Here is my understanding of what the guys were trying to get across while answering all of our needy questions. More or less a paraphrase of things. After all of my words is the full hour and twenty minutes of interview if you wish to hear everything in detail. In any instance, here we go.

Starting off, it seems like the main overview the devs are going for with BioShock 2 is freedom of choice. Where as the first story had you pretty much being controlled to one mad man's wiles, this one will be a bit more free. Free to the point where choices you make will effect certain aspects of the game and world. Or at least what is left of the "world" of Rapture since the events of the first game.

Speaking of those events, you might now be thinking, will all the things I did in BioShock effect BioShock 2? In essence, no. Not to any grand scheme where you will be able to go, "Yea, that's because I harvested all the Little Sisters in BioShock 1." But there will be things to give a nice throwback so it doesn't seem like BioShock never happened.

This will be done a bit through certain things in the 100% brand new game environments. You won't be going back to any of the original spaces, at least in single player, but you will see all of the good old Ryan propaganda. This time with a huge separation amongst the Splicers where they even argue about events from the first game and what happened because we all escaped over ten years earlier, in game time.

Another interesting thing is that they won't all be Splicers making this conversation as well. In fact, there are going to be other normal people who have been hiding out in Rapture as well. Further showing that not all of the inhabitants where ADAM juiced psychopaths. This also includes a bit of Dr. Tenenbaum making a reprise to the world as well. My guess is to explain how the Little Sisters grew up to be the Big Sisters that haunt Rapture now. But that is my guess.

That is though not to say that there will not be any new Little Sisters in the game. I mean the whole point is to track and find the original Little Sister. But there are a few new things to go along with the Little Sisters this time. Like the fact that there is a new mechanic to them instead of Harvest or Save. This time you can adopt them and force them to find ADAM for you. At least as long as you can protect them from all the other horrors of Rapture.

Story and mythology aside, there are many other updates that are coming with this new addition to the story of Rapture. Like the fact that from the start you can deactivate Vita-Chambers for a real rough play through. Also the fact that some original tactics can't be used all that well in BioShock 2 now. Like the Big Daddy easy kill move. You know, beat a Daddy down a bit, die, come back and his health is still low. Not any more. Little Sisters will now heal Big Daddies making this tactic all but moot.

If that isn't enough, the AI for Splicers has been upgraded a bit. A bit to the point where they will hunt in packs and lay traps and ambushes. They will continue to chase if you jump ledges, they will toss grenades and explosives back, and use cover to their advantage. No longer are they stupid crazies for our easy kills.

Hacking and Research also make a return in BioShock 2 as well, but with a much needed update to ensure that you are always kept immersed in the world of Rapture and never pulled out of the game for a mini-game. Although, during the phone call they did not go into too much detail on how this will be done now, the guys from 2K were sure to mention that it will be mixed into the action of combat. What this means, we will have to see when the game launches, but they assure it is not going to be "Pipe Dream" style, but something better. With some of the research done with a video camera and a player being judged on the combat with the Splicer.

One last thing that was interesting, and greatly wanted, was the addition of another level of upgrade to the weapons. We are also not talking just a further stat boost and weapon model addition here either. It was explained that the first two upgrades will be just like in BioShock, just stat and model upgrades with no real functionality. But the third upgrade will be a full on new function added to the weapon itself. Be it a new firing style or, in the example of the Rivet Gun, the addition of super heating the rivets fired so that you can ignite Splicers and items with just a shot.

Now that I have prattled on and on about some of the new features and story of the game, I will leave you in wait. Wait for the game to launch on the 9^th of February. Also wait for our full review of BioShock 2. Do check back here soon to find out what we think about the final game.