System Shock™ 2 is a genre defining experience that established innovative game-play mechanics that are a staple of the FPS and RPG genre today. It has gone on to inspire some of the greatest titles of our generation with games including Deus Ex® and Bioshock®
In this post, I will talk about FPS's that inspired Bioshock series, but also who is in almost every way went far more than the floating city of Columbia in BioShock: Infinite. The BioShock series, you agree, delivered us a really special atmosphere in the underwater utopia called Rapture. The last game from the series, the Infinite subtitle took us more, among the clouds in the flying city of Columbia. But before Bioshock there was a game that took the player even further.
System Shock 2 for this review I decided to resurrect from cyberspace on my disk so that for generations that did not play it, I could present this masterpiece. We are Google generation so it's not a problem to look at search results for queries such as "top PC games of all time" or "games with the best atmosphere of all times". For both queries you will see a on large number of top charts - System Shock 2. The game was created by the fans of it first incarnation which settled in the silence of the cellar and give themself name Looking Glass Studios to begin it sequel with Ken Levin as the main designer.
System Shock 2 has mixed FPS and RPG genres, but you can also find elements of survival horror genres and all this in a cyberpunk / SF atmosphere that looks like James Cameron Aliens and William Gibson's work had a child who had concludes a contract with the Devil. The game offered a look from the first person to somehow identify us with the protagonist in the games in general, the skills we have developed with cyber implants, inventory, a map, a complex system of research, weapon degradation, etc. Not to mention all of it now, you realize it was years ahead of its time. Try Playing System Shock 2 after Bioshock and you'll be clear how much Bioshock is actually simplified, though it's still a great game. If they have the same engine you would think that Bioshock is actually a predecessor.
Since you are wake up on Von Braun's ship with headache due to implants in the eye cavities, you get stuck with the action site at the level you've never felt in any game. The feeling is just growing as you progress, listening to diaries of various crew members on a ghost ship that might not be. There is a popularly called plot of twists and feelings with easter eggs. There is everything, and it is up to you to explore it all. Special discomfort is given by the French key as well as remaining melee weapons while killing enemies because therea is as many bullets as people who could oppose Chuck Norris. Not so much but in low quantities and you get them solely on a recipe for use in the biggest crowds. Psi Amp will somewhat compensate this if you decide to build your character around psionic skill.
This is one of the smart games that you may call it. You have no direct indication of what and how to proceed. From Dr. Polito you only get the basic instructions what you need to do or where something is. No arrows, direction indicators, different colors on important items. There is nothing. You have diaries you find, logs, and maps. Another component of total perfection. Why did not this perfection continue, rewarded by direct sequel instead of just spiritual?
Looking Glass Studios unfortunately after the release of the game go bankrup, insufficient sales because of little budget and practically no marketing, and the rights were split between the home security development company and EA as a publisher. Levin has repeatedly said that he would love System Shock 3, but in practice it was almost impossible. After turning the sky and the earth without any success in gaining the rights to name and rights for "coding", it temporarily abandons and goes to work on Bioshock as a slap to EA and others. In the past ten years, the game experiences the cult status in the gaming community across the internet, gets modes and unofficial patches. It spent a lot of time in the first place on the wish list on GOG.com, and is now available for $ 9.99.
Artificial intelligence, Sentient Hyper-Optimized Data Access Network, or abbreviated SHODAN sets some new standards in A.I. It's just enough to hear the way SHODAN speaks, respectively how sick sounds and at the same time so cool. To alert you immediately, make sure that you do not spoil the game by searching who, what, whom and why. Play it first, and then just explore the additional information online. The game can be bought recently for funny price on GOG or on Steam. In addition, the Internet is full of HD textures, weapon models and the like. If you didn't , you have to try it and I can guarantee you the adventure you have not yet experienced.
