BioShock 2

Development

After the critical and commercial success of BioShock, publisher 2K executive Christoph Hartmann envisioned the game as the first entry in a franchise. 2K Boston and Irrational Games declined to produce a sequel, and several ex-BioShock developers formed a new studio, 2K Marin, in Novato, California in late 2007. Work began with a core team of eight in November 2007, with 78 additional personnel at peak development. The developers were given three mandates: the game would ship for PlayStation 3, feature a multiplayer mode, and be delivered within two and a half years.

It was developed in five countries across five time zones, with assistance from 2K Australia, 2K China, Arkane Studios, and Digital Extremes, the latter handling the multiplayer component. Jordan Thomas, who worked on BioShock's Fort Frolic level, became creative director; Alyssa Finley served as executive producer. Early on, Thomas decided to include the city of Rapture, which could harbor many previously unseen locations and untold stories. The developers wanted to balance surprising old players with introducing the setting to newcomers.

The story received major changes throughout development. Garry Schyman, who composed BioShock's soundtrack, returned and expanded the game's sonic palette to include more blues and religious music to parallel its themes.

Release

BioShock 2 was revealed through a teaser trailer hidden in the PlayStation 3 version of BioShock in October 2008, subtitled Sea Of Dreams, a name ultimately dropped. Its release was preceded by an alternate reality game, There's Something in the Sea, which over a year directed players to a website detailing the story of a father searching for his abducted daughter and discovering Rapture. The game was released on PlayStation 3, Windows, and Xbox 360 on February 9, 2010.

A special edition, limited to a single production run, includes the game, three posters with hidden messages revealed under black light, the orchestral score on CD, the orchestral score from BioShock on vinyl, and a hardbound 164-page art book. A smaller limited edition, the BioShock 2 Rapture Edition, contains the game and a 96-page art book. The launch was preceded by midnight events worldwide, including a gala in San Francisco. Post-launch downloadable content included the Sinclair Solutions Test Pack, the Rapture Metro Pack, and the Protector Trials Pack, the latter adding a single-player challenge mode.

Reception

BioShock 2 received positive reviews, with Metacritic assigning a weighted average critic score of 88/100 across all platforms. Reviewers noted its fundamental similarity to its predecessor but disagreed on whether this was a problem. Some critics found it broke new ground while honoring the original, while others felt it failed by hewing too closely to the original or failing to meaningfully expand it. Gameplay changes such as dual-wielding plasmids and weapons were often highlighted as improvements.

The campaign was generally well received, though not as warmly as BioShock's; criticisms included a slow start and excessive similarity with the original. Some reviewers felt the refinements to the morality system were the game's biggest improvement. Criticisms also included annoying Splicer fights, unsatisfying weapon handling, tedious scavenging for supplies, and frustration with repeated Little Sister protection sequences.