As I mentioned recently, I finally got around to finishing up the original Bioshock Remastered. Feeling the mood still, I decided to jump into the sequel right away, since I know these sorts of moods are fleeting with me. I’m finding a rhythm again, and I’m finding ways to optimally use my spare time to finish off some of these older titles. It feels good to clear out the backlog! I don’t know what it is about the fall, but I’m typically playing more games and spending more time at home. I’m in California so it’s not as though we have a real fall/winter cycle, but it still gets a bit chilly compared to what we’re used to and more time is spent indoors. I also find that priorities change as my life changes, but I’m straying way off point. Back to the game!

Bioshock 2 picks up where it’s predecessor left off, except that it’s only loosely related to this point. Granted, I’m only a couple of hours into the game but as the original did, this game sprinkles you with information as you go. It’s clearly rapture, there are clearly similar enemies and level design. But in the end of the original, your character clearly lived to old age and died, so this is no continuation (unless there’s a twist ending I’m unaware of). Regardless, it feels like the same sort of game, but now you’re a Big Daddy, and you’re searching for your missing little sister, who they refer to as your daughter. Journals point to the fact that there is some sort physiological bond between the two, so you can’t stray too far or end up in a coma. The new villain has already mentioned Fontaine, and seems to be carrying on with some sort of research that pertains to the little sisters. Tenenbaum is a recurring character (right? I’m not imagining that am I?) that is trying to save the little sisters from Lamb (the villain) who is also the “mother” of your “daughter.” Yeah, it’s a bit convoluted but it makes sense as you play it.

The visuals are on par with the original. The Remastered bit is clearly just an upres on the textures and whatnot, but it runs buttery smooth. My one complaint to this point was the fact that the control scheme is changed around entirely, so I had to do some remapping. No big deal, but it threw me off nonetheless. I’ll leave you with some screens of my progress thus far, and will return once I’ve completed the game.