This is my submission for The Final Cut, a Bitmob Community Writing Challenge. If you'd like to participate, check out the original post for submission details.

ORIGINAL REVIEW -- 500 WORDS

The original Bioshock was fairly self-contained, in contrast with its leaky underwater dystopian setting. Though it did little to advance the First Person Shooter genre mechanically, Bioshock managed to tell a complete and satisfying story, a feat few games ever manage. In many ways, its completeness renders a sequel totally unnecessary. But while Bioshock 2 fails to elaborate on its predecessor in a meaningful way, it still stands on its own as a fairly solid, albeit unoriginal experience.

Part of the allure of Bioshock lied in discovering your role in Rapture, a secluded underwater metropolis ravaged by civil war. In Bioshock 2, the premise is absolutely clear: you’re a Big Daddy  -- essentially a mutated Frankenstein monster in a diving suit -- and you’ve been resurrected 10 years after the events of Bioshock with a clear goal: reunite with your bonded Little Sister and escape.

Having your role as a Big Daddy spelled out removes one of Bioshock’s biggest draws: moral choices. In the first game, choosing whether to harvest or rescue the seemingly-innocent Little Sisters was made more difficult by the vagueness surrounding their humanity and your identity. In Bioshock 2, it’s established early on that your job is to protect the girls, making it more difficult to justify sacrificing them for short-term gain. The story tries to compensate by adding some more opportunities to condemn or save various characters, but ultimately, the game offers few reasons to play the renegade route.

Playing as one of the first game’s antagonistic forces seems like an interesting twist, but it does little to alter the game’s formula. Aside from the much-appreciated ability to wield special plasmid abilities and firearms at the same time, the gameplay remains relatively unchanged. Despite your hulking stature, you still move at the same speed and take the same amount of damage as the first game’s protagonist, which removes some of the allure of playing as one of the series’ iconic armored protectors. Even your arsenal of plasmids, firearms, and passive gene tonics is lifted almost entirely from the first game, with only a few new ammo types and thematic modifications to the guns serving to differentiate Bioshock 2 from the original.

While Bioshock 2 doesn’t break the mould, it also doesn’t break anything else. While arguably not the best example of how to craft a killer FPS, the first Bioshock was a competent shooter, and the sequel retains that quality. It lacks the polish of more recent games like Modern Warfare 2, but the strategic ability to combine traps, plasmids, and traditional gunplay is as rewarding now as it was two years ago. Even the new multiplayer mode, an entertaining diversion that crosses Modern Warfare 2’s progression system with Quake-style arena antics, feels natural and playable.

Those looking for innovation will ultimately be disappointed by Bioshock 2, as it doesn’t break any new or exciting ground for the genre. Fans of the original, or those looking for a decent atmospheric shooter, could do a lot worse.

FIRST CUT -- 248 WORDS

Though it did little to advance the First Person Shooter genre, Bioshock told a complete and satisfying story, making a sequel almost unnecessary. Predictably, Bioshock 2 fails to elaborate on its predecessor in a meaningful way, though it still stands on its own as a fairly solid, albeit unoriginal experience.

While Bioshock’s allure lied in discovering your role in Rapture, a ravaged underwater dystopia, Bioshock 2 lays out a clear premise. As a Big Daddy -- a hulking mutant sealed in a diving suit -- your goal is to reunite with your bonded Little Sister and escape the doomed city. But while playing as one Bioshock’s antagonists seems like an interesting twist, it actually detracts from the experience. Your clear role as faceless protector of the city makes it difficult to justify taking the renegade route, rendering moral choices almost completely pointless as a result.

Though the ability to wield special plasmid powers and firearms at the same time is a welcome improvement, Bioshock 2’s gameplay remains relatively unchanged over the original. But while it fails to innovate on its predecessor’s formula, it doesn’t break it, either. Combining plasmids, traps, and traditional gunplay to take down crazed mutants is as fun now as it was two years ago.

Those looking for innovation will ultimately be disappointed by Bioshock 2, as it doesn’t break any new or exciting ground for the genre. Fans of the original, or those looking for a decent atmospheric shooter, could do a lot worse.

SECOND CUT -- 88 WORDS

While Bioshock 2 does little to improve on its predecessor, it still stands on its own as a solid, albeit unoriginal experience. As a hulking Big Daddy, your goal is to reunite with your Little Sister and escape the ruined underwater city of Rapture. Like the original, Bioshock 2’s gameplay focuses on combining special plasmid powers with firearms to creatively dispatch mutated enemies. Though it lacks in innovation, Bioshock 2 will definitely please fans of the original, as well as those looking for a decent shooter with atmosphere.

FINAL CUT -- 24 WORDS

While Bioshock 2 does little to improve on its predecessor, it still stands on its own as a solid, albeit unoriginal First Person Shooter.

Though I've done this exercise before, it's difficult every time I attempt it. I hope this example inspires you to take part in the challenge. It's a worthwhile experience for anybody looking to become a professional writer.