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System Shock 2
From Noobtoob
Contents |
[edit] About The Game
[edit] Story
Warning May Contain Spoilers
Five months into the voyage, the soldier awakens in a cryo-tube on the medical deck of the Von Braun with no memory of the past few weeks due to a computer malfunction. He is immediately contacted by one of the few remaining survivors, Dr. Janice Polito, who demands that the soldier make his way up to Operations on Deck 4 to plan a course of action.
The soldier makes it to Deck 4, only to discover that Polito is dead. He is then contacted by the malevolent AI, SHODAN, informing him that she has been posing as Polito the entire time. SHODAN informs the soldier that she is the one responsible for the creation of the Many, and that they and SHODAN escaped the destruction of Citadel Station in a jettisoned subsection of the structure and landed on Tau Ceti V thirty years later. Though SHODAN had been cultivating these artificial creatures to help establish her god-head, they had since evolved out of her control. SHODAN then issues an ultimatum to the soldier, stating that his only chance for survival lies in working as her "avatar" to destroy her rebellious creations.
The soldier proceeds to the Recreation deck where a transmission device had been prepared to warn Earth about the disaster. SHODAN instructs him to activate it in an attempt top psychics to weaken XERXES and allow SHODAN to take control of the Von Braun. The soldier activates the transmitter, but SHODAN is unable to assimilate the Von Braun as the Many have spread too much. He is then informed that destroying the Von Braun is the only option available, but that he must first transfer SHODAN over to the Rickenbacker. The soldier proceeds to complete his task but happens to come in contact with two survivors, Tommy Suarez and Rebecca Siddons, who are able to escape the ship in a launching pod.
After completing the transfer, the soldier heads for the Rickenbacker only to discover that the two ships have been tied together by a mass of bio-organic tissue, the body of the Many. He then enters the body of the Many and proceeds to destroy its core, effectively stopping the infection. After returning, SHODAN informs him that she intends to use the Von Braun's FTL drive to merge real space and cyberspace in an effort to achieve god-hood. The soldier proceeds to face SHODAN and defeats her, despite being offered dual-power. The final scene shows Tommy Suarez receiving a message from the Von Braun. Tommy responds saying that he will return, but that Rebecca is feeling ill. Rebecca is shown speaking with a voice similar to SHODAN's, implying that she has been infected by the AI.
[edit] Setting
System Shock 2 is set in the year 2114, forty-two years after the events in System Shock, with the TriOptimum starship Von Braun serving as its main setting. The Von Braun is on its maiden voyage as the first faster-than-light starship in human history, and is joined by a Unified National Nominate (UNN) military starship, the Rickenbacker, an armed escort for the journey. The story begins with the unnamed protagonistlisted in a cut scene as Soldier G65434-2arriving at a UNN recruitment facility on Earth. After completing the training regimen, the soldier joins a branch of the military and is transferred to a UNN space station where, over the course of a three-year career path, he excels in his respective field. At the end of his tour, the soldier is assigned to the UNN Rickenbacker for its voyage with the Von Braun.
A few months into the voyage, the two ships respond to a distress signal from the planet Tau Ceti V. A research team is assembled, including the captains of both ships, and a trip is made to the planet's surface to investigate. Once on the surface, they discover strange eggs which they bring back to the ship. Almost immediately, crew members begin noticing strange behavior in the research team, as well as both captains. It is later revealed that the captains have been integrated into an alien communion called The Many, and are helping to spread an infestation throughout the ships. Most of the crew become infected, as well as the Von Braun's computer, XERXES, and eventually, both ships are completely overrun. Somewhere in the course of events, the soldier is rendered unconscious and is surgically altered to accommodate a new cybernetic system.
[edit] Gameplay
Like its predecessor, gameplay in System Shock 2 encompasses many genres. Navigation is presented from a first person perspective complimented with a heads-up display that shows health, an inventory, and other various displays. Like first-person shooters, players use various weapons to defeat enemies, while role-playing character customization is necessary to become more powerful. Survival horror elements such as inventory management and ammunition conservation are also present.
When the game begins, players must pursue a career in the Unified National Nominate (UNN); enlisting in the Marines grants special skills regarding combat and weapons training; the Navy provides training related to hacking and engineering; and the OSA hones player's psychic powers. After serving three tours, players begin receiving "cyber-modules" for completing objectives. Proficiency in specific skills are increased by spending these at cyber-upgrade units.
Other devices populate the game as well. OS units allow special one-time upgrades to be made (such as extra health), while in-game currency, called "nanites", are exchanged for items at vending machines. Reconstitution stations called "Quantum Bio-Reconstruction Machines" can be found and activated in most sections of the game. If death occurs in an area with an activated Bio-Reconstruction Machine, the player will be reconstituted at the station, otherwise the game ends.
Some devices like keypads, gun turrets, and vending machines can be hacked into for material benefits. When the player chooses to hack a device, a minigame commences where a grid of nodes appear and three must be lit in a row to be successful. The player's skill determines the minigame's difficulty as investments in hacking equate to a higher rate of success. Later in the game, objects become harder to hack resulting in red (ICE) nodes to appear. These nodes are unstable and can cause the object being hacked to break or explode if a connection is attempted. Items can be found that automatically hack an object, regardless of difficulty.
Various weapons can be procured throughout the game including pistols, shotguns, and alien mle weapons. Different kinds of ammunition also exist and present strategy regarding ammunition management as all enemies are more susceptible to certain ballistic types. Because ammunition is scarce, players must remain vigilant to unload unneeded weapons and carefully search rooms for supplies. Weapons also degrade over use and if used excessively, break. As a result, repairing weapons becomes necessary to ensure they function correctly.
[edit] Stats
- Reviewed in Episode 026 & Episode 027
- Platforms: PC & DS
- Genre: Action & Adventure
- Release Dates
- Developer: Irrational Games
- Publisher: Looking Glass Studios
[edit] Rating
Platform Review On: PC
- Tobin: Thumbs Up (Scares the living bageeses out of me)
- Yuzo: Thumbs Up (Two speakers only)
[edit] Episode Commentary
[edit] NooB Reviews
Brex123 WOW!!! this game may be old and now available for free, but its freaking awsome. even with the original graphics, its freaky. when i saw the pic of the updated textures, i said to myself 'screw it, its freaky enough already'
Buy, Rent Or Leave Download, Download, Or Leave: Download, just do it. Go... now, no time to waste.
