Bioshock 1 & 2: Daddy's home.

Dunxco

Jim: Hey, Mary, why so glum?

Mary: Oh Jim, I feel so lost after the end of Bioshock. There was so much left of Rapture to explore, so many more stories to tell! I just wish there was more to the city than what the visitors have seen...

Jim: Woah, settle down there little lady! I guess you haven't heard that we'll be getting new visitors real soon!

Mary: We will? That's wonderful! What can you tell our new guests about their second trip through Rapture?

Jim: Well Mary, I just got off the radio speaking to this funny fella named Dr. Wik. I. Pedia, and this is what he had to say:

Dr. Wik. I. Pedia. wrote:

BioShock 2 is a survival horror first-person shooter video game, being developed by 2K Marin and 2K Australia for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game consoles, and the Windows operating system. It is the sequel to the critically-acclaimed 2007 video game BioShock. The game is scheduled for simultaneous release on February 9, 2010 for all platforms. The game is set in fictional dystopian city Rapture in alternative history 1970, a decade after the events of BioShock. The protagonist and player-controlled character is a Big Daddy, a being who has had its organs and skin grafted into an atmospheric diving suit. The first of its kind, the player-controlled Big Daddy reactivates with no recollection of the past decade's events, and scours the city in a vain attempt to relocate the Little Sister that he was paired with.

Mary: That sounds swell Jim, but what else can you tell the visitors about that they haven't already seen?

Jim: Wow, you're a pushy one Mary! Keep this up and you'll end up with one right in the kisser! Both new folks and dab hands can expect more than just a fresh lick of paint:

• A whole new tale to tell around those cute little buttons, the Little Sisters, and their big ol' bodyguards, plus a couple of new faces you're sure to want to meet and greet!
  
• The same old friendly faces, but more of them! There's been a whole lot more splicing going on down here in the past ten years, and even some new faces!
  
• Wonderful places like Fontaine Futuristics, Ryan Amusements and the Adonis Luxury Resort have opened their doors to tours. Gee that's kind of them!
  
• A good try at the latest and greatest weapons to come out of Rapture! From Gattling Guns to dainty Spear Guns for the Splicer on the go!
  
• Improved Plasmids, and a couple of new ones. Combine them for even more bang for your Adam! Better watch out for that flaming cyclone trap, Mary!
  
• Take part in the historical testing for Sinclair Solutions(tm) with up to nine other friendly faces with seven different rulesets. Better strap on your helmet Mary, this trash-can's coming straight for you!

Mary: Wow, there's so much to do, Jim. How much longer do we have to wait?

Jim: Not much longer, Mary. We can expect all kinds of folk to come strolling by from the 9th of February.

Mary: Wow, that's not long at all! I better start organising the welcoming party at the Kashmir.

Jim: Haha! Make mine a double Mary, or I'll kneecap you with my new shotgun.

Mary: Oh Jim, you always were terrible.

A Rapture Reminder: Andrew Ryan tells us that leaked footage of the upcoming second tour of Rapture is forbidden; the parasite wants to spoil the experience for you. Ryan Industries is not held responsible for prior impressions caused by this leaked footage.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIopXUPVGFE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1-HK5LImgA

Jim: Need some of the inside scoop Mary? Well you shouldn't be listening to Rapture rumours, but I heard there's a scoop in a couple of places.

Come join the Cult of Rapture!

Looks like someone found something in the sea...

When in doubt, don't forget to check the manual!

System Requirements for Bioshock 2 PC version:

Minimum:

* OS: Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7
* 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
* DirectX®: DirectX 9.0c
* Hard Drive: 11GB
* Sound: 100% DirectX 9.0C compliant sound card or onboard sound
* DRM Information: SecuROM offers unlimited activations on up to 5 PCs.


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.
* 3rd-party DRM: SecuROM™
5 machine activation limit

Xbox 360 Multiplayer Gametag up and running! Send a friend request to RyanWangdustry and we can start having some multiplayer goodness!

The Steam group Ryan Wangdustry is up and running at long last.

Nuzak

heh, nice OP

i am actually moderately excited for the multiplayer

Dunxco

I did ask the mods if they were okay starting a new Bioshock 2 thread, and they gave me the thumbs-up. In retrospect I would've felt a bit more comfortable asking you first as well Nuzak.

Also, I too look forward to the multiplayer experience, and I'll definitely be trying it out on Xbox Live when I finish with the single player campaign.

AdditionalPylons

Where is my system shock 3:?:

Well...i can dream

Radikal_Dreamer

I was pretty late to the party with the first game, and it pleasantly surprised me with how much I liked it. It had its flaws, but it was still pretty great. My fiancee's getting me the 2nd one on release day for my birthday, and I'm pretty excited about it. I don't think I'll ever get the hate that this one's got. It doesn't seem to be any worse than any other sequel. And I'd be sad if all we got of this awesome setting and art style was one game. It was so unique and distinct that I think if any other game tried to do a sort of underwater city or something it would just be lambasted for copying, so if we never got a Bioshock 2, we'd never get more cool underwater shit.

The story looks pretty good, and the team seems to at least get some of the things that were wrong with the first game, and what was good with the first game and doesn't need changing. And the people responsible for this one made some of the cooler parts in the first.

And multiplayer, while it won't take away any thunder from some actually good multiplayer games, I'm excited to throw a few hours into it and have a bit of fun. My friend's also getting the game on that same day so we'll get to play together.

Dunxco

Because I dilly-dallied for so long over the opening thread, Cult of Rapture has already published a load of details about the multiplayer. The hub for it is an interactive apartment, with a gene bank to choose your loadout ala TF2, a wardrobe to customise your outfit, and an audio diary bank that you can collect and hear how the other characters go slowly insane due to excess splicing.

I think my favourite feature is that the character models themselves will be all spliced-up looking, but when you look in a mirror your character will look normal, healthy and beautiful. If you face another player with the same model as you, they'll look all spliced-up. They really look like they're putting a lot of effort into the multiplayer aspect without neglecting the single player one bit, which is excellent to see.

Each name has a wiki link embedded for more info. Spoilered for the large, here's the character concept art both pre- and post-splicing:

Naledi Atkins:

Barbara Johnson:

Jacob Norris:

Buck Raleigh:

Suresh Sheti:

Danny Wilkins:

And two bonus characters: These are unlocked via special codes from pre-ordering at some stores:

Zigo d’Acosta:

Mlle Blanche de Glace:

-SPI-

I wish I could unsee bomberman on the cover.

Nuzak

oh and this game has a minigun, so i pre-ordered it

the surest route to my heart is through predator

NinjaTard

As soon as I heard they had a sequel coming I was down. Sure it's kind of a cash in but everyone else is doing it so why not Bioshock? Like Radikal_Dreamer says...the story of what happened in Rapture is too big not to revisit again.

Multiplayer usually doesn't interest me as anything more than a curiosity but it sounds like reviewers are pretty impressed so I am hoping it actually hooks me and I can get way into it.

Only thing off the top of my head I want is a better set of good/bad endings. More than a 30 second cutscene would be nice.

Carcharodontosaurus

Multiplayer sounds really neat. If nothing else, it's going to be fun to fool around in the maps from the single player game without a Big Sister violating you at inopportune moments.

Nuzak

yeah i felt like i'd get this game purely because i loved the first one such a lot, and then i heard the lead director made the fort frolic level and i was all whaaaaaat

Sterica

Cautiously optimistic, as I felt the first got very weak towards the end.

The best twist in gaming, however.

Hillean

Preordered the CE... I probably won't ever use the record, or most of the materials... but if more money intake means more Bioshock games, then they can have my $100

Dunxco

Hillean wrote: »

Preordered the CE... I probably won't ever use the record, or most of the materials... but if more money intake means more Bioshock games, then they can have my $100

It's a really big investment, but the amount of stuff you get with it boggles the mind. 164-page art book is the big drawing point for me. Seriously, that's huge.

Also of interest to note - cult of Rapture has a few chariacature's that aren't based on any of the multiplayer characters that've been revealed: Possibly more DLC characters for the future? They're just labelled as "Smoker" and "Convict":




And with the single player, the area I look forward to the most (currently) is Ryan Amusements. I think it's such a great idea on paper, and something that Ryan would definitely have done to ensure the loyalty of Rapture's citizens to The Great Chain. Plus... It's a propoganda-spinning amusement park at the bottom of the sea. What more do you want?

Skull2185

I thought I'd be more excited as Bioshock 2's release neared, but nope.. nothin'

I just don't feel that Bioshock warranted a sequel. The game was great and amazing, but it was a contained thing... it had closure.

Maybe I'll be surprised and this one will be just as good.

DrunkMc

My biggest concern with this game so far is, I HATE escort missions with a total passion. And I am not liking how much attention these, Protect the little Sister while she drains Adam scenes are getting. Makes me think there will be a lot of them. I never liked that kind of event in games, that might deter me from getting it entirely.

I'll have to read some reviews first.

Dunxco

DrunkMc wrote: »

My biggest concern with this game so far is, I HATE escort missions with a total passion. And I am not liking how much attention these, Protect the little Sister while she drains Adam scenes are getting. Makes me think there will be a lot of them. I never liked that kind of event in games, that might deter me from getting it entirely.

I'll have to read some reviews first.

I'll see if I can ease your mind a little, although I could end up just making things worse:

From what we've seen, when you find a Little Sister, you can harvest them then and there for a paltry sum of ADAM, or you can choose to adopt them. You lug them on your shoulder, and go find an ADAM-rich corpse. Set up a perimeter to repel a wave or two of Splicers while the Little Sister drains the ADAM from the corpse. When she's done, you get some bonus ADAM as standard. Then you get another choice: Harvest her for a huge wad of ADAM, or send her back down the vent to Tenenbaum.

So the stages are:

1) Find Little Sister: Harvest for small amount of ADAM or adopt.
2) If adopted, find an ADAM-rich corpse. Set up a perimeter, defend her. She drains 40 from the corpse, and you get a small bonus anyway.
2a) Repeat step 2 if you want - Little Sisters can each harvest two corpses at the most.
3) Either harvest your ADAM-stuffed Little Sister or send her down the chute to Tenenbaum.

Lawndart

Oh, hello BioShock 2 thread. Would you kindly take a gander at this snazzy Steam pre-order deal?

While you don't get bonus characters or art books or a free copy of Atlas Shrugged like the luddites who pre-order from physical retail pavilions, you get a 10% discount (down to $44.99 USD) and a free copy of BioShock to either play or give away.

Also, and probably more important for the parasites and proletarians among us, they're pulling a Borderlands and offering a 4-pack for $134.97 USD ($33.74 USD per copy), which includes 4 free copies of BioShock.

We interrupt this post to casually mention that, despite my reservations about a Ken Levine-free BioShock sequel, that 4-pack is mighty tempting if only I could perhaps find 3 other folks to co-ordinate with. Ahem.

Dunxco

Now that, good sir, is an interesting offer. Any idea how it'd work for someone who uses the good ol-fashioned pound-sterling as their currency?

mrt144

No more pipe hacking minigame?

Dunxco

mrt144 wrote: »

No more pipe hacking minigame?

Hacking: Real-time now and like Tidus' Overdrive. Video here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGLPiGc6OaE&feature=player_embedded#at=29

The video also shows (briefly) how some of the Little Sister adoption techniques work.

Red: Damage and a negative effect (Alarms, short circuit etc).
White: Minor damage, hacking closed.
Green: Successful hack.
Blue: Successful hack with bonus (Extra damage, free random ammo/item, free first aid kits/EVE hypos).

To help compensate this, two ammo types have been introduced to a the Hack Tool, which acts like a supporting gun: Automatic Hack Darts (Instant hack when targeting a machine), and Remote Hack Darts (hack something from across a room by shooting it with these). Hacking looks like it'll be quicker at the cost of being in real-time.

And yes, hacking is also in the Multiplayer.

Opty

Which ending from the first does this assume happened?

Nuzak

it's open i believe

Dunxco

Opty wrote: »

Which ending from the first does this assume happened?

Here be spoilers. Short answer "Doesn't matter".

Long answer with metholodical thought behind it:

It's gone with "Doesn't matter". It's implied that sometime after Jack harvested/saved the Little Sister's during his sojourn through Rapture, Tenenbaum followed suit with some of her own Little Sisters. And then she comes back to Rapture after girls are getting kidnapped. Somethinginthesea followers could piece together that Jack saving the girls and tossing away Rapture is the most likely scenario, otherwise Somethinginthesea would be filled less with "Hey little girls are disappearing" and more with "HOLY SHIT THERE'S SPLICED UP PSYCHOS EVERYWHERE AND THEY'RE HIJACKING NUKES!"

And for Somethinginthesea fans...

Mark Meltzer made it to Rapture. One of the loading screen quotes outright confirms it.

Nuzak

i would like to say that something in the sea is one of the coolest ad sites i've seen to advertise a game in a while

but then again they have such a great atmosphere to work with

Dunxco

Note: People in the Austin, Texas Area! There will be Rapture-themed goings-on similar to the previous Splicers Unite!! events around the USA (which usually means free swag and some cosplaying people) at Wooldridge Park on the 23rd of January at noon. Cocktail party to follow.

Source.

Tanolen

There are a few reviews for it out now, PC Gamer was the only one that I reconized, but they gave it a 90 so not to bad a start.

Strikerkc

Hmmm, a curious question about using little sisters to harvest adam. It has something to do with the first game, so spoilered for those who haven't played BS1.

It seems like there's no real danger or drawback to using the little sister to harvest adam, beside the potential that you yourself might die in the onslaught of splicers.

In the final big dady stage of the first bioshock, the only "difficulty" to protecting the little sister was that she could die on account of no loger being a true little sister, and was now a mortal flesh and blood little girl.

So if our "real" little sisters in Bioshock 2 can't be killed, what makes it hard to use them for harvesting. Is it just that we have to fight for a few minutes straight , or will splicers pick her up and run off or something?

Dunxco

Well regarding that.

The waves of Splicers spawned will continue to spawn until the Little Sister is done harvesting a corpse. She can be harrassed by Splicers, and when she is, she pauses during her harvest until you eliminate the aggressor. So pretty much it's a case of keep enemies off her until she's done harvesting and then they go away.

Opty

Looking at the videos it looks like the Little Sisters have a lifebar, the yellow-orange one below your life and eve sorta like the one from the Big Daddy escort in the original. My guess is they're still harmable.

Crezth

Nope. Splicers can slow down the ADAM-drawing process, even halt it altogether, but the little sister can't be killed. You still can, however.

wallaka

Tanolen wrote: »

There are a few reviews for it out now, PC Gamer was the only one that I reconized, but they gave it a 90 so not to bad a start.

Not that they give any hyped game below a 90, of course.

Unlucky

Available for pre-order now. Order and get original Bioshock for free. 0.o

Temptation...to buy...rising...

There's even a 4 pack which you all get the original for free. Dammit. I have other -not video game- things to buy.

Detharin

If anyone wants to buy a 4 pack id be down to paypal you the 34 bucks for a copy.

Exarch

According to one of the previews, Little Sisters can now heal their Big Daddies when not in combat. Exactly the fix I wanted, for the vita-zergers. Caaaan't waaaait.

Unlucky

Interesting, seems Steam is finally upping the price of Aussie games to match the stores.

This is annoying, as it means bioshock costs $70 US here now, $53 is I get a 4 pack.

So, uh, when I get a little more cash, count me in for an American 4 pack. $34 ftw.

Delicious Steve

Nuzak wrote: »

oh and this game has a minigun, so i pre-ordered it

the surest route to my heart is through predator

I hope the protagonist in BS2 has some good one liners instead of being completely silent this time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Usd4z9rxbys

Oh and the original Bioshock was okay, until I found out that you can not only use a Flamethrower, but it also leaves your enemies with charred and melted skin, I loved that damn gun and used it even when it was completely stupid to do so.

Also I've never seen what happens when you decide to kill the little sisters, do the people who killed them ever sleep again I wonder?

Vladimir7

fuck sakes I bought a 4 pack, I don't own BioShock, and I was expecting to get it but no.. first one isn't in my steam list
I have 4 copies in my gift passes though, but it won't let me gift one to myself, even if I email myself one...
Restarted steam a bunch of times but still nothing.
Guess ill send in a support ticket.

tardcore

I went all out and got the Special Edition pre-ordered.

Daebunz

tardcore wrote: »

I went all out and got the Special Edition pre-ordered.

Same here. High 5!

3cl1ps3

Hmm.

I really love the Steam special bonus megaultradrive(TM) package for pre-ordering.

But do we think the controls will end up feeling like a crappy port of a 360 game? Mass Effect PC was an awesome idea, but ended up playing horribly and being glitchy as all get out.