Well, its been hyped for months, and here it is! BIOSHOCK 2, the sequel to the original, Game of the Year, “Bioshock”. I, like hundreds of other Bioshock megafans have been waiting a long time for it and I spent my entire day yesterday playing completely through it. Ready for the whole inner scoop? Here is what I thought of my return to Rapture…

I bought Bioshock 2 the day it came out, and I did what any other mega Bioshock fan would do… I went to work and bounced up and down holding the Game Disc and drooled heavily on it wishing the day would end so I could go home and play already! Which fortunately happened after about 8 hours. And man, was it worth the wait.

I was very, very worried about Bioshock 2… the first Bioshock is my favorite game of all time and I was sure that a second one would ruin it. I am very pleased to announce to Bioshock fans everywhere that I was dead wrong! This sequel matches the story quality and magic of Rapture in all its glory; shedding new light on the city in a whole number of defining areas without messing with the formula. The city we had come to know in the first one was suddenly much larger and more open, with more beautifully designed areas and visual stories in each room.

Let me cover a few of the newer perks of this second game.

First off, the duel welding control system that was established in the first Bioshock was maintained and perfected. As in the first one, it feels bulky and bizarre for about five minutes and then begins to feel very, very natural. The menu and inventory system was streamlined just a little bit to make smoother transitions to get to inventory during battles. And finally, my favorite feature, the button that once made you instantly use a MedKit was relocated to the D-Pad so that you aren’t using unneeded Medkits during battle. (Trust me, my brother did that a lot in the first Bioshock.)

The weapons are super charged! Heavy duty weapons that only a Big Daddy could handle. Rivet guns, grenade launchers, and of course the almighty drill! My own person favorite was the Spear Gun that pierced through your enemies and nailed them to the wall with one powerful stab… an effect that could only be better if you could attach an explosive to it… which you can! (Quick tip, any Big Daddy can be taken down with 6 headshots using your Rocket Spears.)

The Plasmid system is again fun and easy to understand. Having just spend the past two months playing “Borderlands” and having to use a calculator to figure out what gun is better, its nice to have a system that tells you these things.

Plasmids have evolved in Bioshock 2, letting you do far more then in the first Bioshock and giving you powerful new add-ons to the original Plasmids we all know and love. One new plasmid called “Scout” lets you ghost out of yourself and scout the area ahead unseen, later you can use the ghost to hack machines and attack enemies without being anywhere near danger.

Another Plasmid, which was featured in the first game, “Security Command” now allows you to summon Security Bots to come fight for you at anytime. For once in Rapture, YOU are leading the attack and you get to watch the fear in the eyes of the Splicers as you, a massive Delta Big Daddy slams into a room with rockets and grenades blasting and Security Bots unleashing waves of machine gun ammo into your enemies. It is just awesome! There is one more Plasmid that you get right towards the end of the game… but I’ll save that as a very special surprise for you players

Ok, lets talk about the thing that really matters here: the story.

I, like other Bioshock fans, understand that Rapture far more then just a game world and reaches into your own emotions and feelings, playing with your mind in a way no other video game ever has. This second installment is no different! For those of you who spent as much time playing the first game as I have know that Rapture is not as scary as when you first stepped out of that Bathysphere. In Bioshock 2, they understood that the players of this game have also emotionally evolved. We are very much comfortable in Rapture and therefore this second game does not entail much horror as in the first one. It is seen through the eyes of someone who knows Rapture and has lived there a long time.

I was terrified that 2K Games was going to ruin the first game by revisiting old places and altering the story of Andrew Ryan and Fontaine. I am so happy that they did not touch it at all and completely took a new direction with the story! Bioshock 2 features a much more personal story and is much more isolated. Your choices alter greatly how this game is played, far more then the original.

((Quick Note: You get to hear Fontaine’s voice only twice in this game in Audio Diaries and it is so weird… because you find you actually miss him.))

The gathering Little Sister aspect continues; but this time, you’re part of it… many, many times. The developers really worked to create a connection with you and the Little Sisters this time around and it really pulls at your heart strings in several places. In the end, the choices you’ve made will affect them all and you… just keep that in mind while playing.

The story itself is completely entrapping and lives up to the tale-telling traditions of Bioshock, with twists and turns and sudden stops and gos that make you never want to put down the controller. I was afraid that this Bioshock 2 would be overly science fiction with monsters and other unbelievable things that were alien to Rapture’s world… again, I was wrong! There is nothing that I could find that crossed overly the line of “unbelievable stupidity”.

There is no major story twist as in the first one, but some jaw-dropping climaxes. But we DO finally get to see something we have all wanted to see: Rapture at its peek back in the day. And yes, it is stunningly beautiful and elegant.

After completing this game, I literally sat on my couch, held the controller, and needed a few minutes to digest what had happened. Finally, I opened my mouth and said: “Woooooooooooow.”

Ok! To be fair, I need to point out two things I did NOT like in this game!

First one, the new design and character animation was way too cartoony for the Rapture. The splicers ran like “Woody” from Disney’s “Toy Story” in places and their faces were almost comical in a spot or two. Fortunately, Splicers usually die before they can get too close to you.
((Note: Splicers have many, many more spoken lines this time… so those of you who got sick of hearing the splicers shout: “RYAN.. RYANNNNNN” in the first game will be happy to know that phrase is NOT in this game even once.))

Second thing I didn’t like: For the most part, the voice acting in this game is incredible, however a couple characters were simply too stereotypical. The “Irish Preacher” was just simply too Irish and was too much a “God-flangled, hallelujah-shouting, TV evangelist” which reflects a modern view of religion, and the only African American character felt the need to call me a “Tin Daddy”… which just didn’t work.

I really need to wrap up this review, but here is a very quick lowdown on the multiplayer!

The Multiplayer feature of Bioshock 2 again changes everything you know about Multiplayer games. It is fair and balanced and comes down to your skill and not just the weapons. And best of all, they actually worked the story into the action and they gave you something you always wanted in Rapture: Your own apartment overlooking the city that you can walk around in freely… I want to really live in that apartment so badly.

In conclusion, Bioshock 2 only cements the Bioshock series as the ultimate video game series of all time, always paving the way for a new generation of games and raising the bar. I am proud to award this game 5 Stars out of 5.

Your Buddy,
JungleTrek

As we celebrate Memorial Day here in the USA, let us not forget the brave souls who fought tirelessly and against all odds to defend our country and our world virtually. Join me now in paying respect to our Video Game Veterans and let us look back on some of their heroic deeds…

Lt. Jimmy Patterson
Medal of Honor: Frontline

Lt. Patterson bravely fought and kept at bay the evils of the German war machine during World War II. It was he who made Operation Market Garden a success and, in the end, lived to tell the tale. Great work, Jimmy!

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Zack Hammond
Dead Space

It is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to Zack Hammond. He was a great leader and great man. Only because of his noble sacrifice, was Isaac able to defeat the spreading space evil that surely would have wiped us out if it had reached Earth. We salute you, Zack!

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Master Chief
Halo

What can be said about this heroic soldier? The Master Chief has protected our world time and time again. Overcoming the odds, he kept the invading forces of the Flood and Elites from over-running our soils. But, this hero’s journey is not over yet! We wish you luck, Master Chief, in your coming battles.

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The EDF
Earth Defense Force

Again our world was threatened by the alien scourge and who answered? The EDF, of course! Ranked with the best fighting men of Earth, they were able to slam back the insect invaders. Many of them fell in the war and they have our deepest thanks.

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The Gears
Gears of War

Well, we aren’t sure just which world they are protecting. But, they are doing a bang up job!

Your Buddy,

Jungletrek

]]> http://sparkboxshow.com/2009/05/memorial-day-game-veterans.html/feed 3 http://sparkboxshow.com/2009/04/beware-users-of-bittorrent-clients-the-first-blow-to-file-sharing-has-been-dealt.html http://sparkboxshow.com/2009/04/beware-users-of-bittorrent-clients-the-first-blow-to-file-sharing-has-been-dealt.html#comments Fri, 17 Apr 2009 14:57:31 +0000 James http://sparkboxshow.com/?p=1133 The kings of the BitTorrent file-sharing world were punched in the face by the angry fist of internet justice. See what I mean inside…

The Pirate Bay Co-Founders Found Guilty and will serve jail time for breaking Swedish copyright law, beware file sharing…

After a long court battle, the co-founders of the Swedish file-sharing site “The Pirate Bay” has concluded, and all four co-founders will serve one year in jail, and will have to pay $3.6 million in fines.

“The Pirate Bay” has been one of the most visible file-sharing sites since 2003, and they have been known as a huge source of BitTorrents for films, games and music. Back in February, Frederik Neij, Gottfrid Svartholm Warg, Carl Lundstrom and Peter Sunde Kolmisoppi, the co-founders of the site went on trial for violating Swedish copyright law.

Peter Sunde Kolmisoppi, one of the convicted co-founders had the following to say on the matter…

“It’s serious to actually be found guilty and get jail time. It’s really serious. And that’s a bit weird. It’s so bizarre that we were convicted at all and it’s even more bizarre that we were as a team. The court said we were organized. I can’t even get Gottfrid out of bed in the morning! If you’re going to convict us, convict us of disorganized crime.”

This doesnt seem to most like a huge matter to report on, but to all of the people who use BitTorrent clients to get music, movies, and games; this is huge news. We have always heard of single people who got caught seeding copyrighted materials like the guy who leaked the latest GnR album Chinese Democracy, and the ongoing hunt for the person or persons who leaked the unfinished copy of Wolverine. But this is the first time that a host site for the BitTorrent clients has be targeted and had actual ramifications for their actions. Only time will tell if this is just the first in a tidal wave of other possible suits to owners of other sites.

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