System Shock

The Good
Warren Spector came to be known primarily because of Deus-Ex, an incredible game in its own right. However, Spector's been around for much longer than that, and has been involved in some of the greatest games ever created - System Shock being one of them.
System shock is a game alright, but stands in the spot light alone. No other hybrid has brought such perfection to the table, no other hybrid has brought gameplay to a level that even pales by comparison. System Shock is incredible right from the get-go: even the introduction sequence, with its great graphics and excellent soundtrack, gives me goosebumps every time I see it. An amazing presentation of an excellent story, which is implemented very well indeed.

By far the most spectacular thing about System Shock is its atmosphere. It doesn't take sudden Half-lifeesque explosions to creep you out; a simple e-mail by Shodan would suffice. The game induces severe claustrophobia, particularly when played late at night with high volume levels; exploring an empty space station, constantly wary of any cyborg ambushes... and Shodan's face taunting you on every monitor!

System Shock is probably the only cyberpunk adventure I've ever enjoyed (that includes books as well). The simple but effective story, the way it unfolds through e-mail messages you collect while exploring the station... the detailed surrounding: empty beverage cans and candy wrappers thrown about the place, blown lamps and panels... and of course, cyberspace itself, with all of the concepts contained therein. System Shock is magnificent.

The engine is quite good for it's time - not as crisp as Doom or as fast as Descent, but the highly detailed textures and gouraud shading all around make for an extremely convincing game world. The CD version supports high resolutions, and with a fast enough computer (a typical P166 can't handle even 640x400 well, be warned) the game looks simply beautiful. The game has a steep learning curve, but the controls are so good it's a matter of a couple of hours before one becomes fully fluent with them.

And finally, the soundtrack is one of the most important elements of the game. Though it's MIDI (which means you guys without wavetable cards are really missing out), it complements the level design so absolutely perfectly the game would be so... lesser without it.

The Bad
System Shock is impressively close to perfection: only two things bother me.

First, the ending sequence is a little disappointing. I was expecting a major cyberspace combat or chase with Shodan, but that didn't happen; neither was there a particularly impressive end animation (unlike the intro), the only impressive thing being the "neural net" System Shock logo.

The second is the game engine. It is beautiful, but it is by no means fast. In 1994, Doom was already a year old and 486s were becoming prevalent. But even at 320x200, the game does not run very well on a 486! At over 320x200, the game grinds even on a Pentium-class machine. I wish it was easier to make newer machines play older games, I bet this game would rock at 640x480 on an Athlon...

The Bottom Line
A game that beats Deus-Ex in some respects, kicked Half Life in the nads some five years before it was conceived, and gave most adventure games a serious run for their money in the storyline department. It still amazes me how little System Shock is known. Get it! Play it! I assure you, it's an experience of a lifetime.

The Good
GAMEPLAY: Deep, complex, comfortable, interesting level design, very morbid atmosphere. Tons of variety in guns, grenades, etc. If you could think Doom or Quake but with about ten times more ideas added, much much more depth and an actual storyline, a mystery, with adventure game item collection involved. [5/5]

GRAPHICS: For their time (1994, just after Doom) out of this world. About Duke Nukem 3D level, but with a more 'there' feel, but not as sharp. Tons of variety in colours, textures, etc. Very creepy, cold and hard electronic feel. Surreal. [5/5]

AUDIO: The voiceovers are somewhere from OK to quite amateurish, and this goes two ways -- realistic and cheesy. The soundtrack is very melodic and catchy, dark and moody. I love it, I think it's one of the better game soundtracks ever. [3.5/5]

PLOTLINE: Ah yes. As games go this is intelligent and sophisticated. Essentially you wake up in hell, or something close to it, and have to find out what's going on. Which turns out to be the AI you hacked earlier has gone psycho and has killed everyone on board your space station. Except you, because you're not supposed to be there. Thus, you must slay it. Hey, it works for a game! [4.5/5]

The Bad
SHODAN (the beserk A.I.) has a realistic voice (the sort you get when you ring the bank and the computer speaks back) but some real crappy dialogue.

The Bottom Line
A mix of FPS and adventure genres, dripping with a cold, hard atmosphere. Cyber-horror is all I can call it -- your haunted house is a haunted spaceship and your zombies are cyborgs. You solve a mystery and blast anything in your way with some truly mean, nasty weapons. A very dark, cold and morbid mood prevails the entire way. [4.5/5]

TRY THIS GAME IF YOU CAN -- IT'S GREAT! [http://www.the-underdogs.org] should have it -- you need DOS, or Win95/98/ME. For WinXP I'd suggest you get a copy of Virtual PC from Microsoft and install Win98 on it, then run the game through that. Trust me, it's worth your time!

The Good
And why wouldn't it be in the same league? Looking Glass Studios was responsible for UU1 and UU2! This game is well thought out.

There are three main things that make this game great:

1. Story - The backstory is unlike any other in RPG gaming. You start on CITADEL, and you are the only living being on board. Everyone else is dead. You find out the backstory through the journals and datacards left by the dead residents of the space station. By the time the game is over you will have pieced together, bit by bit, the events leading up to the time you awoke (the start of the game).

2. Configurability (if that isn't a word, it is now) - The fact that the player can configure the game to his or her tastes is a great feature. Combat, Missions, Puzzles, and Cyberspace could be made as easy or as tough as you want. Like hard puzzles, but don't like strong enemies? You can set it with System Shock

3. Sound - One word: Eerie. Along the same lines a Dungeon Master and Ultima Underworld, the ambient sounds are well placed, and very creepy. Not overbearing, but not so soft that you can't hear them. Just the right mix.

The Bad
The graphics are very dark, making it difficult (for me at least) to discern the end of a wall, etc.

The Bottom Line
If you like a very flexible game system, combined with the graphical feel of Ultima Underworld I and II, and sci-fi setting, grab System Shock. It's difficult to find, but you'll enjoy every minute.