BioShock 2 Multiplayer Impressions

Nov 5, 2009

It's admittedly still a little odd to think of BioShock as a multiplayer experience considering such a component wasn't part of the original, but it's being presented as a significant piece of the upcoming sequel. Instead of just tossing together a few deathmatch modes, the suite appears to be packed with features, including a progressive level up system, character customization, and game mechanics tailored to the BioShock universe.

As you probably know if you've been following along, in BioShock 2 you play as a Big Daddy. Well, that's not something that carries over into its online sections. Instead, the setting for the multiplayer part of the game is a time period even before the events of the first game, when people were running rampant in Rapture and genetically modifying themselves with little to no regard for personal safety. You can pick a character model (a welder, a housewife, a football player, and more) and then pick and choose which weapons and plasmids to bring into battle with you. Other options include swapping out different masks (goat, pink feather, rabbit, eagle, the list goes on) and picking between a variety of melee weapons including trophies, wrenches, and candlesticks.

The more you participate in multiplayer matches, the more you unlock in terms of weapons, plasmids, and tonics that provide passive bonuses. Regarding the weapons, they're similar to what you saw in the first BioShock. You'll can't bring every weapon into a fight, so you'll need to pick between a machine gun, shotgun, pistol, crossbow, grenade launcher, and a new nail gun. It's also possible to slot in weapon modifications, bestowing bonuses like increased magazine size or an increased rate of fire.

Loadouts and modifications can be set up on a menu before diving into a match so you'll be able to take the time to consider how to match up abilities with your play style. For plasmids, you'll have the standard assortment of abilities like electrobolt and incinerate, as well as something called aero dash which lets you surge forward at high speed and, if you make contact with a frozen target, break them to pieces. It's also possible to set to active a geyser trap plasmid which can send foes flying into the ceiling when it's triggered, or can serve as a jump pad. Tonics like security evasion, eve saver, and expert researcher can also be slotted in to make you more effective in combat.

Once you're done fiddling around with all those customization settings and are ready to jump into a match, you'll find a number of modes, including the standard deathmatches and team deathmatches along with something called Capture the Sister, which is like capture the flag. One team is on offense, the other on defense, and it's the attackers' job to grab the Little Sister the defenders are protecting and carry her to an extraction point. The hook is that one of the defenders is turned into a Big Daddy, who can absorb a lot of damage and quickly wipe out attackers with a rivet gun. As a result, the defenders need to be clever about taking advantage of all the multiple passages through a map to get shots at the Big Daddy to take him out and grab the Little Sister before he respawns. Then if you're the one who manages to scoop up the Little Sister, who scowls and screams in your arms as you proceed to the exit vent, you'll be limited to only plasmid use to defend yourself, so obviously working as a team will help out.

As for the feel of the game, like BioShock it's not really about precision shooting as much as it is about using your arsenal intelligently. If you've got incinerate active, for instance, maybe the best idea is to sit back and light your enemies on fire from a distance to soften them up for teammates who may be charging in to make a capture. If you're the one running directly at the enemy, electrobolt may be a better idea since it can stun your foes and give you a few extra seconds to grab the Sister and get out of there. To help out you'll also be able to photograph dead bodies of players, which can give you subsequent damage bonuses, as well as hack into any turrets or dispenser machines in the map. In the deathmatch modes you'll also be able to pick up a periodically spawning Big Daddy suit that temporarily transforms you into one of the armored giants, letting you easily wipe out a number of foes to drive up your score. Once a match is over you'll then be awarded points that'll level up your profile and unlock more gear.

While it's difficult to say at this point whether or not BioShock 2's multiplayer component will catch on with the community, from what I've seen it seems to be well put together. As Battlefield 2 or Call of Duty 4 players will know, the unlock system isn't particularly unique, but the setting and weapon combinations could help it stand out. The game's release date is currently set at February 9, 2010 for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC platforms.