Mortismal Gaming looks back at Bioshock 2:

BioShock 2 - Review After 100%

According to shacknews anyone who is still interested in the Bioshock 2 DLC for the PC will be dissappointed. It's not going to be released.

Sr. manager of 2k Elizabeth Tobey has confirmed that the DLC for the PC will not be made. In addition they will not be adding playlists for the multiplayer DLC maps or vending machine sounds in their upcoming patch. Elizabeth Tobey's statement:

I have an update on the status of patches for BioShock 2 and some answers to questions on features that have been outstanding for a while. We will not be adding vending machine sounds into any version of BioShock 2 and we will not be adding playlists for the multiplayer DLC maps -- we did look in to both options but due to technical and timing issues, these two fixes are not feasible. We are planning patches for the 360 and PS3 to fix some functionality issues, but they will not drastically change gameplay (and I'll post the patch notes when I get them -- these two items are still in with QA.)

We will also not be offering Protector Trials and Minerva's Den on the PC in the future -- and I want to say that I'm sorry for the disappointment this will cause to PC players out there. As always, if any of these issues change in the future, I will update you guys first, but at this point in time I don't want to make you wait any longer and these are the most definite answers I have and you guys should deem them final decisions.

This DLC for Bioshock 2 is now available,only for Xbox 360 and the PS3. Also, there's a trailer for this story-driven DLC at Youtube.

There's some previews for this DLC. I'll quote one and list the others. Here's a quote from a preview from Games Radar:

Right off you’re immersed in Rapture’s dangerous world – except this time, it’s even more dangerous, because Minerva’s Den, an area of the city that’s been essentially sealed off, is host to advanced splicers – splicers who can use plasmids. To help you out, you have two new items at your disposal: the Gravity Well plasmid and the Ion Laser. The Gravity Well doesn’t really function much different from the Cyclone Trap – it sucks enemies (and debris) into the air. The difference, however, is hilarious: splicers, once sucked into the air, orbit around the well comically, and of course you can take pot shots while they fly around.

Gaming Nexus, IGN, RUN DLC, Joystiq, GamePro and Gamespot also have previews.

In others news, courtesy of Joystiq, the PSN and Xbox 360 version will be released on August 31th.

Omega sends this pair of BioShock 2 reviews with contrasting opinions.  AggroGamer finds it emotionally compelling:

This is a must buy for anyone that loved playing BioShock the first time. Hands down and without question. It continues the story of Rapture and its inhabitants as well as what still continues to be the issues in this "Utopia," humans themselves. All in a great storytelling fashion with some heart wrenching moments to keep you enthralled to the screen and wanting just a bit more.

...but the NY Times isn't so sure this anything more than a competent sequel spin-off, despite enjoying it:

Financially, sequels are inevitable. But creatively, I am not sure that every great game is served by becoming a franchise. BioShock has gone from an auteur-driven project to a corporate asset. I enjoyed the roughly 12 hours I spent getting through the main campaign of BioShock 2, but it will not stay with me as the first game did. I know there are still fabulous stories in Rapture. But perhaps I have heard them all already.

I don't follow Yahtzee much but Melvil writes in to point out his evisceration of Bioshock 2, which I did find amusing.

The first DLC for Bioshock 2 will be out on March 11th. The price will be 400 Microsoft Points or 4.99 US Dollars. You can get it from Xbox Live, PSN or Games for Windows Live. It goes without saying that there will more DLC to come.

This first DLC pack is called Sinclairs Solutions Tester Pack and will include these things:

•Rank increase to level 50 with Rank Rewards
•New playable characters - Louie McGraff and Oscar Calraca
•20 new trials*
•A third weapon upgrade for each weapon
•Five additional masks*

A patch, version 1.0.0.02, for Bioshock 2 has been released by 2K Games. This patch fixes the widescreen issue which also were an issue in Bioshock 1.  You can download it from Gamer's Hell or Worthplaying.

Our next BioShock 2 PC Patch is due out tomorrow. You'll be able to download the patch starting at 2 AM PST on Tuesday, February 23rd. This patch is small because we focused on getting it out quickly to fix a couple high priority issues the community had, rather than roll them in to a larger patch that would take longer to reach you. We are working on a larger, more extensive patch now and as testing nears finalization I'll update you on that patch's download date.

Bioshock 2 Patch List
- Fixed an issue where 16:9 and 16:10 resolutions were letterboxed versions of 4:3 resolutions, thereby properly fixing the FOV by expanding the horizontal player view as intended.
- Fixed an issue where holding the M1 button would not register in Multiplayer gameplay.

Brother None(?) reviews Bioshock 2. With such statements as 'overly dramatic pieces of tripe' it doesn't come with much surprise that the conclusions are not entirely positive.

All throughout my time playing this game, I couldn't help but feel the game was shouting “I'm unnecessary!” at me. Contrary to what game publishers would like to think, not every successful property warrants a sequel, and while there might have been some potential in BioShock for a sequel or spin-off, the cop-out of handing it to another division to just bang out a cash-in title shows, painfully so. It's hard to play this game without being aware that it's just cashing in, from the feel of it being just a level pack, to the derivative story, to the somewhat half-assed ideas added by the new studio.  

If you absolutely adored BioShock and couldn't wait for more, I could imagine the very similar BioShock 2 could fill the need, though it'll do it somewhat deceptively as it's really filling the emptiness with – well – more emptiness, not adding but at points even detracting. To me, BioShock already disappointed after its hype, and BioShock 2 just adds insult to injury. Yes, the gameplay tweaks improve the shooting action, and it is unquestionably a better shooter than its predecessor. But the game suffers under having no evolution in the RPG elements, repetitive level design hurting the fun, and a terrible story dragging along throughout. At only 12 hours long, I'd have a hard time advising people to buy what is essentially a competent – but at points heavily flawed – map pack with a multiplayer patch. 

Alrik sends in this video of Tom's Hardware opening the giant (seriously, the box is so big you could use it as a coffee table) Bioshock 2 Special Edition, so let's round this out with comments from MTV on whether we've seen the last of Rapture:

No. The whole argument of 'BioShock 2' is that you can zoom in on a personal story within that mysterious setting. I think Rapture's a very fertile place. That said, if you follow the whole backstory, it is intricate as all get out. The amount of space within there to move around and to build idealogs gone wrong, like Ryan and Lamb, gets trickier each time you add one.

"So much of the backstory comes from the past, so on some level you're retconning it, which you have to be very careful about. Finding areas that were untapped…periods in Rapture's history that were not spoken that much about. That's what we did for this game. There were utopian years here, and we wanted to tell the story of the disenfranchised even within the capitalist good times.

"I wouldn't say that we've told the story of Rapture. I will say that now we've had two very long, healthy stories in it, so that makes it more challenging for me.

We won't be covering Bioshock 2 in full detail but IGN seems to have negotiated for the first reviews and it's interesting to see the results.  It's a 9.1/10 from IGN and 9/10 from IGN UK, written by Alec Meer.  Here's Alec's great intro:

One of my flat mates, not a gamer but drawn to the sound and fury, sits down to watch me play. "Is this Quake?" "No, it's called BioShock 2." "Uh-huh. But it's like Quake, right?" "Um, not really - it's about the nature of man" - BLAM! Aaargh! - "and the effects of trying to create Utopia "BIFF! Aieeeeeeeeeee! "in an art-deco city populated by artists and scientists" CHUDDA-CHUDDA-CHUDDDA-YeaaaaaaaaAAAAAAaaaaAAA-SPLAT" and inspired by the philosophical theories of Ayn Rand and John Stuart Mill." I messily ram my giant drill-arm into the face of a screaming, swearing mutant in a party dress, and then we both fall silent as we watch the blood fade from the screen. He looks at me, brow furrowed. I relent: "Yeah, it's kinda like Quake."

It has become too easy to forget what BioShock is, and too tempting to discuss it purely in terms of the more high-minded ideas behind its narrative, not the practicalities of what happens when we press buttons on the gamepad. It is a game in which you will spend much of your time messily ramming a drill-arm into the face of a screaming, swearing mutant in a party dress. While it's lovely that the voiceovers have a literate backdrop, this is not a game in which you will actively engage in consideration of utilitarianism and objectivism. It's a first-person shooter, first and foremost.

Blue's has details of a back-flip from 2K on the DRM setup for Bioshock 2.  In essence, the Securom install limits have been removed (though there are still GfWL limits) and it will be used as a basic disc check:

Over the past two days, I’ve fielded a lot of questions and concerns about the DRM for both the retail and digital versions of BioShock 2. Because of this feedback, we are scaling back BioShock 2’s DRM.

There will be no SecuROM install limits for either the retail or digital editions of BioShock 2, and SecuROM will be used only to verify the game’s executable and check the date. Beyond that, we are only using standard Games for Windows Live non-SSA guidelines, which, per Microsoft, comes with 15 activations (after that, you can reset them with a call to Microsoft.)

What does that mean for your gameplay experience? This means that BioShock 2’s new DRM is now similar to many popular games you advised had better DRM through both digital and retail channels. Many of you have used Batman: Arkham Asylum as an example to me, which uses the exact same Games for Windows Live guidelines as us as well as SecuROM on retail discs, and now our SecuROM is less restrictive on Steam.

I know that the variables of PC gaming can be frustrating and confusing, and when you say there is a problem, we listen, and use your suggestions to make things better. Feedback like this does not go unheard, and while this might not be the ideal protection for everyone, we will continue to listen and work with you in the future when formulating our DRM plans.

There has been a lot of chatter about the DRM invlolved with Bioshock 2. With that in mind I found a newsbit over at ActionTrip detailing the minimum requirements to play this game. The last part that deals with DRM portion of the game should be of interest to some of you:

Initial installation requires one-time internet connection; Ability to save game, earn achievements, receive title updates and online play requires log-in to Games for Windows LIVE; software installations required including Microsoft Visual C++2008 Runtime Libraries, Games for Windows LIVE client, Games for Windows LIVE Client Patch, Sony DADC SecuROM, Microsoft DirectX.

There has not been much coverage of Bioshock 2 since it is looking more and more like a shooter, but I thought some of you might be interested in this. If you preorder Bioshock 2 from Steam you will get 10% off the game and Bioshock for free. If you already own Bioshock you can gift it to someone. You can read more about it over at 1up.

Melvil writes in with a video interview from GameSpot; you can watch it at Youtube and here's the accompanying description:

Creative director Jordan Thomas and lead designer Zak McClendon talk about heroes, villains, story, and gameplay in BioShock 2. WARNING: This video may contain some early-game spoilers

We haven't covered the latest trip into Rapture, but for those of you interested here is some information about the game. This roundup will feature only the single-player portion of the game. However, if you are interested in the multi-player portion the links to gametrailers and youtube have many videos showcasing that aspect of the game.

Worthplaying has a general overview of the game, its features and a bunch of screenshots:

Set approximately 10 years after the events of the original BioShock, the halls of Rapture once again echo with sins of the past. Along the Atlantic coastline, a monster has been snatching little girls and bringing them back to the undersea city of Rapture. Players step into the boots of the most iconic denizen of Rapture, the Big Daddy, as they travel through the decrepit and beautiful fallen city, chasing an unseen foe in search of answers and their own survival.

Singleplayer Features:

* Evolution of the Genetically Enhanced Shooter: Innovative advances bring new depth and dimension to each encounter. New elements, such as the ability to dual-wield weapons and Plasmids, allow players to create exciting combinations of punishment
* Return to Rapture: Set approximately 10 years after the events of the original BioShock, the story continues with an epic, more intense journey through one of the most captivating and terrifying fictional worlds ever created
* You Are the Big Daddy: Take control of BioShock's signature and iconic symbol with the original prototype Big Daddy, and experience the power and raw strength of Rapture's most feared denizens as you battle powerful new enemies
* Continuation of the Award-Winning Narrative: New and unique storytelling devices serve as the vehicle for the continuation of one of gaming's most acclaimed storyline

Over at GamerNode they show off what the special edition comes with. It's not cheap at 99$ for the Xbox 360 or PS3 version and $89 for the PC version, but it comes with:

-Vintage posters from Rapture

-A CD with the orchestral score from the game

-A 164 page art book in the style of books from Rapture

-A vinyl 180g LP that features the soundtrack as well.

Gametrailers has quite a few videos for Bioshock 2:

• Debut Trailer: Just your typical day at the beach.
• Hunting the Big Sister: Jorden Thomas walks you through some of the new mysteries of Rapture.
• Siren Alley Trailer: A video showing off some locations and a ton of combat.

Youtube also has many trailers for Bioshock 2. The most interesting one out of the bunch is the E3 trailer. You can watch E3 Bioshock trailer here or click on the embedded image below: