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System Shock 2
Windows - 1999
The sequel that will shock you into submission. I’ll be excused if I can’t fit System Shock 2 into any clear category. This game’s a complete mish-mash of genres – first person shooter, role-playing game, survival horror, stealth game; yet out of all of these, ‘survival horror’ screams out the loudest, perfectly matching the horrified screams of those trapped on the. #7 CaptainTolerable. System Shock 2 has this ability to remain eerie and very frightening even though it is close to 14 years old. I'd chalk it up to the story being so well fleshed out, the setting of the game, and not to mention the difficulty. I just happened to see System Shock 2 on the shelf and asked the clerk which he would recommend. He told me to get System Shock 2 and he totally made the right call. I have played it with that copy since but had to run with some workarounds which have never been the case with GoG!
Also released on: Mac - Linux
Description of System Shock 2
Read Full DescriptionDoubtless among the best games ever made, System Shock 2 is a superior RPG/FPS sequel to the 1993 classic System Shock.
Anyone who has played and liked the original game needs to try this game. Even those who did not play the first and are looking for a mesmerizing and scary game that blends RPG elements into a first person shooter will enjoy this.
In the time of System Shock 2, around forty years have passed after events in the first game. After the close call of super-computer-gone-crazy SHODAN, the governments have banded together under the United National Nominate (UNN) to oppose megacorporation Tri-Optimum and other large companies. An uneasy peace now exists. When the game starts, you are at a UNN base. You go through some training missions, and the tutorial is very easy to learn and controls quick to figure out. The interface of SS2 makes controling your character easy: one hand on the keyboard to move your guy and the other on a mouse to look around and pick things up will serve most people well. Joysticks are supported, and it is suggested that you learn some of the hotkeys in the game to save yourself time and effort.
After the training, you get to pick a branch for your character -- either the Marines, specializing in heavy weapons, the Navy, strong in lighter weapons and hacking (close to the original game), and the new OSA, which allows you to use your Psionic ability to attack your enemies. It's a four year tour when you sign up, and each year you can pick your assignment from one of three choices. Each choice allows you to improve some aspect of your stats, allowing you to start customizing your character. During the game you will be receiving Cyber Modules, which can be used at machines to learn new skills, such as Hacking or Heavy Weapons, or improve your character's abilities like Strength and Agility. You can't be a jack of all trades -- once you pick a military career, its suggested that you work on improving the abilities that your character does best. Also found in the game are four rare OS machines, which give you a skill such as Auto Mapping, Sharpshooter, and Tank.
It's in your forth year that the game finally starts for real. The year is now 2114. You request to be assigned to the UNN Rickenbacker, the destroyer that will be 'piggy-backing' the FTL Tri-Optimum ship Von Braun. After the first three quiet months, a distress call is picked up coming from the Tau Ceti system, light years away from Earth. After that......well, your memory seems to be damaged, because the next thing you know you're coming out of a cryo tube with blood on the floor and a woman's voice telling you that something has taken over the Von Braun and to come meet her. When a panel explodes seconds after coming out of the tube, you KNOW you're in for a wild ride!
There are so many good things about System Shock 2 that I can only really touch on the major ones. The easy to learn interface has been mentioned already. The graphics are the same as the Thief games, and are quite good, with dark and light contrasts and the feeling that you really ARE on a starship. As you go through the ship, picking up the pieces of what happened and trying to stop who - or what - has taken over, you find logs from the dead crewmembers, like in System Shock. The voice acting is wonderful, really making you feel like you are there. The enemies are numerous and the AI is very smart, with mutants attacking you straight on while assassins try to pick you off from dark corners.
The sounds are -- oh my God, the sounds! I played the first System Shock with the volume down, but you can NOT do that in this game. The sounds are critical to your survival. You can hear enemies approach, listen for the whine of a security camera, turn around in dread as a you hear a turret pop up. All these effects make for a game that is VERY scary, the scariest game I have ever played. You will hesitate as you open each door and peak around each corridor, wondering what horror is waiting for you. A full stereo surround system is needed for the best music and sound effects, but you can still get some effects no matter what you do. The enemies love to ambush you, from the mutants who beg to be killed as they attack you, to the Cyborg Midwifes who say downright creepy things as they look for you. (The first time you hear one say 'Babies need fresh meat!' you'll feel no remorse for blowing one away. :) )
Other elements also make System Shock 2 a classic. The plot is fantastic, told to you both through the logs and e-mails and some of the cut scenes that you see in the game. It is full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the very end. New for this game is that your guy has the ability to pick up 'emissions' from the recently departed.....in other words, you can see ghosts of recently dead crewmembers. The first time you see one, you'll wet your pants and waste a entire clip of ammo on it! These pop up with no warning and are downright creepy. You'll feel remorse for the dead crew and even some of your foes, and feel a sense of urgency as you play - a remarkable game immersion that few games can boast.
The shooting aspect of the game blends in nicely with the RPG elements as you need to decide when and how to improve your character. There are about a dozen weapons and numerous other chemicals, items, and implants that you can pick up and use. Different difficulty levels and the three military branches give the game a good deal of replay value.
Finally, the game supports multi-player in which you can play with other people co-operatively. System Shock 2 is a must-play for anyone who likes FPS, RPG, or a well-written adventure game. Be warned, though -- this game is VERY scary! Although some people will only admit to being nervous once in a while, it's enough to give most people a thrill. I've thrown my mouse into the air many times when a monster suddenly attacked me from nowhere. Those of strong heart will play this game in a dark room at night and with headphones. Me, I have to stick to day playing. :) Even if you can only play the game in short bits before you need to go outside and smoke a cig to calm your nerves will still want to go back to it soon, though.
At the current bargain-bin/budget price, you can't go wrong picking this one up. Like the original, System Shock 2 deserves to go down in computer gaming history as a classic. Two thumbs WAY up, and a well-deserved induction into our Hall of Belated Fame.
Review By HOTUD
External links
Captures and Snapshots
Screenshots from MobyGames.com
Comments and reviews
Naniyue2020-08-211 point
!!!!! ALL MUST PLAY SYSTEM SHOCK 2 !!!!!
One of the most atmospheric and terror-inducing video games ever made! This is one of the only games that genuinely scared me. Ask me to name my top 5 games, and this will always be one of them!
Fans have updated the graphics, and even made new missions, all of which can still be played on a computer from the turn of the century!
Graphics & models:
https://neutralx2.com/2013/07/14/system-shock-2-mod-pack
Missions, etc:
https://www.systemshock.org/index.php?board=3.0
Sud-ita-fan2019-08-21-1 point
Piccolo aiuto: Usate il Riciclatore nello slot delle batterie,la batteria scompare, ma il punto rimane! ripetete con le altre batterie.
Sud-Ita-fan2019-08-20-1 point
Fantastico! rigiocato molte volte.
Mr. Volts2018-12-020 point
This is still, hands-down, THE BEST first-person shooter ever invented! Storyline, immersion factor, and interactivity with the surroundings... top-notch! You will never find a better (or equal) game of this genre. You can develop your character into about 5 unique working combinations, based on skillsets and attributes. The storyline is creative and interesting. It cannot be overstated. Thanks!
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Share your gamer memories, give useful links or comment anything you'd like. This game is no longer abandonware, we won't put it back online.
Buy System Shock 2
System Shock 2 is available for a small price on the following websites, and is no longer abandonware. GOG.com provides the best release and does not include DRM, please buy from them! You can read our online store guide.
Other Releases
System Shock 2 was also released on the following systems:
Mac
- Year:2013
- Publisher:Night Dive Studios, LLC
- Developer:Irrational Games LLC, Looking Glass Studios, Inc.
System Shock 2 Remake
Linux
- Year:2014
- Publisher:Night Dive Studios, LLC
- Developer:Irrational Games LLC, Looking Glass Studios, Inc.
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Players Guide: Part 1
There's no doubt in our minds that System Shock 2 is one of the greatest games ever - it's certainly one of the most atmospheric and downright scary. In fact, you're likely to become so immersed in it, you won't be able to stop until you've completed it. To avoid any unnecessary frustrations, here is the first part of our thorough guide to getting to the end. Keep in mind that you create your own character and develop him as you progress through the game. Choose your skills wisely and read on.
MED/SCI
As you wake up you receive an email from Dr Janice Polito.The message explains your partial amnesia, warns you that something has gone drastically wrong with the ship and instructs you to meet her on the operations deck (deck 4). The elevators have no power; in order to restore it, go to the engineering deck through the maintenance access shaft. The shaft is locked, so get the code from Dr Watts in the crew sector. The crew sector is also locked, but you can get an access card from Grassi in the medical sector. Unfortunately, the door to the medical sector has lost power as well, but it can be reopened with a power cell. There's one by the door, but it's not charged, so you have to find a recharger.
Just down the hall from the door to the medical sector you find a room with a quantum bio-reconstruction machine.Once this machine is activated, your body is automatically reconstructed inside the machine whenever you 'die'.The machines have a limited range, so try to find and activate them whenever you enter a new sub-level.
You can find a recharger under the pump station, but watch out for the nearby turrets. Recharge the power cell and proceed to the medical sector. Grassi is in the lower level of the biopsy lab in this sector. Get his access card, go to the crew sector and find Dr Watts' quarters (they're clearly labelled). He's not there, but he has left a spare access card to the R&D sector in his desk, so try his office there. You find him when you get there, and he gives you the code to the maintenance access shaft.
Engineering
To restore main power and get the elevators working you need to get into the engine core. However, the seals on the core have been automatically locked due to a radiation leak in the coolant tunnels. The leaks are pretty bad, so you need plenty of anti-radiation hypos while travelling through this area. You could purge the radiation from engineering control, but Sanger has recoded the door lock. Sanger is hiding in cargo bay 2, which is also locked. You can find the access card for cargo bay 2 in cargo bay 1 (though you might want to stop in at command control first, where there's a quantum bioreconstruction machine). Sanger is in cargo bay 2B, all the way back, on the top level; you can get the code to engineering control from her.
When you get there you find that Xerxes has locked out the controls. Luckily, a log left here by Delacroix tells you how to perform a manual override. First, you need to get part 45m/dEx from a storage room in the coolant tunnels.
Bring this part to the command control centre at the far end of engineering and install it in the system's monitoring unit. Return to engineering control and purge the radiation.
You are now able to enter the engine core and restore main power. You need to reset both nacelles on the lower level of the engine core, then reset the master power computer on the upper level.Once power is restored, you can (optionally) use a lift from the engine core down to a tunnel in the lower level of engineering. This is a shorter route back to the elevator than going through the coolant tunnels, but there are a lot of monsters down there, so you might prefer to take the long way around.
Hydroponics
When you try to take the elevator to the ops deck you find that the elevator can't get higher than the hydroponics deck. The aliens are using the hydroponics deck as a breeding chamber, and some of their biomatter is clogging the elevator shaft. To clear the biomatter you need to find (and research) an experimental substance called Toxin-A, and place some of it in each of the four environmental regulators on this deck. There are five vials of Toxin-A (though you only need four of them): one is in the administrative offices of sector C, two are inside a locked office (you need to break a window to get in) in the biological survey area of sector C, one is in the chemical storeroom in sector B, and the last one is on a corpse just inside sector A. If you don't want to buy the research skill, you can research the Toxin-A with the help of a lab assistant implant, although even with this you still need two units of antimony and one of vanadium; these can be found in the chemical storeroom in sector B, or by going back to the chemical storeroom on the engineering deck.
System Shock 2 - Wikipedia
There is one environmental regulator in each of the four sectors, marked on your automap with an'A'. The elevator lets you out into sector C, but the other sectors are all locked.
You can get into sector B by breaking some windows that overlook it, either near the administrative offices or near the experimental office. A body in the biological survey labs has the access card for sector B, so you can get in and out without having to jump through windows. Another body in sector B maintenance has the access card for sector A.Once you're in sector A, you need to find the access card for sector D, which is on a body near an assault rifle.
Place Toxin-A in each of the environmental regulators.
Operations
Your first task is to go to Dr Polito's office in sector A. Turn right out of the elevator, and go through the bulkhead on your right. She explains how a bizarre hive-mind (called 'The Many') evolved from the mutants SHODAN created back on Citadel Station. The Many have taken over some of the crew members of the Von Braun with their telepathic powers. Worse still, SHODAN herself has gained a foothold in the computer system. However, she and The Many seem to be working at crosspurposes, and The Many is the more immediate threat.After this meeting you need to perform tasks on both the operations and recreation decks. You can go on to recreation now and go back to the tasks on this deck afterwards if you prefer.
The three simulation units on this deck have been co-opted by The Many to engineer a mutagen which will create a new kind ofhunter-killer hybrid - you have to reprogram all three sim units to prevent this from happening. In order to do so you need to get three special chips (one for each sim unit) that are being carried by special red cyborg assassins.
System Shock 2 Mods
These are tougher than the ordinary cyborg assassins (who are no pushovers!), and are programmed to try and avoid you whenever possible. Watch which way they run, track them down to their hiding places, and kill them. There is one red cyborg assassin in sector B (hiding in the systems administration area), one in sector C (hiding in the storage area), and one in sector D (hiding in the command centre, not far from the brig). Take the chips from their bodies and place each one in the matching sim unit to reprogram them. One sim unit is in sector C in the power administration offices, one is in sector D in a security station near the brig, and the other in the lower level of power operations.
Recreation
System Shock 2 Enhanced Edition
Some crew members on the recreation deck were building a transmitter to warn Earth. They were unable to complete the job, so you must find and activate the transmitter. The activation code is hidden in art terminals scattered around this deck, so cycle through all available pictures at each art terminal to find pieces of the code.The locations are: sector A (across the hall from the upgrade units and upstairs in the crew sector); sector B (in the pool hall) and sector C (in the ArTechnology store in the mall). The transmitter is in the athletics sector, which is locked. The access card for it is in the crew sector, which is also locked, so find the access card for the crew sector in the maintenance tunnels under the garden in sector B.