BioShock 2

 PlayStation 3
Metascore
88

Generally favorable reviews - based on 62 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 60 out of 62
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 62
  3. Negative: 0 out of 62
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  1. PlayStation LifeStyle
    70
    The game didn't do enough in my eyes to improve on what made the first game so great.
  2. Thunderbolt
    70
    The surprises aren't there and neither is the awe one feels the first time they booted-up their copy of BioShock and laid eyes on Rapture.

Awards & Rankings

14
#14 Best PS3 Game of 2010
17
#17 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2010
33
#33 Most Shared PS3 Game of 2010

User Reviews

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User Score
8.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 759 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 599 out of 759
  2. Mixed: 126 out of 759
  3. Negative: 34 out of 759
  1. SR
    Feb 20, 2010
    10
    Playing this game actually made me better at BioShock 1. On the Survivor (hardest) difficulty mode in the first game I couldn't make it Playing this game actually made me better at BioShock 1. On the Survivor (hardest) difficulty mode in the first game I couldn't make it past finding the first plasmid (since I would just keep getting outflanked by splicers and shot in the back of the head) but now I am cruising through and I am maxed out on med kits and EVE hypos (I think because Bioshock 2 forced me to prepare more carefully in the scenarios where you have to defend little sisters while they are getting EVE from corpses). I really wish I had a webcam so I could put on Youtube the first time I defended a little sister successfully (in Bioshock 2) because I did it on the hardest dificulty level with only the wrench, rivet gun, electricity plasmid and no med kits (I just kept getting wrench headshots on splicers which I had bottlenecked in a doorway). The next time I successfully defended a little sister on the first attempt just by using the hypnotize (enrage) plasmid on all the splicers and they just all killed each other for me. Something about the gameplay in Bioshock 2 just seems to make more sense to me than it did in the first game, but it's clearly applicable to how you approach the first game. I think the thing is that Bioshock 2 is a little more obvious about how it forces you to visualize how you are going to approach encounters; maybe it just gives more obvious clues than the first game did. Or maybe Bioshock 2 just isn't as good at keeping its secrets as the first game; either way I feel like I understand (and love) both games much more now than I would have expected (and I can't believe I was actually on the fence about buying this game or Dante's Inferno last weekend!).… Full Review »
  2. m_elders
    Dec 19, 2012
    6
    Bioshock 2 is clearly a game made to make money. The only significant gameplay change between Bioshock and Bioshock 2 is the new LittleBioshock 2 is clearly a game made to make money. The only significant gameplay change between Bioshock and Bioshock 2 is the new Little Sister mechanic (and the related Big Sister attacks). For those who don't know, this mechanic means that now, whenever you find a Little Sister and kill the Big Daddy, you can take the sister with you to collect Adam from corpses while you get hit by waves of enemies (that smell you collecting Adam?). It's a very frustrating mechanic, and tends to ruin pacing. The rest of the gameplay is copy/paste from the original Bioshock. The story is simultaneously a sequel and a prequel. You are playing in a time after the events of Bioshock, but all the diaries you find are from a time before the events of Bioshock. These diaries feature Andrew Ryan, Frank Fontaine, and many of the other old characters. The new diaries establish a whole new issue that Ryan was apparently worried about around the time Fontaine was becoming a problem. It seems very much like it was tacked on just to be able to include Ryan in the story. In fact, the whole game just seems like it was tacked on to the old Bioshock to make money. Is it a good game? Well, Bioshock was a great game, and this copies that, so sure. Is it original? No. Is it as great as it was to visit Rapture for the first time? Of course not. But if you're having trouble finding other good games to play, this one won't disappoint you too much.… Full Review »
  3. zarg556
    Mar 11, 2012
    10
    Bioshock 2... I got it ages ago and I'm only just reviewing it. Overall, Bioshock has a fantastic storyline, excellent voice acting andBioshock 2... I got it ages ago and I'm only just reviewing it. Overall, Bioshock has a fantastic storyline, excellent voice acting and brilliant combat. The ending is engrossing and the choices you must make supply much needed intrigue into the game. The controls are really easy to get used to and while maybe not having as much storyline depth as the original Bioshock, it still is worth the money, even today. If you enjoyed the first game, you'll love this entry. If you're new to the series, you'll love it as well... Go on buy it!, it's really cheap.

    Look out for Bioshock Infinite this October!    … Full Review »
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