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Bioshock remains one of the most well received games of all time, and holds a Metacritic score of 96/100 on both PC and Xbox 360, and 94/100 on PS3. The creepy, character rich, story driven shooter is praised for offering unparalleled narrative depth and a unique and memorable artistic direction.

It is also what many would call a “marmite game”. The phrase refers to games which are either loved or hated, with one camp praising it for all its aforementioned accomplishments, and the other shrugging their shoulders in ambivalence.

I happen to fall into the former category, so the announcement of Bioshock 2 late last year was kind of a big deal for me. The unfortunate announcement that the game’s previous creative lead Ken Levine would not be involved in the game did not deter my enthusiasm, and after spending a good few hours with the pre-release code, I am pleased to report that Bioshock 2 is destined for greatness.

A lot has changed, but a lot is still the same, and while Bioshock 2 feels very much like its predecessor, it succeeds in being something altogether new and different.

I am obviously obliged not to reveal any massive plot orientated spoilers, but there are of course a few titbits which I think everyone who knows anything about Bioshock 2 will know by now. First off, Bioshock 2 takes place 10 years after events of the previous game. Rapture has fallen further into ruin, and is creakier and groanier than ever.

When an underwater dystopian society collapses into chaos, things tend to go from bad to worse, and over the space of ten years, well, suffice to say that things are darker, creepier and slightly more eccentric in Bioshock 2.

Secondly, you’re a Big Daddy, and it is awesome. Players spent hours battling these infamous lumbering hulks in the first game, having to brave their heavy drills, rampaging charges and excruciatingly hardcore armour. Players still have to do battle with Big Daddy’s in Bioshock 2, but this time around, the playing field is slightly more even. Slightly.

Being a Big Daddy doesn’t mean you’re a slow moving oaf with a single basic weapon at your disposal. 2K has balanced the gameplay nicely, and movement feels weighty yet brisk, and players still have access to heaps of fantastic guns.

The drill is a tool to be reckoned with, and to balance its sheer awesomeness, 2K has implemented a restriction in the form of fuel; the drill’s ammo. This means that careful use of plasmids and other guns is important to succeed in Bioshock 2.

A number of tweaks have been made to Bioshock 2, such as a simplified hacking mini-game which makes things a lot more fluid and less frustrating. Hacking is still tricky, but every individual terminal no longer requires a few minutes of concentration. Instead, they require simple timing and reflexes, taking just a few seconds each.

Gene tonics are back, and players will find all sorts of interesting genetic enhancements littered about rapture. These range from increasing damage, to improving movement speed.

Another of Bioshock’s core gameplay components has also been maintained: saving Little Sisters. The difference is that now, after defeating the Big Daddy guarding the Little Sister, players can adopt her. Once this is done, the Little Sister leads players to an Adam deposit (read: dead body), where she must harvest the powerful resource while players guard her from the inevitable swarm of splicers that become frenzied by the presence of raw Adam.

Another recognisable feature from the first game includes the variety of audio clips which are scattered around rapture, each detailing and adding depth and history to the world, and at the same time moving the story forward.

All in all, Bioshock is a joy to behold, even in the unfinished state that I played it. After spending a good few hours in the new world of Rapture, I can safely say that I am very excited about the full release, which is scheduled to hit local shelves on February 12 for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3.

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