The Story
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 — somehow familiar, yet still quite
different from anything ever seen — has been snatching little girls and
bringing them back to the undersea city. It is a Big Sister, new
denizens of Rapture who were once one of the forgotten little girls
known as Little Sisters, known to inhabit the city's dank halls. No
longer a pawn used to harvest ADAM, the dangerously powerful
gene-altering lifeblood of Rapture, from the bodies of others and in
turn run the risk of being harvested herself, the Big Sister is now the
fastest and most powerful thing in Rapture. You, on the other hand are
the very first Big Daddy, in fact the prototype, that for some reason
has reactivated. You are similar to the Big Daddies familiar from the
original BioShock, but also very different in that you possess free will
and no memory of the events of the past ten years. The question is, as
you travel through the decrepit and beautiful fallen city beneath the
waves, hunting for answers and the solution to your own survival, are
you really the hunter, or the hunted?
Gameplay and Multiplayer
In
BioShock 2 players will take on the role of the original Big Daddy, not
that of game one protagonist, Jack. As a Big Daddy you will have access
to all the strengths and weapons of a standard Big Daddy, including the
drill and rivet gun. More importantly you also possess free will and the
ability to use plasmids and gene tonics — genetic modifications allowed
for through ADAM, a stem cell harvested from conquered enemies, or sea
slugs outside the Rapture air lock, and powered by the in-game
injectable serum known as EVE, which can be found, captured or
purchased. Plasmids and gene tonics provide a wide range of aggressive
and passive abilities which can be upgraded and arranged for quick use.
The ability to use plasmids and tonics gives you a decided edge over
other Big Daddies and most other denizens of Rapture, excluding the
powerful Big Sisters. In addition, due to their role as a Big Daddy,
players will experience a new relation to the Little Sisters. Upon
defeating standard Big Daddys you are given the familiar choice as to
whether to harvest or adopt them. Harvesting gains you ADAM immediately,
but could alter your path through the game, while adopting makes you
responsible for Little Sisters, who then accompany you through Rapture,
but also provide aid and warning in times of danger. Additional gameplay
features include: new plasmids, weapons and the ability to combine
these two.
The game also features the anticipated multiplayer modes. Several of
these are team-based, allowing up to 10 players. Within these players
are provided with a rich prequel experience that expands the origins of
the BioShock fiction, and allows you to play as one of several
characters pulled from Rapture's history before the events of the first
game.
Key Features
The Big Sister - No longer just something to be harvested or not, the Big Sister is the most powerful resident in Rapture.
You Are the Big Daddy - Take control 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.
New Plasmids - New plasmids such as "Aero Dash" allowing for bursts of
speed over short distances, and "Geyser Trap" a stream of water used as a
jump pad and electrical conductor, join the ample list of Plasmids from
the original game.
New Game Mechanics - BioShock 2 contains many new gameplay mechanics.
Just a few of these are: the ability to wield plasmids and weapons
simultaneously; flashback missions detailing how you became the Big
Daddy; the ability to walk outside the airlocks of Rapture to discover
new play areas, and many more.
New Locations - Just a few of the locations and environments debuting in
BioShock 2 are Fontaine Futuristics, headquarters of Fontaine's
business empire and the Kashmir Restaurant.
Evolution of the Genetically Enhanced Shooter - Innovative advances
bring new depth and dimension to each encounter, allowing players to
create exciting combinations to fit their style of gameplay.
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.
Genetically Enhanced Multiplayer - Earn experience points during
gameplay to earn access to new weapons, plasmids and tonics that can be
used to create hundreds of different combinations.
Experience Rapture’s Civil War - Players will step into the shoes of
Rapture's citizens and take direct part in the civil war that tore
Rapture apart.
See Rapture Before the Fall - Experience Rapture before it was reclaimed
by the ocean and engage in combat over iconic environments in locations
such as Kashmir Restaurant and Mercury Suites, all of which have been
reworked from the ground up for multiplayer.
Minimum:
Processor: AMD Athlon 64 Processor 3800+ 2.4Ghz or better, Intel Pentium 4 530 3.0Ghz Processor or better
Memory: 2GB
Graphics: NVIDIA 7800GT 256MB graphics card or better, ATI Radeon X1900 256MB graphics card or better
Hard Drive: 11GB
Sound: 100% DirectX 9.0C compliant sound card or onboard sound
OS: Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7
DirectX: DirectX 9.0c
Recommended:
Processor: AMD Athlon 64 X2 5200+ Dual Core 2.60Ghz, Intel Core 2 Duo E6420 Dual Core 2.13Ghz
Memory: 3GB
Graphics: NVIDIA 8800GT 512MB graphics card or better, ATI Radeon HD4830
512MB graphics card or better
Other Requirements:
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.