Why Bioshock 2 is the Best Bioshock

[@BoulderPunch]

Would you kindly support the channel further? • www.patreon.com/boulderpunch • Get Bioshock 2 on GOG (affiliate): bit.ly/bouldergogbio2 Related Videos & Playlists: • Bioshock Playlist: kzbin.info/aero/PL9iyzUyf92M_AEx3Ijo40tQcQZctzO1PK • Bioshock 2 Review: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jqLOaoZ9mamMkKs&t • Bioshock Infinite: Burial at Sea Review: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hGnaYqF7lKmig8k • Minerva's Den DLC Review: kzbin.info/www/bejne/a3OZYXR4j6eZb7s • The Lost (Irrational's Cancelled Game): kzbin.info/www/bejne/pHTdkqGIjcSGiLs&t • System Shock Playlist: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gHWxh5iDlJibprs

[@MCFPapa]

It's really impressive how many voice lines the Little Sisters have in this game. They'll give comments on every Plasmid you use, when you're in combat, when you use a vending machine, and my favorite "even daddy's toys have toys" when you use a Power to the People. If you usually save them they'll bounce happily and be glad when you want to adopt them, but if you usually harvest them they'll cower in fear and say that they'll be good really driving home how messed up it is to harvest them.

[@BoulderPunch]

I could never get myself to harvest them. kzbin.info/www/bejne/b2fNZ6ObeNedmJY there's a good 20ish minutes of voice lines they did. Great work.

[@thiccmonkey3382]

I could but only to get the sad ending

[@albertpen1508]

i dont know anybody who harvests them. when i do i tend to not know them anymore

[@Valeriefesben]

I wish if you were going to harvest them when they said things like “I’ll be good promise” and stuff like that You could back out and save them instead

[@drakep.5857]

Something I just love Is when I set splicers on fire the little sisters say "Marshmellows!"

[@yus62]

I still don't understand why one of the most used arguments against BioShock 2 is that it is like the first Game and brings nothing new. But I mean is it not the reason why we make Sequels, besides Money. To expand on a already established world, to build on the predecessor, to show the aftermath or give a new Spin on things. And in my opinion BioShock 2 achieved all of them and is not only a perfect Sequel but a masterpiece in itself.

[@BoulderPunch]

Yep - they explored more in a world that had more to explore, and did a great job with it.

[@ИгорьДушкин-ш1к]

Than Doom 2 suposed to be a bad game as well, it's just a map WAD with 1 new weapon and like 6 new demons. Obviously far inferior version of Doom 1.

[@saplkereviz6824]

Them people are blind. "Nothing new" ??? We play as a BIG FUCKING DADDY :D Some people except too much, i think...

[@letsBrn]

@@saplkereviz6824 well the gameplay is pretty much the same. But i will give that dual wieling works a lot better than the original.

[@saplkereviz6824]

@@letsBrn Two words: Subject Delta

[@t_k_blitz4837]

I felt genuinely proud, watching Eleanor tear it up in her Big Sister suit. [edited to correct spelling]

[@SpamtonG._Spamton]

Delta: Your doing great! (in Big dady noises) Elanor : is commiting first degree murder** :D

[@idiot_city5444]

It's corny as hell

[@SpamtonG._Spamton]

@@idiot_city5444 the 2nd is? PEOPLE SAY THE THIRD IS, ITS THE SAME PREMISE LOST DAUGHTER GETS TAKEN AWAY AND HE TRACKS HER DOWN WHICH CAUSES VIOLENCE AND THEY HAVE CULT ESC FOLLOWING TOO SO I GUESS INF IS TOO

[@crazy_tulip1552]

I always thought I was alone in thinking Bioshock 2 was the best one. The levels are so much more interactive and antagonists like the Big Sister were really a game changer. We were able to delve deeper into the story of rapture and that was so interesting to me. When I got to play as the little sister towards the end of the game I was completely blown away. I had always wondered what life in rapture was like for them and that gave us a little peek into their world. Amazing video!

[@Modie]

Personally, I think the game fails at something the first game was really good: combining gameplay with story. You play a Big Daddy in Bioshock 2, but aside from a few weapons (who aren't even that powerful) you could totally forget this fact because the game plays exactly like the first one. I don't understand what the point was of playing a Big Daddy when you could change the story at the beginning that this was just your actual daughter that was kidnapped. It would change nothing. And I think this shows the main flaw of the story.

[@radek4634]

@@Modie I do not agree. The story was great in 2. The main difference is that in 1 the entire story is thrown in the players face and there is no option to ignore it. In 2, everything was subtle and you had to feel it yourself, because no one in the game told the player directly what to feel and how (apart from the end). The player as Big daddy does not identify with the character, he just is him, unlike in the first part, where you play as someone specific and learn the story through the eyes of that character. Once you know the plot of the first game and there are no surprises, the game seems flat. You know exactly what awaits you and whole game feels boring. You can play the second part a second time and your emotions will only be stronger, because they are yours. Unfortunately, most people either get something given and described, or cannot find anything on their own. Most people are too stupid to find their emotions in the second part and thats why this game is not as popular as the simple first one.

[@Modie]

@@radek4634 For someone telling others that they just didn't get the story because it wasn't in their face, you seem to completely miss the point of my comment. In that BS2 failed to bring the medium game into their narrative. I never said that the story in itself was bad. But that the gameplay did not mesh well with the story at all. Something BS1 did masterfully which is why it has such a big impact when first playing it.

[@Xathian]

Easily the best. I'm always amused when I hear it called a rehash of the first one story wise because it's honestly shocking to see people so completely miss the point of the narrative mirroring of societal collapse under both sides of the pendulum of objectivism and collectivism.

[@BoulderPunch]

Maybe it's a bias, but I am seeing more and more people come around on Bioshock 2 as the best one.

[@aleisinwndrlen7113]

@@BoulderPunch Even better with the dlc, Minerva's Den. More and more people are making a video about it, and hopefully, people would start to visit the amazing lost chapter of Bioshock

[@7Roeth]

When the 1st game is as good as it was, I never see a need to venture far away anyhow lol. I liked Bioshock 1&2 just the way they are.

[@idiot_city5444]

Easily the best...? How pompously wrong you are lol

[@Modie]

Ehm, I haven't heard the argument, but I am pretty sure they are not talking about the story but the gameplay. Because despite playing a Big Daddy, the gameplay feels exactly like the first one. You could literally change the fact that you are Big Daddy into just a normal person living in Rapture whose daughter was taken away in the beginning and the rest of the game could stay the same. Is that a good use of the medium "game" when you play as this powerful being but you don't feel that powerful at all?

[@pokedexter3337]

I think bioshock 2 is unbelievably good and the best in the series as well. This video is also super well done!

[@BoulderPunch]

It's the true patrician choice.

[@slyaspie4934]

Definitely agree I never really got the whole disappointing sequel thing, for me it was an improvement over the first in every way, from gameplay to level design and story. Maybe it didn't have the big twist ending of the other 2 but it was still good and Minerva's den was even better story than any of the other Bioshocks IMO.

[@stuartbagley2586]

Agreed. The gaming press really poisoned the well by focusing on the fact that this was not the original team and relentlessly bashing the multiplayer without giving it a fair shake. “Bioshock is a single player game and doesn’t need multiplayer” was a common refrain. The game really deserves more respect for sure.

[@basvangeest5485]

@@slyaspie4934 it always felt really short and linear to me. And just more of the same. Also, way less scary because suddenly we ARE the scary part of the city. Story implications were cool and gameplay was somewhat improved, but i felt 1 was way better in every way other than that.

[@bruhmoment552]

I personally like infinite a lot more ans bioshock 1 but I think bioshock 2 is still great

[@pacificgrim4661]

Rule of Little Sisters harvesting Adam from corpse: No Harvesting Without Mini Turret

[@BoulderPunch]

Ah the mini turret...

[@Estrella3]

👌

[@deadshotdaiquiri8177]

I cover them in trap rivets and go ham

[@zzxp1]

Me, an intelectual: Tornado traps charged with bees.

[@redseagaming7832]

Trap rivets, you put those where they're most likely to spawn in

[@KnoxCarbon]

I think the devs knew they couldn't top the original game's story, so they kept it more simple and improved everything else.

[@BoulderPunch]

And as a result, made a better story.

[@KnoxCarbon]

@@BoulderPunch I still prefer the original's story, but BioShock 2's story is still incredible.

[@callmepsycho3132]

@@KnoxCarbon I completely agree.

[@africancouscous]

@Gabriel García no wtf

[@170KX]

I preferred Bioshock 2 but All your opinions are equally valid because you like what you like

[@The_Wolf_Fury]

I could say that the redesign of the little sisters are an improvement as well. The original (first generation) sisters were portrayed as little monsters that the player would have little or no emotional attachments to when it comes to rescuing or harvesting (you monsters). However, the new (second generation) sisters are more cute and innocent looking that would definitely give the player much more emotional attachments to them along with playing as a Big Daddy. Myself as a player for both games, I have this to say when it comes to my decision on how I treat the sisters. Bioshock 1: I could go either direction, be a good person and rescue them all or be a monster and have their Adam all for myself. Bioshock 2: I don’t have the heart to harvest. I am a Big Daddy after all. Rescue them all.

[@WheeledHamster]

Them thing are ugly as hell in the original, hahah.

[@wokeuplikedis1500]

@@user-cz7gq2ze8y They're supposed to be more "cutesy and heartwarming" because that's how the Big Daddy's see them

[@livingtoaster]

Aren’t there consequences to harvesting a little sister in bioshock? I remember one time I got curious and decided to harvest one then what do you know, *big_sister_screech.mp4*

[@idiot_city5444]

They look so much better in the original it's not even a comparison

[@JeffarryLounder]

I heard an interesting theory that the reason little sisters look different and much more cute in Bioshock 2 is because you are in the shoes of a big daddy, whose brain is literally wired to love and want to protect them. Why would they look like little gremlins in their eyes?

[@bradleyduffy3880]

That Big Sister scream still gives me anxiety every time i hear it

[@jacobrobinson787]

it's like the cloaker sound from PD2

[@iupobur4235]

Wearing headphones with the volume up is a major mistake. Felt my skull vibrate. 😂

[@brandondaniels2027]

I recently re-played the series after getting the remastered bundle and my love for bioshock 2 has stood the test of time. I don't know why but everytime i save a little sister or pick her up after she is done collecting adam warms my heart. "You always save me from the monsters" "are we going to be together again?". It is impossible for me to harvest them. I did it once and it made me feel like a monster.

[@BoulderPunch]

I never once tried to harvest them in 2.

[@zagg8687]

@@BoulderPunch i cant do it either

[@notactive9296]

The one time I tried on a fresh playthrough, I immediately felt disgusted and removed my save

[@vergiemorrison928]

Literally just screwed up my ending because of angrily mashing the Y button after respawning in a vita chamber forgetting that the little sister you were protecting is standing right infront of it. 🤦🏾‍♂️ that’s the only downside of bioshock 2 if you harvest even one little sister you get the neutral ending and Eleanor takes that one instance as “oh I’ll just kill them oh well”

[@retarddog6505]

@@BoulderPunch I rescued all in b1, and since they swapped buttons in b2... let's just say I re-loaded pretty quickly

[@christophersheets5452]

Tbh, playing Bioshock Infinite for the first time last year made me want to replay Bioshock 2 more than anything else

[@BoulderPunch]

That's a good sign.

[@jasoncarswell7458]

2 was traditional patriarchy (literally being a good Big Daddy). Stupid and maudlin but sweet and fun. That made the intellectual writers so angry they made Infinite into a stupid and lazy morality play against white male patriarchy, with your daughter punishing you for your entire social class's generational crimes. It's like they went out and hired a bunch of really talented but insane Marxist feminist writers or something. Eh, anyway, the art was nice.

[@T0xicZ]

One BioShock Infnite taking influence as a dad simulator: It is crazy how similar the basic plot beats of these games are. Which makes sense as Jordan Thomas was on staff for it too. Both involve rescuing a captive girl. They are both the Lamb, the divine daughter of a religious cult -- one whose leader has other motives to those beliefs. Both of which are their respective parents. They have also been given powers from a young age without their control or consent. They make an effort to contextualize the relationship between these young women as fathers to the protagonist. This all makes sense when you consider Infinite was a cobbled together mess of different plots that changed so much and the final story was likely pieced together in 6 months.

[@BoulderPunch]

Yeah, IIRC Jordan came in at a later time, wasn't there too long, and left shortly before the release. But I want to say this was more late 2011 or 2012, so well past the E3 demos we got. I've tossed around the idea of doing a video on what exactly happened with Bioshock Infinite (the E3 demos vs. what we got), would be interesting to piece that together.

[@Hambo325]

I mean, that's the point made in bioshock infinite. The same basic premise in a million diffrent ways. Not to give spoilers but that was on purpose lol

[@T0xicZ]

@@Hambo325 Just because that's the purpose doesn't mean that's good or that it necessarily does it well. It doesn't brush away gameplay and story issues that are separated from the twist.

[@reptomicus]

It was the original plot to Bioshock 1. To rescue a girl from a religious cult. Though in that iteration you were to hand her to de-programmers.

[@tj5425]

Constants and Variables.

[@MatthewCampbell765]

With Bioshock 2, one thing I likes is that it adds what I call "Lateral Morality" with the choice of whether or not to kill each level's 'boss'. Basically, there's two big types of moral choices: Lateral, and Vertical. Vertical Morality assumes the player wants to be good and expects that they know what the right moral choice is. Lateral Morality assumes the player can do the right thing, but asks them what.

[@RainingMetal]

A bit of it is poorly executed. The extremes of each of the lateral outcomes tend to be biased in favor of the vertical outcome. So the game treats you like a super saint even if you only spare one of the bosses, but save all the little sisters. This results in the sadistic choice between sparing Grace Holloway (nobody really spares Stanley Poole or Alex the Great) and letting Sofia Lamb get away, or euthanizing Grace in order to kill Sofia Lamb.

[@jacobrobinson787]

@@RainingMetal I spared Grace because in the end, she wasn't evil. Just a very lonely and sad woman who lost everything. I killed Stanley because he made Eleanor into a little sister. And I put Gil out of his misery because no sane person would want to live like...that. But I wish I could've killed Sofia. That bitch was cuckoo.

[@MatthewCampbell765]

@@RainingMetal I'd argue sparing bosses is "lateral morality" whereas sparing little sisters is "vertical morality". Killing bosses isn't really evil per se (or at least not strongly evil). It's more about if you value mercy or justice.

[@RainingMetal]

@@MatthewCampbell765 Which is understandable but the lack of flexibility when it comes to a majority in the "lateral morality" category prevents me from obtaining my most favored outcome possible. If the lateral morality went with a simple majority rule as opposed to being determined by the vertical morality without an absolute outcome things would be a lot better.

[@jackantaya7700]

@@MatthewCampbell765 o

[@TheFloodFourm]

Bioshock 2 has subjectively the best world. A lost underwater city.

[@callmepsycho3132]

Was this a joke?

[@TheFloodFourm]

@@callmepsycho3132 funny it could be. Bioshock 1 is also a lost city but to me it's more like a city on the brink of being lost. Bioshock 2 is that lost city. Its halls appear more like a modern version of how you imagine the lost city of atlantis to look. There are a lot of underwater interiors and even in places where water is still just leaking in algae and other life can be seen beginning to grow and take hold. Its beautiful imo but I can absolutely understand why someone would prefer the bioshock 1

[@callmepsycho3132]

@@TheFloodFourm Ohhhh I Understand. The part I was questioning was the lost underwater city part. Personally, I like the story and creativity of BioShock, but even though BioShock 2 doesn’t have as good as a story, I do like it. The gameplay is improved, the world looks amazing, and I have even more respect for it as it wasn’t made by the same team and they barely had time to make it.

[@noram8103]

@@TheFloodFourm and in bioshock 1 ryan was still alive, hoping to fix things. But in bioshock 2 there's nothing they can do to save the city.

[@robrick9361]

Gameplay in Bioshock 2 is objectively the best of the series. Plus people bring up Fort Frolic but no one recalls the orphanage in Bioshock 2 which was a great and creepy level.

[@BoulderPunch]

On that note, I don't think any of the levels hit the high that Fort Frolic does, but the gameplay is so much better.

[@robrick9361]

@alessio tiscali Commas are your friend, use them.

[@yourgameisstupid]

The English language would benefit if the word "objectively" were removed entirely, since apparently no one can use it properly.

[@robrick9361]

@@yourgameisstupid My comment was specifically about gameplay. Name me one gameplay element Bioshock 2 didn't improve on compared to the first game? It objectively has the best gameplay.

[@yourgameisstupid]

@@robrick9361 You can't even measure "improvement" of gameplay. It is inherently a *subjective* assessment. Period. End of story. *By* *definition* . You're only digging in deeper as far as misuse of the word "objective" is concerned. For what it's worth, my subjective assessment is also that Bioshock 2's gameplay is the best of the series. By far.

[@BlindBison]

Minnerva’s Den is so good - the peak of the series right there imo. Regarding Infinite Matthew Matosis has an incredibly good critique of that game that I’d highly recommend checking out. Crowbcat also covered much of the cut content, changes, and awesome stuff from the early demos which we never got.

[@BoulderPunch]

Matthew's video on Infinite is spot on.

[@BlindBison]

@@BoulderPunch it’s really good, yeah

[@MJGianesello]

@@BlindBison his criticism of the story is complete trash, anyone who's gonna take the argument to how "tima travel doesn't make sense" when talking about infinite is clearly more concerned with self serving circular pointless jargon that builds a mountain of complaints on the basis of "time travel doesn't logically work", which is an argument that you can stretch to endlessness while you're busy not tackling or even thinking about its actual purpose or place in the actual story that is going on beneath the coat of out there sci fi fantasy stuff

[@WarlockX4]

@Marco Gianesello your minimizing of the time travel aspect is complete trash. It made absolutely zero sense in terms of narrative. Infinite was praised for the lack luster story and game play when in reality it was a shallow mess of narrative and gunplay that when put under the tiniest of scrutiny completely fell apart and revealed that the game was overhyped and as deep as a puddle. But everyone looked past it because "my hook arm" and "cool combat yo." And sadly that's why game companies keep churning out garbage like Infinite. People like to be fed trash because they can't loom at a game for what it really is and say, "no. I'm not eating this."

[@BlindBison]

@@WarlockX4 Mathew Matosis has a really good critique of Infinite on YT where he goes into some of that stuff. I enjoyed Infinite but the story had some problems yeah.

[@noahmueller709]

Bioshock 2 didn’t have that twist of the other games, but it had the most satisfying endings. The neutral ending had me in tears. Bioshock 1 falls flat after the twist and bioshock infinite’s story was decent. Bioshock 1s mechanics were not perfect while bioshock infinite was a mechanical failure with a horrible money system, weapon upgrade system, and possession being too good compared to all other vigors. Bioshock 2 had the greatest combat, fleshed out plasmids, and the little sisters actually look like children instead of grotesque 3rd anime girls like infinite. So much of bioshock 2 was good and it’s criminally underrated. The argument that bioshock 1 is better because it’s iconic is such a flawed argument, compared to 2 being superior in ALMOST every single way. But that’s just my opinion I guess.

[@BoulderPunch]

Yeah, the quality dip in Bioshock after the twist is really apparent...here the game builds up to a nice crescendo.

[@ConkerTS]

I've never understood the people who say that the first game didn't need a sequel, and who write off Bioshock 2 as unnecessary and so not worth playing. First of all, if we didn't 'need' a second Bioshock game, then we didn't need a second Beatles album, a second Star Wars movie, a second Harry Potter book, a second anything. Secondly, Rapture was a city, with tens of thousands of inhabitants.Those people lived through, or died in, a civil war. Those people who displaced from the surface, had to readjust to living under-water, away from the world, they saw amazing things like plasmids and flying, autonomous gun turrets that could hunt down intruders, and those people witnessed their 'perfect' society become almost Hellish. There are literally thousands of potentially very interesting stories that could be written about Rapture, so how can anyone think another story set in Rapture wouldn't be worth exploring? Thirdly, we're talking about a game. A game can be great even if it retreads the same story as a hundred other games. So even if it was true that a sequel to Bioshock couldn't have a good story (and it is demonstrably not true, just look at B2's story, or Minerva's Den's story) then so what? A great game could still be set in Rapture (as B2 and Minerva's Den both prove).

[@tropicalhorizongaming5459]

Agreed with all your points.

[@ssorvete89]

Bioshock 1 tells a more interesting and original story, other than that bio 2 is more fun yes.

[@johnhouston1590]

Yeah every point you just made is your opinion. All 3 are fantastic games.

[@doodookaka]

For me, the twist in BioShock 2 was discovering that your choices influenced and guided Eleanor into the person she'd become. It's comparatively quite different from 'would you kindly', but it is a revelation--as I don't think it's clear up until that point that your choices are actually affecting and guiding this other person. That being a father, a parent is an actually explored theme beyond simply escorting a disney princess through an ideologically-incoherent theme park is a feat of this game--BioShock 2 takes parenting a bit more seriously than many games, especially Infinite. Saving little sisters, or killing them in the 1st BioShock might make you feel good or terrible, but mostly only for yourself and in the context of expecting a good, bad ending. That still applies here, of course, but there's an added layer applied by the recontextualization of finding out that you were guiding Eleanor through your choices--some sense of responsibility for the way your choices were actually affecting and changing this other person. Kind of like the sense of responsibility that being a parent should entail. Hell, we even get more complex moral choices in killing or sparing each level's antagonist. In fact, this also makes the good/neutral/bad endings make more sense. I don't think BioShock 1's good/bad endings were illogical, but the moral choices leading to the outcomes is less natural than it is here. Here, it totally and obviously makes sense why your choices led to the outcome we get. Better yet, where Infinite's (stupid) father-daughter story told through multiverse wackiness undermines and sidelines its ideological themes, BioShock 2's heart actually meshes pretty well with the ideological themes about community versus individuality, the self and the common good. Eleanor's monologues during the endings reflect on themes of forgiveness, community, conscience and change. Family is a theme in Lamb's ideology/religion quite obviously running parallel with the actual idea of family that we get with Delta and Eleanor. The cold, lifeless husk of a concept sharing only the same word--family--compared with the actual thing, animated by familial love. BioShock 1 engages with objectivism by showing us the dead city, about how the ideology kind of made this outcome inevitable. BioShock 1 also wants to engage with family but for whatever reason its rushed. Family is not a proper answer to the ideology of Ryan in 1 so much as it is a convenient way for the narrative to end happily. At the very least, it ties in with the idea that Jack had no actual family--so maybe he would've wanted one? There's just not enough time or presentation given to those ideas in the 1st game to give them proper weight. There're the big daddies, little sisters. There's the false memories of family, there's Atlas's false family blown up in the submarine, and there's Jack's family of saved little sisters in the ending--but there's not really enough connective tissue to get all these ideas to hang together for some kind of real takeaway. One could say that, like with Lamb's ideology, Ryan's anarcho-capitalist market forces hollow out the family and use it to keep goods and money flowing--big daddies and little sisters, and there're audio diaries that would justify that interpretation. But the 1st game doesn't really have a positive answer to Andrew Ryan's beliefs. It really just leaves us with the negative: this clearly didn't work (I do like the way the ideology meshes with the twist--Jack's father literally telling his son to overcome his upbringing and uh..literal brainwashing by pulling himself up by his bootstraps and choosing to be a man, not a slave, dammit! Proceeds to be literally beaten to death because he believes so completely in his ideology. For some, this moment is almost tragic--to me it's tragic comedy.) EDIT: BioShock 1 and Infinite actually do want, I think, to meld heart and mind--they just don't pull it off while 2 does. (BioShock 1 is of course a much better game than Infinite, just pointing this out) I agree about wanting an extra level in 2! BioShock 1 overstays its welcome and the last levels ended up feeling like filler, but it is a nice chance to play the game with a decked out build, full research. BioShock 2's gameplay is so, so much better and there's so much more opportunity for different combinations of tonics and plasmids, but it wisely tries to not overstay its welcome and keep the pacing tight. I just wish I could get a little bit more, maybe like 1 or 2 more levels? But still shorter than 1. In the end, heart, family and love do win out over Lamb's ideology in BioShock 2, but it's earned. Instead of being rushed, BioShock 2's heart, its emotional elements are present throughout the game. In fact, its really family, heart and love that are the game's answer to Lamb's ideology. Sure, maybe Lamb sounds kind of wacky, fanatical--but the city is already ruined, its not really like Rapture was getting much worse with her influence. No, it's really through your moral choices, through guiding Eleanor rightly, through parenting that BioShock 2 answers Lamb. So that, in the end, after watching Delta show mercy to the wicked and give bad people second chances, Eleanor can--despite everything--show mercy to Sofia Lamb. In the end, having a family, helping others, serving the common good doesn't mean rejecting your own self, your own ego, your own good as Lamb wants us to--it often means seeing all the ugliness of human vice and sin in others--and still choosing to forgive them, knowing that same darkness is a part of yourself. We have to see ourselves in others. --forgive me for all this writing! I'm a graduate student in political theory, can't help myself.

[@febcortes5878]

Don't apologize my good man, great read!

[@fpedrosa2076]

Thank you for this comment. And the edit. Read through it all and loved it. Would read/watch a full analysis if you published it. Great stuff.

[@kevintablet743]

Sorry lad I completely and utterly refute this You'd swear by this that bioshock 2 was their crowing achievement and infinite was the worst. I genuinely sometimes can't wrap my head around the 2 fans who then go on to shut down infinite Objectively speaking 2 has the exact same location as 1, so the surrealism firstly ebbs off. Secondly, the relationship between Eleanor and Delta, paired with Sinclair and Little Sisters are objectively the only good things about this game. Big Sisters are a disgrace to the series, an absolute thundering disgrace. It's already difficult enough for a first time player to face big daddy's, even while being one. Now your reward for clearing a level of big daddy's is to then face an absolute pain in the arse. I really would also love for you to tell me exactly how 2s story is better then 1 in any regard. I'm glad they didn't try to take an entirely new twist and went for a father daughter relationship that binded the plot together, but Dr Sofia Lamb and her disciples versus Frank Fontaine, Atlas and Andrew Ryan, and Comstock in Infinite. Are you taking the piss with this? Are you genuinely being serious? Where is the comparison? Where is the objectively superior story to 1? (and I can't genuinely believe you did that, again, think about this, you put 1s story below 2. What.) I don't want to shit over bioshock 2 fans, but it's painfully obvious that because it was considered a black sheep of the family to punch above it's weight fans of that game attempt to argue why it destroys 1 and infinite (again, come on man, you're telling me the plot twist that it's your daughter all along, with the reality that infinite universes exist which then ties choice for players to live any reality they want is entirely inferior to everything in 2?), to where we get videos like "infinite is shit, end of" and "bioshock 1 was overrated". Bioshock 2 deserves a place in the series as much as 1 and infinite does. I really wish these comparison videos trying to make one game be better then the others would stop, and it's always 2 fans that do this. Yous don't have to punch above your weight anymore like that, there are objective flaws and issues with the teams that made this story that will in the test of time hold the game back, but when you combine it with bioshocks story as a whole its value is brilliant. (For the record as I don't want fans to be saying Im a hater, 2 should be objectively played, as it's a damn good game. I just disagree with that entire comment.)

[@doodookaka]

@@kevintablet743 sorry bro, dunno what to tell ya, you don't make much of an argument or engage with, let alone refute, much of anything I said. You just kind of repeat, with many words, in a very exasperated voice, how shocked you are that I would say that 2 is better than the other ones. For the record, I don't make much of an argument than 2 is just straight up 'better' in all aspects than 1 in my comment, I just compare the things they both try to do, and in many cases, 2 does them better/is a more coherent package than 1. You are on the comments of a video that argues that 2 is the best, so I dunno why you'd be surprised. You are talking to someone that is probably the biggest BioShock Infinite antifan in the universe, won't make any headway with me there. Infinite's gameplay, storytelling/twist, politics/world design are all MAJOR steps backward from 1 and 2, but also Infinite is a pretty mediocre/meh game just ON ITS OWN. The only upload on my channel is me shitting on Infinite for like a half hour. This youtuber's channel also has videos trashing Infinite for its wasted potential. For me at least, Infinite is out of the running entirely for 'best in the series', no question, no SHOT, it's not even CLOSE. --and yes, Infinite's plot twist is trash, the pinnacle example of 'fake deep' fiction that deluded so many into thinking its profound. Nice things about Infinite? The art design is great, its still very pretty, the concept of the city is cool. Draper and Baker give great performances as Elizabeth and Booker, really stand out. When comparing 1 and 2, which is the only discussion to be had, I'm not denigrating 1 by saying 2 did stuff better than it, b/c it's a sequel, of course it improves things (crazy how Infinite did the opposite). 1 has a medium-defining twist, Ryan is a great character, I love the political commentary. I still enjoy the gameplay, some of the levels are really great, well designed--Fort Frolic stands out. There's some filler in pacing--the later levels, Arcadia for sure, but the worldbuilding fleshes out every area, makes it immersive. It's a well-realized world. But 2, having the benefit of coming afterwards, gets to build on that foundation and improve a lot of things. The gameplay is universally an improvement all around in terms of weapons, plasmids, tonics, build diversity. The research system is better. The pacing is better. I suppose I'd grant you that I'm not wholly happy w/implementation of big sisters either--they had ambitions to do more with them/make it more dynamic but weren't able to do it for w/e reason. Insofar as all 3 games attempt some kind of family motif, 2 does it best out of all of them and does it in a way that is seamless, does not clash with the game's ideological themes/the villain/central conflict/twist--it all blends together perfectly, even if it's not as "ambitious" as 1 or Infinite is. It has a more emotionally impactful story, even if I will always respect 1 for what it is/being a classic. It improves on all of 1's weaker points and creates a more whole/coherent experience, even if it's not shooting for the moon. 1 shoots for the moon and succeeds during its best moments, Infinite attempts the same and explodes while launching. 2's comparative lack of ambition hurt its perception among fans of the series when it released and for ~5 years after, and now people are just going back to reevaluate it as a game and judge it on its own merits instead, and realizing that yeah, on balance it might be the most well-rounded game of the series. Nothing wrong with people realizing that--it's just true. I'm not really a 'fan' of 2 either, I think there are a lot of other games/series out there with great writing that I might hold higher than any BioShock game--but I like BioShock (1 & 2) and enjoy debating which is the best.

[@kevintablet743]

@@doodookaka lad we are so far away in opinions on this it will create conflict I made the response because I disagreed with what you said personally, knowing I was going into a video on the subject matter of 2, which I outlined. You can take of that what you will, I personally threw myself into the firing line for it anyway so that's fine. You just said you spent half an hour on your only video on KZbin shitting on infinite. I cannot even continue this because I cannot for one second understand why you would want to shit on/break apart a game like that. Far as I'm considered, this is a waste of time for the pair of us, and I apologise as I have wasted your time by forcing you to come back to this conversation with the response you made. We are way too far away in opinion on this, I should never have made my comment in the first place. Never mind

[@TheCrimsonCrows]

I think bioshock 2 is so wholesome and nice and i love the endings

[@legion999]

Yeah. 1's is very enjoyable and has great characters, but 2's more emotional and relationship driven story speaks to me better. Some criticise "insufficient" motivation of the protag, but knowledge of big daddies and little sisters and the intro made me care enough.

[@The-mcnuggit-man]

*bad ending has entered chat*

[@TheCrimsonCrows]

@@The-mcnuggit-man nooo not the bad ending AAAAAA

[@The-mcnuggit-man]

@@TheCrimsonCrows I know I know

[@7Roeth]

It is weird how anything in Rapture could be wholesome, but it was, that is just part of the beauty of this unique game.

[@LulaLeFleur]

I’m always nervous when I go to tell people that Bioshock 2 is my favorite cause people usually start throwing stones. The first one is obviously fantastic and a classic but I always enjoyed 2 more. I won’t even talk about 3 cause I don’t have many good things to say about it.

[@KillAlllYourFriends]

As someone who has just finished playing all three of the games for the first time ever, I couldn't agree more with what you said. The scene you play as a little sister made me pause the game for a few minutes just to reflect on how genius it is and the ending made me tear up. Great job on the video!

[@BoulderPunch]

Thanks!

[@Grandmastergav86]

The ending is the perfect end to the series IMO Infinite was unnecessary and with the redesign, I honestly think it should've been scrapped. It's a classic case of being dangerously in love with your own fiction, you're unable to detach yourself to realise the readily apparent flaws in your work - I believe this is what happened to Levine and his team.

[@thisbubblygoodness7611]

Bioshock 2 is one of my all time favourite games, its also cool to know that the people who worked on Dishonored, another favourite franchise of mine, helped with the making of Bioshock 2

[@BoulderPunch]

It was a nice surprise to discover that.

[@creeprnsidelink]

That makes sense since Bioshock 2 and Dishonored had a morality system. Yes Bioshock 1 had different endings but they didn't feel as impactful as the Bioshock 2's endings. There was also the choice of saving or killing not just Little Sisters (which killing or not also gives you different levels of Adam), but characters who are part of your (Delta) backstory and killing or not only affects the endings, so it's choosing to be the monster people see you as or as a good man, with Dishonored doing the same thing.

[@thisbubblygoodness7611]

@@creeprnsidelink not to mention its kinda a similar arching story, Father Figure with symbol on his hand basically butchers their way to their daughter i mean, obviously thats not entirely true but you get me

[@creeprnsidelink]

@@thisbubblygoodness7611 Well with Dishonored, killing or not killing anybody affects the story and the world itself.

[@Pokekart47]

Man I thought this too when I played them all recently, Bioshock and Minerva's Den are genuinely incredible

[@BoulderPunch]

It's nice to see people come around on 2.

[@moewzers9136]

I was 10 when Bioshock 2 launched and little me was so fucking excited to play as a Big Daddy. Like I cannot put into words how much I loved it.

[@gamerito100]

Short answer: You have a drill xD

[@brunosales7973]

Agreed

[@anomalymusic1]

Bioshock 2 was my jam! I remember coming home every day from high school and playing this until I went to bed. Beat the story, np just restart and on and on and on. Such a good game.

[@BoulderPunch]

Wish I gave it a chance when it came out instead of years later on a steam sale.

[@davidbanan.]

This was me with bioshock 1, it was the first game where i felt i had to play it, when i got home its probably the reason why i play games ad much as i do now

[@anomalymusic1]

@@davidbanan. I love BS1. I remember my buddy in 6th grade had it on his xbox. We'd hang out after school and play it with the lights out and curtains drawn.

[@sigmapopsical272]

The thing about bioshock 2 Is when you hear a little sister shout daddy help! It genuinely makes you determined to save her from the splicers You feel like a big daddy and you feel like a badass

[@t_k_blitz4837]

I almost died the first time she said "Ooh, marshmallows!!"

[@memuskhan9976]

Once I found out you couldn't carry more than 2 guns in Infinite, Bioshock 2 was immediately cemented as my favorite in the series

[@Slender_Man_186]

I like how everyone is realizing that Infinite was shoehorned into the series to boost sales, all it has is a title and a quick trip to Rapture that lasts a few minutes at best to connect it to the other two games. Of course they tried to link it further with Burial at Sea, but it just makes the story even more convoluted. Every version of DeWitt and thus Elizabeth were killed at the end of Infinite’s base game, so how the hell is Burial at Sea even happening?

[@BoulderPunch]

Infinite is one of those games if you put any thought into the multiverse plot for more than a minute, it collapse in on itself.

[@Slender_Man_186]

@@BoulderPunch to quote Yahtzee from Zero Punctuation, “the game goes up its own ass.”

[@mariomanzanaresgalvan6563]

Elisabeth does not die on the main game, the booker your played throught the game did. You did not understand the story.

[@Slender_Man_186]

@@mariomanzanaresgalvan6563 if Booker is drowned at the baptism following the Wounded Knee Massacre, the moment he splits into the Booker we play as, Comstock, and all of the other infinite versions of Booker that exist, then Elizabeth can’t be born, which makes the entire game a self-cancelling paradox.

[@mariomanzanaresgalvan6563]

Elisabeth is alive and pretty much a god , she dies later on the dlc. Again, you did not understand the story.

[@savvyburritos]

i’m so happy i came across this video. you shared a lot of the sentiments i felt when playing bs2 and it’s my favourite in the series. the combat is so compelling and it felt like a sequel that built upon the original, but didn’t over step its boundaries. Bs2 also has the coolest fucking gameplay when protecting the little sisters while they are harvesting splicers! solid video!

[@BoulderPunch]

The gameplay held out the whole way through.

[@kev_lsn7042]

07:10 my favorite little sister comment is after upgrading a weapon at a “Power to the People” station: “Even daddy’s toys have toys”.

[@PlasmidJunkie]

The harpoon gun. That's what makes this game awesome. There is no better feeling than firing a spear at a splicer's face and watching him fly through the air and get pinned to a wall.

[@zillauniverse7208]

Bioshock 2 is criminally underrated and my favorite in the series, I’m glad it’s getting the recognition it deserves now. Also here’s my ranking on all the games Bioshock 9/10 Bioshock 2 9/10 Bioshock Infinite 8/10

[@DZ-X3]

I would agree with 29/10 as a fair rating for Bioshock 2.

[@amigobatata9014]

What i use to say to defend bioshock 2 as my favorite, is : "I played Bioshock 1 until its half and then stopped because i found it boring, but with Bioshock 2, i had just finished it and already wanted to play it again..."

[@saidinstouch2186]

That perfectly describes my feelings about this game! If I ever want to go to Rapture, Bioshock 2 is my go to.

[@BoulderPunch]

Bioshock wore out its welcome, while 2 I wish had another level or two.

[@tylert2116]

I still remember how little time we had with telekinesis 3...🥲

[@7Roeth]

found Bioshock 1 boring is a sentence I will never understand, but I'm glad you enjoyed the 2nd one at least lol.

[@Ronam0451]

@@7Roeth I also find it kinda boring. From the start of the game to Neptune's bounty it's pretty boring. And then everything after killing Ryan is pretty bad. But I'm sure that's just because I played the game a lot.

[@bennygerow]

B2 was the first one I played. I liked it so much that I went back and bought the first one, and I never did think that the second was the lesser sibling. B2 in a vacuum, to people like me who didn't have any expectations from the first one (beyond it being extremely well received) was truly just an amazing game that left me wanting more Bioshock.

[@LulaTheStampede]

I've waited 11 years t o see this video

[@BoulderPunch]

It's reputation has grown over time.

[@LulaTheStampede]

@@BoulderPunch ive always thought bioshock 2 was the best and everyone else said it was the worst lol

[@LulaTheStampede]

@@BoulderPunch you spoke about it with a degree of clarity that I couldnt hope for haha

[@t_k_blitz4837]

18:45 I really dislike the forced dichotomy of "kill for revenge" vs. "let them walk away." What if I want to end someone so that they can't go on to harm someone else? If their actions demonstrate that they are extremely likely to continue wreaking havoc and ruining more lives, why can't that be a viable option, instead of the tired old "rEvENge bAD" cliché? Cuz if I let them go, I have to contend with the fact that, if they DO go and hurt others, I could have prevented it. Looking at YOU, Batman...

[@Kelis98]

Bioshock 2 is an amazing game, it’s just as great as 1 and Infinite (even more so in certain areas). It’s always nice to see it get the love it deserves and it’s good that it’s gotten more love over the years. It’s hard to say what my favorite Bioshock game is as I love them all, but if I had to choose, I would probably choose 2 (though the other two would be close seconds/thirds).

[@BoulderPunch]

Happy to spread that love.

[@lunamax1214]

9:14 -- EXCELLENT use of lyrics from an underrated Elvis Pressley song, my dude. **applause**

[@MartialLoreNZ]

Unmentioned: the Little Sister scene prefigures the entire graphic design aesthetic of Bioshock Infinite, soft light, dreamy, washed-out color palette, etc....

[@BoulderPunch]

Good catch.

[@Modie]

I don't know. For a game that is completely centered around the relationship between Big Daddies and Little Sisters, the game doesn't really do much with it. The main thing is that you defend them. Which is okay, but ultimately it's not that much different since your little Sister can't die. She stops harvesting, but she won't die. The main problem with the game for me are therefore two things: 1) Despite playing as a Big Daddy I never felt like one. Both in terms of sturdiness but also in terms of respect. Splicers still attack you on sight even though the only reason to start combat with a Big Daddy is to get the little sister. Secondly, even after a good amount of health upgrads, you never feel as sturdy as the Big Daddy you know. Now I get that this is kind of the problem with a game. If you would be too powerful, it would defeat the purpose, but this is where point 2 comes in. 2) You don't really have to care for your little sister. She is sitting on your shoulder for the most part, having no effect on how you behave. And it could be okay if the game wanted to make a commentary about how this relationship is just for gains from both sides and therefore you not really caring about them is expected, but then they also give you the option to rescue them. Which defeats the purpose. So what I would have liked from the game is that you are actually way tankier than you are in the game. But instead, you always have to look out for your little sister. Now, I know that escort missions are kind of a problem in games, but again, the advantage is that you don't have to care too much about your own safety (at least to some degree). So the gameplay would feel different from the first game, because instead of using plasmids and weapons in a way that lets you avoid most damage, your main goal is to throw enemies away so that they can't overrun you and one steals your little sister. The way it is now, you can forgive people that they forget they play a Big Daddy and not just a normal person like in Bioshock 1. The point is you could change the beginning of the game in that you are not a Big Daddy, but Eleanor was taken from you for experiments. And the story wouldn't change. And I think it says a lot about the story when such a vital aspect of the story can just be rewritten without it affecting the rest of the game. They chose to tell a story about a Big Daddy and a little sister, but completely missed the mark on what this would mean gameplay wise. It's a nice game when only looking at gameplay and story in isolation, but a below average game when looking at the combination of the two. I mean, even the ending is the same old thing where all it does is give you a different cutscene and there is a way too obvious path to the good ending. I mean, even it's best moment, where you play as a little sister, fails to deliver on what a little sister is. Don't get me wrong, it's cool to see it from her eyes, but why do Splicers don't care about her running around? You know, the reason they are usually around Big Daddies? It could be an actually super interesting contrast. The nice colors compared to the horror of having to navigate this level without actually being seen. Instead, Splicers just don't care about you and again, the game fails to deliver on the one thing it has going for it: its medium. So when you ask why Bioshock 2 and even this scene don't get remembered as much as Bioshock 1, then because of this. Because the game was way too focused on SHOWING you the story through visuals while forgetting to let you EXPERIENCE the story through gameplay.

[@greendude7650]

Damn you took the words right from everyone mouth you make a lot of good points friend especially about not being tankie but at least the drill works as expected but you have to remember Delta is a prototype while the next generation of big Daddy's that have been manufactured in production longer for a reason.

[@RDHardy79]

Pam, from Cannot be Tamed sent me here. Great video. I too loved Bioshock 2. For the same reasons. Your doing important work.

[@BoulderPunch]

Thanks! Yeah it was interesting to see that shout-out.

[@mackennakanzig]

literallyyy i’ve been obsessed with bioshock 1 and 2 since they came out, infinite was just so random compared to the underwater world but i guess i could see where they got it from. the first two are so amazing and have such a great aesthetic! i don’t know how people couldn’t like them!

[@semkok7759]

I’ve always said this . Bio shock 2 is 10x more fun with the action and makes u feel like beast by the end of the game . The first one not so much but they have different atmospheres so it depends what u prefer

[@ilovelctr]

BioShock 2 definitely has the best level design and the best gameplay, which renders Infinite's dull gameplay an utter joke, far more so than it would be if without the comparison. The core reason of BioShock 1 always being highly revered is its deep story and well-established lore, and the ending of that game is mesmerizing, although Ken Levine deems it poorly written and so do many gamers. I think BioShock 2's story is very good for what it is, that is, a sequel. After all, I'm not a story guy, so I play games for fun gameplay. It would have been even better if BioShock 2 had been closer to SS2 or Deus Ex with regards to player's freedom, but since in the first place, Irrational Games decided not to make the OG BioShock an immersive sim, not much could be done with the sequel even with the help of Arkane. Edit: P.S. One of the primest successes of BS2 is that every once in a while, the game really allows you to prepare for an upcoming fight, so that all the traps you could lay down become meaningful. And this bit, was especially lacking in BioShock 1, if without the hindsight for a save reload or a second playthrough.

[@BoulderPunch]

Except for those Little Sister fights which always take me for a surprise.

[@kennykelly9735]

Bioshock is a immersive sim what are you talking about?

[@kingcrimsonzaba5324]

The first Bioshock is intouchable imo , but the second one is also fantastic. I loved the endings, and the ending made me cry for the first and only time during walktrough of videogame.

[@kingcrimsonzaba5324]

@@theplagueddoctor3686 It's not the best game of course and it's probably worse than system shock, writing have some problems, but you can see the brief moments of Atlas's true character. For example he tells you to consume every little sister. If you had done that, you would have too much ADAM to spend. You made some good points. I think that first Bioshock is still better than 2 and Infinite.

[@nickseeker3173]

Wow, i haven't seen too many quality BS2 video's covering why it's easily the most underrated in the series. Well done!!

[@hopperhelp1]

I’m so angry I didn’t see this sooner. I remember looking forward to this game, following its development, played it, loved it dearly and was extremely upset to see that everyone else hated it. Like I adore this game and to hear that people think it’s trash hurts.

[@yokiryuchan7655]

I also like how Subject Delta doesn't have a voice, or a face, so basically Subject Delta is us. When Subject Delta takes off his helmet it's my face.

[@johnathonhaney8291]

25:45 When I heard that final testament of Mark Meltzer, the next words I said out loud were "I'll look after Cindy." Gods, do that one still land hard...

[@MatthewCampbell765]

I haven't finished the video yet, but I'm 80% sure that the AAA Dad Simulator was primarily inspired by The Walking Dead Telltale Adventure Game.

[@BoulderPunch]

Oh yeah, how could I forget that one? Granted, it only came out a few months prior to Bioshock Infinite or The Last of Us.

[@nome9752]

i hate how underrated bioshock and how praised infinite is even tought it is the worst bioshock

[@tijarslv]

how is it the worst if it's the best

[@Drew_2152]

The tapes and characters itself give you a reason to care like when you choose not to kill grace in her room like all those kind words she said and the fact I changed her mind on big daddies was amazing.

[@fluiypj]

This is a great video, you’re going places with this content I think

[@BoulderPunch]

Hope so!

[@deadlyinfamous66]

Those little sister voice transactions are so cute

[@phlegios]

One of the main differences in how Bio1 and Bio2 were done is the scale of the respective stories. In Bio1 the story revolves around Andrew's "political party" and Atlas' "political party" who try to seize power over Rupture with Tenenbaum (not sure if I spelled it correctly) trying to set the protagonist on a neutral path, saving the city but with disregard to both villains' ambitions. Jack follows orders until the end, just acting on command (until he breaks the conditioning), doing something for someone else's sake. He has no personal stake in the story, all of his drives are purely external. And that's where Bio2 goes its own way. In Bio2 the story is grounded and personal. Internal motivation of our protagonist is what drives him to get to his daughter and the fact that a band of power hungry maniacs stands between him and his daughter is just an obstacle, not an agent to make a deal with. And that's why it didn't impress players all that much, if I were to guess. It's the same with Kotor 1 and 2, though if you remove Kreia from the 2nd game, K2 would feel like shit while if you remove K1's plot twist it would still remain somewhat OK-ish game, albeit banal copypasta of The New Hope (which it is anyways). Also, people tend to overestimate Kreia's deconstruction of the Force and the SW universe in general. It's an ok attempt but there's nothing really that eye opening about it. The only reason K2 is held in high regard is because of Kreia's character existing in that game; take her away and you've got a boring sequal no one would play; they did make slight improvements to the combat system and added crafting, so there's that.

[@TheTaintedWisdom]

3:15 - That... sounds fucking *awesome!* My idea after Bioshock 2 was to be a big sister that was in stasis facing a ticking clock as ADAM starts ravaging her body and mind, giving you access to regenerating EVE and being more/entirely plasmid-focused. Trying to escape Rapture, learning about the experiments done to understand ADAM and explaining why Ryan wasn't revived by the VITA Chambers in Bioshock 1. Maybe even bring him back as an antagonist unable to let the dream of his city go, though I think that would be ill-advised since it would be painfully easy to fuck it up.

[@jacobrobinson787]

It's the route a lot of FF writers have taken, in regards to Ryan.

[@xhonzi]

I find the Little Sister Moment at the end of the game to be just as fantastic as the Would You Kindly twist in the first game. I think they're both equally unexpected and surprising, even if one does not constitute a twist. I was enjoying the second game up until that segment, but that was a revelation that elevated the entire affair.

[@Ckoz2829]

I always hate hearing about how amazing a game could have been but then the publishers say, “nah make us Call of Duty.” CoD fans don’t want an Underwater CoD rip off. They want CoD. That being said, I’m very happy with how Bioshock 2 ended up. I was soured on the remaster because it kept crashing on me making it unplayable. I haven’t touched the game since, but just recently I got it to run on my aging Xbox 360 without a hitch (ok it glitched on the very latest level and I had to restart it but the rest of the game ran flawlessly). I finished it and immediately started Minerva’s Den and had a blast. Bioshock 2 is definitely my favorite in the series and I’m happy I got to play it again without any issues. Also, a friend and I used to play the multiplayer a lot back in the day. It was fun, but it was nothing special. You got your basic game modes like death match, capture the little sister, king of the hill and their team based variants. Once in a while a diving suit would spawn and the first one their gets to play as the big daddy and clean house lol. All the maps were based on locations from the first game which was pretty cool. I also liked how the whole multiplayer mode was set against the backdrop of Rapture’s downfall, like a prequel. The best part was as you level up and unlock new weapons and stuff, you’d also unlock audio diaries of the characters and hear some of their backstory and how they got caught up in the civil war and became a splicer. It was a neat touch. I also liked how red and blue teams where Ryan and Altus respectively, so when a match started you’d hear somebody on a megaphone spit propaganda. All in all, though, it’s not important to the story as a whole and can be skipped without missing something major.

[@BoulderPunch]

Yeah the crashes could be frustrating, found some workarounds on the steam discussion page that helped.

[@Ckoz2829]

@@BoulderPunch I was playing on console. As far as I know, there are no work arounds to the crashes. That’s just something you gotta live with, especially with the remaster. The remastered version of 2 was nearly unplayable for me. I’m surprised a technically inferior version ran better than whats supposed to be the optimal way to play. Chalk it up to lazy remasters I guess. It’s a shame too because the other two games look and run near flawlessly, it’s just 2 that has the problem.

[@Fuzzball70]

I'm definitely thinking I need to replay 'BioShock 2', but for me at least, the first game and Infinite will always be more special. In regards to your point about people not liking 'BioShock 2' as much because it doesn't have a plot twist, I think it's more complicated than that. The reason the "Would You Kindly" twist is so special is because it's commenting on the player's agency. The player thinks they have control over how the game progresses, but the "Would You Kindly" reveal highlights not only that the player character is under Atlas' control, but that the player themself is under the control of the game's designers. Infinite's "constants and variables" raises something similar but a bit different, in that it tells the playerbase that there are countless little variances in how they will each experience the game, because of their individual agency, but ultimately every player is experiencing the same overall story, crafted by the game's designers. These twists are so special not just because they're a surprising reveal, but because they're highlighting their medium as a part of the surprise. They bring the player's subconscious understanding of how games work - which we normally suppress to immerse ourselves in the experience - to the forefront. 'BioShock 2' doesn't have anything like this. While the other games' themes are intrinsically linked to them being video games, 'BioShock 2' is simply a story in video game form. So perhaps it is not usually remembered as fondly because players (consciously or not) think of BioShock as the series that talks about games as a storytelling medium.

[@richrad7806]

I am one of the few who enjoyed bioshock 2 more than i expected too. Just running around and fighting the splicers. Leave the map then have then fight each other. Have the big daddies also fight each other was tons of fun.

[@BoulderPunch]

Combat was really well done.

[@animeslayer24]

Agreed. My favorite game of all time, really showed how to a make a great sequel.

[@fabiogoulart1987]

The first time I played Bioshock 2 I think Sinclair had been voiced by Matthew Mcconaughey haha

[@BoulderPunch]

I...can now actually here the resemblance now that you mention it.

[@melvinm.261]

Hate to be that guy, but it was Doug Boyd who voiced Sinclair, though I understand why you might've thought it was Matthew McConaughey.

[@maddu8437]

Thank you for this. I’ve always said that 2 was the best in the series only to be told that “I’m just trying to be different than other people” so I’m really glad to see someone else who shares the same opinion.

[@BoulderPunch]

Bioshock 2 chads rise up.

[@mythfall4537]

I played this game for the first time in October of 2020, I was 10 years when bioshock 2 released and my first experience with bioshock 1 was not the best because I was terrified back in 2008. I remember that people were really harsh and said that it was a cash grab. After those years I finally decided to play it, and well, it was the only bioshock that I knew nothing except I was a big daddy. And I loved every single aspect of the game. The near end of rapture setting, the eve reload animation, the combat, the mechanics, the storyline, I mean yeah bioshock 1 and infinite have those shocking endings but Idk why bioshock 2 captured me more than those 2. I love this game and I think it’s the best on the series. Maybe because the game doesn’t have a plot twist, but I don’t really know

[@sangheilicommander1056]

bioshock 2 is the best bioshock imo. it always has been. I feel like those who call it bad never played it. it does nothing but expand on the world in every way , environmental story telling , gameplay , graphics , and imo story (but that one is the only thing that's debatable here)

[@saltycomet]

💯💯

[@thomas-son9281]

Bioshock 2 do be an outstanding sequel that people seem to sleep on tho

[@IOSALive]

Boulder Punch, Subscribed because your content is fantastic!

[@alexanderthemagnifcent2573]

I’VE FINALLY FOUND SOMEONE WHO AGREES WITH ME ❤️😁❤️😁❤️😁❤️😁❤️

[@BoulderPunch]

We're out there.

[@Drinks125]

I thought I was the only one too

[@Mattattackgames]

Right bro!? After always seeing people say that this was the worst bioshock it's refreshing to see that maybe people are slowly warming up to how fun and memorable this game is. Subject Delta will always be my favorite game protagonist

[@jacobrobinson787]

Despite a game breaking bug near the end, I admit I loved 2 more than 1 in terms of gameplay. As for story, 1 was better. 1 had a damn good twist. But Fort Frolic was by far the most interesting level I've played in years, even if aggravating. But B2 will forever be in my heart because of the man who gave up everything for his daughter: Mark. This man is a fucking legend and deserves father of the fucking millennium award. There's not one character from a game I've played that's sacrificed everything just for their daughter. He was the one BD I felt absolutely shitty about killing... and the fact that Cindy, his daughter and the little sister he was protecting, wouldn't stop crying even when I adopted her hurt.

[@InitialPC]

you shouldnt feel bad about killing him as a bd, you put him out of his misery, the only positive to him being a bd was being able to protect his daughter, but since youre rescuing cindy as delta, his protection is no longer required and can rest

[@missalex2718]

@@InitialPC😢🥹😭

[@darkmaximuss8795]

Yeah bioshock 2 crashes a little bit too much in the end, mainly in its remastered version.

[@sherlockkrankcase3578]

0:30 Where the frick is Mario Galaxy?

[@curiouschris98]

Was thinking that too lol

[@raserapps8230]

My XB1 sadly died about a month ago so until I can get the funds for a new/better one I dug out the old 360 slim, blew the dust off it and got it fired up. I have been finding pre-owned games on disk for next to nothing cost wise. Mostly around £1 or under! I have been picking up loads of them, and about 2 weeks ago got BS Infinite which I had played a few years back, and a few days back found Bioshock 2 for like 99p. I've never played this title so I don't really know the story of the Daddies and Little Sisters yet but this weekend I plan to just chill and game so I can't wait to get stuck in - even more so after watching your review on it! So thank you. I am hoping my few hours on Infinite has kinda prepared me for the overall feel and vibe of the game. I honestly can't believe the level and quality of games I've been picking up for around 1 quid. I can't wait to get stuck in. ATM I am bouncing between Skyrim (which I found a copy on disk that had all DLC's) BL2 with pretty much everything - another bargain find on disk, and Diablo 3 which I own and played a LOT on PC a while back. I am thinking bout using my capture card to record my gameplay of these older classics soon too. Anyway just felt like commenting and saying cheers for the insight to the game, can't wait to smash it over the weekend!

[@LaMishiMish]

Bio 2 is hands down my favorite of the trilogy. I LOVE that I get to be a Big Daddy and take care of my Little Sisters, and help them become normal little girls again. (All but that *one* time I harvested them all *just* to see the difference in Adam, and honestly? Not worth it. You get by just as well when you get the Little Sisters to harvest after obtaining each one, *and* rescue them. Their gifts are a bonus and make up for that 'lack of adam' you get when you *would* harvest them. It was all for science I swear!) Not to mention Sinclair is just a grade A snack for me and I love his character, among all the new ones we come across, Elenore, Grace, Stanley, Gil, Lamb. Just returning to Rapture with the kinks worked out from the first game? I couldn't ask for a more perfect Bioshock game. The story is always amazing to play through, and every time I play through all three? It's 2 I always look forward to getting to.

[@TheTSense]

It is all about Quality vs Hype. 2 and Infinite are very similar games. But one was build on Quality, the other on Hype.

[@goldenhorse4823]

Bioshock 2 is my favorite game ever. I have no shame. Bioshock 1 has best story, Bioshock 2 best gameplay and main charachter( It is in tie with Bio1) and for Infinite I have nothing.

[@BoulderPunch]

It's been nice to put this video out and see those who also view Bioshock 2 as the best Bioshock.

[@GomaYT23]

I’d rather say bioshock 1 has an amazing plot twist, but after that, it feels boring

[@janusan89]

I remember, long time ago when this game was released, every major magazine would tell "to skip this installment as it's unnecessary", and being the dumb teenager I was, I followed their advice. Only many years later I would finally play this for the first time, and not only it's probably my favorite game of the trilogy due to the many QoL improvements, but it made me less and less trustworthy of magazines and official reviewers time went on. Sure, the story might not be as good as the original, but the gameplay is top notch.

[@ThatManSam666]

Hands down the best game in the series. I loved every moment of it when it came out and revisit it every year.

[@thebatmanofneo-gotham5667]

This video about BioShock 2 greatly illustrates why some gamers can't be happy no matter what you do. People ripped into this game for not having a plot twist like the first game did, but then it's pointed out that if it did have one, it would then be criticized for being a hackneyed retread of the original. It's interesting to see that whatever choice is made, people are inevitably going to be upset.

[@drteeth362]

Beat the base game today and started the dlc and gotta say overall I prefer the gameplay of this to the first game. Playing as a big daddy was a great choice and most of the weapons feel great to use. Hauling around little sisters was not as tedious as I anticipated and it was nice that you can just bring them to vents and rescue them if you want. I tended to do that towards the end when I had plenty of Adam and upgrades. The difficulty curve felt better as well. In the first game after atlas reveals his true self, it felt like enemies became super spongy and hit much harder

[@saltycomet]

Same

[@Calais-dn5bl]

The little Sisters also have a voiceline for the (decoy) 'Spooky Daddy', where she says in the most adorable voice ever "No squeezes for spooky-daddy." 9:37 I also love the idea that Delta just stands there staring as the Big Sister jumps on top of him and is like "bitch, get the fuck of me!"

[@sethstrattan7380]

I love playing Bioshock 2. It’s the game I always come back to a lot.

[@realbrigidtenenbaum]

Fun fact: The little Sister vision appearance of Persephone was once supposed to be Persephone's main design. I wish they kept it because it fits Sofia Lamb's sterile and cold personality and ideology perfectly.

[@slapstickcomedy2.0.18]

It was the first BioShock I ever played and that's before I touched the first game which I also enjoyed playing.

[@johnathonhaney8291]

21:38 I came to see Eleanor as the true opponent of her mother Sofia. She's the one with the plan, pulling the strings on Delta's behalf, opposing her mother in every way she can. Further, her unconditional love for Delta is why I suspect Sofia REALLY hated the latter. A lifetime spent trying to create the perfect being and said perfect being chooses a Frankenstein monster of brass, rivets and leather. That must have been quite the insult.

[@ConkerTS]

I've always thought Bioshock 2 is by far the best of the three games. It does most things better than the first game, such as the hacking (in the first game it was tedious, wasn't done in real time (which harmed the immersion factor), and sometimes in B1 you'd randomly get an impossible layout), B2 has better and more varied plasmids, the bot patching is better (in the first game the flying turrets could get lost when trying to find you), the levels (areas) are mostly more interesting, the morality system is deeper (though not by much, sadly), the weapons are more interesting, the new features (such as the new enemies, the way you have to guard the little sisters whilst they gather Adam, etc) are mostly great, and best of all, the game's enjoyment factor decrease as the game progresses (as it does with the first game after the big revalation). Bioshock 1 does have a more memorable story and more memorable characters, though. As for Bioshock: Infinite, it's often very beautiful to look at, but it's a real shame that the gameplay is so simplified. If only we'd gotten the game as it was in the early preview videos. Bioshock 2 is the only Bioshock game I frquently replay. The first is great (up until the half-way point, and then it really goes downhill, anyway) but feels like a collection of scripted events. Infinite is well worth playing, but if so simplified that it's often forgettable, and I hate the stupid and pretentious ending. But B2 is extremely replayable, I find.

[@BoulderPunch]

Yeah the first isn't one I find hugely replayable.

[@tizza963]

Great video! As a huge fan of all the bioshock games i never understood how someone could like the first game and not the second.

[@codydagg2259]

Best one of the series. Much darker and depth.

[@BoulderPunch]

Could be conformation bias, but lots of the comments agree.

[@Debatra.]

Not that it really needed one; but the plot twist is that Eleanor's been watching over your shoulder the entire game. If you saved or harvested the Little Sisters, she'll do the same to the one you briefly play as, "just like you showed me". If you killed or spared the three main NPCs, she'll do the same to Sophia. You keep mentioning that this "Triple-A Dad Simulator" has no plot twist, when the fact that it's a "Dad Simulator" *is* the plot twist.

[@omfg622]

Bioshock 2 is not so much as a game about the history of rapture but one about the little sisters and their future. So many interactions in that game pulled at my heart and really put you in that protector role. The plot twist of 1 was great and Infinite was created to patch all the plot holes but Bioshock 2 really kick starts my paternal instincts as a Big Daddy And ill be Damned if one of those Splicing fucks touches my Daughters.

[@SirusShea]

Nobody will argue that Bioshock 1 was groundbreaking, but for me Bioshock 2 was so much more fun to play and replay. I spent at least twice as much time playing the second one because of the gameplay improvements and the defend the little sister combats. Even if the story had been less compelling than the original, which I don’t think it was, just different, the gameplay more than made up for the difference for me.

[@Mandalore_ultimate]

This video is really well put together and I agree with it completely.

[@BoulderPunch]

Thanks!

[@jhonayo4887]

BioShock 1 had the better twist and scarier but Bioshock 2 had the better gameplay and heartfelt

[@Ncr-ranger754]

Literally the first game to make me cry

[@JeffarryLounder]

Same. Granted I was still a kid when I played this, but even to this day the ending still gets me teary sometimes. What a great game, and still stands the test of time.

[@thekaiser3815]

It's the story of being a parent, of being a father, what you do affects your child, how she grows.

[@Reyeston007]

Here's what I remembered from my childhood: Bioshock 1 Fun combat, amazing story and immersive environments. Bioshock 2 Amazing combat. I don't remember the story that well. Infinite: Cool graphics. Good story and ok combat.

[@KatalistProductionsKozzySasha]

Strange, the Bioshock 2 story for me stood out he most of all 3, something I didn't expect to happen. Infact I thought Bioshock 2 would suck, ended up being my personal favorite of the series.

[@SkullKruncher877]

I love how in bioshock 2, youre not only fighting to survive, but to find your daughter. It gives you more of a reason to get through it no matter what. But also how your choices affect her. Because in the first game your choices dont ever affect anyone else. I mean yes the little sisters die. But you dont see how those choices affect the living besides tenenbaum. Which isnt any special thing. Just anger. But in bioshock two you teach eleanor through your choices. And now you have to wonder. "What person do i want HER to be at the end of the game?" Not just what person do YOU want to be.

[@KatalistProductionsKozzySasha]

I remember thinking Bioshock 2 would be horrible... Multiplayer? No Levine working on itetc.. I was so sure it would suck, but when the game came out I gave it a chance and boy I am glad I did! The campaign was fantastic, enjoyed it more than the 1st.

[@rayvenkman2087]

It’s like the opposite reaction to Burial At Sea.

[@azathoththe3rd]

I think the big twist of Bioshock 2 is that Sinclair didn't betray you and was actually a stand up guy, Mostly.

[@xpiredration1387]

He helped delta to help himself still good guy tho