Posted on: April 25, 2016
Hanglyman
Verified ownerGames: 444 Reviews: 141
Amazing, Overshadowed Classic
I never played either System Shock game back when they came out- eventually I heard about SS2 for its fame on several lists of the greatest games ever, gave it a try, and loved it. But the first game hardly ever got mentioned, as though it were just a mediocre placeholder until the greatness of the sequel. Well, I've finally played it, and it deserves far more praise than it gets. Full disclosure, I only played the Enhanced Edition, so I may be a little biased, but this game was immerse, fun, scary and pretty much perfect. The graphics, while dated, are very good for the era- Dark Forces came out a year later and looks like a blurry, primitive mess compared to System Shock. The voice acting is kind of amateur, with the exception of SHODAN, who sounds just as menacing and creepy as in the sequel. The controls are a little awkward for the first few minutes, and there's a lot to figure out all at once, but it quickly becomes fluid and easy, and some quirks, like having to physically switch to your weapon, unload it and reload a new clip instead of just hitting a "reload" key, add to the realism, atmosphere and strategy of the game rather than being annoying. The game gives you a wide variety of weapons, ammo, and bionic implants, which keeps things interesting and fun, and lets you develop your own styles against the different enemy types. But best of all is the level design. It's immensely satisfying to explore Citadel Station, unlocking new areas and conquering new challenges. The game rewards you well for exploring every corner with shortcuts between areas, hidden caches, and crew logs that expand the story, and everything feels like it has a purpose, or at least had one before SHODAN's army rebuilt it into a death trap. The 3D cyberspace sequences add some variety to the gameplay, and add to the impressive worldbuilding. All in all, this game deserves a place of honor equal to its sequel. Play it, you won't be disappointed!
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