When Bioshock crashed onto the scene in 2007, it shook up the gaming world and forever changed gamers’ expectations for storytelling in games. With a heady narrative that touched on themes ranging from the existence of God to utopianism, Bioshock set the standard for story depth.

I’m not expecting the sequel to make quite such an impact.

Admittedly, this could just be because I hold the original so near and dear to my heart that I’m afraid of opening up to anything else – Bioshock 2 could literally wound my gamer spirit.

As the game nears release, I’m getting mixed signals. I haven’t had a chance to play it myself, but I’ve heard rumors that it is exceeding expectations. On the other hand, there’s the contrived story synopsis and the tacked-on multiplayer to think about.

A great game can often be recognized long before release because its developers refuse to cave into current trends. Just because Call of Duty has multiplayer doesn’t mean Bioshock needs it, too. It doesn’t. At all. And the fact that it’s being included makes me wonder if the developers are more worried about pandering to the masses than crafting an excellent game.

Nothing wrong with paying the bills – but the original Bioshock did that without being formulaic.

The recently unveiled launch trailer does little to alleiviate my fears. It’s epic, violent, dark, and hits most of the right Bioshock notes. But there’s just something missing – depth. The original was much more than the sum of its parts, and the sequel will have to do much more than simply throw all the same elements together to live up to the legacy.

The game will be available on Feb. 9, and you can be sure I’ll have a review up shortly afterward. Here’s hoping it surprises me in all the right ways.

Jerod Jarvis is an independent gaming journalist and founder of Duality Games. He maintains gaming columns for The Washington Times Communities and for The Outpost. When not blogging madly about games, he freelances for the Spokesman-Review in his hometown of Spokane, Washington and attends school at Whitworth University. Check out his presence on Facebook and Twitter to stay up on Duality Games updates and the inside scoop on the gaming news you care about.