Zero Punctuation: System Shock 2

[PotatoeMan]

I have a feeling that pretty soon the only things PC gamers will have to do is play MMORPGs, MOBAs, and reminisce about the old days. And will be looked upon by the rest of gaming society as akin to the savages from the novel Brave New World.

Half the complaints are probably due to poor ports, delayed release dates and trying to use a controller for fps games the other half is snobbery.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

I'm not sure why Yahtzee chose to review this game. I "get" his other retro reviews like Half-Life, Silent Hill 2 and Shadow of the Colossus, good and bad things alike. This just feels uninspired.

 

[lacktheknack]

Dude, that techno music is some of the best music in gaming!

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Sure, it doesn't fit the atmosphere really well, but...

I didn't get much further (I hit the allocation wall really early), but I still enjoyed the hell out of the time I spent playing it.

EDIT: By the way, if you think that the "while playing Minesweeper" remark was just a joke... it wasn't.

 

[Glic2003]

A couple of details the review missed:

- The multiplayer was actually added in an official patch, it was not something that a modder added.
- Yes, the game seems difficult, but the game included a manual with lots of very specific details and hints to alleviate the difficulty. I know, right? How crazy to actually read a manual.
- The Rebirth mod which showed the cyborg midwife's breasts was later updated with a more appropriate (and more scary) version of that model.

 

[lacktheknack]

I really want to watch this, but haven't played SS2 yet. One question:
Has this review any spoilers?

Sort of. None that will surprise you if you've ever watched a sci-fi horror movie.

 

[JemJar]

Co-op was added with an entirely official post-release patch. It's not a mod.

Because, you know, once upon a time games were updated and added to for free.

 

[lacktheknack]

I really want to watch this, but haven't played SS2 yet. One question:
Has this review any spoilers?

Sort of. None that will surprise you if you've ever watched a sci-fi horror movie.

Thanks, but I think I'll just play it first then.
I *think* I can hold off a week without ZP.

(Not actually a spoiler) It's safe to watch it after you reach Janice Polito's office.

 

[Callate]

It's so nice to hear a review of SyShock2 that isn't all choirs and "under-appreciated sleeper hit"s and "best game evarrr."

Don't get me wrong, it has a great atmosphere and storyline, especially for the era from which it emerged, and I've given up trying to convince anyone who loves it like a cocaine sandwich that it isn't awesome, but at the least it should be acknowledged that she has some flaws, she does.

 

[TheMadDoctorsCat]

Yahtzee reviews one of my favorite games ever (the original "System Shock" still ranks as #1, although Yahtzee commented that it hadn't aged well and unfortunately he's right. Still an absolute classic.) Bliss.

A couple of things:

- "A" and "D" turn? No they don't... at least not on the CD copy of the game I've owned since 2000 or thereabouts...

- When you buy this game (and you absolutely should, it has simply the best story and characters of any game I've ever played, including all three "Bioshocks") check out the protocol droid doing the Macarena in the third tour choice room.

- You can finish the game with just about any combination of skills, except JUST energy weapons (can't kill the Heart of the Many) or JUST melee (can't kill the final boss). "Hack", "Standard Weapons" and "Maintenance" are almost game-breakingly useful.

- I've finished this game about fifteen times, total, each time with a different set of skills. And if that sounds obsessive to you, all I gotta say is: I'm the guy who finished "Super Street Fighter 2" on hardest difficulty with sixteen "perfects" in a row on a console with no way of saving your game.

- Dr Polito is probably the best character in videogames, ever. She has personality, purpose, a truly great character arc, and a heartbreaking end. (Bear in mind you never even MEET Dr Polito... all of this is done in audio logs.) Seriously, I could write pages and pages on why this character is so freakin' great and why she has such an emotional impact.

Huh, well that was lukewarm. Don't think I'll be getting this one after all.

After pre-purchasing DXHR I finally pulled myself through DX1, and while it had some nice things going for it, dear lord had the basic gameplay aged poorly and oh my god that story and setting is so incredibly cheesy. I could see the stuff people really liked about it, and would've liked it if some of those elements would be carried over to modern times, but I dunno if that knowledge was worth playing the game.

So after he gave Systemshock 2 an even harder time I'm pretty reluctant about this.

Yeah, I had too many problems with "Deus Ex" as well. SS2 stands up just as well today in every respect except graphically though; and, angular polygons aside, it still looks pretty good.

 

[TheMadDoctorsCat]

It's so nice to hear a review of SyShock2 that isn't all choirs and "under-appreciated sleeper hit"s and "best game evarrr."

Don't get me wrong, it has a great atmosphere and storyline, especially for the era from which it emerged, and I've given up trying to convince anyone who loves it like a cocaine sandwich that it isn't awesome, but at the least it should be acknowledged that she has some flaws, she does.

Oh yeah. The final stage is a letdown, and wrap your head around this one (seriously, anybody who hasn't played SS2 and intends to, ever, DON'T read this

Spoiler

If the final stage is supposed to be SHODAN's memories, how come you wake up in the room that the hacker who defeated SHODAN woke up in in the first "System Shock"? It was practically the only part of Citadel Station that SHODAN had no influence in.

Also I LOVE the music for the most part, but some (the maintenance corridors on the lowest level for example) seems to be misplaced in the actual game. Although that med-sci music from the hallway with the armoury and viewing lounge just gets me every freakin' time.

 

[octafish]

Some times I feel like it was a good thing that I only started gaming in the mid 2000s and missed games like these otherwise I might not have stuck with this hobby.

just out of curiosity, how exactly would system shock 2 turn you off gaming?

Probably because just about everything after JA2, SS2, and PS:T has been a bit of a disappointment? That is how I feel, but I maintain some hope.

 

[JSW]

I finished SS2 several times...

So did I. The key is to decide on one or two weapon types early on and ignore the rest (you can dabble in the other skills a bit, especially on the lower difficulty levels, but there just aren't enough cybermodules in the game to be proficient with all of the weapon paths.) I tend to go with a Psi/Energy combination, but many people swear by Standard Weapons.

Also, get your Hack skill up to level 4 ASAP. Once it's there you can leave it alone and focus on other skills for a while, but being able to hack turrets makes things much easier.

 

[Formica Archonis]

The main thing I remember is how fucking dreadful the music was from that shit game. Maybe it was trying to make me fear the robots more due to their ability to torture me with sound. Don't understand why people liked that game so much as its boring and poorly balanced with only a few interesting points with the game world. Thank god for modern shooter controls.

Always nice to meet someone else who didn't like it. About the only thing I was scared of by the end of it was the idea that the scriptwriter was still at large.

 

[Dfskelleton]

Having just played the game for the first time last year, I can safely say that it's one of my favorites. It's a little rough around the edges, and some people might not be able to get past some of the dated visuals, but as he said; it's got some unbelieveable depth.

 

[Legion]

I always wonder if people actually watch the videos or just glaze through them and pay attention to the parts that fit their preconceived notions. It's pretty obvious that he liked the game, but reading half of the responses you'd think he hated it.

I am surprised that he made pretty much no mention of SHODAN though, it's kind of like not mentioning Elizabeth from Bioshock Infinite.

 

[blackrave]

Man I wish someone could make SS1 one SS2 engine
Or at least replace those horrible 2D sprites with some form of 3D models
2D character models don't mix well with 3D environments
At least in my head
2 games deserve to be upgraded to 3D character models
System Shock and TES2aggerfall
Going through TES2 was like eating delicious dark chocolate ice-cream with glass shards in it
While it is extremely tasty, you can't enjoy the taste because of all the blood in the mouth [sub]and crying[/sub]

Loved this, and the original, though the original is pretty cumbersome.

Am I the only one distinctly creeped out by the idea that someone seriously wanted bare breasts to ogle on a horrifically mutilated fusion of woman and machine? Seriously, those things are not meant to be sexy.

It is more of a total enemy model overhaul
As far as I know with a few mods the game looks quite good
(one mod for enemy models, one for item weapons, other for environments, etc.)

 

[blindthrall]

Best fucking game of all time. The Many is what would happen if The Thing could talk.