During our first trip to Rapture we merely got a taste of what it would be like to become a Big Daddy. In BioShock 2 the team behind the original’s Fort Frolic level, 2K Marin, have placed us in the diving suit of Subject Delta, the first Big Daddy, who has awakened after 10 years of unconsciousness. We recently spent a few hours in the post-Ryan underwater dystopia and can assure you that things have certainly changed.

Our latest visit to Rapture starts off at Adonis Luxury Resort, a once fabulous spa turned nightmare as heavily mutated Splicers destroy each other, and the environment, for Adam. Delta lies in a puddle near a Vita-Chamber and is awakened by the voice of Tenenbaum, who asks us to perform a few simple tasks. This level serves as a training ground for newcomers and a refresher course for players of the original.

One of our first tasks is to find a Plasmid. We use our drill to break past a barrier keeping us from the Gatherer’s Garden. As we approach the machine we see only the eyes of a girl followed by her voice. It’s Eleanor, one of Rapture’s sisters who is bonded to Delta and desperately needs you to find her. Our overarching goal in the preview build is to find Eleanor, but first we must complete other goals to progress. Audio diaries reveal Eleanor Lamb has ties to Rapture’s leader and Delta’s antagonist, Sofia Lamb, but little information has been revealed on how Delta and the Lamb’s are connected.

Eleanor leaves us a little gift at the Gatherer’s Garden—Electro Bolt. As we turn around a Little Sister tells us Delta has been sleeping a long time. “Eleanor misses you,” she says as a Big Sister runs past and knocks the little one down.

Our next task is to use the new Plasmid to power up a generator. Once we find the rusted machine and spark it up, the darkened rooms of Adonis light up while an old school lounge music plays in the background. Tenenbaum asks that we meet up with her at the Atlantic Train Station.

En route to the station we find an audio diary from Tenenbaum that reveals the reasoning for her return to Rapture. With the disappearance of children around the Atlantic she suspects someone may be trying to continue the work she regretfully started and wants to put a stop to it.

Up to this point we were only armed with the drill and Electro Bolt. While exploring Adonis’ various rooms, we find our first ranged weapon, the Rivet Gun, then enter a large room with a Little Sister gathering Adam from a Splicer’s corpse. She warns us of the wrath of Big Sister, and just like that, the twiggy, metallic beast unleashes an ear-piercing shriek just as she ambushes our Big Daddy. We hit her with the Rivet Gun and send shockwaves with Electro Bolt, but were no match for the Big Sister. She drains us of all our health and resources leaving us with just enough to live before she disappears.

In BioShock 2, damage is indicated by blood splatter on the sides of the screen that will remain until you find a health item. Thankfully the previous battle unearthed health and other replenishing items across the room. We were now prepared to follow the tiny terror and finish what we started.