Return to......the RAPTURE

It's been three years since players first descended to the underwater city founded by the crazed industrialist Andrew Ryan, and many of them had good cause to believe they would never see Rapture again. After all, BioShock is easily one the best games of the last ten years. It was arguably the most cerebral shooter of its day. It introduced players to the iconic Big Daddy and Little Sister characters and became one of the first games to introduce moral choice as a game play aspect. It certainly has its flaws – the underwhelming ending, the rubbish boss battle – but it's one of the best stories that has ever been told in gaming. BioShock's layered plot offered plenty of thrills and intrigue and an ingenious twist that was at once devious and jagged. But beyond the story, this was game which contained lofty literary aspirations; BioShock took aim at the objectives philosophies of Ayn Rand and simultaneously skewered them brutally, while milking them for plot points. The game left players in awe of its stunning artistic achievement – some even started a cult – so when news of a sequel was announced, it was met with howls of protest. How could anyone hope to improve on BioShock?

It's too soon to say whether BioShock 2 will live up to the impossibly high standards of its predecessor. What we can confirm, however, is that we are eager to get to grips with the finished game. If our brief experience is anything to go by, BioShock 2 is a game that offers an action-packed experience while rolling out the details of its twisted plot at a tantalising pace. It may have been three years since BioShock was released and ten since Jack left Rapture, but the time between now and BioShock 2's release date feels like a small age. Rapture beckons and we can't wait to answer her call ...