Bioshock 2 has had something of a rocky road with its downloadable content. The first multiplayer expansion, the Rapture Metro Pack, outraged some by already being on the disk, and outraged others by not actually working very well. Next came the surprisingly entertaining Protector Trials, which added a (sort of) score attack mode to the game, revolving around protecting Little Sisters as they gather Adam.

The good news is that the third and presumably final downloadable add on, Minerva’s Den, is by far the best of the bunch. As the only story-based single player expansion, you play as another prototype Big Daddy, Subject Sigma, freed from slavery by Dr Tenenbaum and tasked with venturing in to an entirely new area of Rapture, Rapture Central Computing.

Within this dark, sealed-off section of Rapture is an advanced computer called The Thinker that, through a complicated mathematical equation, can predict the future. Dr Tenenbaum and her ally Charles Milton Porter need to take this computer to the surface if they are to stand any chance of undoing the horrors that have been perpetrated in Rapture.

The Thinker Knows!

Of course, things are never as simple as they sound in Rapture, and retrieving The thinker isn’t as simple as sending Subject Sigma down to the shops for a carton of milk. The denizens of Rapture Central Computing don’t want you to take their precious Thinker from them, and will do anything they can to stop you.

The characters that you meet in Minerva’s Den are some of the most diverse in all of Bioshock, and all are well realised; Charles Porter, the creator of The Thinker, is a particularly well-developed character. There are not many African American characters in video games, and those that normally turn up tend to lean toward the archetypal ‘gangsta’, so seeing a positive character that just happens to be black is a refreshing and welcome step in diversifying video games.

As you play an entirely different character, independent of the main game’s story, you have to start from scratch in terms of weapons and plasmids. In order to progress through Central Computing you will need to find a variety of familiar plasmids to get through the plethora of locked doors, as well as a new Gravity Well plasmid, which creates a mini black hole, that provides the only means of getting past certain doors.

The Lancer Big Daddies are all new

Other new content includes a new laser-based weapon called the Lancer with three modes of fire (beam, fire beam, and charged blast), security bots that shoot lasers, rockets, or electricity, fire proof Brutes, Lancer Big Daddies, Ice proof Houdini Splicers, and for those that completed the Protector Trials a new gene tonic that amps up the challenge of the Little Sister protection missions in exchange for rewarding even more Adam. Phew.

As well as the main missions, and the Little Sister protection side missions, there are 10 destructible suction machines scattered around Minderva’s Den, each stuffed with ammo and health. A particular highlight is a new mini game in the form of an Asteroids-inspired arcade game. I don’t know about any one else, but the image of a Big Daddy standing at an arcade cabinet playing Asteroids had me in hysterics.

One of the best things about the Bioshock games is that, for the most part, you can handle the situations however you see fit; there aren’t many situations where you need a certain plasmid to proceed through a door, traipse across the map to find said plasmid, proceed through the door and then come across a new door that requires you to repeat the process over and over again. To a certain extent that has been lost in Minerva’s Den: you will get through one plasmid-specific door only to find a door that requires a different plasmid not too far ahead. Though this is not strictly a problem, it is a little disappointing.

In terms of gameplay, there is little to differentiate Sigma from the main game’s protagonist, Subject Delta. The controls remain the same, and you have most of the same abilities. However, where Delta was dependent on the Little Sisters and dedicated most of his game time to the harvesting of Adam, Sigma’s interactions with the Little Sisters are little more than an optional side mission to earn more Adam. There are six little sisters to do with as you please, but upon removing all of the Little Sisters from each section you must do battle with a Big Sister.

The Laser Beam weapon is the only new weapon to be included in this expansion.

The most obvious limitation in Minerva’s Den is the upgrade system. There are no Power to the People upgrade stations to be found here, and a very limited supply of Adam. That isn’t to say that you are stuck with the default weapon types, because you do come across upgraded versions of your weapons as you progress through the game, it just means that the game dictates what upgrades you get and when you get them.

Where this addon really stands out is in the narrative. At first I felt the game was being too vague, and that Subject Sigma was a convenient substitute for Subject Delta, but as the story progresses – supplemented through the collection of audio diaries that fill in a lot of the back story – the story of Subject Sigma is full of pathos and relatable anguish, with a great revelation at the end.

When Minerva’s Den was first launched, there was a problem with the Xbox 360 version that meant that the achievements you unlocked failed to add any points to your gamerscore. Normally this sort of thing would really sour me to a game, but in this case being given an excuse to experience the content again once the issue was resolved was a real joy. Perhaps that’s more telling than any other praise I could give.

Review Round-Up

Graphics: 4/5 Minerva’s Den has the same graphical style as Bioshock 2, with mostly the same enemies and weapons. The designs for the new weapon, plasmid, and Lancer Big Daddy are as strong as the designs in the main game.

Sound: 5/5 Bioshock has developed a reputation for excellent voice acting and a brilliant sound track. This tradition continues with Minerva’s Den.

Story: 5/5 At first I felt that the story seemed a bit too vague and contrived, particularly the reason for Subject Sigma coming to Rapture Central Computing. How wrong I was. As the game progresses, and you find more audio diaries, the back story is fleshed out, revealing the story of a man that would do anything to – well, I won’t spoil it.

Gameplay: 4/5 While it is a little disappointing that the game mostly revolves around finding plasmids in order to progress through assorted locked doors, the inclusion of the Little Sister protection and the hunt for audio logs and suction devices both provide fun distractions.

Longevity: 4/5 Minerva’s Den is made up of three levels, lasting about 3 hours in total. There are dozens of audio diaries, six little sisters, and 10 suction devices to find which add extra length to the game if you are that way inclined.

Overall 4.5 Eve Hypos out of 5

Frankly I wish more developers would make content like this; using the same engine as the main game, Minerva’s Den is entirely separate from the story of Bioshock 2′s main singleplayer game, with a new plot and fresh characters. Lasting a few hours, depending on how much time you want to put in to collecting all of the collectables, this expansion is free to flesh out and expand the Bioshock universe, without requiring people to buy a full new game.

Bioshock 2: Minerva’s Den is available to download now for 800 Microsoft Points (about £6) and on Playstation Network for £6.99.

-Luke Mears

With that in mind, when it was revealed that Bioshock 2 would focus more on the Little Sister protection, it would be an understatement to say that many were sceptical. Having said that, those that read our review for  Bioshock 2 would know that the teams that worked on the game achieved the impossible by making the protection sections thrilling tactical battles.

Despite these sections being fairly enjoyable, I was disappointed to learn that the first piece of single player downloadable content, The Protector Trials, was not going to be a continuation of the story but more of a score attack based combat mode in which you have to defend your Little Sister from wave after wave of Splicers.

I was so disappointed that, even though I downloaded the Protector Trials on release day, I did not actually get round to playing it for about a week. So you can imagine my surprise when I found that the Protector Trials are actually quite a lot of fun.

The premise of the Protector Trials is simple; you are an Alpha series Big Daddy that is working for Dr Tenenbaum. Your task is to protect a Little Sister while she collects Adam, the energy that keeps Rapture going, and stop the followers of Sofia Lamb from taking any for themselves. There are six levels, with each level being based on an area in the main game such as The Adonis Bath House or Simon Wales’ Church. Every level has three trials that get increasingly more difficult; completing each trial awards you with a star rating and will unlock more levels to play in.

Protecting The Little Sister is the aim of the game.

You are unable to choose your own weapons or plasmids, as each trial has its own unique weapon/plasmid loadout, which goes a long way towards creating an element of challenge, especially when you are only armed with some of the less useful plasmids. However, completing all of the trials in every level unlocks a final bonus round for each level in which you can choose your own combination of weapons, plasmids, and gene tonics.

Before the onslaught beings you can wander the level in order to get the feel of the land and hack vending machines, health stations, or the odd gun turret. When you are ready to begin simply place the Little Sister near the specified corpse and prepare for all hell to break loose. Killing Splicers gives you money which you use to buy more supplies from the vending machines.

Once the Little Sister begins her task a small metre will appear on screen indicating how far along she is in her gruesome work. If the Little Sister is able to work without being interrupted by a Splicer then you are awarded with a multiplier which will increase the amount of Adam she will harvest for you. If a Splicer does manage to get through your defences the Little Sister will shriek and give you a few seconds to take care of it before your multiplier disappears.

Enemies range from basic grunts to the more advanced Alpha Series Big Daddies

Completing each trial awards you with a gold star, and a grade depending on how much Adam your Little Sister was able to harvest. The entire add on revolves around the collection of Adam, not some arbitrary score that is awarded by completing certain tasks, and as such once you have completed each trial there is not really any reason to play it again, barring the lust for achievements.

You could be forgiven for thinking that the add on would get boring, but the fact that your weapon and plasmid load out is different for each trial keeps things fresh. One trial in particular takes away all of your weapons, and does not give you any money, meaning you are unable to purchase any health packs. This challenge was a highlight as it really plays with the Bioshock’s combat formula, forcing you to play in a completely different way.

Completing the trials and earning all of the stars unlocks concept art and animatics (cut scenes that were cut out of the main game, made up of the storyboards) that give some insight in to the direction the main game’s story was originally going to take. One of the best animatics is a more fleshed out origin for Subject Delta, complete with full voice acting.

Preventing Splicers from bothering the Little Sister is the key to gaining more Adam.

The only way I could see them improving the experience was if they included some sort of points system, with online leaderboards, that awarded points not only for the Adam you collect, but the number of Splicers you kill, or the ways in which you kill the Splicers, for instance. This would potentially bring some extra replay value and some much needed competition between friends and rivals alike.

Review Round-Up

Graphics: 4/5 This game is pure Bioshock through and through. Every level manages to look familiar, but different at the same time.

Gameplay: 4/5 The developers of Bioshock 2 have done the impossible; they have made protection missions fun! Sure, you can simply stand there and gun down your enemies, but the only way to get a decent amount of Adam is to set up traps and use your plasmids carefully. Having no choice in your weapon/plasmid selection adds a real element of challenge.

Sound: 4/5 The only new dialogue to be found is a short introduction by Dr Tenenbaum, at the start of each level, and as you progress through each trial you will hear messages over the intercom from Sofia Lamb commanding her forces to strike you down. Voice acting and sound effects are as high quality as you would come to expect from a Bioshock game.

Story: 2/5 While there technically is no story, the inclusion of deleted scenes fleshing out the back story a bit more proved to be very interesting.

Longevity: 3/5 Most of the trials are easy enough to complete, even if it means you will get a mediocre score. No matter how you perform, so long as you survive to the end then you will still earn your stars. Letter grades that are also awarded are only of any importance if you want the achievement/trophy for getting at least an A on every level.

Overall 4 Wrenches to the Skull out of 5

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The Protector Trials offers up a surprisingly fun series of challenges, which force you to think tactically and potentially change the way you play Bioshock forever. The Protector Trials is currently available to download on Xbox Live Arcade for 400 Microsoft Points (about £3.20) and on Playstation Network for £3.99.

– Luke Mears

Game:

Going back to a place you love can be hard. Looking back on past events through the rose tinted glasses of nostalgia can often lead to a skewed perspective on things, making them seem bigger and better than they really were. This is often the case in the world of videogames, where the rapid pace of developing technology and advancements in gameplay can make old favourites seem more stale and flat than that old pair of socks that has been at the bottom of your washing pile for the last six months.

Yet in our minds, they still remain as wonderful as the first time we ever played it. In an ideal world, we should love the sequels of our favourite games. After all, a videogame sequel should take all of the best bits from the last game and make them better whilst cutting out all the bad parts. However, not every sequel manages to get this right, just look at our recent review for Army of Two: The 40th Day for instance. So what of Bioshock 2? The much anticipated sequel to a game that received universal acclaim. Read on to find out…

Before getting to the finer points on Bioshock 2, some back story needs to be established. Both Bioshock and Bioshock 2 are set in the 1960s in the underwater city of Rapture, built by industrialist Andrew Ryan, where things are not going well. Originally designed as a haven for intellectuals, the residents have been driven mad by gene altering drugs called Plasmids which bestow powers such as the ability to shoot lighting from your finger tips or set things on fire with your mind.

The key ingredient for the Plasmids is a substance called Adam, which is harvested by insane mutated little girls called Little Sisters. Protecting the Little Sisters are hulking man monsters named Big Daddies, who look like old fashioned divers on steroids, armed with a massive drill. A key part of the original was making the decision whether you would kill the Little Sisters and steal all of their Adam for yourself, or if you would rescue them and gain less Adam leaving you more vulnerable. The events of the first game lead to the death of Andrew Ryan, and either the salvation or the destruction of the Little Sisters, which sets the scene for Bioshock 2.

Taking place 10 years after the events of the first Bioshock you control Subject Delta, a prototype Big Daddy that has been designed to have a physical dependency on being in close proximity to his Little Sister. Waking up in a pool of water deep in the bowels of Rapture, you set out to find your Little Sister.

The first thing you notice when playing as the Big Daddy is that this prototype is far faster than the original lumbering big daddies. Another key point is that you can duel wield plasmids and guns, something that was lacking in the original. Before long you are introduced to the new addition to Rapture, the Big Sister; grown up versions of the Little Sisters suitably attired in Big-Daddy-like armour, with incredible agility.

During your first battle with the Big Sister she shatters the glass wall causing the ocean to come flooding in. Fortunately, your armour is air tight and allows you to walk underwater unhindered in search of a way back into the city. Underwater exploration is fairly limited and linear, but the visuals are impressive, particularly the sweeping view of the city itself.

Small sections of the game take place under water

During the 10 years between the two games, Rapture has descended further in to hell. The residents have continued to splice themselves and mutated even further. Rapture itself is also more degraded, with leaks springing up all over the place. Following Andrew Ryan’s death, one of Ryan’s political rivals named Sofia Lamb has filled the void as Rapture’s leader. Rather than following Ryan’s belief in the strength of the individual and their own genius, Lamb favours a more left wing approach, expousing the virtues of the collective rather than the individual.

While most residents are completely insane and show hostility towards you, there are still some friendly characters that will help you, such as Dr Tennenbaum and Augustus Sinclaire. As you travel Rapture you come across audio logs left behind by citizens of Rapture, which fill in a lot of the back story. Overall the quality of voice acting in the game is exceptional and does an excellent job of fleshing out the world around you.

Duel weilding Plasmids and weapons is a welcome addition

There are a number of small changes made in this game that improve the overall experience. In the original you could only perform a melee attack if you had the wrench equipped. Now you can press the B button at any time to bash someone with whatever weapon you have equipped. Your default weapon is the Big Daddy drill, which is satisfying to use on your deranged foes, although it can only be used if you have enough fuel.

Fortunately fuel is abundant and can be purchased from most vending machines, as well as found in crates that litter the surroundings. All weapons can be upgraded by finding hidden Power to the People machines, granting them larger damage, more ammo, and a final bonus, such as an electromagnet on the drill that deflects bullets.

The Big Sister is the deadliest thing in Rapture

As well as the drill, Big Daddies can use a Rivet Gun, Machine Gun, Granade Launcher, Spear Gun, and the new long distance hack gun. This new gun allows you to fire a dart at hackable machines, such as security cameras and turrets, enabling you to turn them to your cause from a safe distance. The hacking sub-game from the original Bioshock, in which you had to link up a series of tubes, is replaced by a simple reaction game in which you must press the A button whenever the needle on your metre hits a green area.

This will be good news to some people, but I found it a little disappointing, as the hacking game from Bioshock was one of the features I liked the most. Each gun has three types of ammo, ranging from explosive rounds, armour piercing rounds, and proximity mines. The camera that was used to research your enemies has also been upgraded to a movie camera. Once the camera starts to roll you have to attack your enemy in as many different ways as possible in order to gain more experience. Fully researching enemies not only grants you damage bonuses against them, but also improves your abilities.

Since the official ending of the first game had the majority of the Little Sisters being rescued, the Little Sisters that you discover on your quest are children that have been abducted from the surface. Much like the original, when you find a Little Sister you need to dispose of the Big Daddy that is protecting her before you decide what to do with her. You can either harvest the Little Sisters in exchange for a quick pay out of Adam, or you can now adopt the Little Sister and help her harvest more Adam from dead bodies spread out around the city.

The addition of the Little Sister protection is one of the strongest new features in Bioshock 2, adding a new level of strategy. Before setting her to work you can place a number of traps for the army of residents that will try and take out your Little Sister. These include hacked surveillance cameras, turrets, explosive rivets, and security drones. Once you set the Little Sister down, dozens of enemies will descend on you and try to kill the Little Sister. Each Little Sister can harvest two bodies before they need to be returned to their home, a hole in the wall, and at this point you can either choose to cure them of their condition, or harvest them for an even bigger amount of Adam.

Multiplayer takes place before the original Bioshock.

The biggest addition is multiplayer, developed by Digital Extremes independently of the main game. To say that Bioshock 2’s multiplayer is influenced by Modern Warfare would be an understatement. Each kill awards you with a set number of experience points. There are 40 experience levels each of which has their own unique unlocks, such as weapons, Plasmids, and Gene Tonics, which are essentially the same as the perks in Modern Warfare.

While there are only a few new Plasmids in the story mode, there are a number of new Plasmids exclusively in the multiplayer, such as the dash plasmid that grants you extreme speed for a short amount of time. Also included are a number of challenges, such as getting X amount of kills with a certain weapon or plasmid, in order to unlock more experience.

Where the game really stands out from Modern Warfare is the utilisation of hacking turrets and cameras, photographing your dead opponents to gain a damage bonus against them, and the Big Daddy suits, which randomly appear and, once collected, turn you in to a Big Daddy for a set amount of time. Between matches you can return to your in game apartment to customise your appearance and listen to audio logs that you have unlocked.

There are several modes, including death match, team death match, protect the little sister (which is Bioshock’s version of capture the flag), and harvest the Adam (essentially king of the hill mode). So far the Multiplayer has been surprisingly impressive, with minimal lag and a decent number of players online, even before the game was officially released and, despite some initial hesitation, is a welcome addition to the game.

Review Round Up

Graphics: 4/5 The graphics are much clearer than the original game. Rapture is now a vibrant and distinctive location, even in a complete state of disarray. The fantastic art deco style of the city, ranging from the architecture and the propaganda posters, remains intact.

Sound: 5/5 The soundtrack, including songs by Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and Artie Shaw, makes the game feel authentic for the time period. Most of the voice acting is brilliant, with expressive and clear voice acting.

Gameplay: 4/5 Bioshock’s slightly wonky first person controls are improved in the sequel, with better handling of the weapons. While the first few hours of the game feel very familiar to players of the first game, the addition of the Little Sister protection sections does a lot to make the sequel stand out. The Multiplayer mode, taking influences from Modern Warfare, is surprisingly good and an awful lot of fun.

Longevity: 4/5 The game features a number of moral choices beyond the typical “should I kill the Little Sister, or rescue her” which have an impact on the ending of the game. The Multiplayer mode is a lot of fun and could potentially add a number of hours to the game so long as there are enough players sticking around in the future

Overall: 4 Electroshocks out of 5. While the story is a lot more conventional and straight forward than the original, it is consistent with the Bioshock universe, and truth be told a lot more even. Playing as the Big Daddy adds a new level of strategy to the game, and the Multiplayer should keep people coming back for a good while to come.

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Game:

Bioshock is a first person shooter set during an alternate history in 1960. Playing as Jack, the sole survivor of a plane crash, you must explore the underwater dystopia of Rapture whilst battling against mutated beings and mechanical drones that populate the city. Originally released on the Xbox 360 and PC at the end of 2007, the game took until October 2008 to be released on the PS3.

“So why haven’t you reviewed it yet?” I hear you ask. Well, with the sequel finally upon us, the staff at The Newb Review thought it was high time we gave you our thoughts on this intriguing title. Read on for the full review from our very own tom01255…

The FPS genre has been largely filled, and mostly dominated with war games, most notably the Call of Duty franchise. The sci-fi FPS titles that do reach us certainly contain some absolute classics (see 2007s Half Life: Episode 2), but these are few and far between in comparison to the many open warfare based games. With the world-wide acclaim this title has achieved, I was fairly confident that I had an impressive and memorable gaming experience to look forward to, but I got so much more…

The opening of the game lets you get to grips with both the time setting (you begin with a lit cigarette on a cross-Atlantic flight) and the eerie location. From the ominous opening of surviving a plane crash, to stumbling upon the supposed intellectual haven on the sea bed, there is a feeling that real care has been taken to bring this world to life. The loading cards and 60s setting are somewhat reminiscent of the Fallout franchise; however this seems a lot darker and more surreal than Fallout would dare to be.

Welcome to the sprawling underwater metropolis of Rapture

As an FPS, there are some problems with the gameplay. Whilst ammunition reservation for the few guns you find through your journey adds a delightful tactical element to gameplay and a real sense of survival, the ability to play this game as a pure FPS is somewhat hindered. Gunplay is solid enough, but creeping through in a crouched position, which is vital when sneaking up on enemies, causes the camera to lurch uneasily from side to side, and can even induce some motion sickness if played for prolonged periods.

Throughout the game, role playing elements are slowly brought in to enhance and increase your abilities. Primarily, these come in the form of Plasmids: the same genetic enhancements that have caused the populace to go insane. There are a set amount of Plasmid slots. Whilst these can be increased throughout the game, the limited number of slots brings a tactical element to gameplay as you must decide which of your abilities will be of more use in upcoming battles.

Injections of Eve allow you to use Plasmid abilities

Despite the impressive Plasmid abilities and solid-enough shooting mechanics, both are let down by the lack of capability to dual wield. Abilities are fired off using the left hand, and guns from the right, however you must fully put away your gun in order to use abilities and vice versa. Whilst this is clearly an oversight, it does begin to grate and you’ll find yourself under-using the abilities in favour of the various guns.

Graphically the game is superb. The various creatures you meet along the way are beautifully realised; even though they are, for the most part, horrific and mutated. The setting feels suitably desolate, with certain narrative twists causing parts of the city to collapse in epic fashion. The Playstation version does have a few minor lighting issues that should have been caught in testing, but these are far from game changing and don’t detract from the overall experience.

Aftercare at the cataract clinic was a little bit ruthless

The sound enhances the graphics to a tee. The city groans and heaves in a surprisingly realistic manner and played in a suitably dark surrounding, the sound really heightens the tension of the narrative. There is a real feeling that death could be lurking around every corner. Voice acting is equally as robust. Everything from the non-playable characters you meet to the recorded logs you pick up along the way establish characters well and help paint a realistic picture of how this vibrant city went so wrong. Particular highlights include the dual voice of the Little Sisters; a trait that makes them unbelievably creepy.

The main narrative clocks in at around 10 hours, which may seem a little short. However, this is a title concerned with quality over quantity. Also, with the sequel having been launched already, you can pick this up at bargain prices. If you’re at all enticed by the advertising of the new game, I implore you to pick this up first and have a run through. This satisfying classic is not to be missed.

Review Round Up:

Graphics: 5/5 – From the very beginning you are thrown into a vibrant and dazzlingly desolate setting. The graphical quality doesn’t let up throughout the adventure.

Sound: 5/5 – The groaning of the city makes you really feel like you’re hundreds of feet underwater. Voice acting is superb and the fantastically creepy enemies really add to the overall aesthetic.

Gameplay: 3/5 – The FPS style is strong enough, but problems with aiming and moving whilst crouched really take away from the experience. Not having the ability to dual wield the abilities and a gun is cumbersome and a severe oversight.

Longevity: 3/5 – At around 10 – 15 hours this runs a little on the short side, but at bargain bin prices you can’t really complain. There is no multiplayer and the morality choices add little incentive for multiple playthroughs; although three possible endings may persuade you, they are far from fundamental to the narrative.

Overall: 4/5 – A must have for any gamer. If you haven’t checked this out yet then you really must. Go on, go and get it now. You won’t be disappointed.

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