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Difference between revisions of "BioShock 2 Remastered"

From PCGamingWiki, the wiki about fixing PC games
m (→‎Skip 2K Launcher: General maintenance with AutoWikiBrowser in Bot mode)
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}}
 
}}
  
−
'''Key points'''
+
{{Introduction
−
{{ii}} Remastered version of ''[[BioShock 2]]'' and [[BioShock 2#DLC and expansion packs|its add-on]], ''Minerva's Den''. Released as part of '''''BioShock: The Collection''''', which also includes ''[[BioShock Remastered]]'' and ''[[BioShock Infinite]]''.
+
|introduction      = '''''BioShock 2 Remastered''''' is a remastered release of the 2010 [[Glossary:Immersive sim|immersive sim]] ''[[BioShock 2]]'' and its ''Minerva's Den'' add-on. However, it does not the original game's multiplayer mode.<ref name="announcement">{{Refurl|url=https://steamcommunity.com/games/7670/announcements/detail/599358989869729600|title=Remastered BioShock: The Collection Coming to PC on September 13, 2016|date=June 30, 2016}}</ref>  
−
{{++}} Free to owners of ''[[BioShock 2]]'' on Steam.<ref name="announcement">{{Refurl|url=https://steamcommunity.com/games/7670/announcements/detail/599358989869729600|title=Remastered BioShock: The Collection Coming to PC on September 13, 2016|date=June 30, 2016}}</ref> Purchasing this version likewise gives a free Steam copy of the original.
+
 
−
{{--}} Does not include ''[[BioShock 2]]'''s multiplayer mode.<ref name="announcement" />
+
|release history  = The game is available for free to prior owners of ''[[BioShock 2]]'' on Steam.<ref name="announcement" /> Purchasing this version likewise gives a free copy of the original on Steam and GOG.com.
−
{{--}} Some players may have issues with crashes to desktop on Windows 10. Possible fix [[#Frequent crashes|here]].<ref name="crashing-1">{{Refurl|url=https://steamcommunity.com/app/409720/discussions/0/343788552549554618/|title=bioshock 2 crashing|date=August 25, 2017}}</ref><ref name="crashing-2">{{Refurl|url=https://steamcommunity.com/app/409720/discussions/0/1318836262665217400/|title=Bioshock 2 Remastered - random crashes|date=August 25, 2017}}</ref><ref name="crashing-3">{{Refurl|url=https://steamcommunity.com/app/409720/discussions/0/1368380934263771430/|title=Bioshock 2 Remastered crash anytime|date=August 25, 2017}}</ref>
+
 
 +
|current state    = Some players may have issues with crashes to desktop on Windows 10; a possible fix [[#Frequent crashes|here]].<ref name="crashing-1">{{Refurl|url=https://steamcommunity.com/app/409720/discussions/0/343788552549554618/|title=bioshock 2 crashing|date=August 25, 2017}}</ref><ref name="crashing-2">{{Refurl|url=https://steamcommunity.com/app/409720/discussions/0/1318836262665217400/|title=Bioshock 2 Remastered - random crashes|date=August 25, 2017}}</ref><ref name="crashing-3">{{Refurl|url=https://steamcommunity.com/app/409720/discussions/0/1368380934263771430/|title=Bioshock 2 Remastered crash anytime|date=August 25, 2017}}</ref>
 +
}}
  
 
'''General information'''
 
'''General information'''
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{{Availability|
 
{{Availability|
 
{{Availability/row| Epic Games Store | bioshock-2-remastered | Epic Games Store | Requires 2K Launcher. | | Windows }}
 
{{Availability/row| Epic Games Store | bioshock-2-remastered | Epic Games Store | Requires 2K Launcher. | | Windows }}
−
{{Availability/row| GOG.com | bioshock_2_remastered | DRM-free | Included with [[BioShock 2|BioShock 2 Classic]]. |  | Windows }}
+
{{Availability/row| GOG.com | bioshock_2_remastered | DRM-free | Includes the original [[BioShock 2]]. |  | Windows }}
 
{{Availability/row| GMG | bioshock-2 | Steam |  |  | Windows, OS X }}
 
{{Availability/row| GMG | bioshock-2 | Steam |  |  | Windows, OS X }}
 
{{Availability/row| MacApp | id1252923162 | MacApp |  |  | OS X }}
 
{{Availability/row| MacApp | id1252923162 | MacApp |  |  | OS X }}
−
{{Availability/row| Steam | 409720 | Steam | Also unlocks a copy of the original ''[[BioShock 2]]''.<br/>As of 31 August 2022, 2K Launcher is required. |  | Windows, OS X }}
+
{{Availability/row| Steam | 409720 | Steam | Includes the original [[BioShock 2]].<br/>As of 31 August 2022, 2K Launcher is required. |  | Windows, OS X }}
 
}}
 
}}
  
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===Skip 2K Launcher===
 
===Skip 2K Launcher===
 
{{Fixbox|description=Windows: Use the {{code|"{{p|game}}\BioShock2HD.exe" -run %command%}} [[Glossary:Command line arguments|command line argument]].|ref=<ref>{{Refurl|url=https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2857595480|title=Steam Guide - Bypass 2K Launcher|date=May 2023}}</ref>}}
 
{{Fixbox|description=Windows: Use the {{code|"{{p|game}}\BioShock2HD.exe" -run %command%}} [[Glossary:Command line arguments|command line argument]].|ref=<ref>{{Refurl|url=https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2857595480|title=Steam Guide - Bypass 2K Launcher|date=May 2023}}</ref>}}
 +
{{Fixbox|description=Epic Games Store|ref=<ref>{{Refurl|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Bioshock/comments/1386oc3/bioshock_epic_store_2k_launcher_bypass/|title=Reddit - Bioshock Epic Store 2K Launcher bypass |date=2023-06-09}}</ref><ref>{{Refcheck|user=Harmiess|date=2023-06-09|comment=Comment (optional)}}</ref>|fix=
 +
{{ii}} Before editing, make a backup of the {{file|AC9070384D88C76936CC1DAA350F386C.item}} file in case the modifications go wrong. note that it seems like this file can have a completely different name for instance mine was {{file|0C05646B4B3E92D6B354678F2275A7C4.item}}
 +
# Go to {{folder|{{P|programdata}}\Epic\EpicGamesLauncher\Data\Manifests}}.
 +
# Open {{file|AC9070384D88C76936CC1DAA350F386C.item}} with Notepad or another text editor.
 +
# Using the Find function ({{key|ctrl}}+{{key|F}}), search for {{code|2KLauncher/LauncherPatcher.exe}}. There will be exactly one entry.
 +
# Replace the text with {{code|Build/FinalEpic/Bioshock2HD.exe</code>}}.
 +
# Restart Epic Games Store.
 +
}}
 
{{Fixbox|description=Linux: Use {{code|"bash -c 'exec "${@/2KLauncher\/LauncherPatcher.exe/Build\/Final\/Bioshock2HD.exe}"' -- %command% -nointro" -run %command%}} [[Glossary:Command line arguments|command line argument]] (including intro skip using {{code|-nointro}}).|ref=<ref>{{Refurl|url=https://old.reddit.com/r/linux_gaming/comments/x4wk6w/how_to_bypass_the_2k_launcher_on_bioshock/|title=Reddit - How to bypass the 2K Launcher on Bioshock Remasters on Linux|date=May 2023}}</ref>}}
 
{{Fixbox|description=Linux: Use {{code|"bash -c 'exec "${@/2KLauncher\/LauncherPatcher.exe/Build\/Final\/Bioshock2HD.exe}"' -- %command% -nointro" -run %command%}} [[Glossary:Command line arguments|command line argument]] (including intro skip using {{code|-nointro}}).|ref=<ref>{{Refurl|url=https://old.reddit.com/r/linux_gaming/comments/x4wk6w/how_to_bypass_the_2k_launcher_on_bioshock/|title=Reddit - How to bypass the 2K Launcher on Bioshock Remasters on Linux|date=May 2023}}</ref>}}
  
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===Configuration file(s) location===
 
===Configuration file(s) location===
 
{{Game data|
 
{{Game data|
−
{{Game data/config|Windows|{{p|appdata}}\BioshockHD\Bioshock2\|{{p|appdata}}\My Games\Bioshock Epic HD\Bioshock2\}}
+
{{Game data/config|Windows|{{p|appdata}}\BioshockHD\Bioshock2\*.ini}}
 +
{{Game data/config|Epic Games Launcher|{{p|appdata}}\Bioshock Epic HD\Bioshock2\*.ini}}
 
{{Game data/config|OS X|}}
 
{{Game data/config|OS X|}}
 
}}
 
}}
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{{Game data|
 
{{Game data|
 
{{Game data/saves|Windows|{{p|userprofile\Documents}}\BioshockHD\Bioshock2\SaveGames\}}
 
{{Game data/saves|Windows|{{p|userprofile\Documents}}\BioshockHD\Bioshock2\SaveGames\}}
 +
{{Game data/saves|Epic Games Launcher|{{p|userprofile\Documents}}\Bioshock Epic HD\Bioshock2\{{p|uid}}\SaveGames\}}
 
{{Game data/saves|OS X|}}
 
{{Game data/saves|OS X|}}
 
}}
 
}}
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===Advanced graphics settings===
 
===Advanced graphics settings===
−
{{ii}} Settings{{cn|date=October 2016}} are located in the [[#Configuration file(s) location|configuration file location]] folder, named {{file|Bioshock2SP.ini}}.
+
{{ii}} Settings{{cn|date=October 2016}} are located in the [[#Configuration file(s) location|configuration file location]] folder, named {{file|Bioshock2SP.ini}}. Set the file to 'read-only' to avoid overwriting during gameplay.  
  
 
{| class="wikitable collapsible"
 
{| class="wikitable collapsible"
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|-
 
|-
 
| TextureDetail || Low/Medium/High/UltraHigh || Texture Detail
 
| TextureDetail || Low/Medium/High/UltraHigh || Texture Detail
 +
|-
 +
| FluidSurfaceDetail || Low/Medium/High/UltraHigh || Fluid Surface Detail. Default is High.
 +
|-
 +
|  DynamicShadowDetail || Low/Medium/High/UltraHigh || Dynamic Shadows Detail. Default is High.
 +
|-
 +
| UseMultithreadedRendering || 0/1 || Multithreaded rendering. Default is 0.
 
|}
 
|}
  
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  |audio    = hackable
 
  |audio    = hackable
 
  |subtitles = hackable
 
  |subtitles = hackable
−
  |notes    = Ported from BioShock 2. Available [https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=766568330 here].
+
  |notes    = Ported from BioShock 2. Available [https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=766300582 here].
 
  |fan      =  
 
  |fan      =  
 
}}
 
}}

Revision as of 10:23, 23 February 2024

BioShock 2 Remastered
BioShock 2 Remastered cover
Developers
Original game 2K Marin
Remastered Blind Squirrel Games
macOS (OS X) Feral Interactive[1]
Publishers
2K Games
Engines
Unreal Engine 2.5
Release dates
Windows September 15, 2016
macOS (OS X) October 22, 2020[1]
Taxonomy
Monetization One-time game purchase, DLC
Microtransactions None
Modes Singleplayer
Pacing Real-time
Perspectives First-person
Controls Direct control
Genres Immersive sim, RPG, Shooter
Art styles Realistic, Stylized
Themes Sci-fi, Steampunk
Series BioShock
Icon overlay.png
Icon overlay.png
BioShock 2 Remastered on HowLongToBeat
BioShock 2 Remastered on IGDB
Icon overlay.png
Icon overlay.png
Icon overlay.png
Icon overlay.png
Icon overlay.png
BioShock 2 Remastered guide on StrategyWiki
BioShock 2 Remastered on MobyGames
BioShock 2 Remastered on Wikipedia
Icon overlay.png
BioShock
BioShock 2007
BioShock 2 2010
BioShock Infinite 2013
BioShock Remastered 2016
BioShock 2 Remastered 2016

BioShock 2 Remastered is a remastered release of the 2010 immersive sim BioShock 2 and its Minerva's Den add-on. However, it does not the original game's multiplayer mode.[2]

The game is available for free to prior owners of BioShock 2 on Steam.[2] Purchasing this version likewise gives a free copy of the original on Steam and GOG.com.

Some players may have issues with crashes to desktop on Windows 10; a possible fix here.[3][4][5]

General information

GOG.com Community Discussions for game series
GOG.com Support Page
Steam Community Discussions

Availability

Source DRM Notes Keys OS
Epic Games Store
Epic Games Launcher
 Requires 2K Launcher.
Windows
GOG.com
DRM-free
 Includes the original BioShock 2.
Windows
Green Man Gaming
Icon overlay.png
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Mac App Store
Icon overlay.png
macOS (OS X)
Steam
Icon overlay.png
 Includes the original BioShock 2.
As of 31 August 2022, 2K Launcher is required.
Windows
macOS (OS X)

Monetization

DLC and expansion packs

Name Notes
Minerva's Den Remastered Also unlocks a copy of the original Minerva's Den.
Windows
macOS (OS X)

Essential improvements

Skip intro videos

Use -nointro command line argument[6]

Skip 2K Launcher

Windows: Use the "<path-to-game>\BioShock2HD.exe" -run %command% command line argument.[7]
Epic Games Store[8][9]
Before editing, make a backup of the AC9070384D88C76936CC1DAA350F386C.item file in case the modifications go wrong. note that it seems like this file can have a completely different name for instance mine was 0C05646B4B3E92D6B354678F2275A7C4.item
  1. Go to %PROGRAMDATA%\Epic\EpicGamesLauncher\Data\Manifests.
  2. Open AC9070384D88C76936CC1DAA350F386C.item with Notepad or another text editor.
  3. Using the Find function (Ctrl+F), search for 2KLauncher/LauncherPatcher.exe. There will be exactly one entry.
  4. Replace the text with Build/FinalEpic/Bioshock2HD.exe.
  5. Restart Epic Games Store.
Linux: Use "bash -c 'exec "${@/2KLauncher\/LauncherPatcher.exe/Build\/Final\/Bioshock2HD.exe}"' -- %command% -nointro" -run %command% command line argument (including intro skip using -nointro).[10]

Fix audio balance issues

The game does not use the original audio mix, causing some audio balance issues; most notably, gun fire is much quieter as well as other sound effects. The sound effects can be restored by downloading a modified .ini file:

Restore correct audio settings[citation needed]
  1. Download SoundMixStates.ini from Fix Quiet Guns and Unbalanced Audio - Restoring the Retail Audio Mix.
  2. Go to <path-to-game>\ContentBaked\pc\System and place SoundMixStates.ini inside.

Restore uncompressed FMV audio

Download and install this mod.

BioShock Tweaker

Allows you to change settings that are not normally adjustable from the options menu (i.e. custom resolution). Point the program at the game's configuration file location.
Do not enable ForceGlobalLighting, a setting left over from the original 2010 release that will cause the game to freeze in specific places if enabled.[11]

Game data

Configuration file(s) location

System Location
Windows %APPDATA%\BioshockHD\Bioshock2\*.ini
Epic Games Launcher %APPDATA%\Bioshock Epic HD\Bioshock2\*.ini
macOS (OS X)
Steam Play (Linux) <SteamLibrary-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/409720/pfx/[Note 1]

Save game data location

System Location
Windows %USERPROFILE%\Documents\BioshockHD\Bioshock2\SaveGames\
Epic Games Launcher %USERPROFILE%\Documents\Bioshock Epic HD\Bioshock2\<user-id>\SaveGames\
macOS (OS X)
Steam Play (Linux) <SteamLibrary-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/409720/pfx/[Note 1]

Save game cloud syncing

System Native Notes
Epic Games Launcher
GOG Galaxy
OneDrive
Requires enabling backup of the Documents folder in OneDrive on all computers.
Steam Cloud
Up to 128 save files (and no more than 512 MB) can be synced.

Video

Graphics settings.
Graphics settings.

Graphics feature State WSGF Notes
Widescreen resolution
 
 Limited to a maximum of 1440p when using DSR.
Multi-monitor
 
 Navigation arrow is out of view and the weapon model is cropped. See the related WSGF thread for a workaround.
Ultra-widescreen
 
 Added in via patch. Navigation arrow is out of view and the weapon model is cropped. See the related WSGF thread for a workaround.
4K Ultra HD
 
Field of view (FOV)
Added in via patch. 75° to 130°. Default is 100°.
Windowed
Borderless fullscreen windowed
See the glossary page for potential workarounds.
Anisotropic filtering (AF)
Anti-aliasing (AA)
FXAA, toggle only.
Vertical sync (Vsync)
60 FPS and 120+ FPS
No frame rate caps. First person animations are locked at 60 fps.[citation needed]
High dynamic range display (HDR)
See the glossary page for potential alternatives.
Color blind mode
The original was updated with color blind friendly hacking UI, but the remaster goes back to the original unfriendly UI.[citation needed]

Advanced graphics settings

Settings[citation needed] are located in the configuration file location folder, named Bioshock2SP.ini. Set the file to 'read-only' to avoid overwriting during gameplay.
Option Values Description
Shadows True/False Shadow Maps
UseHighDetailPostProcEffects True/False High Detail Post Processing
HighDetailShaders True/False High Details Shaders
UseHighDetailShadowMaps
UseHighDetailSoftParticles		 True/False Use Detail Surfaces
Enabling soft particles has no effect
HighDetailActors
SuperHighDetailActors		 True/False Actor Detail
Set both to false for low, only first option to true for medium, both to true for high
TextureDetail Low/Medium/High/UltraHigh Texture Detail
FluidSurfaceDetail Low/Medium/High/UltraHigh Fluid Surface Detail. Default is High.
DynamicShadowDetail Low/Medium/High/UltraHigh Dynamic Shadows Detail. Default is High.
UseMultithreadedRendering 0/1 Multithreaded rendering. Default is 0.

Input

Controllers need to be unplugged or disabled in game settings for mouse to work.
Input settings.
Input settings.
Keyboard rebinding.
Keyboard rebinding.

Keyboard and mouse State Notes
Remapping
Two keys per action. Tab ↹ is hard-coded to console and cannot be rebound.
Mouse acceleration
Mouse sensitivity
Mouse input in menus
Mouse Y-axis inversion
Controller
Controller support
XInput only.
Full controller support
If controller is disabled in settings, requires keyboard or mouse to enable.
Controller remapping
Four presets available.
Controller sensitivity
Controller Y-axis inversion
Controller types
XInput-compatible controllers
Xbox button prompts
Impulse Trigger vibration
PlayStation controllers
See the glossary page for potential workarounds.
Generic/other controllers
See the glossary page for potential workarounds.
Additional information
Controller hotplugging
Haptic feedback
Digital movement supported
Simultaneous controller+KB/M

  • Controller settings.

  • Controller buttons.

Audio

General settings.
General settings.
Audio settings.
Audio settings.

Audio feature State Notes
Separate volume controls
Surround sound
Confirmed up to 7.1 output.[12] Audio mode is set to Stereo by default.
Subtitles
Closed captions
Mute on focus lost
Royalty free audio

Localizations

Language UI Audio Sub Notes
English
Simplified Chinese
Added in PC Patch 3.[13]
French
German
Hungarian
Fan translation, download.
Italian
Japanese
Polish
Ported from BioShock 2. Available here. [1]
Brazilian Portuguese
Fan translation, download.
Russian
Ported from BioShock 2. Available here.
Spanish

VR support

3D modes State Notes
vorpX
G3D, Z3D, DirectVR
Officially supported game, see official vorpx game list.

Issues fixed

Game overwrites desktop color profile

Use the -nogamma command line argument.

Frequent crashes

A new fix attempt for frequent crashes on modern PCs has been proposed on Steam limiting the game to run on 4 CPU cores max, which seems to work fine for many users.

Other information

API

Technical specs Supported Notes
Direct3D 11
Metal support
Executable 32-bit 64-bit Notes
Windows
macOS (OS X)

Middleware

Middleware Notes
Cutscenes Bink Video

System requirements

Windows
Minimum Recommended
Operating system (OS) 7
Processor (CPU) Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 2.66 GHz
AMD Athlon X2 2.7 GHz		 3.0 GHz Quad Core
System memory (RAM) 4 GB 8 GB
Hard disk drive (HDD) 25 GB
Video card (GPU) Nvidia GeForce GTX 670
AMD Radeon HD 7770
2 GB of VRAM
DirectX 11 compatible 		Nvidia GeForce GTX 770
AMD Radeon HD 7970
Sound (audio device) DirectX compatible
A 64-bit operating system is required.
Mobile chipsets and integrated/AGP graphics cards may be incompatible.
macOS (OS X)
Minimum
Operating system (OS) 10.14.6
Processor (CPU) Intel Core i3 1.1 GHz
System memory (RAM) 8 GB
Hard disk drive (HDD) 22 GB
Video card (GPU) AMD Radeon R9 M290
Intel Iris Pro 5200
1.5 GB of VRAM
A 64-bit operating system is required.
Steam version requires 10.15.4.


Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Notes regarding Steam Play (Linux) data:

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Welcome back to Rapture… BioShock 2 Remastered is out now for macOS - Feral News - last accessed on 2020-10-23
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Remastered BioShock: The Collection Coming to PC on September 13, 2016 - last accessed on June 30, 2016
  3. ↑ bioshock 2 crashing - last accessed on August 25, 2017
  4. ↑ Bioshock 2 Remastered - random crashes - last accessed on August 25, 2017
  5. ↑ Bioshock 2 Remastered crash anytime - last accessed on August 25, 2017
  6. ↑ Verified by User:AmethystViper on 2019-11-02
  7. ↑ Steam Guide - Bypass 2K Launcher - last accessed on May 2023
  8. ↑ Reddit - Bioshock Epic Store 2K Launcher bypass - last accessed on 2023-06-09
  9. ↑ Verified by User:Harmiess on 2023-06-09
  10. ↑ Reddit - How to bypass the 2K Launcher on Bioshock Remasters on Linux - last accessed on May 2023
  11. ↑ This is verifiable by examining the logs that can be found in the %APPDATA%\BioshockHD\Bioshock2\ShaderErrors folder after at least one such crash occurs.
  12. ↑ PC Gaming Surround Sound Round-up - last accessed on May 2023
  13. ↑ PC PATCH NOTES: 12/5/2017 - last accessed on May 2023