BioShock 2 (PC)

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See that ugly chap? That's you, that is.

Are you currently unemployed? Is the credit crunch getting you down? Do you harbour a secret desire to snuff out the pathetic lives of your peers? If you answered “YES!” to any of the above questions, why not consider an exciting career as a test subject for Sinclair Solutions? There’s never a dull moment in the life-or-death world of plasmid trials, and due to the industry’s high mortality rate, we’re always recruiting! Perks include your own apartment, the ability to shoot flames from your fingertips, and a generous pension - although you probably won’t live long enough to collect it. Applicants must be prepared to move to a leaky dystopia at the bottom of the sea. Email wouldyoukindly@atlas.com for details.

At first glance, BioShock 2’s multiplayer is extremely similar to the original FPS shooter that we know and love. Here’s the undersea city of Rapture, resplendent in all its ruined glory; here are the weapons we used to blow away the splicers in 2007 - the evil-looking Tommy gun and the strangely ornate shotgun; and here are the wonderful plasmids, warping our flesh while granting us the power to throw ice, flames and electricity at our miserable foes. Aside from the fact that every character you can see is being controlled by a human being, this could easily be mistaken for its predecessor. Players even inherit the overhead health indicators that the splicers had, allowing you to see how close you are to offing that foul-mouthed 12-year-old from Alabama.

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Upon closer inspection, the game reveals a handful of subtle but important differences. For one thing, all of the weapons have been re-designed from scratch. They may look familiar, but their attributes have been completely reconfigured for the sake of a balanced multiplayer experience. Then there are the plasmids: whereas the original BioShock featured several different tiers of the major combat powers, here you’re able to charge up your blasts: tap the left trigger and you’ll fire off a quick attack power; hold it down and you’ll unleash a mighty salvo of flame, ice or pasta sauce (you’ll only be able to use that last one if you acquire the Dolmio plasmid - a DLC exclusive power that I just made up in my head).

Rapture looks as pretty as ever.

Okay, so there’s no Dolmio plasmid, but there'll certainly be one or two new toys for you to try out. 2K’s E3 demo featured the geyser plasmid - an organic boon that allows you to create powerful jets of air. Leave one hidden in a smart spot and it’ll launch any player who stumbles over it - smashing their head against a low ceiling. Alternatively, you might use the geyser yourself, springing up to an otherwise inaccessible sniping point. You’ll also be able to mix the effects of some powers, too: lay down a geyser trap then set it on fire with incinerate. Oh, and since the action in BioShock 2’s multiplayer moves at a much faster pace than the single-player game, 2K Marin has removed the “equip” phase of weapon and plasmid selection. You’ll now be able to switch back and forth between guns and sparky-hands at the touch of a button.

As you may know by now, there’s actually a plot of sorts behind Bio2’s deathmatch shenanigans. While the single-player campaign takes place some time after the close of the first game, this half of the story is prior to Jack’s misadventures, at a time when Andrew Ryan and Frank Fontaine are fighting for control of Rapture. You play a fledgling plasmid tester, a psychotic splicer whose job it is to conduct field trials by murdering other citizens. Between assignments (matches) you’ll be free to roam around your very own Rapture apartment, changing your appearance, configuring your loadout and - somewhat unexpectedly - getting up to date on the game’s plot.

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