System Shock, then and now.

Spoony | Nov 3 2009 | more | 
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DOSBox is some amazing stuff. The last time I tried to get the old Origin games to run was back in the Win95 days, and that was a jump that pretty much guaranteed you wouldn’t easily be running any of your old DOS games for a while. You had to dual-boot to DOS, and that wasn’t easy because most modern hardware wouldn’t work properly.

But anyway, I’ve been unwinding a bit with my old copy of System Shock. It’s been around ten years since I’ve seriously given it a try, maybe more since I pretty much played System Shock 2 to death, even going so far as modding it and playing nightmarish multiplayer variants. I’ve been making some notes as I’ve been playing, so here’s what I’ve noticed so far:

* The graphics, when turned up to its maximum 640×480 resolution, are still pretty damn impressive when you consider when the game was made. The levels all have a distinct, lived-in look, and generally avoids the samey gray corridors that a lot of sci-fi movies and games have problems with.

* The levels are also refreshingly non-linear in design, with lots of opportunities to explore nooks and crannies of the station that sometimes pay off, sometimes don’t.

* The sound design can be pretty frustrating, though. Even more than I remember. Nothing makes footfall sounds, moans, or anything. If anything, the only sound you hear is a robotic shriek moments before your enemies open fire. You could argue that it fits with the horror aesthetic that you hear nothing until it’s chewing on your torso, but it seems unlikely that you can’t hear huge security robots thunking down the corridors, or enormous clawed mutants bumping into furniture. Ballistic and melee hits lack “punch” and seem distant; there’s no sense that getting hit hurts.

* The controls are again surprisingly innovative for the time, with full control over your posture (any combination of leaning to the side, ducking, or laying prone), but aside from crawling through ducts there’s not much use to the feature. Your reticle accuracy is perfect (in fact, I think there may be some aim assisting going on) so it’s not like kneeling helps your aim or makes you harder to hit. The lack of mouselook, though, means you have to turn using arrow keys and aim with the mouse. This has the effect of making you feel like you’re wheeling around in a tank instead of controlling a person.

* The interface is incredibly intrusive, filling about 75% of the screen with junk that obscures the main view. Even when you switch to the (superior) fullscreen mode, the various HUD elements tend to fill the screen and stay there until dismissed. It can block your view and aim against smaller enemies, and make it annoying to pick up items from the ground.

* The much-maligned cyberspace hacking segments, despite some flaws, still feel like they’re appropriate and necessary in the context of the story. The graphics are primitive, but effective aside from the annoying wireframe maze that makes depth hard to perceive. I think here, once again, the sound design falls apart and ruins a feeling of immersion. Proximity and depth, or at least simple left-right spatial awareness would have been greatly improved with better sound design. Combat lacks presence and impact, and it’s hard to tell if you’re being shot at or even hit until you’ve already died.

* Tranq weapons are useless, unless I’m missing something. Okay, so you’ve stunned the monster, but it’s still there. The tranq will wear off, and if you want to kill it, the first real hit snaps it out of its torpor.

* Mutants sure do love their soda. They all carry a can.

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  • Kahrooch

    I’ve never played System Shock, but I keep hearing about how it is really great so maybe I’ll have to play it.
    Glory to the Spoony Experiment!

  • Kahrooch

    I’ve never played System Shock, but I keep hearing about how it is really great so maybe I’ll have to play it.
    Glory to the Spoony Experiment!

  • Kahrooch

    I’ve never played System Shock, but I keep hearing about how it is really great so maybe I’ll have to play it.
    Glory to the Spoony Experiment!

  • Kahrooch

    I’ve never played System Shock, but I keep hearing about how it is really great so maybe I’ll have to play it.
    Glory to the Spoony Experiment!

  • http://theblogthattimeforgot.blogspot.com/ Taranaich

    Interesting. I also really disliked the inventory, even considering the time it was released. I remember when I reinstalled it a while back, the lack of mouselook really crippled it for a repeat play (shows how mouselook has spoiled me).

  • http://theblogthattimeforgot.blogspot.com/ Taranaich

    Interesting. I also really disliked the inventory, even considering the time it was released. I remember when I reinstalled it a while back, the lack of mouselook really crippled it for a repeat play (shows how mouselook has spoiled me).

  • http://theblogthattimeforgot.blogspot.com/ Taranaich

    Interesting. I also really disliked the inventory, even considering the time it was released. I remember when I reinstalled it a while back, the lack of mouselook really crippled it for a repeat play (shows how mouselook has spoiled me).

  • http://theblogthattimeforgot.blogspot.com/ Taranaich

    Interesting. I also really disliked the inventory, even considering the time it was released. I remember when I reinstalled it a while back, the lack of mouselook really crippled it for a repeat play (shows how mouselook has spoiled me).

  • Chickitycheck

    Just another classic game in which we will never get to experience again. Instead, let’s all enjoy the super cool shootan adventures of games like Borderlands and Modern Warfare 2!! SO GREAT!

  • Chickitycheck

    Just another classic game in which we will never get to experience again. Instead, let’s all enjoy the super cool shootan adventures of games like Borderlands and Modern Warfare 2!! SO GREAT!

  • Rin

    There is this one game that I loved playing on Halloween called Nitemare, I believe. It’s also a Wolfenstein/Doom style kind of game but it was great fun and it even scared us at a few instances.

  • Rin

    There is this one game that I loved playing on Halloween called Nitemare, I believe. It’s also a Wolfenstein/Doom style kind of game but it was great fun and it even scared us at a few instances.

  • Rin

    There is this one game that I loved playing on Halloween called Nitemare, I believe. It’s also a Wolfenstein/Doom style kind of game but it was great fun and it even scared us at a few instances.

  • jnywest

    If you save the game before you use a Logic Probe, or Genius Stimulant, they will help you solve puzzles quickly and then you can reload the game and imput the solution yourself. This allows you to use the same “buff” again and again.

  • jnywest

    If you save the game before you use a Logic Probe, or Genius Stimulant, they will help you solve puzzles quickly and then you can reload the game and imput the solution yourself. This allows you to use the same “buff” again and again.

  • jnywest

    If you save the game before you use a Logic Probe, or Genius Stimulant, they will help you solve puzzles quickly and then you can reload the game and imput the solution yourself. This allows you to use the same “buff” again and again.

  • Rin

    There is this one game that I loved playing on Halloween called Nitemare, I believe. It’s also a Wolfenstein/Doom style kind of game but it was great fun and it even scared us at a few instances.

  • jnywest

    If you save the game before you use a Logic Probe, or Genius Stimulant, they will help you solve puzzles quickly and then you can reload the game and imput the solution yourself. This allows you to use the same “buff” again and again.

  • J

    Bow down to Dos Box; no seriously I love Dos Box allows me to play Ultima the greatest rpg series ever (well before EA got a hold of it).

  • J

    Bow down to Dos Box; no seriously I love Dos Box allows me to play Ultima the greatest rpg series ever (well before EA got a hold of it).

  • J

    Bow down to Dos Box; no seriously I love Dos Box allows me to play Ultima the greatest rpg series ever (well before EA got a hold of it).

  • J

    Bow down to Dos Box; no seriously I love Dos Box allows me to play Ultima the greatest rpg series ever (well before EA got a hold of it).

  • Anonymous

    Such an amazing game, too bad the controls are made for people with three hands.

  • Anonymous

    Such an amazing game, too bad the controls are made for people with three hands.

  • Anonymous

    Such an amazing game, too bad the controls are made for people with three hands.

  • http://nonsensicalifornia.blogspot.com/ Saisinkolimonadin

    Such an amazing game, too bad the controls are made for people with three hands.

  • Kahrooch

    Well I just downloaded System Shock for DOS and I’m having a hard time with it. Are the colors supposed to be all rainbows and what not, how do you attack I have to go to the top of the secret and click just so I can look down to pick up something that I have no idea what it is…unless I get some help with this I might have to stick to Space Quest.

  • Kahrooch

    Well I just downloaded System Shock for DOS and I’m having a hard time with it. Are the colors supposed to be all rainbows and what not, how do you attack I have to go to the top of the secret and click just so I can look down to pick up something that I have no idea what it is…unless I get some help with this I might have to stick to Space Quest.

  • Kahrooch

    Well I just downloaded System Shock for DOS and I’m having a hard time with it. Are the colors supposed to be all rainbows and what not, how do you attack I have to go to the top of the secret and click just so I can look down to pick up something that I have no idea what it is…unless I get some help with this I might have to stick to Space Quest.

  • Kahrooch

    Well I just downloaded System Shock for DOS and I’m having a hard time with it. Are the colors supposed to be all rainbows and what not, how do you attack I have to go to the top of the secret and click just so I can look down to pick up something that I have no idea what it is…unless I get some help with this I might have to stick to Space Quest.

  • killua

    I think you’re applying too much hindsight in terms of sound design.

    You have to remember PC’s back then needed separate sound cards to get AVERAGE sound – they didn’t come with decent on-board sound like motherboards do these days.

    Sound Blaster 16, AWE32′s – they weren’t cheap. And looking back at my old pc, they weren’t that good either. The technology in gaming hadn’t advanced that far back then.

  • killua

    I think you’re applying too much hindsight in terms of sound design.

    You have to remember PC’s back then needed separate sound cards to get AVERAGE sound – they didn’t come with decent on-board sound like motherboards do these days.

    Sound Blaster 16, AWE32′s – they weren’t cheap. And looking back at my old pc, they weren’t that good either. The technology in gaming hadn’t advanced that far back then.

  • killua

    I think you’re applying too much hindsight in terms of sound design.

    You have to remember PC’s back then needed separate sound cards to get AVERAGE sound – they didn’t come with decent on-board sound like motherboards do these days.

    Sound Blaster 16, AWE32′s – they weren’t cheap. And looking back at my old pc, they weren’t that good either. The technology in gaming hadn’t advanced that far back then.

  • killua

    I think you’re applying too much hindsight in terms of sound design.

    You have to remember PC’s back then needed separate sound cards to get AVERAGE sound – they didn’t come with decent on-board sound like motherboards do these days.

    Sound Blaster 16, AWE32′s – they weren’t cheap. And looking back at my old pc, they weren’t that good either. The technology in gaming hadn’t advanced that far back then.

  • Taylor

    Let’s play system shock spoony?!? please :D..

  • Taylor

    Let’s play system shock spoony?!? please :D..

  • Taylor

    Let’s play system shock spoony?!? please :D..

  • Taylor

    Let’s play system shock spoony?!? please :D..

  • Latexpoultry

    Give us a list of your favorite games. Unless you already have.

    I hope Deus Ex is on it.

  • Latexpoultry

    Give us a list of your favorite games. Unless you already have.

    I hope Deus Ex is on it.

  • Latexpoultry

    Give us a list of your favorite games. Unless you already have.

    I hope Deus Ex is on it.

  • Latexpoultry

    Give us a list of your favorite games. Unless you already have.

    I hope Deus Ex is on it.

  • Epic Cardboard

    I’ve never played the original System Shock, but System Shock 2 always held a special place in my heart. I’m not sure if I’d be able to play this one now–it sounds more like a nostalgia thing.

  • Epic Cardboard

    I’ve never played the original System Shock, but System Shock 2 always held a special place in my heart. I’m not sure if I’d be able to play this one now–it sounds more like a nostalgia thing.

  • Elías

    There probably is some kind of mod that makes all those flaws go away… Like those Duke Nukem 3D mods that turned the game into REAL 3D, or the Doom mods that let you play them like if you were playing… I don’t know, Half Life. At least, when speaking about the general gameplay.

  • Elías

    There probably is some kind of mod that makes all those flaws go away… Like those Duke Nukem 3D mods that turned the game into REAL 3D, or the Doom mods that let you play them like if you were playing… I don’t know, Half Life. At least, when speaking about the general gameplay.

  • Elías

    There probably is some kind of mod that makes all those flaws go away… Like those Duke Nukem 3D mods that turned the game into REAL 3D, or the Doom mods that let you play them like if you were playing… I don’t know, Half Life. At least, when speaking about the general gameplay.

  • Elías

    There probably is some kind of mod that makes all those flaws go away… Like those Duke Nukem 3D mods that turned the game into REAL 3D, or the Doom mods that let you play them like if you were playing… I don’t know, Half Life. At least, when speaking about the general gameplay.

  • Dirksolomon

    http://www.strangebedfellows.de/index.php/topic,211.0.html there, portable System Shock from mod community of System Shock. It is freeware or something nowdays so take it and have a blast.

  • Dirksolomon

    http://www.strangebedfellows.de/index.php/topic,211.0.html there, portable System Shock from mod community of System Shock. It is freeware or something nowdays so take it and have a blast.

  • Dirksolomon

    http://www.strangebedfellows.de/index.php/topic,211.0.html there, portable System Shock from mod community of System Shock. It is freeware or something nowdays so take it and have a blast.

  • Dirksolomon

    http://www.strangebedfellows.de/index.php/topic,211.0.html there, portable System Shock from mod community of System Shock. It is freeware or something nowdays so take it and have a blast.

  • Anaphyis

    The controlls are not that bad. Last time I played it I reconfigured the keyboard to a WASD-like scheme which makes the game playable like any other ego shooter except for the mouse look. But considering you almost never have to look up or down anyway, especially not in a hurry, that aspect is really forgivable.

    All in all, the level design, story and atmosphere still makes it a great game even if you don’t have the nostalgia factor as an added bonus.

    Yeah, the sound design (except for the music, which is still great in it’s 8bit-esque goodness) isn’t that great but that can be largely attributed to the age of the game – I still remember I had to play MP3s in mono on my old computer because the CPU couldn’t handle stereo and having a good sound card at that time really got you nerd points. Now we are treated with 7.1 surround sound in our games and high performance sound hardware is shipped with every el cheapo mainboard.

    Where was I? Right … damn you kids, get off my lawn!

  • Anaphyis

    The controlls are not that bad. Last time I played it I reconfigured the keyboard to a WASD-like scheme which makes the game playable like any other ego shooter except for the mouse look. But considering you almost never have to look up or down anyway, especially not in a hurry, that aspect is really forgivable.

    All in all, the level design, story and atmosphere still makes it a great game even if you don’t have the nostalgia factor as an added bonus.

    Yeah, the sound design (except for the music, which is still great in it’s 8bit-esque goodness) isn’t that great but that can be largely attributed to the age of the game – I still remember I had to play MP3s in mono on my old computer because the CPU couldn’t handle stereo and having a good sound card at that time really got you nerd points. Now we are treated with 7.1 surround sound in our games and high performance sound hardware is shipped with every el cheapo mainboard.

    Where was I? Right … damn you kids, get off my lawn!

  • Anaphyis

    The controlls are not that bad. Last time I played it I reconfigured the keyboard to a WASD-like scheme which makes the game playable like any other ego shooter except for the mouse look. But considering you almost never have to look up or down anyway, especially not in a hurry, that aspect is really forgivable.

    All in all, the level design, story and atmosphere still makes it a great game even if you don’t have the nostalgia factor as an added bonus.

    Yeah, the sound design (except for the music, which is still great in it’s 8bit-esque goodness) isn’t that great but that can be largely attributed to the age of the game – I still remember I had to play MP3s in mono on my old computer because the CPU couldn’t handle stereo and having a good sound card at that time really got you nerd points. Now we are treated with 7.1 surround sound in our games and high performance sound hardware is shipped with every el cheapo mainboard.

    Where was I? Right … damn you kids, get off my lawn!

  • Anaphyis

    The controlls are not that bad. Last time I played it I reconfigured the keyboard to a WASD-like scheme which makes the game playable like any other ego shooter except for the mouse look. But considering you almost never have to look up or down anyway, especially not in a hurry, that aspect is really forgivable.

    All in all, the level design, story and atmosphere still makes it a great game even if you don’t have the nostalgia factor as an added bonus.

    Yeah, the sound design (except for the music, which is still great in it’s 8bit-esque goodness) isn’t that great but that can be largely attributed to the age of the game – I still remember I had to play MP3s in mono on my old computer because the CPU couldn’t handle stereo and having a good sound card at that time really got you nerd points. Now we are treated with 7.1 surround sound in our games and high performance sound hardware is shipped with every el cheapo mainboard.

    Where was I? Right … damn you kids, get off my lawn!

  • Lotus Prince

    I played a bit of SS1, and I was also thrown off by the HUD.

    Incidentally, Spoony, I’m not sure if you’re a guy who goes for true authenticity, or if you’re willing to incorporate some changes to modernize the game, but you should look into the System Shock 2 mod, where the graphics are improved. The only thing you may complain about is that some of the enemy designs were changed a bit (most notably the Rumbler, which looks barely anything like its original iteration). I don’t go for mods that alter the game itself, but I figured that some resolution touch-ups couldn’t hurt.

  • Lotus Prince

    I played a bit of SS1, and I was also thrown off by the HUD.

    Incidentally, Spoony, I’m not sure if you’re a guy who goes for true authenticity, or if you’re willing to incorporate some changes to modernize the game, but you should look into the System Shock 2 mod, where the graphics are improved. The only thing you may complain about is that some of the enemy designs were changed a bit (most notably the Rumbler, which looks barely anything like its original iteration). I don’t go for mods that alter the game itself, but I figured that some resolution touch-ups couldn’t hurt.

  • Lotus Prince

    I played a bit of SS1, and I was also thrown off by the HUD.

    Incidentally, Spoony, I’m not sure if you’re a guy who goes for true authenticity, or if you’re willing to incorporate some changes to modernize the game, but you should look into the System Shock 2 mod, where the graphics are improved. The only thing you may complain about is that some of the enemy designs were changed a bit (most notably the Rumbler, which looks barely anything like its original iteration). I don’t go for mods that alter the game itself, but I figured that some resolution touch-ups couldn’t hurt.

  • Lotus Prince

    I played a bit of SS1, and I was also thrown off by the HUD.

    Incidentally, Spoony, I’m not sure if you’re a guy who goes for true authenticity, or if you’re willing to incorporate some changes to modernize the game, but you should look into the System Shock 2 mod, where the graphics are improved. The only thing you may complain about is that some of the enemy designs were changed a bit (most notably the Rumbler, which looks barely anything like its original iteration). I don’t go for mods that alter the game itself, but I figured that some resolution touch-ups couldn’t hurt.

  • Mike

    You have to remember, of course, that only the absolute best of the best computers could handle the software-driven 3D engine in full-screen and 640×480 back then. The overly huge UI was most likely so that the game ran at an acceptable speed on a “normal” computer.

    Shodan is still just as shit scary now as she was back then. Whenever you hear a loud “Chshhh!” followed by backwards soundbites, you know something bad is going to happen…

  • Mike

    You have to remember, of course, that only the absolute best of the best computers could handle the software-driven 3D engine in full-screen and 640×480 back then. The overly huge UI was most likely so that the game ran at an acceptable speed on a “normal” computer.

    Shodan is still just as shit scary now as she was back then. Whenever you hear a loud “Chshhh!” followed by backwards soundbites, you know something bad is going to happen…

  • Mike

    You have to remember, of course, that only the absolute best of the best computers could handle the software-driven 3D engine in full-screen and 640×480 back then. The overly huge UI was most likely so that the game ran at an acceptable speed on a “normal” computer.

    Shodan is still just as shit scary now as she was back then. Whenever you hear a loud “Chshhh!” followed by backwards soundbites, you know something bad is going to happen…

  • Mike

    You have to remember, of course, that only the absolute best of the best computers could handle the software-driven 3D engine in full-screen and 640×480 back then. The overly huge UI was most likely so that the game ran at an acceptable speed on a “normal” computer.

    Shodan is still just as shit scary now as she was back then. Whenever you hear a loud “Chshhh!” followed by backwards soundbites, you know something bad is going to happen…

  • Atreyu

    Wow, DOSBox is great -> New Info!

    blah…

  • Atreyu

    Wow, DOSBox is great -> New Info!

    blah…

  • Atreyu

    Wow, DOSBox is great -> New Info!

    blah…

  • Atreyu

    Wow, DOSBox is great -> New Info!

    blah…

  • Quantum Joker

    ‘System Shock 2′ is far superior to the first ‘Half-Life’, in my mind.

  • Quantum Joker

    ‘System Shock 2′ is far superior to the first ‘Half-Life’, in my mind.

  • Quantum Joker

    ‘System Shock 2′ is far superior to the first ‘Half-Life’, in my mind.

  • Quantum Joker

    ‘System Shock 2′ is far superior to the first ‘Half-Life’, in my mind.

  • killua

    Different strokes.

  • killua

    Different strokes.

  • @jnywest

    Why do use cheating for the puzzles?

    If the puzzles are too difficult for you and you don’t want to solve them, just turn down the puzzle difficulty!

  • @jnywest

    Why do use cheating for the puzzles?

    If the puzzles are too difficult for you and you don’t want to solve them, just turn down the puzzle difficulty!

  • @jnywest

    Why do use cheating for the puzzles?

    If the puzzles are too difficult for you and you don’t want to solve them, just turn down the puzzle difficulty!

  • @jnywest

    Why do use cheating for the puzzles?

    If the puzzles are too difficult for you and you don’t want to solve them, just turn down the puzzle difficulty!

  • Mind Layer

    An old friend of mine turned me on to System Shock (and X-COM) way back in the day, and I have been grateful ever since. But I am totally sincere when I say that the same guy introduced me to Bloodwings: Pumpkinhead’s Revenge. This guy owned every PC game in existence back in the 90′s. I must have watched him play Bloodwings for hours and never once did I have a tiny shred of a f***ing clue what the hell was going on (I don’t think he knew what was going on either). But System Shock; good times man, good times.

  • Mind Layer

    An old friend of mine turned me on to System Shock (and X-COM) way back in the day, and I have been grateful ever since. But I am totally sincere when I say that the same guy introduced me to Bloodwings: Pumpkinhead’s Revenge. This guy owned every PC game in existence back in the 90′s. I must have watched him play Bloodwings for hours and never once did I have a tiny shred of a f***ing clue what the hell was going on (I don’t think he knew what was going on either). But System Shock; good times man, good times.

  • Mind Layer

    An old friend of mine turned me on to System Shock (and X-COM) way back in the day, and I have been grateful ever since. But I am totally sincere when I say that the same guy introduced me to Bloodwings: Pumpkinhead’s Revenge. This guy owned every PC game in existence back in the 90′s. I must have watched him play Bloodwings for hours and never once did I have a tiny shred of a f***ing clue what the hell was going on (I don’t think he knew what was going on either). But System Shock; good times man, good times.

  • Mind Layer

    An old friend of mine turned me on to System Shock (and X-COM) way back in the day, and I have been grateful ever since. But I am totally sincere when I say that the same guy introduced me to Bloodwings: Pumpkinhead’s Revenge. This guy owned every PC game in existence back in the 90′s. I must have watched him play Bloodwings for hours and never once did I have a tiny shred of a f***ing clue what the hell was going on (I don’t think he knew what was going on either). But System Shock; good times man, good times.

  • Anonymous

    Aahhhh memories. System Shock 1 and 2….fun times. Although I am more fond of System Shock 2 than 1 (mostly because SS2 is the first one I played!), SS1 is among the most underrated great games that few people ever mention on a top 10 list, even a top 20 list!

    System Shock 1 and 2 represented the golden age of good PC gaming.
    PC Gaming is in such a sad state today…game companies assume you are a criminal and put so much DRM/Copy Protection in their games that they are sometimes unplayable (I’m lookin’ at you EA!)
    There are a fewer and fewer companies that aren’t so DRM trigger happy these days.
    Some software will even assume you are a pirate and disallow the game to be launched if Virtual Drives are detected! Meanwhile, real pirates have already figured out how to bypass these pathetic countermeasures within days of the release. How sad is that?!

    Alas, PC gamers really have it rough these days….

    Thanks for having such good tastes Spoony. It would really be nice to see a ‘Let’s play Deus Ex’…even if you use the ‘time compressor’ for it. I know you have a lot of projects on the go, but it would be nice to see you riff on something other than Console games and FMVs for a change of pace. That game can take weeks if you read/listen to each datacube, book, poster, dialogue-path, etc. like I do!

    Thanks again SpoonyOne. We all appreciate your well-written humor! But don’t burn yourself out.

  • Anonymous

    Aahhhh memories. System Shock 1 and 2….fun times. Although I am more fond of System Shock 2 than 1 (mostly because SS2 is the first one I played!), SS1 is among the most underrated great games that few people ever mention on a top 10 list, even a top 20 list!

    System Shock 1 and 2 represented the golden age of good PC gaming.
    PC Gaming is in such a sad state today…game companies assume you are a criminal and put so much DRM/Copy Protection in their games that they are sometimes unplayable (I’m lookin’ at you EA!)
    There are a fewer and fewer companies that aren’t so DRM trigger happy these days.
    Some software will even assume you are a pirate and disallow the game to be launched if Virtual Drives are detected! Meanwhile, real pirates have already figured out how to bypass these pathetic countermeasures within days of the release. How sad is that?!

    Alas, PC gamers really have it rough these days….

    Thanks for having such good tastes Spoony. It would really be nice to see a ‘Let’s play Deus Ex’…even if you use the ‘time compressor’ for it. I know you have a lot of projects on the go, but it would be nice to see you riff on something other than Console games and FMVs for a change of pace. That game can take weeks if you read/listen to each datacube, book, poster, dialogue-path, etc. like I do!

    Thanks again SpoonyOne. We all appreciate your well-written humor! But don’t burn yourself out.

  • Anonymous

    Aahhhh memories. System Shock 1 and 2….fun times. Although I am more fond of System Shock 2 than 1 (mostly because SS2 is the first one I played!), SS1 is among the most underrated great games that few people ever mention on a top 10 list, even a top 20 list!

    System Shock 1 and 2 represented the golden age of good PC gaming.
    PC Gaming is in such a sad state today…game companies assume you are a criminal and put so much DRM/Copy Protection in their games that they are sometimes unplayable (I’m lookin’ at you EA!)
    There are a fewer and fewer companies that aren’t so DRM trigger happy these days.
    Some software will even assume you are a pirate and disallow the game to be launched if Virtual Drives are detected! Meanwhile, real pirates have already figured out how to bypass these pathetic countermeasures within days of the release. How sad is that?!

    Alas, PC gamers really have it rough these days….

    Thanks for having such good tastes Spoony. It would really be nice to see a ‘Let’s play Deus Ex’…even if you use the ‘time compressor’ for it. I know you have a lot of projects on the go, but it would be nice to see you riff on something other than Console games and FMVs for a change of pace. That game can take weeks if you read/listen to each datacube, book, poster, dialogue-path, etc. like I do!

    Thanks again SpoonyOne. We all appreciate your well-written humor! But don’t burn yourself out.

  • VertigoOne

    Aahhhh memories. System Shock 1 and 2….fun times. Although I am more fond of System Shock 2 than 1 (mostly because SS2 is the first one I played!), SS1 is among the most underrated great games that few people ever mention on a top 10 list, even a top 20 list!

    System Shock 1 and 2 represented the golden age of good PC gaming.
    PC Gaming is in such a sad state today…game companies assume you are a criminal and put so much DRM/Copy Protection in their games that they are sometimes unplayable (I’m lookin’ at you EA!)
    There are a fewer and fewer companies that aren’t so DRM trigger happy these days.
    Some software will even assume you are a pirate and disallow the game to be launched if Virtual Drives are detected! Meanwhile, real pirates have already figured out how to bypass these pathetic countermeasures within days of the release. How sad is that?!

    Alas, PC gamers really have it rough these days….

    Thanks for having such good tastes Spoony. It would really be nice to see a ‘Let’s play Deus Ex’…even if you use the ‘time compressor’ for it. I know you have a lot of projects on the go, but it would be nice to see you riff on something other than Console games and FMVs for a change of pace. That game can take weeks if you read/listen to each datacube, book, poster, dialogue-path, etc. like I do!

    Thanks again SpoonyOne. We all appreciate your well-written humor! But don’t burn yourself out.

  • James

    The sound in System Shock wasn’t impressive ? Hm. It seems they remembered this when SSH2 was created (from what I’ve heard it has one of the most brilliant soundtracks in gaming history…).

  • James

    The sound in System Shock wasn’t impressive ? Hm. It seems they remembered this when SSH2 was created (from what I’ve heard it has one of the most brilliant soundtracks in gaming history…).

  • James

    The sound in System Shock wasn’t impressive ? Hm. It seems they remembered this when SSH2 was created (from what I’ve heard it has one of the most brilliant soundtracks in gaming history…).

  • zxx

    HORNITOS!

  • zxx

    HORNITOS!

  • zxx

    HORNITOS!

  • James

    The sound in System Shock wasn’t impressive ? Hm. It seems they remembered this when SSH2 was created (from what I’ve heard it has one of the most brilliant soundtracks in gaming history…).

  • zxx

    HORNITOS!

  • Lotus Prince

    I played a bit of System Shock 1 years after I’d beaten System Shock 2. I knew it was an older game, and you can easily tell from the upbeat goofy MIDI music, but the voice acting and sound quality for the logs and for SHODAN’s voice in the game were just as good as in System Shock 2. I was very impressed.

  • Lotus Prince

    I played a bit of System Shock 1 years after I’d beaten System Shock 2. I knew it was an older game, and you can easily tell from the upbeat goofy MIDI music, but the voice acting and sound quality for the logs and for SHODAN’s voice in the game were just as good as in System Shock 2. I was very impressed.

  • Lotus Prince

    I played a bit of System Shock 1 years after I’d beaten System Shock 2. I knew it was an older game, and you can easily tell from the upbeat goofy MIDI music, but the voice acting and sound quality for the logs and for SHODAN’s voice in the game were just as good as in System Shock 2. I was very impressed.

  • Jack

    Damn, dude.. I’d try it but I’m still playing a few of your recommended games (CoC Dark Corners of the Earth, Silent hill 3) I’ll check out System shock once I get through these games. I suppose I would be more wowed by it if I had played it when it was released. But it actually looks like a decent game. Wasn’t System Shock made by the Bioshock people?

  • Jack

    Damn, dude.. I’d try it but I’m still playing a few of your recommended games (CoC Dark Corners of the Earth, Silent hill 3) I’ll check out System shock once I get through these games. I suppose I would be more wowed by it if I had played it when it was released. But it actually looks like a decent game. Wasn’t System Shock made by the Bioshock people?

  • Jack

    Also: Is this where they got the idea for Portal?

  • Jack

    Also: Is this where they got the idea for Portal?

  • Jack

    Also: Is this where they got the idea for Portal?

  • Lucia

    [You could argue that it fits with the horror aesthetic that you hear nothing until it’s chewing on your torso]

    Eh, not really. Considering what they did with the sequel, they probably would have put in footsteps if they could, but as you said, gotta keep in mind the time period.

  • Lucia

    [You could argue that it fits with the horror aesthetic that you hear nothing until it’s chewing on your torso]

    Eh, not really. Considering what they did with the sequel, they probably would have put in footsteps if they could, but as you said, gotta keep in mind the time period.

  • Lucia

    [You could argue that it fits with the horror aesthetic that you hear nothing until it’s chewing on your torso]

    Eh, not really. Considering what they did with the sequel, they probably would have put in footsteps if they could, but as you said, gotta keep in mind the time period.

  • Lucia

    [You could argue that it fits with the horror aesthetic that you hear nothing until it’s chewing on your torso]

    Eh, not really. Considering what they did with the sequel, they probably would have put in footsteps if they could, but as you said, gotta keep in mind the time period.

  • Lucia

    Jack (@27 and 28), two things:

    BioShock was made by the same creative minds behind the SS games and there are quotes from the staff talking about how they set out to make a remake of SS2, essentially. Note the atmospheric similarity and how both have pretty much the same plot.

    Also, no, Portal came from an indie game called Narbacular Drop by some DigiPen alumns that Valve hired. ND also revolves around portal-based puzzles.

  • Lucia

    Jack (@27 and 28), two things:

    BioShock was made by the same creative minds behind the SS games and there are quotes from the staff talking about how they set out to make a remake of SS2, essentially. Note the atmospheric similarity and how both have pretty much the same plot.

    Also, no, Portal came from an indie game called Narbacular Drop by some DigiPen alumns that Valve hired. ND also revolves around portal-based puzzles.

  • Lucia

    Jack (@27 and 28), two things:

    BioShock was made by the same creative minds behind the SS games and there are quotes from the staff talking about how they set out to make a remake of SS2, essentially. Note the atmospheric similarity and how both have pretty much the same plot.

    Also, no, Portal came from an indie game called Narbacular Drop by some DigiPen alumns that Valve hired. ND also revolves around portal-based puzzles.

  • Lucia

    Jack (@27 and 28), two things:

    BioShock was made by the same creative minds behind the SS games and there are quotes from the staff talking about how they set out to make a remake of SS2, essentially. Note the atmospheric similarity and how both have pretty much the same plot.

    Also, no, Portal came from an indie game called Narbacular Drop by some DigiPen alumns that Valve hired. ND also revolves around portal-based puzzles.

  • Demon

    I noticed in BioShock, how the splicers all enjoyed potato chips and hostess snacks.

    And how the protagonist would eat food he found in garbage cans.

    ….and on dead bodies….

  • Demon

    I noticed in BioShock, how the splicers all enjoyed potato chips and hostess snacks.

    And how the protagonist would eat food he found in garbage cans.

    ….and on dead bodies….

  • meltdown2insanity

    DOSBox… Or as I like to call it, GOD-SEND!!! I like the idea of being able to run my video games without having to worry about compatibility issues, mouse and keyboard controlling problems, and installing pirate detectors to my machine to determine whether or not my game is legal or counterfeit (I’ll leave that one up to the One’s imagination). But enough talk about GOD-SEND! I shall now begin my quest to add this treasure among my collection of games like Doom and Duke Nukem: this game that many people recognize as the inspiration to the modern classic, Bioshock!

  • meltdown2insanity

    DOSBox… Or as I like to call it, GOD-SEND!!! I like the idea of being able to run my video games without having to worry about compatibility issues, mouse and keyboard controlling problems, and installing pirate detectors to my machine to determine whether or not my game is legal or counterfeit (I’ll leave that one up to the One’s imagination). But enough talk about GOD-SEND! I shall now begin my quest to add this treasure among my collection of games like Doom and Duke Nukem: this game that many people recognize as the inspiration to the modern classic, Bioshock!

  • meltdown2insanity

    DOSBox… Or as I like to call it, GOD-SEND!!! I like the idea of being able to run my video games without having to worry about compatibility issues, mouse and keyboard controlling problems, and installing pirate detectors to my machine to determine whether or not my game is legal or counterfeit (I’ll leave that one up to the One’s imagination). But enough talk about GOD-SEND! I shall now begin my quest to add this treasure among my collection of games like Doom and Duke Nukem: this game that many people recognize as the inspiration to the modern classic, Bioshock!

  • meltdown2insanity

    DOSBox… Or as I like to call it, GOD-SEND!!! I like the idea of being able to run my video games without having to worry about compatibility issues, mouse and keyboard controlling problems, and installing pirate detectors to my machine to determine whether or not my game is legal or counterfeit (I’ll leave that one up to the One’s imagination). But enough talk about GOD-SEND! I shall now begin my quest to add this treasure among my collection of games like Doom and Duke Nukem: this game that many people recognize as the inspiration to the modern classic, Bioshock!

  • http://skyeveran.deviantart.com/ Skye Veran

    I haven’t played this game, but do you ever fight multiple enemies? I think the tranq you described would be useful in that situation, so you can pick them off one at a time.

  • http://skyeveran.deviantart.com/ Skye Veran

    I haven’t played this game, but do you ever fight multiple enemies? I think the tranq you described would be useful in that situation, so you can pick them off one at a time.

  • http://skyeveran.deviantart.com/ Skye Veran

    I haven’t played this game, but do you ever fight multiple enemies? I think the tranq you described would be useful in that situation, so you can pick them off one at a time.

  • http://skyeveran.deviantart.com Skye Veran

    I haven’t played this game, but do you ever fight multiple enemies? I think the tranq you described would be useful in that situation, so you can pick them off one at a time.

  • Apathetic One

    Funny that you rave about the System Shock games but you all but bashed Dead Space…

  • Apathetic One

    Funny that you rave about the System Shock games but you all but bashed Dead Space…

  • Apathetic One

    Funny that you rave about the System Shock games but you all but bashed Dead Space…

  • Apathetic One

    Funny that you rave about the System Shock games but you all but bashed Dead Space…

  • Altoman5

    Dos Box, you gotta love it! I’ve never played the first one, but I do have the second one. I remember not finishing it because I would always play it at night and get scared.

  • Altoman5

    Dos Box, you gotta love it! I’ve never played the first one, but I do have the second one. I remember not finishing it because I would always play it at night and get scared.

  • Altoman5

    Dos Box, you gotta love it! I’ve never played the first one, but I do have the second one. I remember not finishing it because I would always play it at night and get scared.

  • Altoman5

    Dos Box, you gotta love it! I’ve never played the first one, but I do have the second one. I remember not finishing it because I would always play it at night and get scared.

  • zubarnosis

    14
    Dirksolomon

    thx for that bro! wow, this games pretty nice, im glad you introduced me to it spooney

  • zubarnosis

    14
    Dirksolomon

    thx for that bro! wow, this games pretty nice, im glad you introduced me to it spooney

  • zubarnosis

    14
    Dirksolomon

    thx for that bro! wow, this games pretty nice, im glad you introduced me to it spooney

  • zubarnosis

    14
    Dirksolomon

    thx for that bro! wow, this games pretty nice, im glad you introduced me to it spooney

  • cash

    SPOONY you should try CYBERMAGE!! that game was about same time as systemshock 1 and about same style. it has alot of awesome voice overs, might be a good lets play candidate!!!

  • cash

    SPOONY you should try CYBERMAGE!! that game was about same time as systemshock 1 and about same style. it has alot of awesome voice overs, might be a good lets play candidate!!!

  • movie buff 344

    how would i go about getting a copy and playing system shock it sounds cool

  • movie buff 344

    how would i go about getting a copy and playing system shock it sounds cool

  • movie buff 344

    how would i go about getting a copy and playing system shock it sounds cool

  • movie buff 344

    how would i go about getting a copy and playing system shock it sounds cool

  • jackie

    When I played System Shock, it was on an orange monochrome monitor without any sound. What was worse, my monitor couldn’t display any red color at all so God help you if some puzzle or game element used pure red somewhere.

    It was still one of the best games I remember from that time. As I said in another thread already, the only thing that trumped it was Alone In The Dark, with its incredible polygon models and beeper-synthesized sound.

  • jackie

    When I played System Shock, it was on an orange monochrome monitor without any sound. What was worse, my monitor couldn’t display any red color at all so God help you if some puzzle or game element used pure red somewhere.

    It was still one of the best games I remember from that time. As I said in another thread already, the only thing that trumped it was Alone In The Dark, with its incredible polygon models and beeper-synthesized sound.

  • jackie

    When I played System Shock, it was on an orange monochrome monitor without any sound. What was worse, my monitor couldn’t display any red color at all so God help you if some puzzle or game element used pure red somewhere.

    It was still one of the best games I remember from that time. As I said in another thread already, the only thing that trumped it was Alone In The Dark, with its incredible polygon models and beeper-synthesized sound.

  • jackie

    When I played System Shock, it was on an orange monochrome monitor without any sound. What was worse, my monitor couldn’t display any red color at all so God help you if some puzzle or game element used pure red somewhere.

    It was still one of the best games I remember from that time. As I said in another thread already, the only thing that trumped it was Alone In The Dark, with its incredible polygon models and beeper-synthesized sound.

  • Golli

    if any of you guys is trying to play this game now id suggest you play the cd shock version as it has the better resolution and almost all emails and such have real voice.

    and pressing capslock once in the game you get the sprint mode on (drains stamina though)

    I personally discovered this game like a month ago and i have now finished it with normal and hard difficulty and i must say this is one of the best games ive ever played.

  • Golli

    if any of you guys is trying to play this game now id suggest you play the cd shock version as it has the better resolution and almost all emails and such have real voice.

    and pressing capslock once in the game you get the sprint mode on (drains stamina though)

    I personally discovered this game like a month ago and i have now finished it with normal and hard difficulty and i must say this is one of the best games ive ever played.

  • Golli

    if any of you guys is trying to play this game now id suggest you play the cd shock version as it has the better resolution and almost all emails and such have real voice.

    and pressing capslock once in the game you get the sprint mode on (drains stamina though)

    I personally discovered this game like a month ago and i have now finished it with normal and hard difficulty and i must say this is one of the best games ive ever played.

  • Golli

    if any of you guys is trying to play this game now id suggest you play the cd shock version as it has the better resolution and almost all emails and such have real voice.

    and pressing capslock once in the game you get the sprint mode on (drains stamina though)

    I personally discovered this game like a month ago and i have now finished it with normal and hard difficulty and i must say this is one of the best games ive ever played.

  • Tai MT

    I was deprived as a PC Gamer, I think. The only really good PC game I had was the “Jurassic Park” game my computer had come with. It was an old Hewlett Packard with Windows 3.11.

    I had no internet on it, it couldn’t really run any games. I did eventually get Sim Ant and Sim City on the sucker, which were fun to toy with.

    But, I didn’t even recieve the upgrade for “internet” and Windows 98 until I was like 12. And by then, I had discovered “emulators” and “roms”. I never got into PC gaming in the least, none of the games looked that fun or interesting.

    In fact, I’m still not really into PC gaming. I can’t get over the controls for most of the “great” games that everyone recommends.

    I’ve been spoiled by the ease of use consoles has to offer, and not having to split my focus between using a mouse AND a keyboard to accomplish something as simple as strafing.

    I’d probably give PC games another chance if they allowed me to plug in a controller and hotkey basic movement to the buttons.

    I don’t know, my main complaint with PC games and PC gamers is that they never take into consideration “controls”. You never see a review that says, “oh, controls on this PC game are awful and make no sense.” like you do with console games.

    And while System Shock looked pretty cool and interesting… It’s a game I will ultimately avoid because it’ll suffer from “computer controls for an FPS” that almost every computer game does.

    So, since I probably won’t play it, ever… I, too, suggest a “Let’s Play” of this game, spoony! Whenever you finish all your current projects, this could be fun and new. At least then, I could get the full experience without having to contend with controls that I find absolutely dreadful and annoying.

  • Tai MT

    I was deprived as a PC Gamer, I think. The only really good PC game I had was the “Jurassic Park” game my computer had come with. It was an old Hewlett Packard with Windows 3.11.

    I had no internet on it, it couldn’t really run any games. I did eventually get Sim Ant and Sim City on the sucker, which were fun to toy with.

    But, I didn’t even recieve the upgrade for “internet” and Windows 98 until I was like 12. And by then, I had discovered “emulators” and “roms”. I never got into PC gaming in the least, none of the games looked that fun or interesting.

    In fact, I’m still not really into PC gaming. I can’t get over the controls for most of the “great” games that everyone recommends.

    I’ve been spoiled by the ease of use consoles has to offer, and not having to split my focus between using a mouse AND a keyboard to accomplish something as simple as strafing.

    I’d probably give PC games another chance if they allowed me to plug in a controller and hotkey basic movement to the buttons.

    I don’t know, my main complaint with PC games and PC gamers is that they never take into consideration “controls”. You never see a review that says, “oh, controls on this PC game are awful and make no sense.” like you do with console games.

    And while System Shock looked pretty cool and interesting… It’s a game I will ultimately avoid because it’ll suffer from “computer controls for an FPS” that almost every computer game does.

    So, since I probably won’t play it, ever… I, too, suggest a “Let’s Play” of this game, spoony! Whenever you finish all your current projects, this could be fun and new. At least then, I could get the full experience without having to contend with controls that I find absolutely dreadful and annoying.

  • Tai MT

    I was deprived as a PC Gamer, I think. The only really good PC game I had was the “Jurassic Park” game my computer had come with. It was an old Hewlett Packard with Windows 3.11.

    I had no internet on it, it couldn’t really run any games. I did eventually get Sim Ant and Sim City on the sucker, which were fun to toy with.

    But, I didn’t even recieve the upgrade for “internet” and Windows 98 until I was like 12. And by then, I had discovered “emulators” and “roms”. I never got into PC gaming in the least, none of the games looked that fun or interesting.

    In fact, I’m still not really into PC gaming. I can’t get over the controls for most of the “great” games that everyone recommends.

    I’ve been spoiled by the ease of use consoles has to offer, and not having to split my focus between using a mouse AND a keyboard to accomplish something as simple as strafing.

    I’d probably give PC games another chance if they allowed me to plug in a controller and hotkey basic movement to the buttons.

    I don’t know, my main complaint with PC games and PC gamers is that they never take into consideration “controls”. You never see a review that says, “oh, controls on this PC game are awful and make no sense.” like you do with console games.

    And while System Shock looked pretty cool and interesting… It’s a game I will ultimately avoid because it’ll suffer from “computer controls for an FPS” that almost every computer game does.

    So, since I probably won’t play it, ever… I, too, suggest a “Let’s Play” of this game, spoony! Whenever you finish all your current projects, this could be fun and new. At least then, I could get the full experience without having to contend with controls that I find absolutely dreadful and annoying.

  • Tai MT

    I was deprived as a PC Gamer, I think. The only really good PC game I had was the “Jurassic Park” game my computer had come with. It was an old Hewlett Packard with Windows 3.11.

    I had no internet on it, it couldn’t really run any games. I did eventually get Sim Ant and Sim City on the sucker, which were fun to toy with.

    But, I didn’t even recieve the upgrade for “internet” and Windows 98 until I was like 12. And by then, I had discovered “emulators” and “roms”. I never got into PC gaming in the least, none of the games looked that fun or interesting.

    In fact, I’m still not really into PC gaming. I can’t get over the controls for most of the “great” games that everyone recommends.

    I’ve been spoiled by the ease of use consoles has to offer, and not having to split my focus between using a mouse AND a keyboard to accomplish something as simple as strafing.

    I’d probably give PC games another chance if they allowed me to plug in a controller and hotkey basic movement to the buttons.

    I don’t know, my main complaint with PC games and PC gamers is that they never take into consideration “controls”. You never see a review that says, “oh, controls on this PC game are awful and make no sense.” like you do with console games.

    And while System Shock looked pretty cool and interesting… It’s a game I will ultimately avoid because it’ll suffer from “computer controls for an FPS” that almost every computer game does.

    So, since I probably won’t play it, ever… I, too, suggest a “Let’s Play” of this game, spoony! Whenever you finish all your current projects, this could be fun and new. At least then, I could get the full experience without having to contend with controls that I find absolutely dreadful and annoying.

  • Kane Gunlock

    I never played ether system shock(being a console tard and to young to play or remember them at the time)but I would love to play them because they were made by the same God like beings who graced us with bio-shock and I practically warship that game though by the looks of things Bio-shock does seem to have more emphasis on action and less on horror (though there are some”Creepy as fuck moments”here or there )

  • Kane Gunlock

    I never played ether system shock(being a console tard and to young to play or remember them at the time)but I would love to play them because they were made by the same God like beings who graced us with bio-shock and I practically warship that game though by the looks of things Bio-shock does seem to have more emphasis on action and less on horror (though there are some”Creepy as fuck moments”here or there )

  • Kane Gunlock

    I never played ether system shock(being a console tard and to young to play or remember them at the time)but I would love to play them because they were made by the same God like beings who graced us with bio-shock and I practically warship that game though by the looks of things Bio-shock does seem to have more emphasis on action and less on horror (though there are some”Creepy as fuck moments”here or there )

  • Kane Gunlock

    I never played ether system shock(being a console tard and to young to play or remember them at the time)but I would love to play them because they were made by the same God like beings who graced us with bio-shock and I practically warship that game though by the looks of things Bio-shock does seem to have more emphasis on action and less on horror (though there are some”Creepy as fuck moments”here or there )

  • Quantum

    I played through system shock again about a month ago.

    The game still scared the bejeezus out of me once I was immersed. You can completely get rid of the hud so I’m not sure why this is a problem. The 9 posture leaning system or whatnot is really great for shooting around corners – just click on the spot you want to lean in the little box and it goes there really fast.

    The bottom hud thing can be annoying when trying to pick up items; but easy to turn off once you know shortcut keys. I found the control system fine – it *is* alot like driving a tank compared to mouselook but consider you’re driving a pretty much half cybernetic guy so you could almost reconcile it via the lore.

    The voice over logs are fantastic.

    It still gets me how awesomely true to cyberpunk the hacking is – the wireframe and ICE stuff is straight out of a William Gibson novel. In fact you can see a lot of inspiration from his stuff in the story line; removing the ethical constraints from an AI anyone?

    The various implants you get are still highly original to this day – for example the rear vision mirror implant and how you can upgrade your health hud input and such.

    Magpulse is godly, and yes tranqs do suck; I’m not sure but you may be able to use them to kill the cameras?

    :D

  • Quantum

    I played through system shock again about a month ago.

    The game still scared the bejeezus out of me once I was immersed. You can completely get rid of the hud so I’m not sure why this is a problem. The 9 posture leaning system or whatnot is really great for shooting around corners – just click on the spot you want to lean in the little box and it goes there really fast.

    The bottom hud thing can be annoying when trying to pick up items; but easy to turn off once you know shortcut keys. I found the control system fine – it *is* alot like driving a tank compared to mouselook but consider you’re driving a pretty much half cybernetic guy so you could almost reconcile it via the lore.

    The voice over logs are fantastic.

    It still gets me how awesomely true to cyberpunk the hacking is – the wireframe and ICE stuff is straight out of a William Gibson novel. In fact you can see a lot of inspiration from his stuff in the story line; removing the ethical constraints from an AI anyone?

    The various implants you get are still highly original to this day – for example the rear vision mirror implant and how you can upgrade your health hud input and such.

    Magpulse is godly, and yes tranqs do suck; I’m not sure but you may be able to use them to kill the cameras?

    :D

  • Quantum

    I played through system shock again about a month ago.

    The game still scared the bejeezus out of me once I was immersed. You can completely get rid of the hud so I’m not sure why this is a problem. The 9 posture leaning system or whatnot is really great for shooting around corners – just click on the spot you want to lean in the little box and it goes there really fast.

    The bottom hud thing can be annoying when trying to pick up items; but easy to turn off once you know shortcut keys. I found the control system fine – it *is* alot like driving a tank compared to mouselook but consider you’re driving a pretty much half cybernetic guy so you could almost reconcile it via the lore.

    The voice over logs are fantastic.

    It still gets me how awesomely true to cyberpunk the hacking is – the wireframe and ICE stuff is straight out of a William Gibson novel. In fact you can see a lot of inspiration from his stuff in the story line; removing the ethical constraints from an AI anyone?

    The various implants you get are still highly original to this day – for example the rear vision mirror implant and how you can upgrade your health hud input and such.

    Magpulse is godly, and yes tranqs do suck; I’m not sure but you may be able to use them to kill the cameras?

    :D

  • Quantum

    I played through system shock again about a month ago.

    The game still scared the bejeezus out of me once I was immersed. You can completely get rid of the hud so I’m not sure why this is a problem. The 9 posture leaning system or whatnot is really great for shooting around corners – just click on the spot you want to lean in the little box and it goes there really fast.

    The bottom hud thing can be annoying when trying to pick up items; but easy to turn off once you know shortcut keys. I found the control system fine – it *is* alot like driving a tank compared to mouselook but consider you’re driving a pretty much half cybernetic guy so you could almost reconcile it via the lore.

    The voice over logs are fantastic.

    It still gets me how awesomely true to cyberpunk the hacking is – the wireframe and ICE stuff is straight out of a William Gibson novel. In fact you can see a lot of inspiration from his stuff in the story line; removing the ethical constraints from an AI anyone?

    The various implants you get are still highly original to this day – for example the rear vision mirror implant and how you can upgrade your health hud input and such.

    Magpulse is godly, and yes tranqs do suck; I’m not sure but you may be able to use them to kill the cameras?

    :D

  • Seanobi

    Yeah, I just downloaded this game last night that Commentor #14 mentioned, (Google magic my friends) and it is amazing. Ive been playing games since I was 3 on the PC, and Im 21 now. So I can get enthralled rather easily, no matter how old or new a game is. And as other people have said, I would also want a Lets Play of System Shock. (Both of them would be awesome) But I know that you have a lot of projects on your hands, and probably dealing with other things. I’m gonna go play Neverwinter Nights online now, and after that, Im gonna play the hell out of System Shock 1, and System Shock 2 afterwards if I can find it… Hell, I may even go out and buy Bio Shock, and the sequel after, in a few months…

  • Seanobi

    Yeah, I just downloaded this game last night that Commentor #14 mentioned, (Google magic my friends) and it is amazing. Ive been playing games since I was 3 on the PC, and Im 21 now. So I can get enthralled rather easily, no matter how old or new a game is. And as other people have said, I would also want a Lets Play of System Shock. (Both of them would be awesome) But I know that you have a lot of projects on your hands, and probably dealing with other things. I’m gonna go play Neverwinter Nights online now, and after that, Im gonna play the hell out of System Shock 1, and System Shock 2 afterwards if I can find it… Hell, I may even go out and buy Bio Shock, and the sequel after, in a few months…

  • Seanobi

    Yeah, I just downloaded this game last night that Commentor #14 mentioned, (Google magic my friends) and it is amazing. Ive been playing games since I was 3 on the PC, and Im 21 now. So I can get enthralled rather easily, no matter how old or new a game is. And as other people have said, I would also want a Lets Play of System Shock. (Both of them would be awesome) But I know that you have a lot of projects on your hands, and probably dealing with other things. I’m gonna go play Neverwinter Nights online now, and after that, Im gonna play the hell out of System Shock 1, and System Shock 2 afterwards if I can find it… Hell, I may even go out and buy Bio Shock, and the sequel after, in a few months…

  • Seanobi

    Yeah, I just downloaded this game last night that Commentor #14 mentioned, (Google magic my friends) and it is amazing. Ive been playing games since I was 3 on the PC, and Im 21 now. So I can get enthralled rather easily, no matter how old or new a game is. And as other people have said, I would also want a Lets Play of System Shock. (Both of them would be awesome) But I know that you have a lot of projects on your hands, and probably dealing with other things. I’m gonna go play Neverwinter Nights online now, and after that, Im gonna play the hell out of System Shock 1, and System Shock 2 afterwards if I can find it… Hell, I may even go out and buy Bio Shock, and the sequel after, in a few months…

  • LeoJay

    System Shock is a treat, yes sah. Glad to see you got it working.

    Tranqs are useless, yes. They’re intended for points where that’s all you have, which happens a lot on the higher difficulties, where there’s less ammo and things take more shots to kill; you basically put a few tranqs in something so it falls asleep, then book it like you just stole the last waffle, all Resident Evil style. It works better than you’d think, but that’s not saying much.

    I believe the CD-ROM re-issue supported higher than 640×480. I need to find my copy, I swear on a bible with a side of salsa that it had 1024×768, which for them days was _big_.

    The sound is minimalist because, as others have said, sound systems stunk at this point. It was hard in 1994 to even insist your players _had_ sound cards, because not everyone did. That also took up tonnes of space, and when you’re on floppies that’s not something you can always afford.

    I like the HUD. But I’m into that sort of thing. System Shock 2′s inventory/character overlay always felt like the intrusive one to me.

  • LeoJay

    System Shock is a treat, yes sah. Glad to see you got it working.

    Tranqs are useless, yes. They’re intended for points where that’s all you have, which happens a lot on the higher difficulties, where there’s less ammo and things take more shots to kill; you basically put a few tranqs in something so it falls asleep, then book it like you just stole the last waffle, all Resident Evil style. It works better than you’d think, but that’s not saying much.

    I believe the CD-ROM re-issue supported higher than 640×480. I need to find my copy, I swear on a bible with a side of salsa that it had 1024×768, which for them days was _big_.

    The sound is minimalist because, as others have said, sound systems stunk at this point. It was hard in 1994 to even insist your players _had_ sound cards, because not everyone did. That also took up tonnes of space, and when you’re on floppies that’s not something you can always afford.

    I like the HUD. But I’m into that sort of thing. System Shock 2′s inventory/character overlay always felt like the intrusive one to me.

  • LeoJay

    System Shock is a treat, yes sah. Glad to see you got it working.

    Tranqs are useless, yes. They’re intended for points where that’s all you have, which happens a lot on the higher difficulties, where there’s less ammo and things take more shots to kill; you basically put a few tranqs in something so it falls asleep, then book it like you just stole the last waffle, all Resident Evil style. It works better than you’d think, but that’s not saying much.

    I believe the CD-ROM re-issue supported higher than 640×480. I need to find my copy, I swear on a bible with a side of salsa that it had 1024×768, which for them days was _big_.

    The sound is minimalist because, as others have said, sound systems stunk at this point. It was hard in 1994 to even insist your players _had_ sound cards, because not everyone did. That also took up tonnes of space, and when you’re on floppies that’s not something you can always afford.

    I like the HUD. But I’m into that sort of thing. System Shock 2′s inventory/character overlay always felt like the intrusive one to me.

  • LeoJay

    System Shock is a treat, yes sah. Glad to see you got it working.

    Tranqs are useless, yes. They’re intended for points where that’s all you have, which happens a lot on the higher difficulties, where there’s less ammo and things take more shots to kill; you basically put a few tranqs in something so it falls asleep, then book it like you just stole the last waffle, all Resident Evil style. It works better than you’d think, but that’s not saying much.

    I believe the CD-ROM re-issue supported higher than 640×480. I need to find my copy, I swear on a bible with a side of salsa that it had 1024×768, which for them days was _big_.

    The sound is minimalist because, as others have said, sound systems stunk at this point. It was hard in 1994 to even insist your players _had_ sound cards, because not everyone did. That also took up tonnes of space, and when you’re on floppies that’s not something you can always afford.

    I like the HUD. But I’m into that sort of thing. System Shock 2′s inventory/character overlay always felt like the intrusive one to me.

  • Timo

    DBox is great, some tweaking and youre back in the 90′s :) SS1 was awesome back in the day but I really suggest you try SS2 with todays mods installed. Actually I’m watching Helloween’s LP of it on YouTube.

    And gotta remind you if youre going on oldschool games, Death Rally, Remedy released it as freeware and it works on xp/vista/win7! http://www.remedygames.com/games/death_rally.html

    But if its going to be match between SS1 & Deus Ex… I give my vote for Deus Ex.

  • Timo

    DBox is great, some tweaking and youre back in the 90′s :) SS1 was awesome back in the day but I really suggest you try SS2 with todays mods installed. Actually I’m watching Helloween’s LP of it on YouTube.

    And gotta remind you if youre going on oldschool games, Death Rally, Remedy released it as freeware and it works on xp/vista/win7! http://www.remedygames.com/games/death_rally.html

    But if its going to be match between SS1 & Deus Ex… I give my vote for Deus Ex.

  • Lotus Prince

    ^Deus Ex really is a god among games. The developers took into account EVERYTHING that you might do. There’s one part where you walk in on Manderley having a conversation with Simons, via that hologram-producing messenger device, and it cuts to a small conversational scene. If, for some reason, you choose to stay out of the room and take a really awkward sniper shot and kill Manderley, you actually say something different to Simons when you walk in. I LOVE stuff like that.

    Also, wow, that plot development was fantastic.

  • Lotus Prince

    ^Deus Ex really is a god among games. The developers took into account EVERYTHING that you might do. There’s one part where you walk in on Manderley having a conversation with Simons, via that hologram-producing messenger device, and it cuts to a small conversational scene. If, for some reason, you choose to stay out of the room and take a really awkward sniper shot and kill Manderley, you actually say something different to Simons when you walk in. I LOVE stuff like that.

    Also, wow, that plot development was fantastic.

  • Lotus Prince

    ^Deus Ex really is a god among games. The developers took into account EVERYTHING that you might do. There’s one part where you walk in on Manderley having a conversation with Simons, via that hologram-producing messenger device, and it cuts to a small conversational scene. If, for some reason, you choose to stay out of the room and take a really awkward sniper shot and kill Manderley, you actually say something different to Simons when you walk in. I LOVE stuff like that.

    Also, wow, that plot development was fantastic.

  • Lotus Prince

    ^Deus Ex really is a god among games. The developers took into account EVERYTHING that you might do. There’s one part where you walk in on Manderley having a conversation with Simons, via that hologram-producing messenger device, and it cuts to a small conversational scene. If, for some reason, you choose to stay out of the room and take a really awkward sniper shot and kill Manderley, you actually say something different to Simons when you walk in. I LOVE stuff like that.

    Also, wow, that plot development was fantastic.

  • killua

    Know any other really cool old games that have been released as freeware lately?

  • killua

    Know any other really cool old games that have been released as freeware lately?

  • killua

    Know any other really cool old games that have been released as freeware lately?

  • killua

    Know any other really cool old games that have been released as freeware lately?

  • Billpete002

    Hey Spoony have you ever played any of the Ultima games? I highly recommend them especially Ultima 7: The Black Gate, probably one of the best RPG games I’ve ever played.

  • Billpete002

    Hey Spoony have you ever played any of the Ultima games? I highly recommend them especially Ultima 7: The Black Gate, probably one of the best RPG games I’ve ever played.

  • Billpete002

    Hey Spoony have you ever played any of the Ultima games? I highly recommend them especially Ultima 7: The Black Gate, probably one of the best RPG games I’ve ever played.

  • Billpete002

    Hey Spoony have you ever played any of the Ultima games? I highly recommend them especially Ultima 7: The Black Gate, probably one of the best RPG games I’ve ever played.

  • http://www.strangebedfellows.de/index.php/topic,211.0.html Reminder

    Hey people, if you have been wondering where to get it, go for “System Shock Portable”. That one guy already gave the link, but here is a reminder: http://www.strangebedfellows.de/index.php/topic,211.0.html it is the full game, updated to run on modern computers with some additional tweaking.

    System Shock 1 is one of the best games ever. It is an FPS where you have…
    - actual plot, ‘missions’, puzzles and all this is unwrapped by the player by listening to audio logs for tips
    - an environment that to some extent follows logic and resembles something where people could live
    - different enemies with different vulnerabilities…
    - …for which there are many weapons and different ammunition or tuning options for each to fit the task
    - you’re carrying medpacks, battery, different grenades, severed heads… and much much more in your inventory too
    - another aspect of resource management is that you have bioenergy too, which is drained by different enhancements and weapons you use
    - oh yeah, there’s this virtual cyberspace thing, where you float and “hack” through firewalls and other securities to find information, open door and update your software
    - you can lean… and crouch, crawl, climb ladders… all this in 1994

    The interface is a bit complex, but I got used to it and I can maneuver myself pretty fluently around Citadel station. Anyways, nothing comes even close to System Shock’s depth (well, maybe Stalker). Nowdays we have shitty console FPS games where you can’t even lean. Oh well, all hail our console overlords!

  • http://www.strangebedfellows.de/index.php/topic,211.0.html Reminder

    Hey people, if you have been wondering where to get it, go for “System Shock Portable”. That one guy already gave the link, but here is a reminder: http://www.strangebedfellows.de/index.php/topic,211.0.html it is the full game, updated to run on modern computers with some additional tweaking.

    System Shock 1 is one of the best games ever. It is an FPS where you have…
    - actual plot, ‘missions’, puzzles and all this is unwrapped by the player by listening to audio logs for tips
    - an environment that to some extent follows logic and resembles something where people could live
    - different enemies with different vulnerabilities…
    - …for which there are many weapons and different ammunition or tuning options for each to fit the task
    - you’re carrying medpacks, battery, different grenades, severed heads… and much much more in your inventory too
    - another aspect of resource management is that you have bioenergy too, which is drained by different enhancements and weapons you use
    - oh yeah, there’s this virtual cyberspace thing, where you float and “hack” through firewalls and other securities to find information, open door and update your software
    - you can lean… and crouch, crawl, climb ladders… all this in 1994

    The interface is a bit complex, but I got used to it and I can maneuver myself pretty fluently around Citadel station. Anyways, nothing comes even close to System Shock’s depth (well, maybe Stalker). Nowdays we have shitty console FPS games where you can’t even lean. Oh well, all hail our console overlords!

  • http://www.strangebedfellows.de/index.php/topic,211.0.html Reminder

    Hey people, if you have been wondering where to get it, go for “System Shock Portable”. That one guy already gave the link, but here is a reminder: http://www.strangebedfellows.de/index.php/topic,211.0.html it is the full game, updated to run on modern computers with some additional tweaking.

    System Shock 1 is one of the best games ever. It is an FPS where you have…
    - actual plot, ‘missions’, puzzles and all this is unwrapped by the player by listening to audio logs for tips
    - an environment that to some extent follows logic and resembles something where people could live
    - different enemies with different vulnerabilities…
    - …for which there are many weapons and different ammunition or tuning options for each to fit the task
    - you’re carrying medpacks, battery, different grenades, severed heads… and much much more in your inventory too
    - another aspect of resource management is that you have bioenergy too, which is drained by different enhancements and weapons you use
    - oh yeah, there’s this virtual cyberspace thing, where you float and “hack” through firewalls and other securities to find information, open door and update your software
    - you can lean… and crouch, crawl, climb ladders… all this in 1994

    The interface is a bit complex, but I got used to it and I can maneuver myself pretty fluently around Citadel station. Anyways, nothing comes even close to System Shock’s depth (well, maybe Stalker). Nowdays we have shitty console FPS games where you can’t even lean. Oh well, all hail our console overlords!

  • http://www.strangebedfellows.de/index.php/topic,211.0.html Reminder

    Hey people, if you have been wondering where to get it, go for “System Shock Portable”. That one guy already gave the link, but here is a reminder: http://www.strangebedfellows.de/index.php/topic,211.0.html it is the full game, updated to run on modern computers with some additional tweaking.

    System Shock 1 is one of the best games ever. It is an FPS where you have…
    - actual plot, ‘missions’, puzzles and all this is unwrapped by the player by listening to audio logs for tips
    - an environment that to some extent follows logic and resembles something where people could live
    - different enemies with different vulnerabilities…
    - …for which there are many weapons and different ammunition or tuning options for each to fit the task
    - you’re carrying medpacks, battery, different grenades, severed heads… and much much more in your inventory too
    - another aspect of resource management is that you have bioenergy too, which is drained by different enhancements and weapons you use
    - oh yeah, there’s this virtual cyberspace thing, where you float and “hack” through firewalls and other securities to find information, open door and update your software
    - you can lean… and crouch, crawl, climb ladders… all this in 1994

    The interface is a bit complex, but I got used to it and I can maneuver myself pretty fluently around Citadel station. Anyways, nothing comes even close to System Shock’s depth (well, maybe Stalker). Nowdays we have shitty console FPS games where you can’t even lean. Oh well, all hail our console overlords!

  • http://www.youtube.com/user/f16134 f16134

    INSECT!

  • http://www.youtube.com/user/f16134 f16134

    INSECT!

  • http://www.youtube.com/user/f16134 f16134

    INSECT!

  • http://www.youtube.com/user/f16134 f16134

    INSECT!

  • Dustin

    Request for a “Let’s Play” segment on this game and it’s sequel. Please?

  • Dustin

    Request for a “Let’s Play” segment on this game and it’s sequel. Please?

  • Dustin

    Request for a “Let’s Play” segment on this game and it’s sequel. Please?

  • Dustin

    Request for a “Let’s Play” segment on this game and it’s sequel. Please?

  • Ian

    completely unrelated but when can i get the conclusion to the ripper and swat 4 cuz much longer and i will have to re-watch the old ones.

  • Ian

    completely unrelated but when can i get the conclusion to the ripper and swat 4 cuz much longer and i will have to re-watch the old ones.

  • Ian

    completely unrelated but when can i get the conclusion to the ripper and swat 4 cuz much longer and i will have to re-watch the old ones.

  • Granth

    Just letting you know seeing a Let’s Play or even Review of this game would be sublime, I’ve been following some footage of the second game (since I couldn’t find anything on the first game). Seeing as you’re pretty much my favorite reviewer I would love to see you tackle this one.

  • Granth

    Just letting you know seeing a Let’s Play or even Review of this game would be sublime, I’ve been following some footage of the second game (since I couldn’t find anything on the first game). Seeing as you’re pretty much my favorite reviewer I would love to see you tackle this one.

  • Granth

    Just letting you know seeing a Let’s Play or even Review of this game would be sublime, I’ve been following some footage of the second game (since I couldn’t find anything on the first game). Seeing as you’re pretty much my favorite reviewer I would love to see you tackle this one.

  • Ian

    completely unrelated but when can i get the conclusion to the ripper and swat 4 cuz much longer and i will have to re-watch the old ones.

  • Granth

    Just letting you know seeing a Let’s Play or even Review of this game would be sublime, I’ve been following some footage of the second game (since I couldn’t find anything on the first game). Seeing as you’re pretty much my favorite reviewer I would love to see you tackle this one.

  • Johannesfromsweden

    Dosbox doesnt even work for me. i have no idea what to do in it..

  • Johannesfromsweden

    Dosbox doesnt even work for me. i have no idea what to do in it..

  • Johannesfromsweden

    Dosbox doesnt even work for me. i have no idea what to do in it..

  • Johannesfromsweden

    Dosbox doesnt even work for me. i have no idea what to do in it..

  • Booze Zombie

    The only thing System Shock is missing is Japanese schoolgirls which once you’re done “saying hello” to them, give you soda.

    Oh yeah.

  • Booze Zombie

    The only thing System Shock is missing is Japanese schoolgirls which once you’re done “saying hello” to them, give you soda.

    Oh yeah.

  • Booze Zombie

    The only thing System Shock is missing is Japanese schoolgirls which once you’re done “saying hello” to them, give you soda.

    Oh yeah.

  • Booze Zombie

    The only thing System Shock is missing is Japanese schoolgirls which once you’re done “saying hello” to them, give you soda.

    Oh yeah.

  • Javier-de-Ass

    I’ll just link this again, http://www.strangebedfellows.de/index.php/topic,211.0.html

    This is the System Shock full version, it is freeware and got dosbox integrated directly. People don’t actually seem to read comments on here.

  • Javier-de-Ass

    I’ll just link this again, http://www.strangebedfellows.de/index.php/topic,211.0.html

    This is the System Shock full version, it is freeware and got dosbox integrated directly. People don’t actually seem to read comments on here.

  • Javier-de-Ass

    I’ll just link this again, http://www.strangebedfellows.de/index.php/topic,211.0.html

    This is the System Shock full version, it is freeware and got dosbox integrated directly. People don’t actually seem to read comments on here.

  • Javier-de-Ass

    I’ll just link this again, http://www.strangebedfellows.de/index.php/topic,211.0.html

    This is the System Shock full version, it is freeware and got dosbox integrated directly. People don’t actually seem to read comments on here.

  • http://soldierhawk.wordpress.com/ SoldierHawk

    Ah System Shock. I adored this game when it first came out. I haven’t had any luck getting DOS-Box to run on my rig, but giving that little gem another spin is quite the incentive to figure it out. Thanks, Spoony.

  • http://soldierhawk.wordpress.com/ SoldierHawk

    Ah System Shock. I adored this game when it first came out. I haven’t had any luck getting DOS-Box to run on my rig, but giving that little gem another spin is quite the incentive to figure it out. Thanks, Spoony.

  • marcusman

    Thanks for the link Javier. I also torrented System Shock 2 and that runs beautifully on my laptop as well. I don’t condone pirating, and would buy this ASAP if it came out on Good Old Games. It’s just that I couldn’t find any other viable option to run it. And interesting second impressions Spoony.

  • marcusman

    Thanks for the link Javier. I also torrented System Shock 2 and that runs beautifully on my laptop as well. I don’t condone pirating, and would buy this ASAP if it came out on Good Old Games. It’s just that I couldn’t find any other viable option to run it. And interesting second impressions Spoony.

  • marcusman

    Thanks for the link Javier. I also torrented System Shock 2 and that runs beautifully on my laptop as well. I don’t condone pirating, and would buy this ASAP if it came out on Good Old Games. It’s just that I couldn’t find any other viable option to run it. And interesting second impressions Spoony.

  • marcusman

    Thanks for the link Javier. I also torrented System Shock 2 and that runs beautifully on my laptop as well. I don’t condone pirating, and would buy this ASAP if it came out on Good Old Games. It’s just that I couldn’t find any other viable option to run it. And interesting second impressions Spoony.

  • tootiredtothink

    Yeah tranqs actually could do some damage if you fired several of them into a mutant. Also they could take a out a camera so if you picked some up they were better to use then bullets.

  • tootiredtothink

    Yeah tranqs actually could do some damage if you fired several of them into a mutant. Also they could take a out a camera so if you picked some up they were better to use then bullets.

  • tootiredtothink

    Yeah tranqs actually could do some damage if you fired several of them into a mutant. Also they could take a out a camera so if you picked some up they were better to use then bullets.

  • tootiredtothink

    Yeah tranqs actually could do some damage if you fired several of them into a mutant. Also they could take a out a camera so if you picked some up they were better to use then bullets.

  • http://googlesnipersystempro.com Google Sniper System

    well, you're now able to download and relive all of the … Check out the previews and interviews

  • http://googlesnipersystempro.com Google Sniper System

    well, you’re now able to download and relive all of the … Check out the previews and interviews

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