We need to talk about BioShock 2...
Posted: Mon Apr 29, 2019 10:53 am
Well, I finished my run of BioShock Remastered last week and finally started playing BioShock 2. I went with the original, not the Remastered release, since I've never tried either version. Unfortunately, trouble started almost immediately.
BioShock 2 builds upon some aspects of the original game...and completely ruins others. The first problem is that the controls have been remapped in ways that don't make much sense. The info button got bumped from H for Hint to M for Map. How the player swaps between weapons and plasmids is completely reworked, and there are repeated problems with plasmids swapping and the correct menus not popping up when you swap. While the prompts are generally PC controls, there are repeated controller commands in menus regardless of whether you are using one. Most frustrating though is that the health kit button was swapped to Left Ctrl, which is often used for Crouch. I don't know how many times I've hit it on accident while meaning to duck instead.
It isn't all bad though. There are some great improvements to weapons and plasmids that I appreciate. The new video recorder takes the place of the first game's camera, and it rewards you for filming and then using a variety of means to fight. The info menu also lists your progress for each type of enemy, as well as the rewards you obtain for each new level unlocked. This is a much welcomed upgrade on the first game's system. The weapon upgrade system is also nice, with each weapon getting a third enhancement that changes how it functions once the first two upgrades have been unlocked. Many of these changes now add elemental damage chances across the gamut of ammo types.
The biggest problems I have with the sequel are the inability to backtrack levels, which was a wonderful feature of the original, and just how weak the player feels at the start. The lack of backtracking makes the game feel less like a proper sequel and more like a DLC from a company that didn't understand the original game. Considering it's a different division of 2K Games, I guess I shouldn't be hugely surprised. As for player power, I'm playing a Big Daddy in BioShock 2, a walking tank in a diving suit. So why is a single basic splicer able to chunk my health at the get go? As the game progresses, a lot of this gets mitigated by upgrades and improvements, but you start off feeling like a wet paper bag with about as much stopping power as a spitball, and you're slow to get much better. Also, those splicers like to respawn pretty fast. Like step outside the room, turn around, and they're already back.
I've also encountered some technical issues, such as a couple of crashes and even being able to climb outside of the level in one area into an enemy spawn point. It makes the sequel feel sloppy more than anything. I have problems with the original BioShock, but it looks a whole lot better put together after playing this one.
BioShock 2 builds upon some aspects of the original game...and completely ruins others. The first problem is that the controls have been remapped in ways that don't make much sense. The info button got bumped from H for Hint to M for Map. How the player swaps between weapons and plasmids is completely reworked, and there are repeated problems with plasmids swapping and the correct menus not popping up when you swap. While the prompts are generally PC controls, there are repeated controller commands in menus regardless of whether you are using one. Most frustrating though is that the health kit button was swapped to Left Ctrl, which is often used for Crouch. I don't know how many times I've hit it on accident while meaning to duck instead.
It isn't all bad though. There are some great improvements to weapons and plasmids that I appreciate. The new video recorder takes the place of the first game's camera, and it rewards you for filming and then using a variety of means to fight. The info menu also lists your progress for each type of enemy, as well as the rewards you obtain for each new level unlocked. This is a much welcomed upgrade on the first game's system. The weapon upgrade system is also nice, with each weapon getting a third enhancement that changes how it functions once the first two upgrades have been unlocked. Many of these changes now add elemental damage chances across the gamut of ammo types.
The biggest problems I have with the sequel are the inability to backtrack levels, which was a wonderful feature of the original, and just how weak the player feels at the start. The lack of backtracking makes the game feel less like a proper sequel and more like a DLC from a company that didn't understand the original game. Considering it's a different division of 2K Games, I guess I shouldn't be hugely surprised. As for player power, I'm playing a Big Daddy in BioShock 2, a walking tank in a diving suit. So why is a single basic splicer able to chunk my health at the get go? As the game progresses, a lot of this gets mitigated by upgrades and improvements, but you start off feeling like a wet paper bag with about as much stopping power as a spitball, and you're slow to get much better. Also, those splicers like to respawn pretty fast. Like step outside the room, turn around, and they're already back.
I've also encountered some technical issues, such as a couple of crashes and even being able to climb outside of the level in one area into an enemy spawn point. It makes the sequel feel sloppy more than anything. I have problems with the original BioShock, but it looks a whole lot better put together after playing this one.