System Shock: Enhanced Edition

So, just to start off with, I could not finish my first playthrough because it frustrated me personally. On a successful attempt on one level, I had forgotten to flip a switch in a hazardous room and ran out of healing items by the time I realized. Once the switch is flipped, tanky enemies swarm the level and block progress to the nearest elevator, and the weapons I had couldn't easily kill them. Out of everything, that's what frustrated me the most and caused me to abandon my playthrough. Since I already know the story of the game well, and there are plenty of videos I can watch on it, I don't mind giving up. But, the game itself is pretty good for the most part. Easier than you might think at times and harder as well in certain situations. The story is a very good cyberpunk space tale as well. But if you don't think you're able to handle the original/Enhanced version of the game, I recommend the remake. It's faithful and looks better, with less of the confusion and frustration you might encounter like I did. After reinstalling System Shock, I discovered my save files were still there and decided to push forward past the point that had intially caused me to quit playing, and ended up finishing the rest of the game. Despite my frustration, System Shock was actually enjoyable for me, and I was surprised that I felt that way. While it's not necessarily a fair game by modern standards, it's not as difficult as I thought it would be, and I CAN actually recommend others play it if they feel like they'd enjoy it too.

This review is based on a ss portable that I played a few years ago. I first tried playing the original CD version of the game, but, after eventually getting the DOS config correct, gave up due to the horribly awkward controls. SSP solved these issues, making the game playable by introducing mouselook, and a number of other improvements. IMO, the enhancement isn't an enhancement, but a gameplay necessity. The fact that it's viable to play this game today is solely due to the efforts of those who created the enhancement mods. I excluded technology when rating ss1; obviously the graphics , audio & AI aren't comparable to today's standards. I played it as a precursor to ss2, because it's a piece of gaming history, and due to it's sterling reputation. And I enjoyed it! The learning curve is due to the elaborate hud and gameplay, rather than the old technology. SS1, a hybrid fps/role-playing experience, is immersive, possessing an impressive complexity and storyline, not to mention innovative concepts such as cyberspace. Citadel is a fully architecturally-realised space station. Impressively for 1994, you can return to previous levels of the station, making the experience seamless and coherent. The mysteries and horrors of Citadel will slowly unfold as you explore its desolate but not uninhabited interior. Accept ss1 for what it is, and plug yourself into an iconic piece of gaming history.

Let's face it, it's not 1994 anymore so don't expect this game to be immediate and easy as some modern generic FPS could be. Even Warren Spector is having a really hard time replaying this game, at least that's what he said himself. The pros of this game are: the narrative, which was ahead of its time back in 1994; the levels, a space station shaped as a mazy hive; the basic survival mechanics (here too he was ahead of its time); the audio logs. The cons are: the hud, I needed 2 months to get used to it, after that it became second nature but I was struggling at first; the MIDI soundtrack, for God's sake some tracks are pretty good and you'll eventually start singing along, but after 10 minutes spent listening to the same piece of music with those horrible MIDI sounds, you are seriously risking to push a bit too much you mental sanity; sometimes you'll eventually end having not even the slightest clue of what you're supposed to do. I have a cool mantra for this game: when you're impressed by something in particular, you should remember this came out in 1994; when you are having a hard time with its wonky game mechanics, just remember this came out in 1994 and is 22 years old. Still, it could easily beat the crap out of some modern FPS available nowadays. IMHO

Right off the bat, I will get this out of the way - I enjoy this game. A hell of a lot. I've played through and beaten this very game once before, about a couple of years back, and it held my attention the whole way through, but... there are still issues which many may not like. For its time, the graphics are impressive - 2D sprites of the enemies you face in an actual 3D environment with room-over-room, in a manner, a true successor to Ultima Underworld as opposed to the orthagonal-only maps of Wolf3D and the improved, but still ultimately two-and-a-half dimensional maps of Doom. Level textures are simplistic but also detailed enough, to the point of telling the story of Citadel Station even just through the visuals. Cyberspace sections are even more simplistic, eschewing textures for simple wireframe polygons and abstract, but still recognizable, hazards. Sounds are absolutely vital - although rather 'low fidelity' for today, enemies of all kinds can easily be heard before they're seen, letting you know what to expect - a simple security cyborg, a floating Zero-G mutant, or the dreaded Cortex Reaver. Music is randomized in a manner very reminiscent of LucasArts' later iMuse system, and each floor adds a different feel to the music, as well. The difficulty settings give a good amount of replay to the game as well as determining the score you end with, as if you need 'score' for a game like this. Four options of difficulty allow you to choose how aggressive enemies are, how much of the plot of the game you can, or are even forced to, experience, how difficult Cyberspace is, and even how easy or difficult the various circuit puzzles are you'll find amongst the ruins of Citadel. However, the game wears its age on its sleeve - the control scheme is unlike any other you may have experienced, and even the mouselook of Enhanced isn't perfect. This is NOT a game for everyone, but if you're willing to learn, prepare for a riveting good time.

I've played many games carrying the System Shock DNA - games like Deus Ex, System Shock 2, and newer games following the 'immersive sim' design ethos. Even having a good idea of what to expect from SS1 and having played newer games that for many improved upon the design of SS1, I still had a blast with this game in 2017. The Enhanced Edition makes it just accessible enough so that even with a few minor annoyances, after a couple sessions of play I was used to the interface/controls. I'll just say what impressed and surprised me most about this game, being a first time player in 2017 (I was too enamored with Doom in the early 90s to notice this System Shock's release). Here is a game that does not insult your intelligence - there are no objective markers except the ones you leave for yourself in your maps. There are not even explicit "objectives", there is a game world with problems that you can choose to solve as you uncover the information and the tools to do so. And somehow you get just enough of each as you progress, so that your progression feels natural, but also earned, since you are afforded such freedom without being directly guided. I can see how this could frustrate a lot of players, but for the game-literate, this is a design dream come true, a near perfect marriage of designer direction and player freedom in the semi-linear game space. No one would be brave (or stupid?) enough to do something like this now, and it WORKS. Of course, there are flaws. Some activities like combat on revisited floors become annoying in the later game, and the interface isn't bad because it's old, it's just not a good design. Some voice acting is very amateur. The environments are unique but also fairly ugly and often don't reflect their in-world purpose clearly. All that said, System Shock is an 8/10 game. In 2017! The fact it came out in 1994 really makes it a miracle. Don't miss it if you are looking for a textbook "classic". (no significant stability issues on Win7)