I finished System Shock 2 for the first time. For years this game crashed on every PC I had, but GOG version finally worked for me. I also solved UI issues by modifying one of the files so it would stop scaling to resolution. So, I finally got to see more of the game than tutorial area. I did not use any mods or texture packs, game seems to be quite slick looking on high resolutions already, although a bit too dark. It could use a flashlight item.
I played on Normal difficulty, chose an O.S.A agent as starting class and almost doomed myself by forcing game through Avellone Test by choosing the most dumb abilities available, like pumping Research, Hacking and picking from PSI crap like radiation shield or "force pull". I managed to fix my build when I got laser rapier, as I started to pump melee and got healing and melee damaging PSI abilities. At one moment in Engineering Bay I had 1 HP, 1 PSI and 0 nanites, almost ragequitted.
My overall impression is that, even judging it by today's standards, SS2 is an excellent game. I think Deus Ex surpassed it on many levels as an RPG, except level design and maybe mood, but it still holds up well. Deus Ex allows more variability in gameplay, has less dump skills and actually gives you choices during it's plot. Psionics in particular has a crapload of useless stuff, but some of the basic skills like Modify also are even worse than DE's swimming. However when it comes to difficulty, resource management and mood I think SS2 gets an edge.
I think System Shock 2 is miles ahead of any Bioshock game. It's so much better that it makes you think on how games can go backwards instead of working on their strengths:
- The level design of SS2 makes so much sense it hurts my head. Von Braun & Rickenbacker show that well done simulation approach to level design always trumps linear cinematic shit no matter how pretty it looks. The layout of Von Braun is so logical I rarely used a map, as in time levels of the ship just get burned into your brain. I can probably navigate MedSci deck with my eyes closed.
And it has free roaming. If you need something, you know where you want to go, and how. Neat.
- That monstrous UI with helpers, games and inbuilt research station actually fits the setting. I love how you can click on anything and learn about it's nature from another technobabble.
- The audio messages type of plot works well for the setting of SS2, where people are mostly the staff of the spaceship. People rarely throw around diaries with passwords, and if they do, there is usually a reason for that (that fucking engineering bay... fuck).
Unlike Bioshock where messages held info on some past events which had nothing to do with the game, in SS2 they feel like part of your own story, as they start to catch up with what player is doing in the game. Culminating with some very nice scenes like last escape pod leaving without you, people starting to notice your actions, ect.
- For some reason, nanites and leveling system did not bother me as much as abilities in Bioshock. Although upgrading stations are still kinda gamey.
- Unlike Bioshock, you can die, for fuck sakes. SS2 has failure states and you can even corner yourself into a no-win situation. Which makes game fucking scary and places even more emphasis on doing what you need to do efficiently and quickly.
- Yes, game with fagly 1999 enemies is scarier than a lot of stuff I have been playing to date. Darkness, sound effects, enemies doing good damage and no pause in inventory made me paranoid and nervous. I will struggle not to shoot every camera I see in RL now on sight. My first meeting with a camera in game resulted in me fighting dozen monsters with my crappy psi attack, only to run away from ten more when I figured out that I screwed up. There were countdown, alarm shouting, turrets shooting, and me jumping around aimlessly trying to save my hide. So cool.
Well I can write a lot about it. I haven't even touched on how cool it is to get experience points from silent benefactor-turning-to-be-antagonist and plot in general, and many other things like ghost sitings, or manipulative nature of Shodan and the feel of being stuck in a war between rogue AIs and crazy worms. And that game touches on some themes like fear of losing individuality.
There's also a lot of things which are kinda shit, although they don't ruin game. As I said, it's no Desu Ex where it feels natural to go all stealth, and plot is actually linear. Enemies are sorta dumb, although deadly and persistent.
I think the worst part which ruins "magic" is when you notice an exploding robot just teleported behind your back from out of nowhere. It works better in SS2 than in Bioshock because you won't get resurrected for free, but it cheapens gameworld design. I wish the amount of enemies would be equal to the crew of the ship, so you could, say, meet original Midwives instead of them just randomly spawning everywhere.
Second part of the game, gameplay wise, is a lot weaker too. The way game throws a ton of shit on you feels lame, and it just reinforces the feeling that you'd be much better playing as a soldier with a strong gun and ton of ammo and stimpacks. After all, it doesn't matter if you destroy that camera with a wrench or a pistol, so you don't feel special by creating a character who focuses on something. That PSI UI, fuck it a lot. What cunt made that. Grr. And spiders and toxin levels. Rawr ne.
And the ending is derp.
Also, why is that after you give Shodan control over stuff, you still have to hack shit (even on Von Braun) and hear Xerxes?
But all that does not take away from game for some reason. Design of the game just works so well, I was hooked till the end. So if anyone haven't check on SS2 yet, I highly recommend it. Despite the age it still delivers.
