Average for a sequel
One thing to get straight here is that I respect what this sequel is trying to do. Creating a new story with a new protagonist, adding new gameplay mechanics and a multiplayer mode might sound good on paper, but how it is all executed is just a mixed reaction for me. Let's get the bad out of the way, the story in this game is nothing compared to the original's story and plot twists. Not to mention losing the ability to back track to certain areas of the story is a real let down. Another thing that I found annoying during the single player mode was when protecting a Little Sister while she harvested. Sure it's a good challenge, but after so many times doing this it gets really repetitive. And then there is the multiplayer mode, which sort of fells like a tacked on experience. Granted I enjoyed the some parts of the multiplayer, but overall it feels crowded and crazy, and there are only the barebones of gametypes which all boils down to team deathmatch and capture the flag. Now I did enjoy a lot of things that the sequel offers. Duel wielding feels great, the new enemy types offer a good challenge, hacking turrents and vendors is a lot more faster and smoother compared to the pipe puzzle hacking in the original, and Rapture still looks great. It's was cool to see new areas of Rapture and to have some more history of the city. Even if the story isn't as good as the original, it was still well done and giving the multiple endings like the first game had is still a nice adition to have. At the end of the day, Bioshock 2 does not compare with the first game. If you’re a newcomer to the series, I would recommend the original, but if you've played through the first game and looking for some more, this isn't the worst purchase you could make. Your first playthrough on normal difficulty is a moderate length and the multiple endings should warrant another playthrough. Though the multiplayer isn't that good to come back to, a hardcore Bioshock fan has a lot to enjoy in this game. Just don't expect it to best the original.
