Screenshots & trailers
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (Metacritic) | – | 88 | 6 |
| Creator reviews (1 tracked) | – | 88 | 0 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 89% | 83 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 85 | 19 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 85% | 79 | 18 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 51 reviews sampled · 47 total reviews in window · weighted 31 up / 5.4 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (90)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 92
“The original BioShock is a hard game to top, and BioShock 2 doesn’t quite do it. That doesn’t mean it isn’t one of the best games of this still early year, or that it won’t still be considered to be one of the best come year’s end.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“By striving to be nothing more than its predecessor, BioShock 2 achieves something less.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“It's well over two year's since we first had the privilege to be submerged into the world of Rapture for the very first time. In contrast to the first outing, the sequel certainly delivers that same and unique feel with the combination of well thought out design and audio. It's not so much 'better' than the original, but provides enough twists and turns to keep us unadulterately submerged in this mesmerizing underwater (and demented) utopia.”
read full review ↗ - 95
“The combat is more intuitive, the narrative exceeds almost all in its genre, the plasmid and gun customizations are richer, the multiplayer certainly stands on its own, and the nods to the first game is undoubtedly valued.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Bioshock 2 is an admirable experience, one that doesn't compare to the narrative of its predecessor, but carries forth the fun gameplay that was originally inspired some two years ago.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“BioShock was so ahead of its time when it first came out, that its sequel can be forgiven for simply following in the same path and hitting the same notes.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“While I did have some problems with the multiplayer lag I would recommend Bioshock 2 to anyone who is a fan of great worlds, amazing atmosphere, cool characters, and fun action without hesitation.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“If BioShock 1 is ultimately about what it is to be a slave, the sequel shows, with a sophistication rarely seen in gaming, what it is to be a parent, with the power to love or to harm.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“BioShock 2 may be a clever spin on the are-you-good-or-evil convention, but it falls short of its predecessor by not breaking free of it.”
read full review ↗ - 89
“Taken as a stand-alone game, BioShock 2 is a wonderful experience and one hell of a ride. As a sequel, though, it hews a bit too close to the source material, almost as if the developers were afraid to branch out and try something new. That doesn't mean it's any less fun; just don't expect an evolution in gameplay. It's more like a minor update to an incredibly successful formula.”
read full review ↗ - 95
“BioShock 2 isn't a groundbreaking follow-up that rewrites all the rules laid down by its predecessor. No, think of it as a sequel that fills in the gaps, adding exciting new dimensions to what's come before... You will be utterly absorbed. [Mar 2010, p.68]”
- 80
“A less openly provocative game than its predecessor, and one that will capture less attention, but while it may be damned for subtlety it is every bit as deceptive, and perhaps that's the greater of the series' illusions regardless of what else a BioShock sequel might have become.”
read full review ↗
The A.V. Club
GameWatcher
ZTGD
Worth Playing
Eurogamer…and 78 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
No patch announcements found on Steam yet.