[E3 2009] BioShock 2 Eyes-On
What's this now? Multiplayer comes to Rapture? Read on to find out what we know.
Published: June 4, 2009
The path the first BioShock took to get to the PS3 was a long and winding one involving no less than four different studios, one of which wasn't even an in-house developer at 2K. The combined efforts of 2K Marin, 2K Australia, 2K Boston and Canadian developer Digital Extremes resulted in so many cooks not spoiling the broth, but instead making it better in some ways than the original stock.
It also helped form a rather tight bond between all the disparate studios, and as 2K Marin took over most of the core development duties on BioShock 2, they decided they'd once again tap the resources of Digital Extremes to handle the multiplayer side of things. That's right, BioShock 2 has multiplayer. And it looks fantastic.
Before they dove into what would make up the online portion of Rapture, though, the single-player was re-iterated. Heading back to Rapture is done with a very different take than the first game's set-up. You're not some downed plane passenger that "discovers" Rapture, you're one of the oldest residents: the original Big Daddy. Not a lumbering, mindless guardian of the Little Sisters (though you can adopt one and then eventually choose to free or harvest them for previous ADAM), this Big Daddy has free will -- oh, and the ability to use plasmids. Plasmids with upgrade trees. And since you're a big lug in a diving suit, you can explore the ocean floor and see what treasures it might still hold in the 10 years since the events of the first game.
Of course, being an all-powerful, plasmid- and rivet-gun-wielding monstrosity needs a bit of balancing. Being able to use the drill or a shoulder slam move only makes it more unfair for the poor splicers still roaming the halls, so 2K Marin found a solution right in Rapture: the Big Sister. Insanely agile and more than a match for your skills, she'll end up being the ultimate recurring nemesis, arriving to attack and, if she has her way, destroy you before you can suss out what going on in Rapture.
Interestingly, though, the multiplayer isn't just a separate component from BioShock 2's storyline, it's in a completely different timeline, taking place a year before the first game. As a resident of Rapture, you'll play host to the very civil war the eventually tore the whole city apart. Rampant abuse of genetic modification has given rise to more than a few super-powered freaks, and Sinclair Solutions knows exactly how to get in on the racket. Serving as war profiteers, they effectively supply both sides with any breakthrough technology and, unbeknownst to you, are playing both factions against each other.
As a new "recruit," you're given a care package of a few basic plasmids and weapons and your own apartment, which serves as the multiplayer mode's hub. Each apartment has its own bathysphere, which serves as a quickmatch option; just pull the handle and you'll be automatically dropped into a game based on your skill level. Though the hub isn't necessary (you can jump right into a game without ever entering the apartment), it serves as sort of a rewards landing pad. As you rank up by winning matches your ADAM level will go up. Not only will it unlock new abilities and help you play with other like-leveled players, but lets you choose your modes before departing into the main game if you so choose.
Combat itself plays nicely off the elements seen in the single-player games. You can hack turrets (no mini-game needed; this is a competitive Deathmatch/Team Deathmatch mode, after all), which will then turn on other players, can dual wield your weapons and plasmids just like in the single-player game and can even charge up plasmid attacks to deal extra damage and have a longer carryover effect (fire will continue to burn longer, for instance). The Circus of Values vending machines return too, serving as instant refills of EVE or ammo.
One of the coolest little pickups in the game, however is the ability to become a Big Daddy. You'll get all the boosts to attack power and defense, of course, but you'll also be pinged with a virtual bullseye in the form of more experience if someone kills you, and the possibility that if someone does do you in, they'll get to become a Big Daddy themselves (though the power-up with randomly spawn in the level after it's used up anyway).
It seems like Digital Extremes' work on the multiplayer portion of things is anything but a tacked-on mode. They've clearly taken the best parts of other multiplayer games like progressive unlocks and leveling up, and coupled that with the particular feel of the BioShock universe. If the single-player wasn't already enticing enough, the multiplayer will surely help push fence-sitters over the edge. Us? We've been down from the start, but now we're even more eagerly anticipating what could be one of the biggest games of October. Where's our hibernation chamber?
It also helped form a rather tight bond between all the disparate studios, and as 2K Marin took over most of the core development duties on BioShock 2, they decided they'd once again tap the resources of Digital Extremes to handle the multiplayer side of things. That's right, BioShock 2 has multiplayer. And it looks fantastic.
Before they dove into what would make up the online portion of Rapture, though, the single-player was re-iterated. Heading back to Rapture is done with a very different take than the first game's set-up. You're not some downed plane passenger that "discovers" Rapture, you're one of the oldest residents: the original Big Daddy. Not a lumbering, mindless guardian of the Little Sisters (though you can adopt one and then eventually choose to free or harvest them for previous ADAM), this Big Daddy has free will -- oh, and the ability to use plasmids. Plasmids with upgrade trees. And since you're a big lug in a diving suit, you can explore the ocean floor and see what treasures it might still hold in the 10 years since the events of the first game.
Of course, being an all-powerful, plasmid- and rivet-gun-wielding monstrosity needs a bit of balancing. Being able to use the drill or a shoulder slam move only makes it more unfair for the poor splicers still roaming the halls, so 2K Marin found a solution right in Rapture: the Big Sister. Insanely agile and more than a match for your skills, she'll end up being the ultimate recurring nemesis, arriving to attack and, if she has her way, destroy you before you can suss out what going on in Rapture.
Interestingly, though, the multiplayer isn't just a separate component from BioShock 2's storyline, it's in a completely different timeline, taking place a year before the first game. As a resident of Rapture, you'll play host to the very civil war the eventually tore the whole city apart. Rampant abuse of genetic modification has given rise to more than a few super-powered freaks, and Sinclair Solutions knows exactly how to get in on the racket. Serving as war profiteers, they effectively supply both sides with any breakthrough technology and, unbeknownst to you, are playing both factions against each other.
As a new "recruit," you're given a care package of a few basic plasmids and weapons and your own apartment, which serves as the multiplayer mode's hub. Each apartment has its own bathysphere, which serves as a quickmatch option; just pull the handle and you'll be automatically dropped into a game based on your skill level. Though the hub isn't necessary (you can jump right into a game without ever entering the apartment), it serves as sort of a rewards landing pad. As you rank up by winning matches your ADAM level will go up. Not only will it unlock new abilities and help you play with other like-leveled players, but lets you choose your modes before departing into the main game if you so choose.
Combat itself plays nicely off the elements seen in the single-player games. You can hack turrets (no mini-game needed; this is a competitive Deathmatch/Team Deathmatch mode, after all), which will then turn on other players, can dual wield your weapons and plasmids just like in the single-player game and can even charge up plasmid attacks to deal extra damage and have a longer carryover effect (fire will continue to burn longer, for instance). The Circus of Values vending machines return too, serving as instant refills of EVE or ammo.
One of the coolest little pickups in the game, however is the ability to become a Big Daddy. You'll get all the boosts to attack power and defense, of course, but you'll also be pinged with a virtual bullseye in the form of more experience if someone kills you, and the possibility that if someone does do you in, they'll get to become a Big Daddy themselves (though the power-up with randomly spawn in the level after it's used up anyway).
It seems like Digital Extremes' work on the multiplayer portion of things is anything but a tacked-on mode. They've clearly taken the best parts of other multiplayer games like progressive unlocks and leveling up, and coupled that with the particular feel of the BioShock universe. If the single-player wasn't already enticing enough, the multiplayer will surely help push fence-sitters over the edge. Us? We've been down from the start, but now we're even more eagerly anticipating what could be one of the biggest games of October. Where's our hibernation chamber?
