My favorite game of all time is Bioshock. It isn’t even close. No disrespect to Goldeneye, Star Craft, Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter 2, NHLPA Hockey, NFL Blitz, Borderlands, Call of Duty, 10 Yard Fight or any of the other games that have impacted my life. Bioshock is a work of art. It transcends gaming, movies and even entertainment itself. It is perfect. The music, the canon, the characters, the voice acting, the plot twists, there is nothing I didn’t love. Which is exactly the reason why I was very concerned and aroused, simultaneously. The prospect of more time in Rapture with the creaking tunnels, hissing splicers and rumbling Big Daddies was intoxicating. But does one dare tinker with perfection? Is there something to be said for “going out on a high note” like one George Costanza taught us many years ago?
I have always thought that was a bullshit, loser way of thinking. People that say there should not be a follow up to the Dark Knight for instance. They are fucking retarded. Use a sports analogy. The New Orleans Saints just had a miraculous season. It was comprised of the stuff written in story books. Does anyone think the Saints should shut down the franchise now? Will they ruin this championship if they lose the NFC title game next year? Of course not. If Francis Ford Coppola stopped when he achieved perfect, we would not have had the pleasure of watching The Godfather 2. It’s ludicrous to stop working just because you’ve done something well.
That’s why I wasn’t one of the vocal throngs of nerds condemning a sequel to the game of the year from the get go. I was trepidatious because of the changes that I had read about. The change in protagonist. The change in the villain. The addition of multiplayer. All of my trepidation was put to rest about an hour in the game. Keep in mind I have only logged about five hours of playing time thus far and I wouldn’t spoil it for you if I had played more. What I have witnessed thus far has put to rest any worries I had ever held.
To start, it was so amazing to step foot in Rapture. The sounds, the music, the gloom in the fallen city was all still there. That being said, it was very different. Things had defiantly changed in the underwater city and the change was in the perfect proportion. You could really tell you were in a different part of the city, but it wasn’t so new as to lose the amazing atmosphere offered in the first Bioshock. I don’t want to give too many details but I will say there are enough nods to events that took place in the previous installment to really get you inner nerd going.


I snapped a couple of screenshots to give an example of what I am saying. If the images above are unfamiliar, than I doubt you would be reading this post at this juncture. 2K did an incredible job of keeping the game both different and familiar enough to walk the line of potentially the perfect sequel. I haven’t touch the multiplayer and I don’t know how they can match “Would you kindly?” Regardless, the wait was well worth to the sequel of the best video game of all time. Rise Rapture, Rise.
















