Customer Reviews

Bioshock 2

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(42)
3 star:		(27)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(71)

 

 

This review is intended to help educate potential buyers of Bioshock 2 about a few of the major downsides of the way 2K has decided to sell the game. If you've already made up your mind to buy it, or already own it, this review isn't for you. If on the other hand you're on the fence, I'd love to point out a few things that are very troubling about Bioshock 2:

1) The game REQUIRES online activation. If you are a serviceman/servicewoman stationed in Baghdad (or anywhere in the field without internet) you're totally screwed. Requiring an internet connection to activate is offensive in itself, but coupled with the other major issues with this game's DRM scheme, it just keeps getting worse.

2) The game limits the number of times you can install it. I don't care if they give me 1,000 installs, any limit on how long I can use a game I paid for simply isn't acceptable. I'm not paying for the 'privilege' of installing how ever many times 2K or anyone else thinks is appropriate. If I buy a game, I want to actually BUY it, meaning I OWN IT and CAN DO WHAT I WANT WITH IT. If I buy the game and don't like it, how can I resell it? How can I verify to the person I'm selling it to that it has installations left? This is just a petty and insulting way to treat paying customers. I don't want to have to come crawling back to 2K or Microsoft to explain why I might need more installations for a game I already gave them forty or more dollar for. And what if they close their doors at some point in the future? How can I be guaranteed I'll still have access to my game?

3) Securom, the DRM package used by Bioware, installs with the game and there is no option to install it without Securom. That means you get a program running in the background when you play the game that can create issues for other programs on your computer. Don't believe me? I experienced all sorts of issues with the Securom that installed with Mass Effect I including it screwing up my drivers for my optical drives because it didn't like the fact that I has DeamonTools on my computer. I don't want crapware or potential security threats loading on my computer alongside the game!

4) You MUST create a WindowsLive account if you want to access certain parts of the game. I hate WindowsLive and everything to do with it and don't want to create accounts to play my game. I want to install it, run the game, and be on my merry way. Forcing creation of an account is what marketers call "forced opt-in" and it opens you up to all sorts of information mining so that Microsoft or whoever collects the data can sell it to marketing companies. Forced opt-ins just flat out suck and I hate when companies force you to jump through their hoops to play their game.

SO WHY DOES THE GAME COME LOADED UP WITH THIS NONSENSE????

2K would say its to fight piracy. I say bull-****. DRM doesn't affect pirates as they're already downloading the widely available and free versions of this (and any other game) from torrent sites. To the inevitable idiots who will spam the comments of this review accusing me of being either a pirate or too poor to buy the game: 1) I own literally hundreds of games and paid for every single one of theme and 2) if I was a pirate I'd already be playing the game from a torrent site without any of the limitations of DRM. Bottom line: if you want to pirate the game, it's pretty amazingly easy. I don't pirate because I'm honest, but neither do I give my money to game makers who like to insult my intelligence by telling me DRM is 'necessary' or that force me to install crapware on my computer.

Thanks but no thanks. I'll take a pass on this one.

**********UPDATE 02/17/2010**********

I had the opportunity to play Bioshock II on my friend's Xbox. Frankly I wasn't impressed with the game itself. It's very much a copy of the original game with very little that is new. I thought the game would center around being an all powerful Big Daddy. You do play as a Big Daddy, but you're not any stronger than the human character starting out in Bioshock I. I expected them to let you be more powerful but also introduce more powerful / numerous opponents. Instead, the same collection of splicers come in twos and threes just like the original game. So as a Big Daddy, it takes 2-3 melee hits (with a huge-*** drill bit mind you) to kill a splicer. It takes them 4-5 melee hits to kill you. That's just simply stupid considering when you fight another Big Daddy it takes a HUGE amount of firepower to bring one down. The whole concept of being a Big Daddy is diminished because you really are not any more powerful.

It's like they took EVERYTHING from the first game, just tweaked it a bit, and called it a new game. There is nothing new that feels significant. The weapons are not exciting, and some of them feel almost useless (the shotgun for one). Only the spear gun and rivet gun have a satisfying quality to them.

You still have the same simplistic moral choice (harvest or rescue Little Sisters), the same voice over the radio guiding you, and the same antagonistic voice prodding you along as you progress through the game. You get plasmids in the same order (electricity, then fire, then ice) and use them to solve the same problems as before (opening doors with electricity, melting snow with fire, etc...). Really it feels like they just redid the first game with less compelling characters and a less compelling storyline.

I'm actually VERY glad I didn't buy this game, even if it were DRM free because it isn't that interesting. It's a rehash of the first and doesn't have anything really remarkable to distinguish it. Honestly, I've played MODS that were free that provided a better gaming experience than this. A good example would be the BT MOD for Oblivion which made Oblivion feel like an entirely new game. For the price 2k is asking (full retail for a new game!) it's just ridiculous.

There are much better options out there. Go get Mass Effect II if you don't have it yet, or even Call of Pripyat from the venerable STALKER series. Both are a lot better than this.

Final thoughts:

It doesn't bother me if you want to buy this game and install it. I just want you to have all the facts before you do. If you don't agree with my perspective that's fine--this is a free country (assuming you live in the USA). Bottom line: some people do care about protecting consumer rights and I'm one of those people. Agree or disagree, I think everyone should have the right to information about the product they're buying. Especially when the game itself isn't even that great.

If you want this game without DRM (Digital Rights Management for those who don't know), download a stolen copy. That way you can install the game on all your computers and any computers you may have in the future. If you want to limit the number of times you can install this game BUY it. It's that simple. AND, I too am like another reviewer who said I am not a criminal, I have the money, and (generally) DO NOT steal games. I am a proud owner and consumer of maybe 150 games. Don't treat us like criminals please... and I won't rate your game with one star.

For those who spend time disconnected from the net, you cannot save your SINGLE PLAYER game in progress unless you are connected to Windows LIVE. I have no problems when I am connected, my LIVE account works and the ability to save works at that time, but I'm not connected all the time, especially while traveling. So as a warning that was not given prior to purchase, do not bother unless you will be connected full time to the net while playing. This causes me to give it a single star review as it is completely unusable to this road warrior.

The game play and graphics are as beautiful as the original, just disappointed that single player mode requires an Internet connection to save the game. Works great on my HP dv6 laptop. Unfortunately I will never get more than an hour into the game, and with no save due to no connection this game is going bye-bye.

***update, see K. Black's comment for single player offline save game work around***

Well after reading some of the other comments I thought I would pipe in here too.

I have finished this game 4 times now, working on number five. Each time I try a different approach. I use different weapons, plasmids, tonics, harvest or save the little sisters. I have found new things each time I play the game.

I have not had problems with lock ups ot any problems with game play.

That being said, Windows Live is a PITA. It took me over an hour before I could even play the game. I was excited when I bought it, but after going through the install process, I was fed up and didn't even play the game until the next day. There is no excuse for putting customers through that type of crap just to play your game. I did not know about the Windows Live crap before I bought the game, but I can tell you this, if then next game I look at buying says Windows Live anywhere on the box, I am not buying it.

I love this game, hate Window Live.

Don

I loved Bioshock 1 and was anxious to part with my cash for the sequel, but unfortunately I echo what has been said by many - I will put my money elsewhere because of the insulting "protections" of this game. Requiring an online Games for Windows account to save your game? Get serious.

My activation code was in my account settings on Amazon, the download time was very quick, even compared to Steam, I had the whole program in about 2.5 hours and I live in an internet congested area (Manhattan to be specific). Can't argue with Games for Windows Live hindering game play but that has nothing to do with where you buy the program; Steam and Amazon are only distributors, neither has a say in how the code gets written so if your game isn't working properly it is probably something in your settings or PC. The price was too good to pass up so I took a leap of faith and am VERY happy. No stutters, awesome graphics, story line and controls, can we get more devs to put as much passion into a game please?!

I only started gaming on PCs this last year and have fallen in love, only wish I built my own rig earlier cause this looks and plays much better than the console version and costs a fraction of the price. Oh, the comment about keyboard and mouse being better than the gamepad/controller is 100% true.

For the price it's totally worth the risk and you will more likely than not be happy with your purchase. I say tweak the settings if you are having an issue before writing something negative and half cocked about the product, this game is HOT!!! If you pick this up you won't be upset.

Taken in tiny chunks Bioshock 2 is, on a purely superficial level, almost indistinguishable from the first game. The graphics and fast-twitch combat are just as good as the first game, it's a competent shooter with an inherently cool setting, and it does make a handful of tangible improvements over its predecessor - like being able to wield plasmids and weapons simultaneously, and some improved water effects. But it doesn't really rise above its predecessor so much as it tries a little too hard to copy its most successful elements, and never really finds a voice of its own.

Gameplay is straightforward, to the point of being simplistic; it's pretty much a run around and shoot things game, which works fine to a point, but the game is also stuffed full of padding - mostly the sub-missions where you guard Little Sisters while they harvest Adam, which start out harrowing but quickly get repetitive and dull. A handful of levels are total knockouts (one memorable one involves escaping a building while it's in the process of flooding, in what feels like real time), and the weakest levels are still competently done. A handful of new enemies liven things up, in a way, mainly by having annoying special abilities that make them harder to kill. In terms of gameplay it's a competent game, really, with a few standout points of excellence. Bioshock 2 just doesn't really bring anything *new* to the table, and doesn't improve on the existing stuff enough to make much of an impact. And even with all the padding it's still a surprisingly short game.

The real problem with Bioshock 2, though, is the story and plot elements. The first game had all the same flaws as the sequel (except perhaps the repetitiveness), but the straightforward on-the-rails shooter elements were disguised behind an absolutely masterful loyalty to the themes of the plot. All layers of the game - the vending machines, the insane splicer enemies, the creepy Little Sisters, the ubiquitous journal recordings, the characters themselves - were direct reflections of the central themes of the game. All the characters - even the insane ones - had their own motivations and objectives, and the conflict in the plot even down to individual levels always came from variations on those same central themes. That, coupled with an exceptionally strong opening and some truly creepy environmental design, made for a deeply involving game. Bioshock was scary and threatening and made the player feel constantly in danger, even though it was next to impossible to actually lose, and that was what made it work.

Bioshock 2, on the other hand, trades in the thematic elements in the plot that supported the atmosphere for new central themes - what sounds like a mushy version of Socialism and a take on fatherhood that's difficult to relate to. There are a few good minor surprises, but the game's story just feels forced, and none of the characters - including the PC - ever really came alive. Without any sense of connection with the characters, the game lost any particular sense of urgency, and even the game's legitimately well-done attempts at creepiness and horror mostly just sort of fizzled. There are also a few glaring logical flaws inherent in the premise of the game - it's set ten years after the first one, which means there's really no explanation for how exactly Rapture still has unlooted containers, people or even air still in it, considering the condition it was in in the first game. It also undermines the sense of imminent doom that Bioshock 2 tries to emulate from the original game, where it felt like the city was going to literally collapse around you at any moment; after all, it's lasted ten years with conspicuous leaks in every room and no discernible food sources, and you're playing as a nigh-invulnerable tank.

And of course, the control scheme is an annoyingly direct remapping of console controls. The only nod to the PC's vastly more versatile control options are weapons hotkeys; you can't even scroll in menus using the arrow keys. It mostly didn't bother me outside of trying to use vending machines, but there's really no excuse for game companies to continue using such awkward interfaces for game menus on a PC.

I also have to mention that the game has some deeply annoying copy protection systems, not least of which is the still-broken Games for Windows Live. I have yet to play any game with GFWL where the program actually works with any consistency, and Windows Live managed to keep my version of this game unplayable for the first two days thanks to mandatory login and overtaxed servers. There's also Securom and limited activations to contend with. If the game had opt-in Windows Live and a disc check instead, I'd be able to recommend it, if only to shooter fans... but this game is simply not worth the DRM issues it creates. I wouldn't have bought it myself if I'd thought to do the research beforehand on the DRM it came with.

Overall, I can't shake the feeling that there's a great game hiding somewhere under Bioshock 2. But it's bogged down by needlessly padded gameplay, a lack of engagement with the setting and plot, and a few gaping plot holes. It's not a bad game, and shooter fans will find something to enjoy in it, but it just doesn't live up to its predecessor... even to the point that it's unlikely anyone going back later to replay the first game will miss anything they added for the sequel. It's a good game, but it's far from a great game, and once you factor in the disastrous DRM it's just not worth buying.

Not a whole lot of "replayability," but nice graphics and a good storyline. Sat down to play one evening and before I knew it, it was light outside. Sad to say it was over the next day, but the memories still haunt me.

Loaded with all sorts of fun hidden objects, great if your good at hacking machines and things to really make you think. Oh, oops, I wasn't describing the game, just the installation. I will never buy a Games for Windows title ever again...correction...RENT. First you need to install WindowsLive AND setup an account, even if you don't want to play online. It does not say that in the EULA that to create a save you need to access the internet through WindowsLive, I see why th program is required now. The DRM to play the game is ridiculous...enter the code for installation, verify online to make sure your copy is legal, and the disk needs to be in the drive, same old.
But in all fairness, they do warn you on the back of the case itself. It states: "Other Requirements: Ability to save game, earn achievements, receive title updates and online play requires log in to Games for WindowsLIVE; requires disc in drive to play; software installations required (included on disc) Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Runtime Libraries, Games for WindowsLIVE client, Games for WindowsLIVE Client Patch, Sony DADC secuROM, Microsoft DirectX."
Sony really wants their name attatched to that...too bad, now I will never knowingly buy a sony product again, glad I delayed buying a PS3, and bought a Samsung TV instead of a Bravia.

Mass Effect 2 got it right though...no DRM just a disk check, it also only connects to the internet to download add ons. You OWN that game. I'd say I hope that 2K and every other company responsible for the DRM falls to the recession...but that would make alot of customers lose out on many games due to DRM, one of the many reasons to despise it. I havent played this game much but it's prob because I feel I'm constantly being played by the game makers instead.

I love the original Bioshock - it's one of my favorite games. I like the story set and appearance of Bioshock 2. Having said that, I'm ready to toss the disc out into the snow and purge the software as thoroughly as I can. I beg to differ with the reviewer who likened reviews similar to mine as complaining about buying gas for your car. From my humble perspective, it's more like buying a car that only goes when and where it wants. Rude surprise #1 -- I loaded the game fine, skipped the Windows Live profile build as I haven't the time to indulge in on-line play, and started Single Player. After about an hour of fun (I'll admit) play, I realized I'd seen no signs of autosaves. I tried to save the game and a message window said that couldn't be done unless I had a profile to save to. There's an hour of my life to be repeated due to no instructions and needless control. The game was auto-security checked without the need for a profile. Rude surprise #2 -- I resume the game (now with a save!) the next evening, and an update screen appears telling me that if I don't load the update, I can't play the game. Excuse me??? There's another fifteen minutes shot for download, execute, and re-boot. Surprise #3 -- the new update is even more unfriendly (just full of facist bytes!). The brightness adjustment made on the game has been tranlated to my monitor even when the game is closed, and windows tells me my setting security has failed. I have to reboot again to use another program without blinding myself!!! THIS RUINS THE GAME!!!!!!!