BioShock 2: Minerva’s Den

As part of the ongoing public re-evaluation of BioShock 2, I’ve frequently seen Minerva’s Den touted as a terrific example of a DLC expansion. While I’ll happily admit to liking BioShock 2 more than I expected to in 2010, I can’t for the life of me figure out what Minerva’s Den has done to deserve its new reputation. Its only outstanding features are its production values, which only exist because of the game it’s built on top of. The story is the most frequent citation, but it’s only really remarkable for its ending. One well-foreshadowed twist that plays with the setting’s established themes and patterns does not make for a great story on its own. Prior to that moment, the plot follows a protagonist with no clear motivation through the BioShock 2 retcon-verse in pursuit of the most one-dimensional antagonist in the franchise.

Meanwhile, the gameplay is the sort of tacked-on “more of what you liked” affair that BioShock 2 appeared to be to its predecessor. There’s one new weapon – a laser – and one new plasmid that’s functionally a grenade. The new enemies are minor variations of existing ones. You still defend Little Sisters despite them having no bearing on the plot. And the game still presents as a horror title despite its overpowered protagonist. In fact, since all of the equipment from the base game is crammed into a fraction of the play time, you’re always loaded with even more surplus resources than usual. The combat is still technically competent and reasonably engaging, but it only seems to exist to kill a few hours until the game’s narrative centrepiece.