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  3. Bioshock
  4. BioShock 2

How BioShock 2 will be better than the first

Features
By Charlie Barratt published 23 April 2009

10 genetic upgrades, explained - and illustrated with video - by the sequel’s creative director

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You still have everything from the first game. Only better.

JT: “You possess the intelligence inside that suit to make use of anything you had in BioShock 1 and, indeed, more. The hacking mechanic is one of the many tools that you have and, this time, you’re able to do things like heal your bots, upgrade your turrets and essentially invest in becoming a ‘pet master’-like character. Also, you are smart enough – unlike the other Big Daddies – to upgrade your guns and use plasmids.”

“If you invest in any of the plasmids that you remember from BioShock 1, we have taken away no functionality. Whatever your favorites were, they have extended. On the design side, we start with things like ‘Hypnotize Big Daddy’ and go ‘Where to go next?’”

What happened in the first game mattered.

JT: “Andrew Ryan is dead. We want to ratify any choice you made in the first game and any major narrative moments. The endings in BioShock 1 are the subject of fierce debate among the Splicers. They’ve mythologized the striking down of this diabolical figure, who led them astray into this leady bucket at the bottom of the sea. The Splicers are becoming sort of religious about the character from the first game.”

“In [the ending to] BioShock 1, either you left Rapture and became ‘Hitler,’ or you left Rapture and, I guess, had a family full of lots of little girls who watched you get cancer… Either way, Tenenbaum had a safehouse full of Little Sisters that she returned to the surface with regardless of what you did. Some of those Little Sisters had lives and grew up.

“One Little Sister in particular did not, could not leave Rapture behind. She returns there, finds it in shambles and starts to show off these crazy powers that come from her growing up. She starts the cycle over again.”

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By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Apr 23, 2009


We analyze every frame and let our imaginations run wild


From slugs to Little Sisters. From elephants to Big Daddies. Witness the creation of the weirdest game ever


We pick the hottest new titles we want this year. We pick a lot of them

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Charlie Barratt
Charlie Barratt
I enjoy sunshine, the company of kittens and turning frowns upside down. I am also a fan of sarcasm. Let's be friends!
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