Bioshock 2: A Lamb in Sheep's Clothing

Channel:

Dave's Videogame Journey

Subscribers:

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Published on March 25, 2020 7:00:22 PM ● Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4sgFi0D3ZM

Game:

BioShock 2 (2010)

Duration: 10:19

290 views

18

I was excited to play Bioshock 2 as I missed it upon release. The following video contains some thoughts of mine regarding the game after playing through it, and then researching the thoughts of others. If you haven't played Bioshock 2 or are worried about spoilers, I'd recommend returning once you've played through the game.

Much of Bioshock 2's design feels like a response to the criticisms of the first game. The flow of the gameplay is a lot smoother. The player can use weapons and plasmids without swapping between them. Playing a Big Daddy creates a greater subtext for the Little Sister moral choice, and the ending of the game is more nuanced depending on various decisions the player makes. It's now possible to make a mistake, but still witness a "good ending".

While this may be the case, I didn't find myself understanding the need for this game to exist. The story of Bioshock, of Rapture and the man who created it - Andrew Ryan - had already been told in the first game. Bioshock 2 tells the story of Sofia Lamb, who comes to rule the underwater city after the events of Bioshock. Sadly I found myself not feeling her impact as an antagonist, or understanding her philosophy and what the purpose of her plan was. Seeing that the goal of the player is to reunite with Elanor, Delta's Little Sister, pushes the need to understand Lamb into the background, but the game still treats her as important and an imposing threat. This video explores these ideas in more detail.

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Transcript - https://davegamethoughts.blogspot.com/2020/03/bioshock-2-lamb-in-sheeps-clothing-game.html

Sources

BioShock 2 is the underrated human heart of the BioShock trilogy - https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-04-07-bioshock-2-retrospective
Analysis: Out Of My Hands - Player Decisions In Bioshock 2 - https://web.archive.org/web/20131114034038/https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/120019/Analysis_Out_Of_My_Hands__Player_Decisions_In_Bioshock_2.php
From Shock to Awe: System Shock, Bioshock, and Infinite - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7DVOw1lIcM&t=1814s
BioShock 2: Is It Deep or Dumb? – Wisecrack Edition - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b81nGs7J3y0

Additional Footage

PC Longplay [565] Bioshock (Part 1 of 2) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzGXzTd4Ai0
PC Longplay [565] Bioshock (Part 2 of 2) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Eksyjfca6k

Music

54. La Mer (aka Beyond the Sea Instrumental) - Django Reinhardt - https://youtu.be/DVpGc03n7o0
BioShock 2 OST - Pairbond ~ BioShock 2 Theme - https://youtu.be/XOWrS7iEXRY
BioShock 2 OST - Research - https://youtu.be/coNxSJCROBo
BioShock 2 OST - Waking Up in 1959 - https://youtu.be/V-38Ggm6t8Y
BioShock 2 OST - How She Sees the World - https://youtu.be/OUyy4T4TnPg
BioShock 2 OST - Escape - https://youtu.be/ZSY5HurYs6E
BioShock 2 OST - Out the Airlock - https://youtu.be/QzabQrYeeeY

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