When we talk about Bioshock we usually tend to remember the iconic 2007 progenitor, or secondly the visionary Bioshock Infinite that also changed the gameplay, narrative and aesthetic direction compared to its predecessors. More often, however, we tend to forget Bioshock 2 , the second chapter that became a reality at the beginning of 2010.
In a certain sense it’s true: Bioshock 2 didn’t have the same impact as the other two games in the series and therefore tends to be more or less considered by the community.
Now, it’s good to clarify right away that Bioshock 2 is not a bad game at all, and on the contrary at the time of its debut on the market it also obtained great acclaim from international critics, taking home an average of 88 on Metacritic : in a Bioshock ranking it would still be the “least successful”, but only because the other two episodes were true excellences that became a cult phenomenon.
Bioshock 2 tends to be forgotten by fans, and this despite the creator of the series Ken Levine (who did not work directly on the second episode and only took care of the other two games) considering it the right conclusion for the story of Rapture . Perhaps the reason behind the lesser popularity of the second game compared to the other two titles lies in the lack of a truly unique and original concept , the opposite of what was demonstrated by the first Bioshock (did you know that at the beginning nobody wanted to publish Bioshock ?) and Bioshock Infinite. Essentially Bioshock 2 took what had already been done by its illustrious predecessor and enriched it in terms of narrative, allowing players to learn more about the mysteries of the evocative underwater city of Rapture and with a story that knew how to involve.
However, placing itself in direct continuity with the progenitor in terms of gameplay, atmosphere and level design, inevitably Bioshock 2 failed to replicate its impact: the prequel’s charge of originality and uniqueness was inevitably lost , and the undeniable charm of Rapture struck less forcefully than it had three years earlier.
Not even putting players in the shoes of a Big Daddy was enough to make the second chapter truly special.
In the end, perhaps this is why Bioshock 2 remains in the limbo of good games, and nothing more.
Do you also consider it the least convincing Bioshock or do you think it deserved more consideration? Tell us your opinion in the comments .