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Videogame developer 2K Marin has adopted the striptease approach in building up hype for Bioshock 2. First, a brief trailer ran at the conclusion of the PlayStation 3 version of Bioshock. Then, a viral Web page appeared with clues about the sequel's plot. When anticipation could no longer be squeezed out in a slow drip, the development team gave a payload of information to Game Informer and followed up with plenty of question answering at various Web sites.
Bioshock 2 takes place a decade after the original tale of underwater dystopia. Jack, the first game's protagonist, is out of the picture; players will instead control an iconic Big Daddy. As a prototype for the hulking metallic guardians of the last game, this character is more agile than his successors, and he also maintains a bit of free will.
That's important, because as Bioshock fans know, Big Daddies' only purpose in life is the protection of Little Sisters — young girls who have been conditioned to hunt down a genetic alteration substance called ADAM. In the underwater city of Rapture, this currency powers the helpless inhabitants, gone mad from their ability to gain new powers at the expense of genetic stability. While the first game's moral dilemma focused on whether the player would harvest the Little Sisters or save them, a report from Wired suggests that the player will have even further control over narrative decisions this time around.
It's a twisted system, still thriving after the events of the original game. There's one key difference however: this ecosystem is no longer run by humans. Instead, a new personality called the Big Sister keeps Rapture alive, holding power over the Little Sisters. The motivation of Bioshock 2's protagonist isn't known, but the Little Sisters are certainly a factor.
The game will take place mostly in unexplored parts of Rapture, according to a report by Joystiq. Players will revisit some old areas to see how they've changed in the 10 years since the original game. They'll also get a chance to explore some of Rapture's underwater terrain.
So far, we haven't seen much footage of it in action, but the scraps that are available show a game that looks quite similar to the original. The game's generic enemies, hopped up on the genetic material that keeps Rapture ticking, are a hostile breed. Snuffing them out requires a balance of conventional weapons and the player's own ADAM-infused supernatural powers. Distinctively, Bioshock 2 will allow players to manipulate two of these powers, or “plasmids,” at the same time, with one on each hand. The last game required switching between the two, and doing so was never elegant in the heat of battle.
In the original Bioshock, players were able to manipulate fire and electricity, toss out swarms of bees, and move objects with mind control, among other powers. While it's not clear what new powers will be included this time around, the developers have said that plasmids will be customizable beyond simple upgrades, possibly allowing for combined special abilities.
Conventional weapons will include, at minimum, the same awesome firepower that the Big Daddies used against the player in the first game. That means players will wield a giant power drill and a Rivet Gun that fires powerful projectile rounds.
As for the nitty gritty, Bioshock 2's user interface is nearly identical to that of the first game. Health and EVE — the power currency for plasmid abilities — are displayed in the top left corner, and ammunition count appears at the bottom left.
Details of the game's plot are bare bones, and they'll probably remain that way until the game's launch. Uncovering the Rapture's mysteries was part of the original game's fun and 2K Marin has done well so far to prevent spoiling the surprise.
Other unanswered questions pertain to the game's philosophical drive. Though the first game was a visually gorgeous and otherwise enjoyable first-person shooter, Bioshock's literary underpinnings — inspired by the work of author Ayn Rand — truly put the game on the map. It's not clear whether 2K Marin is attacking Bioshock 2 with similar ambitions.
With gameplay to gawk at, it appears that Bioshock 2 is out of teaser territory and into promotion. We'll be hearing more as the game nears its fourth quarter release. Until then, try to lay off the ADAM.
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