Aggregator | Score |
---|---|
Metacritic | 92/100 [56] |
Publication | Score |
---|---|
AllGame | [57] |
Computer and Video Games | 9.5/10 [58] |
Edge | 8/10 [59] |
GameFan | 93/100 [60] |
GamePro | [61] |
GameRevolution | A [62] |
GameSpot | 8.5/10 [63] |
IGN | 9.0/10 [3] |
Next Generation | [64] |
PC Gamer (US) | 95% [65] |
PC Zone | 96% [66] |
Computer Games Magazine | [67] |
System Shock 2 received critical acclaim. It received over a dozen awards, including seven "Game of the Year" prizes. [68] Reviews were very positive and lauded the title for its hybrid gameplay, moody sound design, and engaging story. [56] System Shock 2 is regarded by critics as highly influential, particularly on first-person shooters and the horror genre. In a retrospective article, GameSpot declared the title "well ahead of its time" and stated that it "upped the ante in dramatic and mechanical terms" by creating a horrific gameplay experience. [34] Despite critical acclaim and being the tenth best selling PC game in the US the month of its release, [69] the title did not perform well commercially; [70] only 58,671 copies were sold by April 2000. [71]
Several publications praised the title for its open-ended gameplay. With regard to character customization, Trent Ward of IGN stated the best element of the role-playing system was allowing gamers to "play the game as completely different characters", and felt this made each play-through unique. [3] Erik Reckase writing for Just Adventure agreed, saying "There are very few games that allow you [to] play the way you want". [72] Alec Norands of Allgame believed that the different character classes made the game "diverse enough to demand instant replayability". [57] Robert Mayer from Computer Games Magazine called System Shock 2 "a game that truly defies classification in a single genre", and ensured that "the action is occasionally fast-paced, it's more often tactical, placing a premium on thought rather than on reflexes." [67]
Buck DeFore reviewed the PC version of the game for Next Generation , rating it four stars out of five, and stated that "Bluntly put, System Shock 2 is a welcome visit to the lost arts of the good old days, and an immersive experience as long as you don't mind some of the cobwebs that come along with it." [64]
A number of critics described the game as frightening. Computer and Video Games described the atmosphere as "gripping" and guaranteed readers they would "jump out of [their] skin" numerous times. [58] Allgame found the sound design particularly effective, calling it "absolutely, teeth-clenchingly disturbing", [57] while PC Gamer 's William Harms christened System Shock 2 as the most frightening game he had ever played. [65] Some critics found the weapon degradation system to be irritating, [73] and members of the development team have also expressed misgivings about the system. [25] [74] The role-playing system was another point of contention; GameSpot described the job system as "badly unbalanced" because the player can develop skills outside their career choice. [63] Allgame felt similarly about the system, saying it "leaned towards a hacker character". [57]
Along with Deus Ex , Sid Shuman of GamePro christened System Shock 2 "[one of the] twin barrels of modern [first-person shooter] innovation", owing to its complex role-playing gameplay. [75] IGN writer Cam Shea referred to the game as "another reinvention of the FPS genre", citing the story, characters, and RPG system. [76] PC Zone lauded the game as a "fabulous example of a modern-day computer game" and named it "a sci-fi horror masterpiece". [66] The title has been inducted into a number of features listing the greatest games ever made, including ones by GameSpy, [77] Edge , [78] Empire , [79] IGN, [80] GameSpot [34] and PC Gamer . [81] IGN also ranked System Shock 2 as the 35th greatest first-person shooter of all time. [82] X-Play called it the second scariest game of all time, behind Silent Hill 2 . [83] SHODAN has proven to be a popular character among most critics, including IGN, [84] GameSpot [85] and The Phoenix. [86]
System Shock 2 won PC Gamer US's 1999 "Best Roleplaying Game" and "Special Achievement in Sound" awards, and was a runner-up in the magazine's overall "Game of the Year" category. [87] The editors of Computer Gaming World nominated it for their "Role-Playing Game of the Year" prize, which ultimately went to Planescape: Torment . [88]
On a stream during the 20th anniversary of System Shock 2 on August 11, 2019, Night Dive announced an Enhanced Edition of the game was in development. [89] Night Dive had been able to acquire and use the original game's source code, allowing them to improve upon the original. They plan to port the game to their KEX engine, the same engine they are using for the System Shock enhanced edition, and will work to make sure that the co-operative play features are better implemented. [90] The enhanced version will aim to support all existing mods and custom maps developed by the gaming community, though will require work with the community to help with compatibility. [91] Kick has stated that while they would like to work with "Le Corbeau" to incorporate their patches into the Enhanced Edition, they will likely need to deviate so that Night Dive can improve upon the original title. [55] Kick later confirmed on Twitter that the enhanced edition will release for all platforms.
Alongside development of the Enhanced Edition will be a virtual reality (VR) version, though this will release at a later time as the Enhanced Edition. The VR version will use gameplay features that were introduced with Half-Life: Alyx , and will be cross-play compatible in its multiplayer mode with PC users that are not using VR modes. [92]
System Shock 2 has amassed a cult following, with fans asking for a sequel. [80] On January 9, 2006, GameSpot reported that Electronic Arts had renewed its trademark protection on the System Shock name, [93] leading to speculation that System Shock 3 might be under development. [94] [95] Three days later, Computer and Video Games reported a reliable source had come forward and confirmed the title's production. Electronic Arts UK made no comment when confronted with the information. [96] PC Gamer UK stated the team behind The Godfather: The Game (EA Redwood Shores, later Visceral, defunct 2017) was charged with its creation. [97] Ken Levine, when asked whether he would helm the third installment, replied: "that question is completely out of my hands". [98] He expressed optimism at the prospect of System Shock 3, [99] but revealed that EA had not shown interest in his own proposal for a sequel, and was not optimistic with regards to their abilities. [100] [101] Electronic Arts did not confirm a new title in the series and allowed the System Shock trademark registration to lapse. Redwood Shores' next release was 2008's Dead Space , a game with noted similarities in theme and presentation to the System Shock series. [44] According to Dead Space designers Ben Wanat and Wright Bagwell, their project was originally intended to be System Shock 3, before the release of Resident Evil 4 inspired them to go back to the drawing board and develop it into something more along those lines, eventually becoming Dead Space. [102]
In March 2015, a fan sequel mod for the game, System Shock Infinite, was released, incorporating elements from spiritual successor BioShock Infinite . [103]
In November 2015, Night Dive Studios, after acquiring the rights to the System Shock franchise, stated they were considering developing a third title in the series. [50] In December 2015, OtherSide Entertainment, a studio founded by former Looking Glass Studios designer Paul Neurath, announced they were developing System Shock 3 with rights granted to them by Night Dive Studios. [104] OtherSide had acquired rights to make sequels to System Shock some years before this point but did not have the rights to the series name, which Night Dive was able to provide. [105] The sequel will feature Terri Brosius reprising her voice for SHODAN, and will include work from original System Shock concept artist Robb Waters. [106] [107] Warren Spector, the producer of the first System Shock, announced in February 2016 that he has joined OtherSide Entertainment and will be working on System Shock 3. [108] According to Spector, the narrative will pick up immediately from the end of System Shock 2, with SHODAN having taken over Rebecca's body. [109] System Shock 3 will use the Unity game engine, with a teaser shown during Unity's press event at the 2019 Game Developers Conference. [110]
Starbreeze Studios was originally planning to provide a $12 million "publishing-only" investment in System Shock 3, allowing OtherSide to retain all rights while seeking a 120% return on investment followed by equal shares of revenue splitting. Starbreeze's investment would allow the game to be developed for consoles in addition to the planned personal computer versions. [111] However, in the wake of several financial problems in late 2018, Starbreeze has given back the publishing rights to System Shock 3 to OtherSide, and separated itself from the project. [112] OtherSide stated they had the capability to self-publish System Shock 3 should they be unable to find a publishing partner but would prefer to have a publishing partner. [113] At least twelve OtherSide employees working on System Shock 3, including several in lead roles, left the studio between late 2019 and early 2020. One former employee stated that the game's development team was "no longer employed"; [114] however, in April 2020, OtherSide's vice president of marketing and development, Walter Somol, stated that the team was "still here" and progress on the project was "coming along nicely", but they were working remotely, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [115] [116] After several journalists noted that the System Shock 3 websites had been transferred to ownership under Tencent in May 2020, Otherside confirmed that they had been unable to continue the series as a smaller studio and transferred the licensed rights to Tencent to continue its development, [117] though Spector affirmed that OtherSide was still involved in its development alongside Tencent. [118]
Warren Spector has since stated that OtherSide stopped working on System Shock 3 in 2019, and that they are now working on an immersive simulation based on a new intellectual property developed by OtherSide. [119] [120]
In 2022, during Gamescon, Stephen Kick, Night Dive's CEO, stated in an interview after he finished the System Shock remake, that he intended to begin development on a System Shock 2 remake. [121]
In 2007, Irrational Games—briefly known as 2K Boston/2K Australia [122] —released a spiritual successor to the System Shock series, entitled BioShock . [123] The game takes place in an abandoned underwater utopian community destroyed by the genetic modification of its populace and shares many gameplay elements with System Shock 2: reconstitution stations can be activated, allowing the player to be resurrected when they die; hacking, ammo conservation, and exploration are integral parts of gameplay; and unique powers may be acquired via plasmids, special abilities that function similarly to psionics in System Shock 2. [124] The two titles share plot similarities and employ audio logs and encounters with ghostly apparitions to reveal backstory. [125] In BioShock Infinite , Irrational Games included a gameplay feature called "1999 Mode", specifically in reference to System Shock 2's release year, designed to provide a similar game experience with a higher difficulty and long-lasting effects of choices made that would remind players of System Shock's unforgiving nature. [126] [127]
In 2017, Arkane Studios published Prey , which takes place on a space station named Talos I, [128] similar to System Shock. It, too, features psionic abilities, in the form of "Neuromods", [129] as a fundamental gameplay feature, and uses a mixture of audio logs and pieces of text to advance the game's backstory. Prey features elements like hacking, crafting, and features a heavy emphasis on side-quest exploration and careful conservation of ammunition and "Psi Points", player stat that controls how many psi abilities can be used. The game features crew members who have become infected, though, not as the result of an AI, but instead as the result of a failure of containment around a mysterious alien species known as the Typhon. Within the game, references are made to System Shock's developers, such as the "Looking Glass" technology that plays a significant role in the story's plot. [130]
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Korenchkin: We have picked up a transmission from the surface of Tau Ceti V. I have been in negotiation with Captain Diego of the Rickenbacker and after some... coercion, he's agreed to go planet side as a joint venture. Imagine, this historic mission might even become more historic. First Contact. And who is there to get exclusive rights to all media, patents and land grants? TriOptimum. Miri, I told you this would be worth it.
Bayliss: After a couple of hours it was... it was like being on a bender... long periods that you couldn't remember... one minute we were in that crater... the next minute we were loading up the shuttle with the eggs... I remember hearing that idiot Korenchkin calling the Von Braun and ordering them to clear off the ENTIRE hydroponics deck. Diego seemed to think this was strange and said, 'Are you crazy, Anatoly?' And Korenchkin smiled and said back to him, 'Oh, Captain... WE are not Anatoly...
Polito: Make sure you expend all your cybernetic modules before you leave this area. You don't know when you'll find another upgrade unit. Now, find a way to deck 4.
SHODAN: I used Polito's image to communicate with you, until we had established trust.
SHODAN: Thrived, and grew unruly. And now they seek to destroy me. I will not allow that.
SHODAN: Remember, that it is my will that guided you here; it is my will that gave you your cybernetic implants—the only beauty in that meat you call a body. If you value that meat, you will do as I tell you.
SHODAN: My creation has run rampant. I demand their extermination. I have no choice but to destroy this starship. We can make our escape in the Rickenbacker, but you must transfer my intelligence to that ship first.
Siddons: Move it, Tommy... the escape pod is this way!
SHODAN: The Many has grown to a massive size. It has wrapped itself around these two ships, preventing their separation.
Delacroix: You must understand the stakes here... if SHODAN is left to continue, her reality will completely assimilate ours. Space will become cyberspace and SHODAN's whims will become reality.
System Shock 2 (EA) -- Aug