Hey Little Sister, What Have You Done?

In an internet-shattering world-exclusive, RPS is the very last site on the entire web to report the hot gossip about Bioshock 2. Very soon, a pair of magazines will be spilling the details on the sequel to 2K's Great FPS With The Terrible Ending - PC Gamer UK's special 200th issue, and America's Game Informer. The cover to the latter has been revealed, and it confirms one of the recent rumours about the game: Big Sisters. Or a Big Sister, anyway.

(Clicky for the full cover image).

First impressions? As in, lazy, judging-book-by-its-cover impressions? Well, presumably it means a repositioning of Bioshock's key foe as speedy and athletic, rather than lumbering and brutal. That'll certainly change the challenge they present, but I can't help but feel the concept's really tawdry. No doubt there'll be some interesting plot points along the lines of this is what happens to Little Sisters when they grow up and how it's a reversal of Rapture's primarily patriarchal society, but I can't help but roll my eyes at the obviousness of it. Batman must have a Batgirl, Spider-Man must have a Spider-Woman... Ugh, can't we have a new concept instead of yet another take on Successful Geek Icon, Now With Boobs? (I do fully admit, it's not exactly Power-Girl: it's more the concept of Character X, But A Girl! as an overused sequel/spin-off trick).

Of course, Bioshock 2 could well subvert that cliche, in the same way the first game supposedly pastiched the linear nature of the FPS genre. Still, this pic seems so over-stylised, in stark contrast to the uncanny familiarity of the Daddies' vintage diving suit getup. Perhaps, though, that hints at a society more exposed to modern culture than Rapture's, and thus less time-lost.

But hell, I'm being far too judgemental. It is after all just a cover image, designed to be instantly engaging first and foremost - I'm sure there'll be far more thought and subtlety in the game itself. More details on which we'll have soon, presumably and hopefully. And hey, maybe the character shown isn't, in fact 'Big Sister', in which case I'm going to look like a right goon.

Note that, interestingly, the cover claims the game involves a "return to Rapture", which seems at odds with theories Bioshock 2 would involve a second underwater city. So how's that going to work, d'you reckon?

Oh, another rumour, which sounds a little too ridiculous, is that Big Sister here will be accompanied by... Little Daddies. Really?