The Top 7… ways BioShock 2 is better than BioShock 1

In the first BioShock…

In the first BioShock…

In the second BioShock…

You kind of are the enemy, with the power, strength, stamina and charging drill dash of your former foe. Other Big Daddies still pose a threat, but you need a scarier foe to even the playing field, and this sequel is all too happy to oblige. Remember that line about “escalation” in Batman Begins? Equally appropriate to BioShock 2.

Big Sister is, of course, the obvious addition. She’s fast, she’s agile and she can regenerate health. Unlike the Big Daddies, she won’t wait for you to find her, either… she’ll randomly attack any time you rescue or harvest a Little Sister, and if you die, she’ll track you down to your Vita-Chamber and kill you again.

Splicers are more diverse and dangerous, too. They carry more guns. They climb and teleport more often. They travel in huge, overwhelming packs. And many have grown in size, hacking their genes so much that they can now charge you like a Big Daddy and throw chunks of Rapture at you like a Big Sister.

Then there are the Alpha series… but that would be spoiling the surprise.

In the first BioShock…

In the second BioShock…

Hacking is fast, convenient and most definitely worthwhile. No more endless, frustrating pipe arrangement to pull you out of the BioShock mood. Now whenever you attempt to hack something, a small, timing-based needle game pops up discreetly at the bottom of your screen. It takes about five seconds to win or lose, and the action keeps happening as you play. If you’re in the middle of a Big Sister fight, you’re still in the middle of a Big Sister fight, regardless of your desire for discounted bandages.

Better yet? A new remote hacking tool enables you to break security’s defenses from across rooms and through broken windows. No standing directly underneath cameras or directly in the fire of turrets. Better still? If you hack successfully enough, you’ll receive bonus prizes like free health kits and extra ammo in addition to cheaper prices.

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!