Released on 09/02/2010

• BioShock 2 Review

  Darling it's better down where it's wetter...

  With all of the excitement surrounding Mass Effect 2, BioShock 2 – early 2010's other big morality-twisting RPG-shooter sequel – has been a bit overlooked. Perhaps that owes something to the stature of their predecessors.

  Where Mass Effect felt like a taster for better things, BioShock delivered instant greatness. By contrast, their follow-ups have somewhat opposite fortunes. Mass Effect 2 made its progenitor look like a tech demo, but BioShock 2 was always going to struggle to put its BAFTA-winning big daddy in the shade in quite the same way.

  BioShock 2 may not make a as deep an impact as it's forebear, then, but fans of the first game will definitely enjoy their return to the underwater world of Rapture – even if it's viewed through some very different eyes.

  Daddy Daycare

  This time out, you're a Big Daddy, the hulking diving suit wearing behemoths who protect the creepy Little Sisters – genetically modified little girls who wander around Rapture harvesting a gene-altering concoction called Adam from Splicers; Rapture's former inhabitants turned crazy by the tonic's DNA-bending powers.

  Defending your Little Sister requires madcap twitch skills and intelligent use of your ever-growing combined arsenal.

  You aren't just ANY Big Daddy, though – you're the first prototype, meaning you're more mobile and less armoured than the other Big Daddies. Essentially, that means you move the same as your character in the first game. Some will say this is a bit of a cop-out; that you don't FEEL like a Big Daddy, but we were quite glad not to find ourselves lumbering around like a big tree for the game's entire 12+ hours!

  Being a Big Daddy also proves a clever narrative device, with BioShock 2's story sending you off on a quest to reclaim Eleanor, the Little Sister to whom you are bound for life. Unfortunately, she happens to be the daughter of Rapture's ruthless new leader Sofia Lamb, who's using a Splicer gang known as The Family to further her own megalomaniacal ambitions.

  Luckily, you're not alone down there; the few remaining Rapture residents who have kept their sanity will be on hand to help guide you, and along the way you'll find compelling audio logs which chronicle Rapture's continuing decay in the decade that's passed since the events of the original Bioshock.

  Splice up your life

  As in the first game, BioShock 2 sees you seeking out the Little Sisters, killing their big Daddy, then either rescuing or harvesting them for Adam, so you can splice yourself up to the eyeballs. It's here you start to see the benefits of being a Big Daddy, as you're able to carry around Little Sisters and use them to harvest Adam from corpses, whilst Splicers flood in from all sides. With plasmids and weapons now dual-wielded, these sections throw up some of the most satisfying combat in the game, requiring madcap twitch skills and intelligent use of your ever-growing combined arsenal.

  Laying down traps, setting alight oil slicks, hurling explosive gas canisters, electrifying puddles and impaling with the spear gun are just a handful of ways to take out enemies, who to compensate are now more deadly and diverse than they were in the original. Their numbers now include an enormous Splicer that's reminiscent of Left 4 Dead's Tank zombie, plus terrifying encounters with the agile mechanised Big Sisters which happen every time you clear an area of its Little Sisters. Even on the easiest setting, then, BioShock 2 will be a riveting and often unnerving challenge for experienced FPS players.

  More challenging shooting, refined puzzling, loads of replay value and a fun multiplayer mode

  Perhaps to keep the tempo more consistent, 2K Games have streamlined the method for hacking cameras, turrets and safes. Gone is the pipe-placing water funnelling minigame; replaced by a system which asks you to stop a moving needle within coloured zones – with smaller, riskier blue zones granting you extra rewards. The big benefit is that this pops up over the regular FPS view, so you can hack in real-time mid-combat, rather than going to a separate screen and breaking the immersion.

  With a bigger and more immediate arsenal, meatier combat, speedier hacking and all-around more demanding difficulty, BioShock 2 should on paper be a better game than its predecessor. But the freshness isn't quite there; nor is the story's climax anywhere near as surprising as THAT big twist in Andrew Ryan's office. It's still a quality shooter, however, with a joyous set of virtual toys, loads of scope for customising your character, and multiple endings that make it worth revisiting after your first run-through.

  Wade into war!

  On top of which, it's also a surprisingly accomplished online multiplayer shooter. Cleverly, BioShock 2's multiplayer is set in levels taken from the first game, against a backdrop of the Splicer war which started Rapture's downfall, and incorporates a rank-up system like Modern Warfare, plus elements from the singleplayer campaign to great effect; like a Big Daddy suit which powers you up, and a CTF mode entitled 'Capture The Little Sister'. You have to question the sanity of any developer willing to go up against Call of Duty these days, but 2K's multiplayer team Digital Extremes have done a great job here, creating a mode that's more than just a token gesture.

  It may have flown slightly under the radar, then, but the good news is that BioShock 2 doesn't disappoint. It may lack the first game's freshness and narrative flair, but more challenging shooting, refined puzzling, loads of replay value and a fun multiplayer mode go a long way to making up for it. We wouldn't be at all surprised to see this, like its own big daddy, up there with Mass Effect 2 on next year's BAFTA Best Game shortlist.

  GAME's Verdict

  

  • Combat is more challenging, intelligent and diverse than BioShock 1.
  • Multiple endings and signature big moral dilemmas mean tons of replay value.
  • Multiplayer is surprisingly darn good fun!

  

  • Lacks the first game's memorable story and characters.
  • Doesn't have that same fresh sense of wonder as the original.
  • We keep saying it with every FPS, but WHY oh WHY are the controls not FULLY customisable?!

  Review by: Mark 'Nice N Splicey' Scott
  Version Tested: Xbox 360
  Review Published: 17.02.10

  Published: 17/02/2010

• BioShock 2 Review

  You's the Daddy!

  Let me begin by laying down a rather 'shocking' fact... I have not played the first BioShock! So the first question that I wanted to find an answer for is: do you need to have played the first BioShock in order to enjoy the second one? And that answer is... no. The plot in BioShock 2 doesn't particularly follow on from the first and gives you enough information to understand what is going on.

  You star as a Big Daddy, which if you were like me and un-Shocked, then you wouldn't really know who/what that was. You are an iron-glad genetically enhanced guardian of the Little Sisters, who in turn are genetically modified little girls who run around sucking ADAM soaked corpses. Nice.

  The setting is an underwater city called Rapture that was once filled with lots of cutting edge science, but has now turned into a ruined city where people fight over a gene-enhancing drug called ADAM, that ends up making you go a bit loopy.

  You begin BioShock 2 having woken up from a 10 year coma and your one mission is to find your Little Sister, Eleanor who has been taken away from you Dr. Sophia Lamb, her mother. Sophia Lamb is now running Rapture, and doesn't want you anywhere near Eleanor and will do everything in her power to stop you.

  Bio-shooter

  This idea of playing as a protector, desperately trying to find your lost counterpart is set out in a very interesting way. This type of character dynamic is not a new concept, but the Big Daddies seem to be portrayed as a kind of dumb brute following the Little Sisters' every move. You are like a giant teddy-bear with a machine gun. You were engineered for one reason; to protect your Little Sister. With all the carnage that surrounds you as you explore the city of Rapture, it brings a sense of innocence to the character that all you can think about is finding your Little Sister.

  BioShock 2 at its essence is a shooter. You will spend a lot of time in Rapture killing your doped up foes in different, equally savage ways. You start with a drill that you can use to mash the opposition into pulp. You also get to pick up other shooting equipment a bit more like you would usually expect to find in a shooter title. Alongside these weapons you get to use plasmids. These are abilities you get that have characteristics like lightning bolts, telekinesis and other things to cause damage to the inhabitants of Rapture.

  The battles themselves are much more tactical than your typical run-and-gun shooters. Utilising all of your plasmids and fire-arms, as well as the environments to your advantage is the only way to stay alive. Carefully planning the modes of attack brings out a more RPG side to BioShock 2. Going in guns blazing more often than not leaves you in a sense of panic - madly pushing buttons while trying to run away. Even on easy mode, none of the battles are a walk in the park.

  Look and listen

  This tricky combat system is enhanced by your characters apparel. Wearing an entire suit of metal is going to slow you down a bit. The sound effects as you walk and get shot at are brilliant. You can hear movement and screams from all over Rapture, which can add a certain sense of dread as you venture into uncharted waters. You will sometimes see other Big Daddies engaged in combat through windows which adds the idea that the world of Rapture is still going on around you.

  The overall graphical style of BioShock 2 seems to be very similar to what I'd seen of the first game. I get the feeling that although there is a lot of eye candy to be seen throughout Rapture, it is probably not a great improvement on the first outing. Saying that though, from a first time BioShock player, the world of Rapture is breathtaking. The world has been thoroughly thought out and digests well as a very stylised environment.

  Another thing that goes down very well indeed is the online multiplayer mode, which nods its head to the first game by taking levels from it, and making them the core focus of the multiplayer shenanigans. I've put a good few hours into this already, and have really enjoyed unlocking new weapons and plasmids and playing the very 'BioShocky' game modes. Adam Grab, anyone?

  Water-tight

  I have really enjoyed stepping into the world of Rapture. I think your overall enjoyment depends on how much you try and get out of your experience of the game. For example, there is a little yellow arrow that points you in the direction you need to take, and it can be quite easy to simply follow this without exploring too much. The same goes for finding and listening to the audio diaries. While mostly optional, listening to the tapes gives you a much bigger insight into the world and characters.

  Personally, I found it very easy and engaging to explore the depths that Rapture has to offer, rather than rush through the game as quickly as possible. I think that regardless of whether or not you have played BioShock 1, this is a very strong and enjoyable adventure that really explores the ideas of morality and devotion.

  An excellent emotional engagement into a genre soaked in shooters that often seem to be lacking in character development and feeling.

  

  Big Daddy
  + Immersive and tactical combat system.
  + Underwater Ironman taking on the world!
  + Multiplayer's really good fun.

  Big Sister
  - Sometimes manic and frustrating combat.
  - Could be seen as 'just another sequel'.
  - Where is the rest of the world?

  Words By: Tom Hewitt

• BioShock Infinite to include multiplayer?

  BioShock's Big Daddy Ken Levine has said that he's experimenting with adding multiplayer to BioShock Infinite, but is not sure whether it will make the cut.

  Speaking on the Big O and Duke Show (still no idea, and thanks, Eurogamer), Levine said, "We got a lot of questions with the original BioShock saying, 'You're not having multiplayer? It's a first-person shooter - are you out of your mind?' We stuck very firmly to our guns on that, that unless we had something - a multiplayer component that was as compelling as everything else we were doing in the game - we were not going to put the investment into it, because that wouldn't be a service to the product, it wouldn't be a service to the fans and it wouldn't be a service to us - it wouldn't be any good to anybody."

  "From where we're sitting on BioShock Infinite, we are experimenting with lots of things in single-player and with things in multiplayer all the time," he added. "And the question is - and we're incredibly confident now that we've got a single-player experience that is absolutely going to be incredibly impactful on people... We're not convinced of that on a multiplayer side at this point."

  It will be interesting to see how the dice fall on this one. BioShock Infinite is still in the fairly early stages of development, and should be out some time in 2012.
  

• BioShock film is still on

  BioShock's creator Ken Levine has said that a movie based on the game is still a distinct possibility - despite rumours that the whole thing had fallen through.

  Speaking on the Big O and Dukes Show (no idea!), Levine said that "It's been a learning experience for us, [but] I would say it's still an active thing, and it's still something we're actively talking about and actively working on."

  "The movie business is complicated," he continued. ?I can't tell you whether it's going to happen for sure [nor] whether it's not going to happen for sure. But [it's] something we're quite actively discussing and actively working on. There's such a different set of requirements: if you have a movie that is basically a guy shooting dudes for two hours and nothing else, that's not much of a movie. A game can often just sort of be that (I don't think BioShock is that exactly). In the movie of BioShock, who is Jack? In the game, he was specifically a cipher, right? He was specifically a non-entity. You can't do that in a movie - that's the guy you're following through.

  The film is being produced by Gore Verbinski, who helmed the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, and the director is likely to be Juan Carlos Fresnadilo. While the film comes together, it's worth remembering that Levine is hard at work on BioShock Infinite, a new game set around the floating city of Columbia. It looks amazing, and is out sometime in 2012, apparently.

• Irrational Games talks BioShock's new baddies

  Have you been wondering about that big monster you might have spotted in the new BioShock: Infinite trailer? We have. We've also been sleeping with the light on and calling our parents every half hour, but that's just us. Well Irrational, the game's developer, has been spilling the beans on the monster's background a little.

  Speaking on the Irrational podcast (thanks, VG247), concept artist Rob Waters revealed that the beast is called the handyman - and that he originally came packing some giant mechanical crab claws.

  The claws were soon changed to hands, however. "[The] problem was a gameplay thing," said art director Nate Wells. "Here's a classic case of a trailer causing one choice to be made which then has repercussions in the game, but it actually turns out to be a really good thing. The functionality problem was that claws are for grabbing, and not for pushing or punching. This guy's actual functionality was to punch. And that sort of evolved... By the time we'd done a prototype it was like, 'Well, this guy should grab, not punch You punch with fists. So he evolves again and he actually gets hands."

  A separate story to the current BioShock series BioShock Infinite is coming for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 some time in?ooh, 2012. It's set on a city named Columbia that's floating in the clouds, and it looks BRILLIANT

   

• New Bioshock title takes to the skies

  Irrational Games has announced a brand new Bioshock game, titled Bioshock: Infinite, which will launch on HD consoles and PC in 2012.

  Ken Levine and his development team, creators of the celebrated original BioShock (but not its recent sequel, BioShock 2) have waved goodbye to Rapture and built a city in the clouds called Columbia, another failed utopia set on huge floating platforms and airships.

  Like its predecessor, Bioshock: Infinite is a first-person shooter which sees players wielding unusual powers from genetic modifications, but the sun-dappled world of Columbia is very different to Rapture, not least because this time you're playing an established character, a Pinkerton agent named Booker DeWitt. You'll be joined by a mysterious femme fatale called Elizabeth, who is a key player in the conflict currently tearing the city apart.

  Unlike Rapture, not every resident of Columbia will be looking to rip the player limb-from-limb, though enemies will often approach in larger groups, with Elizabeth and Booker combining their powers - the former has a nice line in telekinesis - to deal with the increasing threat.

  It's at least eighteen months away, but already Bioshock: Infinite looks like it will build on the foundations laid by the classic original. Expect to hear much more in the build-up to its 2012 release.

• Bioshock developer teases a new game

  If you've been wondering what Irrational Games, the creator of the brilliant Sci-Fi shooter BioShock, has been up to for the last few years, you're not going to have to wait much longer to get an answer. The developer has just released a teaser for its latest unannounced game ? currently codenamed Project Icarus.

  The developer has just put up a new website, called WhatisIcarus, and although there's not a lot you can tell from it, it seems safe to say that Irrational's next game is likely to be as moody and atmospheric as its last effort.

  If this is all a bit cryptic for you, the developer has also invited games press from around the world to attend a huge event held in New York City on 11th August. You can be sure that we'll get the story for you.

  In the meantime, if you're new to BioShock, you should really see what the fuss is about, and take your first journey to the underwater city of Rapture, where monstrous Big Daddies stalk the hallways, ready to duke it out in intense gun battles. Both BioShock and BioShock 2 are available for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.

• Hopes for Bioshock movie sinking fast

  
  Pirates of the Caribbean director Gore Verbinski has been talking to film site ComingSoon, explaining why pre-production on his planned Bioshock movie has ground to a shuddering halt.

  
  According to Verbinski, the film's potential R rating is the biggest stumbling block for investors, the helmer failing to secure the $160million he apparently needs to recreate Rapture in cinematic form.

  
  "I couldn't really get past anybody that would spend the money that it would take to do it and keep an R rating," he sighed. "I wasn't really interested in pursuing a PG-13 version. I just wanted to really, really make it a movie where, four days later, you're still shivering."
  "It's a movie that has to be really, really scary," Verbinski continued, "but you also have to create a whole underwater world, so the price tag is high. We just didn't have any takers on an R-rated movie with that price tag."

  
  If a large-pocketed Hollywood bigshot dug deep enough to fund the film, Verbinski reckons Rapture would look best in 3D. "I'd like to go into that world wearing a pair of glasses, I think in general, gaming is perfect for 3D. Anything where you're the protagonist. The kid in The Shining on the big wheel, going around corridors - that's what 3D is perfect for. To make people feel on edge."

  
  A Bioshock game in 3D? Now that would be worth investing in. Let's hope Ken Levine, currently working on Bioshock: Infinite, is listening.

• New Release Round Up: 12th Feb 2010

  This week's new GAME releases are all about revisiting gaming's classic series, with new franchise outings or expansions for existing blockbuster titles.
  
  Epic fantasy

  One of gaming's biggest role-playing series is finally ready to make its debut on the current generation of consoles. Final Fantasy XIII (PS3/X360) features unique worlds, memorable characters and an engrossing story that sees players plunged into an age-old conflict between the floating city of Cocoon and the mysterious land of Pulse that dwells beneath it.

  The title offers an epic quest, fantastic magic and titanic battles, all in jaw-dropping HD for the first time in the franchise's history. It's set to be one of the biggest titles of the year, taking gamers on an enchanting journey that's definitely not to be missed.
  
  

  Chaos rises

  Set in the war-ravaged world of Games Workshop's science fiction universe, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II: Chaos Rising (PC) transports players into the midst of an intergalactic war between ancient enemies.

  This standalone expansion pack for the acclaimed real time strategy series introduces the Chaos Space Marines as a playable army, adds 15 new single player missions and raises the level cap from 20 to 30. It also features new multiplayer maps and fresh units for the Orks, Eldar, Tyranids and Space Marines.
  
  

  Street fighting in Tokyo

  Expertly blending combat, exploration and mini-games, Sega's open-world adventure Yakuza 3 (PS3) makes its much anticipated debut on a current generation platform.

  While all begins calmly as you step into the shoes of former criminal Kiryu Kazuma, who's now running an orphanage on the tropical island of Okinawa, it's not long before adversity strikes and forces him to return to the gritty Tokyo haunts from the first two games and the shadowy past he thought he'd left behind.

  
  

  Speeding through Green Hill Zone

  The original titles from gaming icon Sonic The Hedgehog come to the Nintendo DS for the first time. Sonic Classic Collection (DSi/DS Lite) allows fans old and new to speed through the much loved zones of the four original Sonic adventures in a bid to collect the Chaos Emeralds and save the world.

  Sonic Classic Collection boasts a new save anywhere feature, meaning the game can be enjoyed anywhere, anytime. It also features a video recounting the history of Sonic, offering gamers an in-depth look at the evolution of the speedy hedgehog.
  
  

  The biohazard threat returns

  An expanded version of last year's chart topping Resident Evil 5, Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition (PS3/Xbox 360) contains two new story episodes, additional player costumes and fresh characters for Mercenaries mode - a side game that sees players shooting down as many enemies as they can within a set time limit.

  The first new chapter, "Lost in Nightmares," stars Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield as they investigate Umbrella Corporation founder Ozwell E. Spencer's hideaway. The second, "Desperate Escape," sees Valentine and Josh Stone fight off waves of enemies in a bid to escape from an African research facility under the darkness of night.

  
  

  Also out this week:

  • Avalon Code (DSi/DS Lite)
  • Ben 10: Alien Force: Vilgax Attacks (X360/Wii/DS/PSP/PS2)
  • Dancing on Ice (Wii)
  • Fat Princess (PSP)
  • Way of the Samurai 3 (X360/PS3)

  Published: 12/02/2010

• Batman helps to inspire Bioshock Infinite

  When we finally get our grubby mitts on Bioshock Infinite in 2012, you can thank a certain caped crusader for some of the game's structure. That's because Ken Levine, head honcho of developer Irrational Games and Bioshock creator, has admitted that 2009 blockbuster hit Batman: Arkham Asylum tickled his creative reflexes and made him reconsider some of the choices he made in the original game.

  Talking to Eurogamer, the man responsible for seminal PC game System Shock confessed that he was impressed with the way Arkham Asylum changed things around whenever the story took the player back through a previously explored location.

  ne of the things that's great about Arkham Asylum is that it's similarly structured to BioShock in some ways but also one of their great innovations is when you come back through an area they establish an entirely different narrative he said.

  "I think we're very much inspired by that. In BioShock 1 we just had respawning when you came back through an area, so I think when we put you back through an area we want to do it in a way that feels different and meaningful."

  A true Bioshock sequel with a Metroid-style gameworld that evolves as you move through it? Next year can't come soon enough.
  

• Bioshock Vita to offer something

  Bioshock Vita to offer something little different

  Ken Levine, creative mastermind behind the hugely successfully Bioshock games, has promised something different for those looking forward to the franchise's PlayStation Vita outing.

  As reported by Joystiq, Levine has outlined the plans for a title that's still very much in the early stages of development. While explaining that the Vita release would be an experimental release in the series, he also confirmed that the game wouldn't be a mere port of earlier Bioshock titles.

  That's not the current goal for what we're doing, he explained.

  I think for us, the idea we have is a really good expression on a platform like that. It's a different goal. And it has to sort of have its own voice in the franchise. If it just feels like a quieter voice in the franchise, I don't think that works.

  I'd rather do something that's an experiment and that's a little different. And is unique for the franchise.

  The developer has also yet to rule out the possibility of hiring an external team to bring something new to the table.

  otentially, potentially. To keep quality level...I wish I could say it was easy...it just tends to be more time-consuming. It's just hard to find the right partners or the right people to hire.

  As well as the Vita instalment of Bioshock, gamers can look forward to Bioshock Infinite, expected to release some time next year on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

• New Year Revolutions: The games of 2012 that we want to play now

  New Year Revolutions: The games of 2012 that we want to play now

  Towards the end of last year, we saw veritable avalanche of amazing games roll over us, leaving us swamped but happy with top-notch titles such as Modern Warfare 3, Batman: Arkham City, Skyrim, Super Mario Land 3D, Assassin's Creed Revelations, Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Saints Row The Third and, oh, you get the idea.

  Surely that's more than enough new games to leave even the greediest gamer feeling stuffed and satisfied? Well, yes, but don't pretend you can't hear that little voice whispering in the back of your mind. What's next? it says.

  Here's the answer: our guide to the big games of 2012 that we can't wait to play.

  GTA V (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

  The genre-busting open-world crime caper makes its long-awaited return, with an all-new tale set in the pseudo-L.A. of Los Santos. Details are limited to one cryptic trailer, but where Rockstar is concerned it's safe to set expectations high.
  

  Mass Effect 3 (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

  Bioware brings its grand space opera to a cataclysmic finale, as the world-devouring Reapers declare open war on Earth. The game adds optional multiplayer modes, as well as Kinect voice features for Xbox 360.
  

  Halo 4 (Xbox 360)

  Who seriously thought that Halo 3 would be the last we saw of Master Chief? He's back for the start of a brand new trilogy, which will find the Spartan super soldier confronting his own destiny as well as an ancient evil poised to destroy the universe. No pressure then.
  

  Bioshock Infinite (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

  Swapping the bottom of the ocean for the top of the world, this continuation of the smartest sci-fi shooter in recent memory casts you as a Pinkerton agent in 1912, trying to escape a dystopian city in the clouds. Expect gorgeous views and gruelling terror in equal measure.
  

  Borderlands 2 (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

  Return to Pandora for another round of co-operative role-playing mayhem. The game promises more dynamic quests which will alter the path of the story, as well as smarter enemies and more independent non-player characters. Bring it.
  

  Hitman: Absolution (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

  It's been five years since Agent 47 last graced our joypads in Blood Money, and his latest adventure will take full advantage of the updates in technology since. Expect to be able to set up more elaborate assassinations, as well some form of multiplayer.
  

  Max Payne 3 (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

  Rockstar's other big game for 2012 finds the dual-wielding anti-hero cop disgraced and working as a bodyguard in Brazil. Of course, it all kicks off when the family he's guarding are targeted by gangsters, and slow-motion shooty-diving is the only way to settle the score.
  

  The Last Guardian (PS3)

  The latest game from Ico and Shadow of the Colossus creator Fumito Ueda follows a young boy attempting to escape from a grim castle with some help from his friend, a giant griffin-creature called Trico. Action, puzzles and beautiful loveliness ensue.
  

  Tomb Raider (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

  After drifting out of the spotlight, the first lady of gaming returns with this series reboot which follows a more vulnerable teenage Lara Croft, as she grows into the confident adventurer we all know and love.
  

  PlayStation Vita

  Sony's incredibly powerful handheld drops in February, bringing next-gen muscle to the portable gaming market. With 3G and Wifi-enabled models available - and boasting exclusive Uncharted, Wipeout and Call of Duty games - it's the console to watch in 2012.
  
  

• Bioshock Infinite to party like its 1999

  Bioshock Infinite to party like its 1999

  Gamers who like it tough will be clapping like seals at the news that Bioshock Infinite, the follow-up to the critically acclaimed 2007 smash hit, will be getting what developer Irrational Games has called 1999 Mode.

  That's the year Irrational's cult action-RPG System Shock 2 was released, a major influence on the original Bioshock. Now, players who want a more challenging experience will be able to play Bioshock Infinite as if it was designed back in those less forgiving times. Upgrade decisions will be irreversible, and it will be impossible to backtrack and work around the consequences of your actions.

  I'm an old school gamer, explained Irrational boss and Bioshock creator Ken Levine. We wanted to make sure we were taking into account the play styles of gamers like me. So we went straight to the horse's mouth by asking them, on our website, a series of questions about how they play our games. 94.6 percent of respondents indicated that upgrade choices enhanced their BioShock gameplay experience; however, 56.8 percent indicated that being required to make permanent decisions about their character would have made the game even better. In BioShock Infinite, gamers will have to sweat out the results of their actions. In addition, 1999 Mode will demand that players pick specialisations, and focus on them.

  BioShock Infinite swaps the undersea city of Rapture for Columbia, a floating city in the sky, but retains the same sharp political commentary and nerve-wracking horror feel. It's due for release on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC later this year.

• BioShock Infinite to include challenging 1999 Mode

  Hardcore gamers will welcome news that the upcoming BioShock Infinite will include a new mode that brings a new level of old-school challenge to the experience.

  Dubbed 1999 Mode, the new difficulty setting has been incorporated based on fan feedback and harks back to a more punishing era of game design, in which player choices and tactics are more likely to have permanent consequences.

  Gamers will really need to think about any decisions they make for their characters in 1999 Mode, both in terms of narrative development and customisation specialisations, as they will not be able to reverse them later.

  The mode will also feature much more demanding weapon, power and health management elements, while respawning will be much less frequent, meaning players could be confronted with the dreaded Game Over screen if they are not careful enough.

  Irrational Games' creative director Ken Levine said: "I'm an old school gamer. We wanted to make sure we were taking into account the play styles of gamers like me."

  BioShock Infinite is due for release on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC this year and is developed by the same team behind the multi-award-winning original BioShock.
  

  Published: 23/01/2012

• Bioshock 2 - Review

  
  

  

  You's the Daddy!

  Let me begin by laying down a rather 'shocking' fact... I have not played the first BioShock! So the first question that I wanted to find an answer for is: do you need to have played the first BioShock in order to enjoy the second one? And that answer is... no. The plot in BioShock 2 doesn't particularly follow on from the first and gives you enough information to understand what is going on.

  You star as a Big Daddy, which if you were like me and un-Shocked, then you wouldn't really know who/what that was. You are an iron-glad genetically enhanced guardian of the Little Sisters, who in turn are genetically modified little girls who run around sucking ADAM soaked corpses. Nice.

  The setting is an underwater city called Rapture that was once filled with lots of cutting edge science, but has now turned into a ruined city where people fight over a gene-enhancing drug called ADAM, that ends up making you go a bit loopy.

  You begin BioShock 2 having woken up from a 10 year coma and your one mission is to find your Little Sister, Eleanor who has been taken away from you Dr. Sophia Lamb, her mother. Sophia Lamb is now running Rapture, and doesn't want you anywhere near Eleanor and will do everything in her power to stop you.

  Bio-shooter

  This idea of playing as a protector, desperately trying to find your lost counterpart is set out in a very interesting way. This type of character dynamic is not a new concept, but the Big Daddies seem to be portrayed as a kind of dumb brute following the Little Sisters' every move. You are like a giant teddy-bear with a machine gun. You were engineered for one reason; to protect your Little Sister. With all the carnage that surrounds you as you explore the city of Rapture, it brings a sense of innocence to the character that all you can think about is finding your Little Sister.

  

  You's the Daddy!

  BioShock 2 at its essence is a shooter. You will spend a lot of time in Rapture killing your doped up foes in different, equally savage ways. You start with a drill that you can use to mash the opposition into pulp. You also get to pick up other shooting equipment a bit more like you would usually expect to find in a shooter title. Alongside these weapons you get to use plasmids. These are abilities you get that have characteristics like lightning bolts, telekinesis and other things to cause damage to the inhabitants of Rapture.

  The battles themselves are much more tactical than your typical run-and-gun shooters. Utilising all of your plasmids and fire-arms, as well as the environments to your advantage is the only way to stay alive. Carefully planning the modes of attack brings out a more RPG side to BioShock 2. Going in guns blazing more often than not leaves you in a sense of panic - madly pushing buttons while trying to run away. Even on easy mode, none of the battles are a walk in the park.

  Look and listen

  This tricky combat system is enhanced by your characters apparel. Wearing an entire suit of metal is going to slow you down a bit. The sound effects as you walk and get shot at are brilliant. You can hear movement and screams from all over Rapture, which can add a certain sense of dread as you venture into uncharted waters. You will sometimes see other Big Daddies engaged in combat through windows which adds the idea that the world of Rapture is still going on around you.

  The overall graphical style of BioShock 2 seems to be very similar to what I'd seen of the first game. I get the feeling that although there is a lot of eye candy to be seen throughout Rapture, it is probably not a great improvement on the first outing. Saying that though, from a first time BioShock player, the world of Rapture is breathtaking. The world has been thoroughly thought out and digests well as a very stylised environment.

  

  Another thing that goes down very well indeed is the online multiplayer mode, which nods its head to the first game by taking levels from it, and making them the core focus of the multiplayer shenanigans. I've put a good few hours into this already, and have really enjoyed unlocking new weapons and plasmids and playing the very 'BioShocky' game modes. Adam Grab, anyone?

  Water-tight

  I have really enjoyed stepping into the world of Rapture. I think your overall enjoyment depends on how much you try and get out of your experience of the game. For example, there is a little yellow arrow that points you in the direction you need to take, and it can be quite easy to simply follow this without exploring too much. The same goes for finding and listening to the audio diaries. While mostly optional, listening to the tapes gives you a much bigger insight into the world and characters.

  Personally, I found it very easy and engaging to explore the depths that Rapture has to offer, rather than rush through the game as quickly as possible. I think that regardless of whether or not you have played BioShock 1, this is a very strong and enjoyable adventure that really explores the ideas of morality and devotion.

  An excellent emotional engagement into a genre soaked in shooters that often seem to be lacking in character development and feeling.

  The Good:

  • Immersive and tactical combat system.
  • Underwater Ironman taking on the world!
  • Multiplayer's really good fun.

  The Bad:

  • Sometimes manic and frustrating combat.
  • Could be seen as 'just another sequel'.
  • Where is the rest of the world?

  Words by Tom Hewitt

  Published: 17/02/2012

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