Old School Cool: System Shock 2, Cyberpunk Survival Horror

If you've been diving into recent releases like Crysis 3, Dead Space 3 or even if you're still playing FarCry 3, there's one recently released title that never did make its third iteration: System Shock 2.

After a decade in IP limbo - which also explains where there was no Shock 3 - the awesome guys are GOG.com have managed to secure the rights to a re-release of System Shock 2. Not only that, but the download is packed with extras and it's DRM free. All credit to their huge efforts!

If you haven't heard of it, don't worry, since it first hit the market in 1999. Yep, pre-millennia vintage. Even if you are a member of our younger audience whose gaming history extends back only as far as Call of Duty, definitely keep reading. Why? Because Shock 2 is a landmark action-RPG game that has arguably never been surpassed. Come shout at me in the forums if you disagree!

With legendary Creative Director, Ken Levine, at the helm of the equally-legendary (and short-lived) Looking Glass Studios, these guys were also responsible for the equally-awesome Thief series in 1998, while Ken was more recently involved with Bioshock in 2007.

System Shock 2 is 22nd century cyberpunk space futurism to Bioshock's 1920's Art Deco underwater world. Where Bioshock's RPG elements manifested in plasmids, System Shock works with cybernetic modules that upgrade your augmented body. In that respect, it actually has more in common with Deus Ex, although released a year earlier.

You are part of an interstellar mission on the Earth's first faster-than-light starship, the Von Braun. It's accompanied by the UNN Rickenbacker, a smaller military ship that piggybacks a ride. After waking suddenly from a coma and amnesia with unexpected, military-grade cybernetic implants, you find the onboard AI has gone rampant, everyone has either been infected or experimented on, and that your new implants can see even see ghosts of those who once inhabited the ship. Just another day in deep space.

It's compelling story unfolds as you collect user logs around the ship, but what makes Shock 2 really great is the fact that it's dripping with atmosphere. The continual drone of the engines and emptiness of the ship is a constant companion.

Was that a door opening?

Is.. is that a monkey screaming?

Who's there? What gun do I need? Does it still work?

Yep, it's brown trousers time.

Depending on your expectations, 14 years has been quite modest. Sure, the character models are low polygon, the textures are fuzzy and things like tessellation or even bump mapping are foreign variables to the Dark Engine, but it does not detract from the stress of playing. Beneath the surface the game mechanisms still feel current and it will push even the most seasoned players to their limits on Hard and Impossible. For example, where other games lean on the fun side of any upgrade system, Shock 2 is brutal in its demand for you to make hard  choices on limited cyber module upgrades, which are as rare as rocking horse poop.

Do you spend it all on guns, increase your personal stats, focus on hacking or go in for PSI abilities? Do you become unstoppable in one discipline, but hope you never require hacking or stat increases. Or, are you the all-rounded, non-specialized center of mediocrity? All the variables require extreme management of resources and adjusting of your game style to survive. It's certainly not a case of applying your well-honed run-and-gun FPS skills to the next title in the series.

In addition to upgrading yourself, you have to hack, upgrade and simply maintain your own weaponry, plus, choose and hoard the appropriate bullet type for each new enemy in your limited inventory space. Even then that's not all though - there's research which requires chemical acquisitions to complete it! You're one man on a ship with a lot to do! 

All this is exactly what makes it one of my favorite games. It's replayability and difficulty keep me coming back. Shock 2 is progressive but it's not linear. If you left a security box or your chemicals are back in Deck 2, you can nip down in the lift to go get them.

On my current play-through I'm trying to forgo as much weaponry as possible on Hard, but I'm also finding there's a distinct lack of PSI hypo's so my PSI-heavy Cybernetic Module spending has left me unable to weld the shotguns and assault rifle, much to my teeth grinding stress. In that respect I must grudging admit Shock 2 could be better balanced. There could be more PSI attacks and methods to replenish PSI by other means or more effective exotic weaponry. Plus, in the interim 14 years of game design and development Shock 2 most evidently lacks the advances in HUD design these years have given us.

When I first played it was as a teenager on my GeForce 256 SDR/AMD K6-2 Socket 7 PC, so my current GTX 580 MATRIX, Maximus IV GENE-Z and Core-i5 2500K hardly notices it running. Like Deus Ex, it's become a great travel game for notebooks! But even despite not nearly breaking a TeraFLOP-capable, ROG PC into sweat, System Shock 2 is still a must play for any gaming enthusiast!

Have you picked up System Shock 2 from GOG? Let us know if you've enjoyed it as much as we have in the forums.