Re-Rapture?

Going through Rapture, meeting Andrew Ryan, and monkey wrenching hordes of splices were experiences in videogaming that was truly in a level of its own. The plot itself was worth a read if it came out as a novel. The political and social philosophies that can randomly be uncovered within the underwater city are intensely deep and absorbing. Bioshock is a true classic, one of the best games ever produced. Ever.

And yes, a sequel will be out sometime in 2009 -- Take Two and Irrational Games wants it out by then, it is a franchise born out of the genius, and some say demented, Kevin Levine -- of course they want to milk the franchise for all its worth, even heard a movie's in the works.

One minor gripe: What else is there to explore within the Art-Deco architecture inspired city? What more can Rapture offer? Andrew Ryan’s dead, history of the city has been explained thoroughly through audio journals. How else would Irrational expand the gaming universe?

Recently breezed through an article recommending the whole setting to be moved to a new location, and a new timeline -- a feasible option. Perhaps in a more futuristic setting on a space station? Has too much of a System Shock-ish feel to it though.

What would sound better -- is to continue directly the plot from the first Bioshock right after the ‘evil’ alternate ending where the splicers controlled the submarine and the nuclear missiles.

Start off the story where the missile launched from the sub, assuming the splicers activated the launch, was intercepted by F15 US fighter jets and NSA/CIA sends out a recon team to investigate the sub and the area around it.

The players would take control the captain of the five-man recon team. And instead of settling with just one area to explore, the player would return to Rapture (note: new locations within the city) only to find out that Andrew Ryan was revived through some sort of a newly developed plasmid and has regained control of Rapture once again by killing off the player from the previous game. To add some spice to the plot -- the player later uncovers various locations of multiple Rapture like cities scattered around the world that are on the brink of imploding.

In the end though, it would be up to take Take Two to make damn sure that the Bioshock sequel trumps its predecessor. Its highly anticipated, the air of hype surrounds it -- it has a lot to live up to and a lot of expectations to fulfill.