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This thread has been linked to the game 'System Shock 2'.
System what?!
If I ask what you were doing in 1999, there’s a good chance you won’t remember much. You’d probably have real problems remembering what games you’d played at the least… unless you’d played System Shock 2. If you played it, you’ll most likely at this point be reminiscing, smiling to yourself and recalling just how epic an event this was. If you finished it (and why wouldn’t you?) you’ll most likely wish you still had a copy, or you’ll be heading off to find the disc to give yourself a nostalgic scare.
If you haven’t played it, I am about to tell you why you should go out of your way to scout out a copy and do so.
Its twelve years old!
Old enough in gaming terms to be considered almost antique, you’ll not be playing this for graphical prowess, fancy textures or impressive lighting and shadows. All of those things we take for granted in games these days are blatantly missing from this. That’s not to say it looks terrible, in fact considering its age, it actually presents a pretty good front, but Modern Warfare it ain’t. Think Doom 3 with low poly models and next to no lighting effects and you’re pretty much there.
No real surround sound, fancy transparent HUD or complicated animation, coupled with the above, means that overall, this presents a pretty austere front by today’s standards.
So, that’s that out of the way. We’ll not talk much more on that aspect of System Shock 2. If this has put you off already, then sadly, you’ll miss one of the finest gaming experiences since the dawn of video games; thanks for reading this far, sorry it’s not for you, I’m sure you’ll be happy with COD 18…
For the rest of you, welcome to the past!
A little bit o’ history…
In 1994, Looking Glass Studios and Irrational Games combined forces and released System Shock to pretty much critical acclaim. The storyline was solid, well thought scifi, the game was well crafted and it set the stage for what was yet to come. The classic image of a rogue super computer had found digital flesh and blood.
Five years later, and the second instalment hit the shelves. Sadly, it came with more of a whimper than a triumphant cry, and it was poorly received by an audience that barely noticed its passing. Before long, copies were being cleared at less than a fiver a pop, and Looking Glass Studios faded into the mire of two bit games developers that were rife at the time. This was, without doubt, a travesty. A hardy band of fans rallied around, built online communities to support the game, but on the whole, it was forgotten in favour of the next big thing.
Let’s relate this to a modern day equivalent.
Remember Bioshock? Didn’t you love it, wasn’t it great, atmospheric, beautifully executed, well scripted and fun from start to finish?
Now imagine that it had failed, faded away without as much as a brief chance at success… scary thought, huh? Imagine what we would have missed. Well here’s the thing…
SYSTEM SHOCK 2 WAS DESIGNED AND SCRIPTED BY THE SAME TEAM!!!
Familiarity…
So how does System Shock 2 play out? Well, it’s similar to Bioshock in that throughout the game, you are fed information via a comms link with a third party. It’s also a first person shooter at heart, and, like Bioshock, it has elements of roleplay; at the start of the game, you get to pick one of three specialities for your character that will affect the way you develop and the methods you use to access certain areas, kind of like Deus Ex. Then again, it’s split into areas, each with their own challenges and a host of enemy creatures that will push your skills to the limit, much like Doom 3. This may cause you to ask yourself, “So, why don’t I just play one of those other fine games?” True, they would be prettier, BUT…
Not so Familiar…
System Shock 2, unlike any of those other games, is entirely driven by the story. The fighting might be frantic at times, you may find yourself agonising over which skill upgrade to pick or what route to take, but all of this is secondary. Everything you do is for one purpose, and one purpose only- to find out what comes next. Imagine, if you will, that you are a marine, trapped on a deep space explorer, where the entire crew has been infected by some biological entity. You awake from stasis, alone and confused, your memory shot; you have no choice but to listen to whomever that is at the other end of the comms link and to try to unravel the mystery of what lies before you.
Now consider how you would feel if a second voice interrupts the comms link to inform you that you’re being lied to. Both stories sound perfectly plausible, both have merit and each seems to offer you the answers you need. What do you do? You could trust your instincts, but all that seems to do is drop you into more trouble. How about a wild guess? Well, you might get lucky, but considering how bad things are getting in a short space of time, you could end up missing something vital.
I know what you’re thinking; it’s only a game after all, it doesn’t matter, if it goes wrong, try again. But that’s just it. It does matter, it matters a lot, the game makes you care. That is the beauty of it. You’ll try telling yourself not to worry, but the game won’t let you, it’s a relentless barrage on your senses and sensibilities. Paranoia grips you within the first hour, then piece by piece it tears your mind apart, plunging icy fingers of horror into the very fibres of your being. Your hands will sweat, your breath will hitch in your chest, your heart will pound, and half way through the game you’ll receive the biggest shock of your entire gaming existence before it shreds the remains of your tattered nerves.
Can it really be that good?...
I kid you not. If System Shock 2 was a film, it would be a Kubrik blockbuster, if it was a book it would be a Stephen King in his heyday. It doesn’t rely on adrenaline fuelled rampages or wave upon wave of enemy; this is about scripting, pure and simple, classic scifi with a horror edge. Think “Event Horizon” but longer, less obvious and more twisted, and you’re half way there. Think “2001” but darker, more action packed and disturbing, and you’re on the right track. The best books and films make us feel, the best games should do the same. This one delivers in spades.
Okay… what’s the catch?
Honestly? There isn’t one. I guess you could argue that if it was made now, the graphics would be better and the sound more immersive, but then, there’s something quite fitting with the low res appearance and flatness of the sound; it’s a little disconcerting, unnerving, and it seems to add to the atmosphere rather than detract from it. Besides, for those bothered by such things, there’s a host of user made mods to increase the detail and texture quality, and the number is growing all the time. Play it and see; you'll be back several times, I guarantee, if only to see if it still has the power to make you quake with nervous energy.
In summary…
Beg, borrow or steal a copy of this, play it and come to realise that every modern action game, first person shooter or story driven strategy owes a tip of the hat, an acknowledging nod in the direction of System Shock 2. This is not a diamond in the rough, it's not an also ran, it is, in a word, perfect.
A flawless masterpiece. 12/10…
If I ask what you were doing in 1999, there’s a good chance you won’t remember much. You’d probably have real problems remembering what games you’d played at the least… unless you’d played System Shock 2. If you played it, you’ll most likely at this point be reminiscing, smiling to yourself and recalling just how epic an event this was. If you finished it (and why wouldn’t you?) you’ll most likely wish you still had a copy, or you’ll be heading off to find the disc to give yourself a nostalgic scare.
If you haven’t played it, I am about to tell you why you should go out of your way to scout out a copy and do so.
Its twelve years old!
Old enough in gaming terms to be considered almost antique, you’ll not be playing this for graphical prowess, fancy textures or impressive lighting and shadows. All of those things we take for granted in games these days are blatantly missing from this. That’s not to say it looks terrible, in fact considering its age, it actually presents a pretty good front, but Modern Warfare it ain’t. Think Doom 3 with low poly models and next to no lighting effects and you’re pretty much there.
No real surround sound, fancy transparent HUD or complicated animation, coupled with the above, means that overall, this presents a pretty austere front by today’s standards.
So, that’s that out of the way. We’ll not talk much more on that aspect of System Shock 2. If this has put you off already, then sadly, you’ll miss one of the finest gaming experiences since the dawn of video games; thanks for reading this far, sorry it’s not for you, I’m sure you’ll be happy with COD 18…
For the rest of you, welcome to the past!
A little bit o’ history…
In 1994, Looking Glass Studios and Irrational Games combined forces and released System Shock to pretty much critical acclaim. The storyline was solid, well thought scifi, the game was well crafted and it set the stage for what was yet to come. The classic image of a rogue super computer had found digital flesh and blood.
Five years later, and the second instalment hit the shelves. Sadly, it came with more of a whimper than a triumphant cry, and it was poorly received by an audience that barely noticed its passing. Before long, copies were being cleared at less than a fiver a pop, and Looking Glass Studios faded into the mire of two bit games developers that were rife at the time. This was, without doubt, a travesty. A hardy band of fans rallied around, built online communities to support the game, but on the whole, it was forgotten in favour of the next big thing.
Let’s relate this to a modern day equivalent.
Remember Bioshock? Didn’t you love it, wasn’t it great, atmospheric, beautifully executed, well scripted and fun from start to finish?
Now imagine that it had failed, faded away without as much as a brief chance at success… scary thought, huh? Imagine what we would have missed. Well here’s the thing…
SYSTEM SHOCK 2 WAS DESIGNED AND SCRIPTED BY THE SAME TEAM!!!
Familiarity…
So how does System Shock 2 play out? Well, it’s similar to Bioshock in that throughout the game, you are fed information via a comms link with a third party. It’s also a first person shooter at heart, and, like Bioshock, it has elements of roleplay; at the start of the game, you get to pick one of three specialities for your character that will affect the way you develop and the methods you use to access certain areas, kind of like Deus Ex. Then again, it’s split into areas, each with their own challenges and a host of enemy creatures that will push your skills to the limit, much like Doom 3. This may cause you to ask yourself, “So, why don’t I just play one of those other fine games?” True, they would be prettier, BUT…
Not so Familiar…
System Shock 2, unlike any of those other games, is entirely driven by the story. The fighting might be frantic at times, you may find yourself agonising over which skill upgrade to pick or what route to take, but all of this is secondary. Everything you do is for one purpose, and one purpose only- to find out what comes next. Imagine, if you will, that you are a marine, trapped on a deep space explorer, where the entire crew has been infected by some biological entity. You awake from stasis, alone and confused, your memory shot; you have no choice but to listen to whomever that is at the other end of the comms link and to try to unravel the mystery of what lies before you.
Now consider how you would feel if a second voice interrupts the comms link to inform you that you’re being lied to. Both stories sound perfectly plausible, both have merit and each seems to offer you the answers you need. What do you do? You could trust your instincts, but all that seems to do is drop you into more trouble. How about a wild guess? Well, you might get lucky, but considering how bad things are getting in a short space of time, you could end up missing something vital.
I know what you’re thinking; it’s only a game after all, it doesn’t matter, if it goes wrong, try again. But that’s just it. It does matter, it matters a lot, the game makes you care. That is the beauty of it. You’ll try telling yourself not to worry, but the game won’t let you, it’s a relentless barrage on your senses and sensibilities. Paranoia grips you within the first hour, then piece by piece it tears your mind apart, plunging icy fingers of horror into the very fibres of your being. Your hands will sweat, your breath will hitch in your chest, your heart will pound, and half way through the game you’ll receive the biggest shock of your entire gaming existence before it shreds the remains of your tattered nerves.
Can it really be that good?...
I kid you not. If System Shock 2 was a film, it would be a Kubrik blockbuster, if it was a book it would be a Stephen King in his heyday. It doesn’t rely on adrenaline fuelled rampages or wave upon wave of enemy; this is about scripting, pure and simple, classic scifi with a horror edge. Think “Event Horizon” but longer, less obvious and more twisted, and you’re half way there. Think “2001” but darker, more action packed and disturbing, and you’re on the right track. The best books and films make us feel, the best games should do the same. This one delivers in spades.
Okay… what’s the catch?
Honestly? There isn’t one. I guess you could argue that if it was made now, the graphics would be better and the sound more immersive, but then, there’s something quite fitting with the low res appearance and flatness of the sound; it’s a little disconcerting, unnerving, and it seems to add to the atmosphere rather than detract from it. Besides, for those bothered by such things, there’s a host of user made mods to increase the detail and texture quality, and the number is growing all the time. Play it and see; you'll be back several times, I guarantee, if only to see if it still has the power to make you quake with nervous energy.
In summary…
Beg, borrow or steal a copy of this, play it and come to realise that every modern action game, first person shooter or story driven strategy owes a tip of the hat, an acknowledging nod in the direction of System Shock 2. This is not a diamond in the rough, it's not an also ran, it is, in a word, perfect.
A flawless masterpiece. 12/10…
System what?!
If I ask what you were doing in 1999, there’s a good chance you won’t remember much. You’d probably have real problems remembering what games you’d played at the least… unless you’d played System Shock 2. If you played it, you’ll most likely at this point be reminiscing, smiling to yourself and recalling just how epic an event this was. If you finished it (and why wouldn’t you?) you’ll most likely wish you still had a copy, or you’ll be heading off to find the disc to give yourself a nostalgic scare.
If you haven’t played it, I am about to tell you why you should go out of your way to scout out a copy and do so.
Its twelve years old!
Old enough in gaming terms to be considered almost antique, you’ll not be playing this for graphical prowess, fancy textures or impressive lighting and shadows. All of those things we take for granted in games these days are blatantly missing from this. That’s not to say it looks terrible, in fact considering its age, it actually presents a pretty good front, but Modern Warfare it ain’t. Think Doom 3 with low poly models and next to no lighting effects and you’re pretty much there.
No real surround sound, fancy transparent HUD or complicated animation, coupled with the above, means that overall, this presents a pretty austere front by today’s standards.
So, that’s that out of the way. We’ll not talk much more on that aspect of System Shock 2. If this has put you off already, then sadly, you’ll miss one of the finest gaming experiences since the dawn of video games; thanks for reading this far, sorry it’s not for you, I’m sure you’ll be happy with COD 18…
For the rest of you, welcome to the past!
A little bit o’ history…
In 1994, Looking Glass Studios and Irrational Games combined forces and released System Shock to pretty much critical acclaim. The storyline was solid, well thought scifi, the game was well crafted and it set the stage for what was yet to come. The classic image of a rogue super computer had found digital flesh and blood.
Five years later, and the second instalment hit the shelves. Sadly, it came with more of a whimper than a triumphant cry, and it was poorly received by an audience that barely noticed its passing. Before long, copies were being cleared at less than a fiver a pop, and Looking Glass Studios faded into the mire of two bit games developers that were rife at the time. This was, without doubt, a travesty. A hardy band of fans rallied around, built online communities to support the game, but on the whole, it was forgotten in favour of the next big thing.
Let’s relate this to a modern day equivalent.
Remember Bioshock? Didn’t you love it, wasn’t it great, atmospheric, beautifully executed, well scripted and fun from start to finish?
Now imagine that it had failed, faded away without as much as a brief chance at success… scary thought, huh? Imagine what we would have missed. Well here’s the thing…
SYSTEM SHOCK 2 WAS DESIGNED AND SCRIPTED BY THE SAME TEAM!!!
Familiarity…
So how does System Shock 2 play out? Well, it’s similar to Bioshock in that throughout the game, you are fed information via a comms link with a third party. It’s also a first person shooter at heart, and, like Bioshock, it has elements of roleplay; at the start of the game, you get to pick one of three specialities for your character that will affect the way you develop and the methods you use to access certain areas, kind of like Deus Ex. Then again, it’s split into areas, each with their own challenges and a host of enemy creatures that will push your skills to the limit, much like Doom 3. This may cause you to ask yourself, “So, why don’t I just play one of those other fine games?” True, they would be prettier, BUT…
Not so Familiar…
System Shock 2, unlike any of those other games, is entirely driven by the story. The fighting might be frantic at times, you may find yourself agonising over which skill upgrade to pick or what route to take, but all of this is secondary. Everything you do is for one purpose, and one purpose only- to find out what comes next. Imagine, if you will, that you are a marine, trapped on a deep space explorer, where the entire crew has been infected by some biological entity. You awake from stasis, alone and confused, your memory shot; you have no choice but to listen to whomever that is at the other end of the comms link and to try to unravel the mystery of what lies before you.
Now consider how you would feel if a second voice interrupts the comms link to inform you that you’re being lied to. Both stories sound perfectly plausible, both have merit and each seems to offer you the answers you need. What do you do? You could trust your instincts, but all that seems to do is drop you into more trouble. How about a wild guess? Well, you might get lucky, but considering how bad things are getting in a short space of time, you could end up missing something vital.
I know what you’re thinking; it’s only a game after all, it doesn’t matter, if it goes wrong, try again. But that’s just it. It does matter, it matters a lot, the game makes you care. That is the beauty of it. You’ll try telling yourself not to worry, but the game won’t let you, it’s a relentless barrage on your senses and sensibilities. Paranoia grips you within the first hour, then piece by piece it tears your mind apart, plunging icy fingers of horror into the very fibres of your being. Your hands will sweat, your breath will hitch in your chest, your heart will pound, and half way through the game you’ll receive the biggest shock of your entire gaming existence before it shreds the remains of your tattered nerves.
Can it really be that good?...
I kid you not. If System Shock 2 was a film, it would be a Kubrik blockbuster, if it was a book it would be a Stephen King in his heyday. It doesn’t rely on adrenaline fuelled rampages or wave upon wave of enemy; this is about scripting, pure and simple, classic scifi with a horror edge. Think “Event Horizon” but longer, less obvious and more twisted, and you’re half way there. Think “2001” but darker, more action packed and disturbing, and you’re on the right track. The best books and films make us feel, the best games should do the same. This one delivers in spades.
Okay… what’s the catch?
Honestly? There isn’t one. I guess you could argue that if it was made now, the graphics would be better and the sound more immersive, but then, there’s something quite fitting with the low res appearance and flatness of the sound; it’s a little disconcerting, unnerving, and it seems to add to the atmosphere rather than detract from it. Besides, for those bothered by such things, there’s a host of user made mods to increase the detail and texture quality, and the number is growing all the time. Play it and see; you'll be back several times, I guarantee, if only to see if it still has the power to make you quake with nervous energy.
In summary…
Beg, borrow or steal a copy of this, play it and come to realise that every modern action game, first person shooter or story driven strategy owes a tip of the hat, an acknowledging nod in the direction of System Shock 2. This is not a diamond in the rough, it's not an also ran, it is, in a word, perfect.
A flawless masterpiece. 12/10…
If I ask what you were doing in 1999, there’s a good chance you won’t remember much. You’d probably have real problems remembering what games you’d played at the least… unless you’d played System Shock 2. If you played it, you’ll most likely at this point be reminiscing, smiling to yourself and recalling just how epic an event this was. If you finished it (and why wouldn’t you?) you’ll most likely wish you still had a copy, or you’ll be heading off to find the disc to give yourself a nostalgic scare.
If you haven’t played it, I am about to tell you why you should go out of your way to scout out a copy and do so.
Its twelve years old!
Old enough in gaming terms to be considered almost antique, you’ll not be playing this for graphical prowess, fancy textures or impressive lighting and shadows. All of those things we take for granted in games these days are blatantly missing from this. That’s not to say it looks terrible, in fact considering its age, it actually presents a pretty good front, but Modern Warfare it ain’t. Think Doom 3 with low poly models and next to no lighting effects and you’re pretty much there.
No real surround sound, fancy transparent HUD or complicated animation, coupled with the above, means that overall, this presents a pretty austere front by today’s standards.
So, that’s that out of the way. We’ll not talk much more on that aspect of System Shock 2. If this has put you off already, then sadly, you’ll miss one of the finest gaming experiences since the dawn of video games; thanks for reading this far, sorry it’s not for you, I’m sure you’ll be happy with COD 18…
For the rest of you, welcome to the past!
A little bit o’ history…
In 1994, Looking Glass Studios and Irrational Games combined forces and released System Shock to pretty much critical acclaim. The storyline was solid, well thought scifi, the game was well crafted and it set the stage for what was yet to come. The classic image of a rogue super computer had found digital flesh and blood.
Five years later, and the second instalment hit the shelves. Sadly, it came with more of a whimper than a triumphant cry, and it was poorly received by an audience that barely noticed its passing. Before long, copies were being cleared at less than a fiver a pop, and Looking Glass Studios faded into the mire of two bit games developers that were rife at the time. This was, without doubt, a travesty. A hardy band of fans rallied around, built online communities to support the game, but on the whole, it was forgotten in favour of the next big thing.
Let’s relate this to a modern day equivalent.
Remember Bioshock? Didn’t you love it, wasn’t it great, atmospheric, beautifully executed, well scripted and fun from start to finish?
Now imagine that it had failed, faded away without as much as a brief chance at success… scary thought, huh? Imagine what we would have missed. Well here’s the thing…
SYSTEM SHOCK 2 WAS DESIGNED AND SCRIPTED BY THE SAME TEAM!!!
Familiarity…
So how does System Shock 2 play out? Well, it’s similar to Bioshock in that throughout the game, you are fed information via a comms link with a third party. It’s also a first person shooter at heart, and, like Bioshock, it has elements of roleplay; at the start of the game, you get to pick one of three specialities for your character that will affect the way you develop and the methods you use to access certain areas, kind of like Deus Ex. Then again, it’s split into areas, each with their own challenges and a host of enemy creatures that will push your skills to the limit, much like Doom 3. This may cause you to ask yourself, “So, why don’t I just play one of those other fine games?” True, they would be prettier, BUT…
Not so Familiar…
System Shock 2, unlike any of those other games, is entirely driven by the story. The fighting might be frantic at times, you may find yourself agonising over which skill upgrade to pick or what route to take, but all of this is secondary. Everything you do is for one purpose, and one purpose only- to find out what comes next. Imagine, if you will, that you are a marine, trapped on a deep space explorer, where the entire crew has been infected by some biological entity. You awake from stasis, alone and confused, your memory shot; you have no choice but to listen to whomever that is at the other end of the comms link and to try to unravel the mystery of what lies before you.
Now consider how you would feel if a second voice interrupts the comms link to inform you that you’re being lied to. Both stories sound perfectly plausible, both have merit and each seems to offer you the answers you need. What do you do? You could trust your instincts, but all that seems to do is drop you into more trouble. How about a wild guess? Well, you might get lucky, but considering how bad things are getting in a short space of time, you could end up missing something vital.
I know what you’re thinking; it’s only a game after all, it doesn’t matter, if it goes wrong, try again. But that’s just it. It does matter, it matters a lot, the game makes you care. That is the beauty of it. You’ll try telling yourself not to worry, but the game won’t let you, it’s a relentless barrage on your senses and sensibilities. Paranoia grips you within the first hour, then piece by piece it tears your mind apart, plunging icy fingers of horror into the very fibres of your being. Your hands will sweat, your breath will hitch in your chest, your heart will pound, and half way through the game you’ll receive the biggest shock of your entire gaming existence before it shreds the remains of your tattered nerves.
Can it really be that good?...
I kid you not. If System Shock 2 was a film, it would be a Kubrik blockbuster, if it was a book it would be a Stephen King in his heyday. It doesn’t rely on adrenaline fuelled rampages or wave upon wave of enemy; this is about scripting, pure and simple, classic scifi with a horror edge. Think “Event Horizon” but longer, less obvious and more twisted, and you’re half way there. Think “2001” but darker, more action packed and disturbing, and you’re on the right track. The best books and films make us feel, the best games should do the same. This one delivers in spades.
Okay… what’s the catch?
Honestly? There isn’t one. I guess you could argue that if it was made now, the graphics would be better and the sound more immersive, but then, there’s something quite fitting with the low res appearance and flatness of the sound; it’s a little disconcerting, unnerving, and it seems to add to the atmosphere rather than detract from it. Besides, for those bothered by such things, there’s a host of user made mods to increase the detail and texture quality, and the number is growing all the time. Play it and see; you'll be back several times, I guarantee, if only to see if it still has the power to make you quake with nervous energy.
In summary…
Beg, borrow or steal a copy of this, play it and come to realise that every modern action game, first person shooter or story driven strategy owes a tip of the hat, an acknowledging nod in the direction of System Shock 2. This is not a diamond in the rough, it's not an also ran, it is, in a word, perfect.
A flawless masterpiece. 12/10…
So that was where the 'awesome' was .... good spot pete :¬)
I obviously did that very tongue in cheek DL but seriously, this is a fantastic review.
pete_21 wrote:
I obviously did that very tongue in cheek DL but seriously, this is a fantastic review.
Couldn't have said it better myself pete ;¬) Reviews how they should be written, at least there are now some glowing reviews to be used as examples of how they should be presented.
I obviously did that very tongue in cheek DL but seriously, this is a fantastic review.
Couldn't have said it better myself pete ;¬) Reviews how they should be written, at least there are now some glowing reviews to be used as examples of how they should be presented.
Dragonlance wrote:
pete_21 wrote:
[i]I obviously did that very tongue in cheek DL but seriously, this is a fantastic review.
Couldn't have said it better myself pete ;¬) Reviews how they should be written, at least there are now some glowing reviews to be used as examples of how they should be presented.[/i]
Thank you both.. That's the general idea, just to spark some enthusiasm for the whole review process..
pete_21 wrote:
[i]I obviously did that very tongue in cheek DL but seriously, this is a fantastic review.
Couldn't have said it better myself pete ;¬) Reviews how they should be written, at least there are now some glowing reviews to be used as examples of how they should be presented.[/i]
Thank you both.. That's the general idea, just to spark some enthusiasm for the whole review process..