OldsterHolster
July 4th, 2006, 01:45 pm
I really never doubted Terry Penrod's high opinion of System Shock II, and, now that I've just finished it, I totally agree. It's quite a classic, and well worth the time I spent playing. A little over forty hours of rpg/fps gaming brought back memories of how it used to be before games shrunk up, and there's no doubt in my mind that I got my money's worth on this one.
It wasn't perfect, of course. To begin with, it was hard. There was never enough ammo or health, and completing the necessary quests got quite tedious, at times. The maps are large, mostly decks on a spaceship, and, if you missed something and had to go back, the respawning monsters made you fight your way all over again. I have never liked respawning bad guys and like it much better when I can "clear" an area, once and for all. It keeps you on your toes, though, I'll admit that. Hearing one of those damned mutant chimps screaming right behind me never failed to startle and send chills up my spine; as did the rustling grumble of the red and black assasins right around the corner. The toxic spiders were a pain in the ass, too.
To make matters worse, everything damaged you a lot easier than you could damage them, so every battle was a real struggle. You are the underdog right on through to the end of the game, and you never gain overwhelming force. I think I played reasonably wisely for my character choice, (Navy) concentrating on the basic traits such as strength, endurance, speed, etc., along with standard weapons; but, even with maxed-out traits, I never felt like I had the upper hand in any way. I'd save my nanites (money) and my upgrade units, (cyber modules) and proudly do a large upgrade, all at once, only to immediately step into a pile of "disgusting worms" and die with the greatest of ease and no dignity at all. Heh, heh. Tough game!
The graphics are dated, of course, and some of them, like the water, are downright atrocious by today's standards. The inventory system was cumbersome, and sometimes downright dangerous, because accessing it at the wrong time (like when you really needed to) seemed to often spawn some nasty creature or another right behind you. (Sneaky devils!) Then, after struggling for over forty hours, you get to not one, but two, very frustrating boss battles. It took me three sessions over three days to finally beat these bosses, and last night was a resounding "Whew!" when I finally did. I'll admit it had me looking at walkthroughs and turning the setting to "easy." (Which didn't seem to make a damned bit of difference, by the way.)
So, you might ask, with crappy graphics, weak weapons, respawns, clunky interface, constant struggles, and frustration, why do I consider it to be one of the best games I've ever played? I guess it's because you do have to struggle and deal with frustration. You have to make do, think, strategize, and plan; and sometimes you have to be really quick, to boot. You are forced to learn the hard way, and then persevere using everything at your disposal; and the feeling of accomplishment is earned, and what makes the game so great. I saved the world, again, but I had to work hard, this time! Heh, heh.
I don't know if I would rate System Shock II above Deus Ex, but it's at least on the same level. It will definitely stay on my desk in the replay pile, and, now that I know the ropes, I'm sure to load it back up after a reasonable break and go through it as a different character. So, rest easy, folks, Shodan's dead. (I think. That pesky ending cutscene makes one wonder.) Next up, Half-Life 2/Episode 1. Have a great Forth of July. Edward.
It wasn't perfect, of course. To begin with, it was hard. There was never enough ammo or health, and completing the necessary quests got quite tedious, at times. The maps are large, mostly decks on a spaceship, and, if you missed something and had to go back, the respawning monsters made you fight your way all over again. I have never liked respawning bad guys and like it much better when I can "clear" an area, once and for all. It keeps you on your toes, though, I'll admit that. Hearing one of those damned mutant chimps screaming right behind me never failed to startle and send chills up my spine; as did the rustling grumble of the red and black assasins right around the corner. The toxic spiders were a pain in the ass, too.
To make matters worse, everything damaged you a lot easier than you could damage them, so every battle was a real struggle. You are the underdog right on through to the end of the game, and you never gain overwhelming force. I think I played reasonably wisely for my character choice, (Navy) concentrating on the basic traits such as strength, endurance, speed, etc., along with standard weapons; but, even with maxed-out traits, I never felt like I had the upper hand in any way. I'd save my nanites (money) and my upgrade units, (cyber modules) and proudly do a large upgrade, all at once, only to immediately step into a pile of "disgusting worms" and die with the greatest of ease and no dignity at all. Heh, heh. Tough game!
The graphics are dated, of course, and some of them, like the water, are downright atrocious by today's standards. The inventory system was cumbersome, and sometimes downright dangerous, because accessing it at the wrong time (like when you really needed to) seemed to often spawn some nasty creature or another right behind you. (Sneaky devils!) Then, after struggling for over forty hours, you get to not one, but two, very frustrating boss battles. It took me three sessions over three days to finally beat these bosses, and last night was a resounding "Whew!" when I finally did. I'll admit it had me looking at walkthroughs and turning the setting to "easy." (Which didn't seem to make a damned bit of difference, by the way.)
So, you might ask, with crappy graphics, weak weapons, respawns, clunky interface, constant struggles, and frustration, why do I consider it to be one of the best games I've ever played? I guess it's because you do have to struggle and deal with frustration. You have to make do, think, strategize, and plan; and sometimes you have to be really quick, to boot. You are forced to learn the hard way, and then persevere using everything at your disposal; and the feeling of accomplishment is earned, and what makes the game so great. I saved the world, again, but I had to work hard, this time! Heh, heh.
I don't know if I would rate System Shock II above Deus Ex, but it's at least on the same level. It will definitely stay on my desk in the replay pile, and, now that I know the ropes, I'm sure to load it back up after a reasonable break and go through it as a different character. So, rest easy, folks, Shodan's dead. (I think. That pesky ending cutscene makes one wonder.) Next up, Half-Life 2/Episode 1. Have a great Forth of July. Edward.