Pleasantly surprised to see how many people on this site think this game is better than the first Bioshock. Bioshock 1’s greatest strengths are its atmosphere, novelty, and presentation. My opinion of the story and writing, which was very positive when I was a young teen, has definitely lowered with time. Bioshock 2, while lacking the novelty that made the 1st game feel so special, is superior in terms of both writing and gameplay. Bioshock 2 definitely benefits from its more human and character driven story. Once you know the twist and general premise of the first game there’s really not a lot to sink your teeth into. There’s a lot more emotion and depth to engage with in B2. Gameplay improvements aren’t huge but can make a significant difference. Hilariously, one of the best things B2 changed about the gameplay was removing that fucking hacking minigame. I would love to meet somehow who genuinely enjoys that minigame so I could convince them to let a team of doctors and psychologists study what makes them tick. I think it would be a real boon for our understanding of the human psyche. Overall this game is definitely somewhat of an under appreciated gem. Would highly recommend to anyone who enjoyed the first game and hasn’t gotten around the playing it. I’d also recommend this game to anyone who enjoyed the atmosphere and gameplay of bioshock 1 but was turned off by the story and writing.