:18:36 +0000

It’s time to reinstall bioshock and actually finish it methinks.

By: Chris R

Chris R — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 17:12:03 +0000

Everyone annoyed with the ending of Bioshock 1 should read this post by Pentadact and his take on how Bioshock should have ended. Great stuff in here, and I just imagine that this was the actual ending for the game.

http://www.pentadact.com/index.php/2009-04-15-ending-bioshock

By: daysocks

daysocks — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:43:46 +0000

The point is that they’re absolutely nutters and they can’t look after themselves. I can’t imagine them having a little farm 50,000 leagues under the sea and growing crops when they’re quite happily running around murdering stuff.

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 13:48:52 +0000

Ebass, the problem is, you’ve just put them in a lose / lose situation. Anything they now add you’re summing up to either:
1) It should’ve been in the first game or
2) If it wasn’t it doesn’t matter that it’s in the second game

Except, everyone would complain if there was nothing new added to gameplay, so what do they do? I’m also fairly certain that the splicers have survived in much the same way as all humans do, through diet and routine. 10 years isn’t exactly a mind boggling amount of time to survive.

By: daysocks

daysocks — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 23:47:35 +0000

All I want to know is how the hell splicers have survived 10 years.

By: EBass

EBass — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 20:06:58 +0000

I haven’t heard anything that makes me think this will be anything particularly special.

If something mentions new duel-wielding as one of its selling points I instantly know somethings up. If its worth doing why not have it in the first game? If its not, why put it in the second? Always just smacks of wanting a “cool” new feature for the morons out there.

By: ilves

ilves — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 19:49:41 +0000

The first game was ok. I wasn’t too happy with the lame hacking mini-game (especially how time just freezes during it), the repetitive combat (all the enemies behaved exactly the same way), and the fact that you could basically have all and every plasmid and gun in the game with no penalties, I would have preferred some restrictions or requirements of choice. But as a shooter goes it wasn’t bad, but it could’ve been much better (i’m not even going to go into the stupidness of vita-chambers or the final boss). I also think the game should’ve basically ended at Andrew Ryan, with some minor wrapping up.

As for #2, this sounds more promising, but really won’t have an idea until you play it.

By: Funky Badger

Funky Badger — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 19:40:58 +0000

The demo of Bioshock is still one of the highpoints of the *accursed console*’s life-cycles. BS was great. The twist was neat, but poorly implemented and the end didn’t match the beginning. But it was still great.

High hopes for the second.

Also, crossbowing Sander Cohen in the face as he descends the stairs means you never get access to his hidden room. *sadface*

By: CrashT

CrashT — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 19:01:06 +0000

So who wants to take bets on the player character turning out to be the father of the Big Sister?

By: Vanderdecken

Vanderdecken — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 18:59:23 +0000

“underpinning philosophical conceit/debate to Bioshock 2 – not a repeat of the Rayndian objectivism question from the first game”

I’m confused… Ayn Rand or Rayn And? :P

I really liked this article, some wonderful conjecturing in it, and several moments during reading my brain went: “OHSHI– I hadn’t thought of that! That means– the implications!”. Which is exactly why I read RPS, and why I love games journalism as a whole. It’s also one of the reasons I loved BioShock, as the storyline gave me several of those moments.