The original Bioshock was largely hailed as a masterwork of videogame narrative and design - a title that set the bar for how stories in games should be told, how players should be allowed to experiment in play, and the kinds of worlds gamers should expect from developers in the future. It was a self-contained, almost perfect game that didn’t necessarily warrant any further additions in the form of sequels or spin-offs.

When it was announced that Bioshock was being primed for franchise material shortly after the game’s release (following the title’s impressive sales performance), warning bells began to sound amongst the game’s already rabid fanbase and questions began to be raised: How would a follow-up be handled? What stories from Bioshock were left to tell? Was the game’s publisher 2K Games simply going to wring the brand for cash?

The subsequent concrete announcement of a sequel in development, which was to include a multiplayer component of all things, had fans worried, while the revelation that a new studio, 2K Marin (seeded with developers from 2K Boston/Irrational), would handle development duties put serious doubts into the minds of those who had finally come around to the idea of a follow-up, and shortly before release, fans had resolved themselves to expect a game of lesser quality to the original, but still ‘good’ and possibly even ‘enjoyable.’

Post Bioshock 2’s release, however, and after soaking up the atmosphere of the singleplayer mode and following its highly intriguing story, and after competing online in the game’s extraordinarily fun and addictive multiplayer component, I can say that not only is Bioshock 2 ‘good’ and ‘enjoyable,’ it reaches the high bars set by the original title in the series, and is in my mind more than a worthy successor to that modern masterpiece.

Continue reading El33tonline’s review of Bioshock 2.