BioShock 2 Remastered Review (poppo)
Poppo's PIcks
Like Dark Souls 2, Bioshock 2 is much maligned as the "worst" of the series it belongs to. This is simply untrue, my friends - the truth is, just like DS2, for the real ones out there, it is the BEST of the series. Yeah, I said it. And I'll say it again. It's everything good about Bioshock 1 amped up to 11 and it isn't the putrid, steaming puke that is Bioshock: Infinite so that's a plus. This is the great pleb filter, my friends., Don't let yourself fall on the wrong side of history here and heed my words well.
As someone who has played this series for the better part of a decade let me say that the remaster here absolutely breathes new and vital life into the proceedings. The visual quality is so beautiful and immersive and you will be completely sucked into the world of Rapture in no time and loving every terrifying moment of it.
There may be those narrow-minded detractors that claim that the quality of the story-telling here is a major step down from Bioshock 1. While the peaks of the "twists" in 1 are maybe superior to what you find in 2 the story is quite amazing and it many ways I like it more than Bioshock 1. Sofia Lamb is a great antagonist and what they try to do here with the story is very satisfying. And this game has actual endings so it has that over Bioshock 1 as well.
Don't read this review as an attack on Bioshock 1 because it is an incredible game in it's own right and if you haven't played it either do yourself a favor and grab both of these amazing games while they're on sale now. INCREDIBLE value to get such a high-quality couple of games for just a couple bucks. I'm using it as contrast because you may be led astray by the all-too-common take that 2 is the valley of the series in terms of quality and it's far inferior to 1 and 3. Simply untrue, and I re-iterate once again that In my humble and objectively correct opinion that this is the best of the series overall. Don't be put off by any nay-sayers! Take the Big Daddy pill and open your eyes to the truth!
Re-posting what Pengu has in their review of this game because I almost didn't buy this due to the number of mixed reviews describing an issue with crashing. I have played for several hours by now and using the tips listed I have had nothing but smooth and flawless gameplay with zero crashing:
POSTED: MAY 15 (thanks Pengu!)
1. In your library right click on Bioshock 2 Remastered
2. Go to properties
3. General Tab
4. Launch Options
5. Paste the following: "Bioshock2HD" -run %command%
This will bypass the launcher and make the game stable and prevent the crashing I see from many that is an issue with the game. Simple fix and don't let it hold you back from enjoying this dare I say masterpiece.
Gameplay: 4.5/5 - only drawback is an escort mission or two near the end of the game that is kind of annoying. Pretty much rate the gameplay as flawless just leaving as much of an objective review as possible to inform anyone reading this.
Story: 4/5 - Great atmosphere, great characters and everything else. Despite the fact you are a groaning, water-logged frankenstein I think that your character is even more human than the protag in 1. And thank god they removed your vocal cords so you don't have to listen to yourself fucking quip and spout off tips like the protag in Infinite.
Presentation: 5/5 - This remaster is quite incredible and the polish on display here really brings an already amazing game to that next level. Your jaw will hit the floor the first time you find yourself walking the ocean floor gazing around at the sea-life and fauna. Sound design is paranoia-inducing and terrifying and the soundtrack is perfect for setting the mood.
All in all a truly incredible experience and as I said above if you are lucky enough to nab this on sale you will be getting such an incredible value. Definitely worth it full price all the same though.
Love me drill
Love me little sisters
Love me plasmids
'Ate Splicers (not prejudiced just don't like 'em)
Simple as
Overall rating: 4.5/5. Get it!