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System Shock 2

August 1999
System Shock 2 - cover art
Glitchwave rating
4.25 / 5.0
0.5
5.0
 
 
1,001 Ratings / 4 Reviews
#46 All-time
#2 for 1999
A soldier awakens from cryo-stasis aboard the starship UNN Von Braun to find the crew infected with a violent genetic mutation. Aided by the voice of a mysterious woman named Janice Polito, he sets out to stop the infection and combat the sinister hivemind of "The Many".
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A soldier awakens from cryo-stasis to find that the crew of the starship he's aboard has been infected with a violent genetic mutation. His mission to stop the spread of the infection is made that much more difficult when his only ally happens to be SHODAN, the ship's sadistic AI program.
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DE 5 030932 021298
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GB 5 030930 021290
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XNA 0 14633 07969 2
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I tried. I swear I tried very hard, but the multiple annoyances just sapped the enjoyment out of this game for me.

Respawning enemies stop being scary after awhile and just become a nuisance, especially with the total lack of ammo this game has. I'm not shaking in my boots, I'm just pissed off i have to fight another giant robot with zero piercing bullets on me. The PSI system is also poorly implemented and there's an extreme imbalance in stat distribution importance. There's audio logs everywhere making you have to pause constantly cutting the tension and flow of the game. Sometimes I'd be lost for hours trying to find a stupid combination, and it definitely doesn't help that the game is filled with grey corridors.

The atmosphere saves it from being average, but in my head there's no denying that Bioshock is a much more enjoyable gaming experience. You can call me a mainstream idiot if you'd like.

With System Shock 2 you get, admittedly, an important piece of videogame history, but a cliché AI villain with uninteresting motivations and a lack of polish all around made me have to drag myself to reach the halfway point.

SHODAN is definitely not Andrew Ryan and the Von Braun spaceship is definitely not Rapture.
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karrilho 2021-06-07T03:26:20Z
2021-06-07T03:26:20Z
3.5
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VIral infection
System Shock 2 is a cyberpunk themed FPS with lot of RPG and horror elements. Its a downright amazing game, in almost all of its fronts, and personally it showed me how a game could be over 15 years old and still be an excellent experience when played nowadays.

The basic plot of System Shock 2 sets you on a deserted space station in which something has clearly gone wrong. As you start to explore your surroundings it quickly becomes evident that there has been a mass infection that has lead to the zombification of the crew of the ship, and that this was caused by a rogue AI by the name of Shodan. Its a very simple premise, but like in most horror games it does it job of giving enough mystery to the story and motivating the player to cautiously move forward. You play as a silent character the entire game, and the game treats you as such. However the characterization of the few major characters in the game is outstanding. Shodan gets my title for the best villain in a videogame, beating David from the Last of Us and glados from Portal. You never know the full reach of her powers, or full motives, and she always seems one step ahead of you. Helping the characterizaton is some voice acting that manages to give me chills everytime i listen to it. Extra points of the main plot are explained through vocal recordings of survivers of the ongoing infestion. These are usually semi hidden around the ship, and do a great job of increasing the tension and dread of the situation.

Audiovisually the game is the best you can expect out of 1999. That is too say, that visually the ugly textures are apparent, and this may unfortunatly drive away somepeople. Fortunatly there are some mods with enhanced texture packs. (but im not sure if they change the overal feel of the game). The textures is only really an issue during the first hour of play, because afterwards the game becomes so immersive that they are even barely noticable. On the contrary, i even found that the ugly textures made the zombified crew even more disturbing. Textures aside, the game features a great attention to the aesthetic feel of the game. Its cyberpunk at its best, combining the metallic and blue colors of the ship with the browns and yellows of the monsters that lurk within. And of course a lot of blood splatter covering the walls. Its not a gory game at all, but it doesnt shy away from it. In terms of music, the soundtrack is composed of mainly atmospheric drum n bass, that may sound a bit dated nowadays, primarly if you listen to a lot of EDM: That said, i found the soundtrack great, it manage to pump me up full of adrenaline or get chills on my spine, depending on the mood of the track thats playing. Very cohesive, and does what it sets out to do wonderfully. The sound design is on point as well, i already mentioned the great voice acting, but the same could be said about the noises the space shuttle makes that manage to freak me out everytime. All of this add up to make the game extremely immersive, to the point were i struggled to play it for more than an hour straight, because of how distress i was with the experience. Its amazing at setting dread on to the player, creating a thick atmosphere where you know things have gone wrong and you dont know how much more wrong they can get.

Gameplaywise the game combines exploration with FPS combat. The story is linear, but the players are presented with vast environment in which they must explore to find the way forward. When exploring, you will find a lot of enemies that you can kill or stealth your way through. There are limited weapons available, and you must level up accordingly to use them properly. Its important to have a notion of the basic level up route that you will want from the beginning of the game, since these upgrade points are rare and the game gets very tough towards the end if you dont have a right build. Resources are very scarce in the game, so you will find yourself looking through everysingle drawer just to find a couple more bullets to get you through the section. Its also vital to level up your hacking ability to unlock safes lying around. One major complain is that the combat is clunky, and the shooting doesnt quite feel right. Its different from something like the original Resident Evil or Silent Hill, in which the combat is clunky on purpose. In here i understand the need to make combat difficult to add to the tense atmosphere and horror theme of the game, but they could have done this through the scarse resources (which they have) and weapon sway. The combat feels clunky in the sense that there is no feel for weapon feedback, nor the feel that the bullet has hit its target. If they ever do a remake, this is the era i want to see the biggest improvement on. Its also my major complain. A smaller complain is that death literally has no meaning in this game due to the way that vita chambers work, but this is something i fixed by reloading a save everytime i died. The level design is great, since the ship is built almost like a metroidvania, as in you are given freedom to move back and forth and the levels are vast and almost labyrinthic at times. At the same time, its not too gamey and a realistic space station. Overal, even if it is probably the weakest side of it, the gameplay is great and contributes to the atmosphere of the game and tension that keep my shirt sweaty all the way i played through this.

The TLDR of this is that System Shock is a masterful game, whose strenghs vastly outclass any of the weaknesses it might have. Its one of the best horror experiences out there, and even despite all of this time its a fairly unique game in its setting and aesthetic. Yea its an essencial gaming experience, but more than that it provided me with some of the best moments that medium has offered me, and i couldnt recommend it more to someone who is looking into playing such an experience.
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Threntall 2016-07-05T19:30:08Z
2016-07-05T19:30:08Z
5.0
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I want to give this game a perfect score, but doing so will mean that I'm overlooking how awful the final stretch of the game is so it's merely getting a great score from me instead.

To give you an idea of how this game falls off a cliff once you leave the Rickenbacker, we go from clever puzzles that can either be simple or life threatening depending on how you customise your hero to traversing through what appears to be the insides of an alien body that serves as the main antagonist of the game (that being the many) only to then return to what appears to be a glitched out version of the opening stage of the first game upon vanquishing this enemy. It’s not that this area is grotesque to look at (as that was clearly the point) rather that the ways of traversing it are uninspired which again is a shame due to how clever the progression was prior to this stage. It's a massive drop off in quality that really does dampen the overall experience of the game.

Moving onto the positives, we have one of the best plot twists in gaming history which I won't dare spoil here as it's best experienced without knowing what it is (me knowing this twist is what initially put me off this game and by extension the franchise prior to playing it.) The level design is brilliant as the von Braun is cleverly divided up into separate floors similar to the first game (you coincidentally start in the medical bay in both games) each floor needing to be revisited several times in order to accomplish your goals of defeating the many. Speaking of, they're a faction that came to be thanks to the events of the first game where the hacker jettisoned a garden dome from the cidital station filled with dangerous chemicals that eventually mutated the inhabitants of the von Braun. That's enough with the lore, time for the gameplay which is a vast improvement over the first game. First off, this game is scary as hell, partially due to the atmosphere but mostly for the enemies which consist of grotesque looking mutants, psychic monkeys, demonic robotic midwives, explosive protocol droids and hacked turrets to name a few. As this is an fps game at heart, our hero is more than capable of defending themselves both with traditional weapons as well as with psychic powers, the latter I find to be highly situational as I only ever use it to collect items out of my reach. There's a heavy emphasis on RPG elements where you can upgrade your abilities depending on how you manage your skill points, I bring this up because certain weapons can only be used if you upgrade your weapons skill tree, and the same logic applies to hacking, psychic powers and other abilities this game has to offer. This is why I want to give this game a perfect score because up until the last third, the game utilises these elements flawlessly which is impressive as it combines elements of an fps, RPG and horror all into one.

It's a game that's definitely worth your time, just be prepared for a shocking drop in quality once you enter what appears to be the insides of a redit moderator.
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Foxylover92 2021-06-23T00:15:33Z
2021-06-23T00:15:33Z
4.0
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Superb.
'System Shock 2' is a rare experience, and one worth savouring. it's a game known as a revered classic which plays a hugely influential role in the history of the medium, but also one that people struggle to finish, and after multiple playthroughs that latter sentiment is simply mystifying to me. The experience of playing this game is nothing short of excellent, with expert pacing, variety, and intuitive design throughout.

The game starts without pretensions, a brief recap of it's predecessor and then boom, you get to playing straight away. This begins a confident stride to the experience, the character creation is given cute narrative texture, but doesn't overstay its welcome—*cough* *cough* 'Fallout 3.' You're placed on board the Von Braun star-ship within minutes, where you'll spend the rest of your time. The ship has six levels, all distinct and layered, which open up to you gradually, and this is where Shock 2 gets to show off on the front of living up to it's prestige as an 'immersive sim classic.' While successors such as Ion Storm's 'Deus Ex' and Arkane's recent 2017 love letter 'Prey' may have surpassed it in terms of the width in their usage of similar emergent gameplay techniques, the Von Braun still has some quality RPG gaming on hand here. The systems at work in terms of buildcrafting make a difference in play-style have a substantial impact on how one proceeds through the game, and 'System Shock 2' still finds some ways to reward creative problem solving or digressions, even in it's first moments. It's the immediacy of these potential variations that makes 'Shock 2' remain a competitor in it's field after all the years.

If there's anything that may get in the way of some engaging with these things, it will be the game's sense of difficulty. 'System Shock 2' is steeped in the attitudes of it's era, unflinching depth through consequence and cost. You can save at any time and use that to your advantage in tough areas, but save-scumming will seldom protect you from the high pressure resource management, and it will only cut the time spent on a challenge down, it doesn't make combat explicitly easier or less costly. There's an insidious tension to 'Shock 2' that you don't find in other titles—even ones of it's time—that comes from the fact that essentially every action you take will have a price to it. Limited supply of cyber-modules for leveling, sturdy nanite costs for upgrades and items, as well as steadfast weapon degradation and hard-pressed ammunition all work together to send a clear message; this is not a first person shooter. This is a survival horror immersive sim. Someone who lacks experience or literacy in these fields will likely be turned off by it's unflinching and sometimes cruel direction in these areas, which is why it is worthy to warn that if you are one of these people, 'System Shock 2' will require a shift in attitude and a willingness to leave ones comfort zone.

Discomfort is the word of the day with this RPG, as the aforementioned tension in mechanics and systems dance with the game's oppressive tone. Despite holding the 'horror' label with pride, 'Shock 2' isn't constantly trying to scare you, there are several parts where you engaging in cooool tactical combat against mutant monsters with late 90s IDM jamming in the background, which makes the game feel far more at home in the 'science-fiction action RPG' suite. But then there's all the other parts. A lot of people think keeping the game's music on is a mistake, since it can be responsible for the more chaotic atmosphere the previously mentioned combat sequences occasionally exist in, but what these people forget is that this is not the bulk of the game. When the electronic bangers quiet down, when the eerie ambient tracks build up, when you're sneaking through the cold ship, peeking around every corner for fear of enemies or security cameras; this is where the true horror of 'System Shock 2' gets to rear it's head. The underlying dread, the awareness of your own isolation creeping up on you, the brief gazes out into the endless black through the star-ship windows as you remember that you are truly alone, and no one is coming to save you. The layout of areas features stomach churning juxtaposition, with clean, sanitary corporate halls, untouched by the alien infestation, only for the next door down to be stricken with gore and gunk. Truly the TriOptimum way! The sickening body horror present in the creatures coming to get you subsumes their ageing polygon count, all of this uplifted by some of the best sound design in any game ever created.

The quivering call of a tortured cyborg nurse searching for you as you've hidden behind a table, croaking "come out, c-come out" or the inhuman technical garble of a lumbering Triop machine stomping in your direction, the unsettling ambient tracks are only broken by more fearful sounds like these. It is well known that this is a game where you will hear your enemies well before you see them, and this creates an almost necessary sonic reliance for the player, which does a lot to immerse them in the setting. The voice acting is really the only remotely inconsistent part in terms of 'quality.' To be blunt, yeah, some of the audio logs sound like they were voiced by random people off the street. It adds to the 90s charm of the game but it can stick out pretty badly to some people, because there are certain vocal performances which are nothing short of astounding. Terri Brosius' work as SHODAN is the most iconic for good reason, but special mention must be given to Ian Vogel as Korenchkin and Esra Gaffin as Dr Polito. Many roles were cleverly double cast, but the latter mentioned in my praise lent her voice as well to the communications of The Many, accompanying Stephen Russell to work together in creating a truly terrifying sound for the cosmic biomass.

The plot of 'System Shock 2' on paper doesn't sound too conceptually complex, which may as well be the case but that isn't a criticism. The only major flaw I think is worth bringing up on the front of storytelling would be that much like the similarly titled 'spiritual successor', Bioshock, it has a painfully obvious twist. Still, the lack of obfuscation for this turn doesn't take too much away from the overcoat of mystery the game wears, and this unsettling atmosphere and manner of which you uncover it means the narrative can remain compelling even if not thrilling on paper. Because that's the thing, this isn't paper, this is a video game. And one that knows how to leverage the mediums strengths, no less! The senses of immersion, discovery and involvement are forced upon you by how the player must engage with the Von Braun itself simply to survive. You cannot talk about why the storytelling experience of 'System Shock 2' is excellent separate from it's gameplay because you cannot separate the experience itself. They are one in the same, and that is the hallmark of a truly excellent video game.

I've now played through this game more times than I've played through most, it is a reminder for what I love so dearly about this medium, and if anything I've written here has felt inspiring in any capacity then I implore you to give this classic a spin. Only 'Deus Ex', 'Thief II: The Metal Age' and 'Prey (2017)' have either matched or surpassed it in depth of gameplay since. These games are few and far between, so savour them. If you can make it out of Med/Sci, then you can make it to the end. My only wish is that co-op wasn't a load of hot sticky bollocks, but hey fairs fair, its a bonus of the steam version and I can imagine it would have been hotter and stickier bollocks to implement to begin with. Regardless, this is one of my favourite games of all time and I can't recommend it enough!
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LenaCat 2022-12-03T11:15:47Z
2022-12-03T11:15:47Z
5.0
7
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This review is based on experience with the PC version of the game using a mouse and keyboard, as well as a first playthough which was unmodded and subsequent playthroughs using SS2Tool, SS2 Community Patch and SS2 SHTUP-ND, all of which can be found here: https://www.systemshock.org/index.php?topic=4141.0 https://www.systemshock.org/index.php?topic=7116.0 https://www.systemshock.org/index.php?topic=22.0
This is a repost of my steam review which can be found here: https://steamcommunity.com/id/lneacagt/recommended/238210/
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A really good sequel but still lacking
So after playing system shock 1 i of course had too jump into the main event as this game is highly regarded. And i must say im really not disappointed with this one. It has some great game mechanics and killing aliens onboard a spaceship is really fun with this one.

Thats not too say it was perfect, i still found parts of the game annoying. Just like in the first game backtracking can be tedious and hard to follow, this game partly solved this issue by giving you a note tab ingame so you see what needs to be done. But when the quest involves going to a different floor it gets a bit confusing with what you have to do and whilst the messages have improved this time around i still found it difficult to navigate the game. I luckly only needed to look up a guide on command deck 6 in the game but other than that im happy the game was quite straight forward even tho i got stuck a couple times.

The core gameplay can be slightly tedious however and its one of the main reasons i decided on a 7/10. Enemies just do way too much damage sometimes and respawning enemies are the worst with this one. Everytime i leave a level and come back more enemies spawn and im forced to waste more ammo. Its just really annoying especially when you get stuck and go back and forth between levels. But researching, maintaining and hacking were really fun gameplay mechanics so it has its ups and downs.

The overall story was pretty good as well, Its about the same from the first game and its executed really well here. The twist later in the game was really fun and story wise the game holds up very well.

I would definitely recommend this game too someone however id have too also tell them too play the first game before this one since its kinda necesarry for the plot.

Overall good game i enjoyed my time here
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GUD77 2022-11-03T20:36:47Z
2022-11-03T20:36:47Z
3.5
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GOAT
This is my favorite game of all time,
and I must stress that my opinion is not painted by nostalgia as I am too young to have grown up with this. My hours are misleading because my mod manager does not count playtime.

Even through multiple playthroughs there are weapons and skills I have yet to even touch; the amount of choice given to the player in how they want to approach any given situation is insane for a game of this era. It becomes very obvious midway through the game that you just simply can't be good at everything on one character, which encourages insane replayability. Combat is admittedly clunky compared to the best FPS of this era, but sidestepping combat with high movement speed is a viable strategy itself. I do not recommend PSI for inexperienced soldiers.

The crowning achievement of System Shock 2 is the very living (though not-quite breathing) world that Looking Glass has crafted for players to explore. Exploration is heavily encouraged due to the scarcity of resources at hand requiring players to check every nook and cranny just to sustain themselves, and perpetually-spawning enemies creates a sense of perpetual unease that blends flawlessly into the game's narrative. This narrative is only strengthened the more you explore, as they have done a fantastic job creating a setting that feels like it doesn't just exist to be a game world, but rather, a real place that you are exploring after it has endured a terrible disaster.

While it's heavily subjective, the aesthetic of the Von Braun is one I find to be unmatched by modern efforts of cyberpunk sci-fi. I recommend using mods to tidy up and modernize the game's textures so you can fully appreciate the grim futurism SS2 has to offer, as the vanilla graphics have admittedly aged. Sadly, I can't really recommend any of the mods that alter the enemy/player models as they differ too much from the intended artstyle for my tastes. Regardless, the world of System Shock remains my favorite example of both cyberpunk and sci-fi, from an artistic perspective; the presence of all the high-tech equipment contrasted with the destruction and disarray directly enabled by said equipment creates a beautifully grim and oppressive image of an increasingly technology-oriented future, from the past. It is downright inspiring and I will be genuinely surprised if any game can ever evoke these specific emotions from me again.

It would be downright misleading of me to not mention the fantastic writing of System Shock 2. All of the storytelling is delivered through dialogue, either through audio logs scattered around the starship, auditory e-mails sent directly to the player, or the occasional telepathic diatribe from the game's hostile alien force. It's hard for me to precisely describe what really speaks to me in writing, but not once does the writing take me out of the game world, it's really quite the contrary. The hopelessness, deceit and disorder felt throughout the Von Braun by its staff is flawlessly delivered -- there are occasional glances of dark humor sprinkled throughout, but unlike most modern examples of the trope are conveyed really well.

My personal absolute favorite aspect of this experience is that of the auditory sort -- the sound design of Shock 2 is an absolute masterwork and it's honestly astounding that no game I've played has even come close to mimicking the beautifully twisted soundscape that this game provides. Be it the sickening beeps and buzzing of the over-abundance of machines the player is constantly surrounded by, or the EXCELLENT vocal distortion and modulation of the game's various antagonists. I've seen more than one take that you should mute the in-game soundtrack for a more 'immersive' experience, and I frankly believe anyone sharing opinions like this needs a swift pipe wrench blow to the jaw. This game's soundtrack is absolutely phenomenal, both the droning ambient tracks and the energetic, 90s techno-bangers that accompany some floors. I cannot in good faith continue this review without shouting out by name the dream-team of Eric Brosius, sound designer and composer of the game's OST, and Terri Brosius, who absolutely steals the show with her performance as SHODAN. The glitchy discordance combined with the absolutely STELLAR voice-acting come together to create an antagonist unlike anything I've ever seen before in the medium; it's really endearing, honestly -- something I wish more people could experience.

I feel like the people who love something the most acknowledge the flaws with it better than most others, and I will admit that System Shock 2 is not a flawless game. Most of my disappointment is directed towards the second portion of the game, where the exploration aspect is heavily undermined in favor of a more linear experience. On its own, this isn't the worst thing, but after doing some research its obvious that the ending of the game was rushed to meet deadlines, it could be a lot better and is pretty anticlimactic, though undeniably iconic. If you know, you know. Compared to other games of the era people's limbs are a little laughable to look at (hands, legs). It's nothing severe enough that really makes me not recommend it.
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aegenerational 2022-06-14T23:47:21Z
2022-06-14T23:47:21Z
5.0
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Catalog

Ali5ia System Shock 2 2024-03-25T21:01:56Z
Windows / Linux/Unix / Mac
2024-03-25T21:01:56Z
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
kikiMaxx System Shock 2 2024-03-25T08:19:13Z
2024-03-25T08:19:13Z
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
Dragonhawk System Shock 2 2024-03-24T01:51:44Z
2024-03-24T01:51:44Z
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
vitipunto System Shock 2 2024-03-23T12:59:48Z
2024-03-23T12:59:48Z
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
Bobek System Shock 2 2024-03-23T08:32:17Z
2024-03-23T08:32:17Z
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
BindTortureIll System Shock 2 2024-03-21T00:05:13Z
2024-03-21T00:05:13Z
8.5
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
saltyshive System Shock 2 2024-03-20T07:29:45Z
2024-03-20T07:29:45Z
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
GuySamstag System Shock 2 2024-03-19T01:59:07Z
2024-03-19T01:59:07Z
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
nangtec System Shock 2 2024-03-18T22:34:15Z
2024-03-18T22:34:15Z
4.5
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
DyoxsitoCL System Shock 2 2024-03-17T03:21:32Z
2024-03-17T03:21:32Z
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
Beepkitty System Shock 2 2024-03-16T07:44:47Z
2024-03-16T07:44:47Z
2.0
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
Smooth1e System Shock 2 2024-03-15T19:04:03Z
2024-03-15T19:04:03Z
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
Player modes
1-4 players
Media
1x CD-ROM
Multiplayer modes
Cooperative
Multiplayer options
LAN, Online
Franchises

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  • Previous comments (49) Loading...
  • vmu 2023-11-27 19:38:15.089998+00
    the voice logs in this game have never been surpassed
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  • guidop 2023-12-27 14:59:01.049933+00
    absolutely amazing game, but the ending level is so boring
    reply
    • guidop 2023-12-27 21:49:49.919152+00
      nevermind, gameplay-wise it is meh, but the storytelling and ambiance is incredible
    • More replies New replies ) Loading...
  • BitterAndThenSome 2024-01-09 06:55:06.006921+00
    an hour and a half into the game and OH MY GOD THERE'S SO MUCH HAPPENING
    a complete sensory overload of thirty enemies attacking me, overlayed with important dialogue I need to pay attention to, and the most batshit insane 90s techno I've ever heard.
    good game but my god is it giving me a headache
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  • thereitis 2024-03-09 02:13:38.77664+00
    when it clicks it clicks
    reply
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  • thm_yrk12 2024-03-13 14:57:02.963342+00
    this game kinda underwhelmed me, its a fun shooter and the map is cool to explore but it felt like the most interesting gameplay choices i would be making was which corridor i wanted to go down first. maybe a psi run is necessary for understanding what makes this such a classic immersive sim
    reply
    • BoreCanal 2024-03-17 04:51:11.992323+00
      The immersive sim elements are pretty weak, the AI is also really really dumb. The story is actually pretty good for a game that is this old though.
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  • ubnubmaster 2024-03-27 02:34:29.541724+00
    Feels more survival horror than action horror to me. Maybe it’s because I focused on standard weapons. But ammo conservation was critical in my playthrough and the approach to level design reminded me a lot of early resident evil
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