Setting the mood...

I have always attested that one of my favorite horror games, as far as mood is concerned, was Resident Evil: Nemesis. True, RE4 was a much better game, and Fatal Frame II was far scarier, but Nemesis was the only game that had me in a constant state of paranoia. The main villain, Nemesis, had a knack for following me around and jumping out when I least expected it. In fact, towards the end of the game I had Jill Valentine (complete with tube top and go-go boots) slowly edging down alleyways thinking "It's about time for Mr. Man to show up..." Coupled with hearing him walk and breathe behind walls... the whole experience was a nice nerve-wracking experiment with paranoia. No other game has quite instilled this dogged feeling in me since. Until now.

Enter Bioshock 2. General opinions of the game aside (yes it is absolutely stunningly detailed and gorgeous, and it is all too easy to get lost in the scenery), it has got to be one of the best mood-driven games I've played since, well, RE:N (and naturally Bioshock 1). Within 5 minutes of your re-entry to Rapture, you encounter the much-anticipated and speculated Big Sister, and is she ever wicked. Springing around the room like a mechanical spider, she threatens you and packs a punch that can take you to near death if you make the mistake of letting her box you in. She is annoyingly unkillable and an all around formidable foe.

But that's not what makes her so badass. Upon your initial encounter, you are able to knock off about 1/4 of her health at which point she runs away. You give chase only to see her acrobatic-flipping out of the room. There is seemingly no sign of her until a few rooms later when she floods your room in attempt to kill you. Fortunately Big Daddy's diving suit isn't just for show and you're able to explore the ocean in a spectacular visual treat. And then you see Big Sister lurking around a corner. And another. And another. Subtlety is key here as in some instances if you blink you'll miss her, but it only takes a few glimpses to instill that sense of predator and prey. The unmistakable sense that not only is she hunting you, but she's toying with you too. When is she going to jump out? I find myself going into rooms, edging around corners and trying to defeat Splicers as fast as possible so as to avoid a possible Splicer + Big Sister rumble of death.

Popping up every now and then to beat you senseless and then retreating, Big Sister is that dogging foe that so many games seem to miss. That sense of imminent and real danger. Not just the "There's probably something around this corner" feeling that every game delivers, but that sense that you are truly not alone in Rapture, and unlike last game, you are not the biggest fish in the sea.

Well played 2k, well played. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a Big Sister to go tangle with.