Orange: BioShock 2 Review

The core of BioShock's narrative is a beautiful dream turned sour. The austere Art Deco city under the sea, so full of ambition, is designed and watched over by those who wish to change things, to make the world anew, and yet it is strangled by the strength of their grip. Too much freedom and not enough respect for what went before spells out Rapture City's downfall in bottle green neon lights. This, too, is the story of the game - BioShock 2. So desperate are the developers to allow you new freedoms, to give you the options to wield new powers, to populate its leaky corridors with both horrors and delights, that they forget what really matters: the story, the atmosphere, exploration – all are painted in pallid watery colours, and drift off into the silent waters beyond the visceral, violent battlefield the game has become. 8/10