Arkane Studios

Metal Gear Squalid

HIGH The final mission in high chaos adds much-needed narrative tension.

LOW The penultimate mission seems to drag on forever.

WTF The "shocking twist" can be seen coming from orbit by a blind man with his eyes closed… Not that having his eyes closed actually matters, what with him being blind and all.

Consider the Leviathan

HIGH Ghosting Dunwall Tower in under fifteen minutes.

LOW The interminable 7th level.

WTF Sending a woman off to a life of imprisonment and rape is the positive, "low chaos" option?

Speaking of games which weren't quite home runs, I have to admit that I'm shocked to say that Dishonored isn't floating my boat. I loved the demo at PAX and it has all of the elements that should appeal to me, but now that I've been sitting down with the full version... it's just not clicking. It's just not coming together. It started well, but it's gone... cold.

The Blubberpunk Chronicles

HIGH 'Porting in, stabbing a guard in the back, then porting out before his partner has any idea what happened.

LOW Why does level seven refuse to end?

WTF Rat summoning? What does that—AAAAAAAH!

Rapture Without Reason

HIGH Guiding Little Sisters to Adam-filled corpses.

LOW Being a Big Daddy doesn't feel very Big or Daddy.

WTF Does anybody really sit and listen to all those audio logs?

Thanks to the current lull in big releases (thank goodness!!) I had enough time to start and finish BioShock 2 without putting my review schedule in jeopardy.

If you missed it, here's my review of the original BioShock. As heretical as it may seem to some, I wasn't completely in love with the game. Don't get me wrong—it was certainly an enjoyable experience that I don't regret, but it didn't impact me or make the same impression that it apparently did for the majority of people who played it. As a result, I didn't have very high expectations for the sequel, and I didn't feel very disappointed when credits rolled.

I think I'm going to actually pen a Second Opinion on it so I won't spill all my thoughts here, but I think in a nutshell it would have been the world’s best DLC if it had been half as long and had increased the role of some of the peripheral characters. Being a Big Daddy was a great idea, but it didn't feel very different from being the main character of the first game. In fact, the game suffers from a feeling of sameness overall, with the few creatively bright spots going mostly unexploited.

It certainly wasn't bad, I just think the developers' sights were set a bit low.

The Waves are Many, but the Sea is One

HIGH Sloshing through the darkness at the end of Siren Alley.

LOW The unimaginative construction, storyline, and objectives in Dionysus Park.

WTF Doesn't it matter to you that I killed all those innocent men?

I'm not entirely sure I'd classify BioShock as a horror game (it certainly had some creepy moments, though), but it's one of my favorite games and it's a slow news day today.

So, here's a trailer with gameplay footage for BioShock 2 courtesy of the folks at Game Trailers. Looks a lot like the first game to me, but that's not a bad thing.

Game Description: Eighteen years after the events of Heroes V, you become the young hero Sareth, trained in the art of magic and war in order to fight the prophecy of the Dark Messiah. But the revelations of your past may alter your course and reveal a path to the truth. Discover a new breed of action-RPG game powered by an enhanced version of Source Engine by Valve. Explore a secluded region of Ashan populated with fearless orcs, savage goblins, dreadful undead, elusive trolls, massive dragons, and many other creatures that defy nature's creation in both size and cunning. Become an expert warrior, mage, or assassin. Use a vast array of devastating weapons against huge, vicious creatures in a deep and captivating fantasy. Challenge the forces of evil in 12 huge levels and master over 30 weapons and a variety of devastating spells. Engage the enemy in intense melee combat with swords, bows, staffs, and daggers. Summon magic powers against the legions of darkness or sneak in the shadows to stalk nefarious creatures.