Note: This review does contain some spoilers. However, they largely pertain to the first game and the spoilers for Bio 2 are stuff you'd find out at the very beginning. Also, I'm writing this under the assumption that people are familiar with the basics of Bioshock and Rapture even if they didn't play the 1st one. Finally, I have not played multiplayer, so I can't vouch for it. With that, on to the review...

Story: Bioshock had one of the best stories in modern gaming, as it took Ayn Rand and ran with it, putting extreme Objectivism in a horror setting Rob Zombie would enjoy and sprinkling on some "Manchurian Candidate" for good measure. It also produced extremely interesting characters. Andrew Ryan is one of the better villains in modern gaming because he has hubris. He truly believes mankind will evolve and thrive with religious morality and all but the bare minimum of government authority absent; he just doesn't understand there is something inherently selfish and evil about humans and that without at least some regulation humanity will descend into chaos, with horrific consequences. Dr. Tenenbaum, the creator of the Little Sisters, is another interesting character, so guilt-ridden by what she's done that by the time the main character, Jack, has stumbled into Rapture she's hard at work trying to restore the Little Sisters to their human form and get them out of Rapture. And then there's Atlas/Fontaine. 'Nuf said. However, I just wasn't really invested in Jack. It wasn't that his character was uninteresting (the Fight Club-esque revelation sees to that); it's just that you're not overly concerned about what happens to him or to the Little Sisters. Also, the ending was abrupt, anti-climatic, and out of place in lieu of everything that had happened. Still, though, Bioshock contained one hell of a story about survival and horrible self-realization.

Bioshock 2's story is set 8 years following the events in the first game. This time, you play an older-model Big Daddy codenamed Delta. As the flashbacks show, 10 years earlier you were following your adopted Little Sister around (having developed an unusually strong bond with her) when suddenly Dr. Sophia Lamb (the new antagonist) uses a Hypnotize Plasmid to force you to blow your brains out. However, now you've been revived via a Vita-Chamber, and you're now desperately searching the ruins of Rapture for your lost Little Sister, Eleanor. The guiding philosophy of Dr. Lamb is the polar opposite of Ryan's. She's a collectivist, believing in "the greatest good for the greatest number", even if it means murdering people and kidnapping little girls from the surface and taking them down to Rapture to be transformed into Little Sisters. The problem is, Dr. Lamb is just not a great villain; she's just Nurse Rached (of "Cuckoo's Nest") in video game form: cold, manipulative, and meglomaniacal. Dr. Tenenbaum makes a brief appearance at the beginning of the game (she apparently fled Rapture and is now back to save the new Little Sisters and get them out of Rapture), but she's otherwise absent. This absence doesn't detract from the story, but she was so interesting in the 1st game it would have been nice to know what she'd been up to and to know a little more about her dark past. Sinclair (your guide and essentially Bio 2's answer to Atlas) isn't nearly as good or as interesting as Fontaine, even with his Southern draw and the horrible thing that happens to him at the end. Delta, however, is a far better main character than Jack, primarily because you are emotionally invested in him. There is an invisible, melancholy sadness about him as he searches for Eleanor (which isn't to say he's not a bad-ass). Furthermore, there is much more of an emotional component to tracking down and harvesting/saving Little Sisters. Instead of constantly hearing "Look, Mr. Bubbles, it's an angel" you hear things like "You'll always be there for me, Daddy?". In this game, the Little Sisters really do see their Big Daddies as fathers, making harvesting them even more reprehensible (in the end, I couldn't do it, even though this is a video game; you really do get that emotional vibe off of them). Overall, I'd say this one is a draw between the 2 games.

Gameplay: There are several changes to note for Bioshock 2, all of which I believe enhance the game over the 1st one. Because you are a Big Daddy, you can wield a Plasmid and a weapon at the same time. Not only do you not have to waste time switching back and forth in the middle of a battle but now it's easier to use environmental kills on your enemies, making for some pretty cool attacks and set-ups. Because you are a Big Daddy, instead of a wrench you have the drill, which as with weapons can be upgraded at the Power to the People stations. The drill can be upgraded to repel enemy fire, and eventually you will get an upgrade that will allow you to charge your opponent, which is pretty handy (no pun intended).

As for situations and enemies, your basic Splicers return with a few additions. The Bruiser Splicer is an overgrown beast that requires a significant amount of firepower to defeat (recommend explosives and anti-personnel rounds and the Winter Blast Plasmid). The new-model Big Daddies aren't any more armored than they were in the previous game, but they now move a lot faster and some have explosives launchers (if you have the Telekinesis Plasmid, they're still not hard to defeat). However, the biggest edition to the enemies list are the Big Sisters. These armored monsters move fast, use Plasmids of their own, and possess Spider Splicer abilities, meaning you'll need patience, traps, and plenty of ammo and Eve to defeat. Overall, in fact, the Splicers are significantly more difficult than in the 1st game. In the first game, I could get all the upgrades to my shotgun and easily take out a Houdini Splicer (at least in Easy and Medium modes). In this game, you'll still need a lot of skill and planning to defeat them. Furthermore, you're limited to 6 each of Health Kits and Eve Syringes (and that's if you buy upgrades; otherwise it's 5 and 5), so by the final battle you're really going to be using everything you've got, even on Easy.

If you decide to "adopt" a Little Sister, you have the option of letting them walk around collecting Adam from dead bodies. The benefit of this is you get just as much Adam as you would harvesting these poor kids. The bad news is that while they're harvesting, you have to defend them from wave after difficult wave of Splicers, requiring careful planning and full health and ammo. It's an interesting scenario (although not mandatory; you can just drop the kid off at a vent and be done with it) and will really test your skills. In this respect, definitely an upgrade over the 1st game.

Graphics and so forth: Not much has changed. Bioshock 2 uses the same graphics engine as before, so don't expect any changes there, and Rapture looks almost exactly the same. In fact, some areas - such as Sander Cohen's digs - are carryovers from the 1st game (with some alterations to reflect Rapture's destroyed state). This is somewhat disappointing, because it means the wonder of Rapture is now gone, but if it ain't broke, don't fix it. The music is also essentially a carryover from the first game.

Conclusion: Bioshock 2 takes the 1st game and makes several significant improvements that enhance the experience. While graphics and sounds stand pat, and even though most of the characters aren't as interesting as the ones previous, Bioshock 2 is a must-have for any FPS fan.

Return to the amazing underwater city of Rapture as the original Big Daddy! You will face familiar and new foes as you rumble through the structures of Rapture. Make use of your drill, plasmids and heavy weapons to blast your way through the splicer population of the leaking city. Simultaneous use of your plasmids and weapons is available for even more devastating kills! Ignite your attackers then drill charge through there helpless bodies!
The plot is quick-paced and keeps you sucked in. Like the first game, you must gather the story through radio contact and audio recordings. I won't ruin any key plot-points but I will say you are in store for some amazing moments!
Bioshock 2 is a mesmerizing action-packed shooter! You will be reluctant to set your controller down until the game's conclusion! Be ready to be sucked in to the amazing world of Rapture, this time as the original drill-wielding Big Daddy!

What can I say other than that Bioshock 2 is every bit as good as the original and even improved in some areas. Sure the graphics are not that much better and the environment isn't vastly different, but there was really no need to revamp what was already perfected in the first Bioshock. I love how they made the hacking less frustrating and playing as a Big Daddy this time around is a neat idea (gotta love that drill). Don't be fooled that it's just more of the same. The story is nearly as captivating as the first, complete with top notch voice acting, characters and atmosphere. There also seems to be a lot more action, as is the case with most sequels, whether it's in film or video games. Besides, who doesn't love protecting those cute Little Sisters? Make sure you play Bioshock first to understand the entire plot and then take your second trip into Rapture with this excellent continuation. You don't want to make Mr. Bubbles mad, so add this one to your cart and prepare to be amazed all over again.

Oh, I almost forgot. I had a major glitch involving my plasmids. The hand turned white and my plasmids were nothing more than white squares shooting out. I quit the game, but that didn't work. I was about to give up and start over again (luckily I was only about 3 hours in at the time), but then I completely shut down my system and restarted it and that did the trick.