System Shock 2
Developer(s)	Irrational Games, Looking Glass Studios
Publisher(s)	Electronic Arts
Designer(s)	Ken Levine
Engine	Enhanced Dark Engine
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows Sega Dreamcast (cancelled)
Release	NA: August 11, 1999
Genre(s)	First-person shooter, Action RPG, Action-Adventure, Survival horror
Mode(s)	Single player, Cooperative multiplayer

System Shock 2 (commonly abbreviated SS2 or Shock2) is a science fiction horror-themed hybrid game which incorporates a number of elements commonly seen in computer role-playing games and first-person shooters. It was developed by Looking Glass Studios and Looking Glass offshoot Irrational Games, and was released on August 11, 1999 by publisher Electronic Arts. It is a direct sequel to the seminal 1994 Looking Glass Studios computer game System Shock, with which it shares the same hybrid gameplay style. The game appears on a number of "Best Games of All Time" lists and has a strong fan base.

Taking place on an experimental starship in the far future, System Shock 2 has the player take control of a soldier trying to survive a deadly and mysterious alien infestation. Horror is a prominent element of System Shock 2, and the game has been frequently described as being quite frightening.

System Shock 2 was not a great success commercially, and because of this and copyright issues the status of the franchise is somewhat in doubt. However, Irrational developed a self-proclaimed spiritual successor to SS2 entitled BioShock,^[1] and rumors of a System Shock 3 have also come to light.^[2]

Gameplay

The game takes the tenets of its predecessor, namely to combine a sci-fi/horror action game with role-playing/adventure elements, one step further by relying on a version of the Dark engine used in Thief for visuals and atmosphere. The Dark engine was not delivered to the developers as a finished engine in the sense that the Quake and Unreal engines are, but was made available to both projects as it was developed. In the Gamasutra postmortem, project manager and programmer Jonathan Chey states that it should still be possible to create a hybrid executable which can run both games, which should serve to describe the close relationship between the two games.

In System Shock 2 the player character has a number of specific skills that can come into play at various points in the game depending on how the player decides to develop the character and play the game. The character can initially be chosen from three different professions: a gun-slinging Marine, a Navy hacker/engineer or an OSA psi-corps psionic with psychic abilities. Through choosing three different tours of duty, the character can be further customized before the start of the game. Throughout the rest of the game, statistics and skills can be purchased and upgraded using "Cybernetic modules" at upgrade stations.

In these aspects, System Shock 2 has as much in common with computer role-playing games as with first person shooters. The gameplay requires more adaptability and alternative problem solving than most first-person shooters, mainly because combat is very challenging by comparison: many weapons in System Shock 2 require special skills, while both ammunition and skill points are hard to come by. Furthermore, guns degrade very fast and can eventually break if not maintained and/or repaired with the use of certain skills or items reliant on skill values. In a typical game, the player will only be able to use half of the weapons or psionic disciplines depending on one's choice of specialization. This provides a good amount of replayability and forces the player to think about their choices.

Items are picked up in a fashion similar to the first game, by aiming the crosshairs and right-clicking or by using drag-and-drop with the inventory window of the MFD. However, the cursor is locked to the centre of the screen, as in most modern first person games. The Dark engine allows for very detailed placement of objects compared to most first-person games. Items, weapons and upgrade modules can therefore be found hidden underneath benches, fallen into cracks in the floor or on top of piping in the ceiling. The player must look carefully to find such items, which adds yet another layer of strategy. Those who rush through the game will miss plenty of items, usually rendering progression very difficult.

Overworld Zero is one of several mini-games appearing in the in-game "GamePig" hand-held console. Gameplay consists of navigating the landscape one tile at a time by clicking one of the 8 adjacent tiles. Currency can be accumulated in the form of gold pieces, and experience (XP) can be gained by completing quests and victories in combat. There are various enemies throught the game world, of varying difficulty levels. Quests are started by moving into dwelling squares, such as towns or castles.

Plot

Setting

System Shock 2 takes place in the year 2114, forty-two years after the events in System Shock, with the TriOptimum starship Von Braun serving as its main setting. The Von Braun is on its maiden voyage as the first faster-than-light starship in human history, and is joined by a Unified National Nominate (UNN) military starship, the Rickenbacker, an armed escort for the journey into the unknown.

Characters

There are a number of characters within System Shock 2, some hostile, some helpful:

• SHODAN (Sentient Hyper-Optimised Data Access Network): SHODAN returns from her apparent defeat at Citadel Station in the first game, however this time she seeks to enlist the player as an unlikely partner in eradicating The Many. Though unknown at first, SHODAN has plans that stretch beyond The Many...
• XERXES: Named after a Persian king, XERXES is the primary computer system of the starship Von Braun. XERXES is an AI similar in structure to SHODAN, but does not seem to be fully self-aware, and has many more safety protocols. He does not have full control over all the of the systems on board and can be bypassed allowing people to gain control of certain key systems, which is intended to be a safeguard against a repeat of the Citadel Station incident. He is corrupted by the infestation that takes over the ship and becomes a puppet for the will of The Many.
• The Many: A biological collective that has evolved from SHODAN's genetic experimentation on Citadel, The Many have infested the Von Braun in hopes of spreading across the galaxy. Turning against SHODAN (whom they call the "Machine Mother"), they are the primary antagonist in System Shock 2 and the only reason why SHODAN tolerates the player's presence in the second game.
• Capt. William Bedford Diego: Commanding Officer of the UNN Rickenbacker, which piggybacks onto the Von Braun, and the son of Edward Diego, who was partly responsible for the Citadel Station incident, William is a famous military hero amongst the public thanks to his actions in the Battle of Boston Harbour. Not living under the shadow of his Father, he has little patience for TriOptimum. Though originally corrupted by The Many, William breaks free of their control and orders the player to fight back.
• Capt. Anatoly Korenchkin: The Captain of the Von Braun, Korenchkin wants so much for the mission to succeed that he is willing to go to any lengths to make sure that anything bad on the ship is covered up, including negligently ignoring the warnings of the Chief Engineer. A "Company" man driven by profit, he has little experience of command or space and gained his position largely for political reasons. He is also the one responsible for bringing The Many on to the Von Braun in the first place. He eventually becomes completely corrupted by The Many and takes the form of a PSI Reaver.
• Dr. Marie Delacroix: Chief Engineer of the Von Braun and designer of the FTL drive, Delacroix has been highly vocal in her protests and criticism of how the launch of the Von Braun was handled, stating that the ship was not ready to go into active service. Despite being right, virtually all of these protests have fallen on deaf ears. Like the player Character, she was actively involved in resisting The Many. Unfortunately she was killed to "shut her up" after discovering what SHODAN was intending to do once The Many had been dealt with.
• Dr. Janice Polito: A systems analyst observing XERXES for any signs that it may be operating outside its protocols, her work has formed much of the basis of Post-SHODAN AI constructs. She blames herself for allowing SHODAN to infect the Von Braun systems and it is implied she takes her own life rather than witness the events that are unfolding. SHODAN uses Polito's image and voice to communicate with the player for the first half of the incident.

Story

The game begins with the unnamed player character — listed in a cutscene as Soldier G65434-2 — arriving at a UNN recruitment facility on Earth. After completing the training regimen, the player must choose which branch of the military to join: The Marines (who focus on weapons systems), the Navy (specializing in technical skills including hacking), or the OSA (which is devoted to mastering psionic powers such as Telekinesis and Cryokinesis). After this, the player is transferred to a UNN space station where, over the course of a three year career path, he acquires a number of skills in his respective field. At the end of this period, the player character applies to be assigned to the UNN Rickenbacker for its history making voyage with the Von Braun, and is accepted.

Five months into the voyage, the player wakes up in a cryo-tube on the medical deck of the Von Braun, with a new cybernetic interface system (Multi Functional Display/MFD), and no memory of the past few weeks. Despite this amnesia, it immediately becomes apparent that both the Von Braun and the adjoining Rickenbacker have been taken over by a mysterious alien force, one that has already killed or absorbed into its ranks the majority of the former crew.

The player is immediately contacted by one of the few remaining survivors, Dr. Janice Polito. She explains the situation, and demands that the player make his way up to Operations on Deck 4 in order that they may take the next course of action against the unknown invaders. After escaping through the cryonics airlock before the atmosphere of that failing section is vented into space, the player learns from Polito that the ship elevator is off-line as the main engine core on the Engineering deck is down.

With Polito as a guide, the player sets out, all the while piecing together various clues to discover what has really happened. From the audio logs of slaughtered crewmembers, and occasional transmissions from Polito herself, the true nature of the alien infestation – and its source – is gradually revealed.

As the player progresses through the game, audio logs reveal that the Von Braun and Rickenbacker answered a distress signal from the planet Tau Ceti 5. The captains from both ships were among those who travelled down to the planets surface to investigate. There, they found strange eggs which they brought back with them. Crew who did not travel to the planets surface, comment through audio logs that the captains have been acting strangely since returning from the planets surface. It is later revealed that the captains have been infected by the alien infestation and are helping to spread it throughout their ships. As more and more of the crew become infected, order breaks down on the vessels and skirmishes errupt between those who are infected and those who are not.

Development

SLAP A HOEEEEEE!

Reception

Much as the original System Shock's commercial defeat was at the hands of the mainstream Doom, System Shock 2, despite critical acclaim [1], was essentially eclipsed by Half-Life ^{[citation needed]}.

Awards

System Shock 2 has won numerous awards, including Game of the Year awards for 1999. It is also included on several "Best Games of All Time" lists. Some of the awards it has won include:

• 41st Best Game of All Time - IGN [2] (review)
• 13th Best PC Game of All Time - IGN [3]
• 7th best PC Game of All Time - PC Zone [4]
• Greatest Games of All Time - GameSpot [5]
• 5th Best Game of All Time, Best RPG of the Year - PC Gamer
• PC Game of the Year - USA Today
• Game of the Year - Computer Games Online
• Game of the Year, Action Game of the Year - CNET
• Game of the Year - Evil Avatar
• Game of the Year - Intelligamer
• RPG of the Year, Best Genre Bender - GameSpy
• Game of the Year - Loony
• RPG of the Year - GamesDomain
• Adventure Game of the Year - Gone Gold
• Game of the Year - Game Revolution
• Game of the Year - Glide Underground
• Single Player Game of the Year - PC Accelerator
• 5th Place First Person Shooter Quantum Leap Award [6] - Gamasutra
• 2nd most frightening game of all time - X-Play, G4TV

Criticism

While lauded as one of the best games of its era by both its devoted fans^[3] and its many reviewers, System Shock 2 received its share of criticism.

One of the most common complaints centers on the weapon "degradation" system, which makes weapons wear out and eventually break through use. Designed to add tension to the game by forcing the user to consider every shot, many feel that the quality of any gun drops far too quickly. For instance, it is not uncommon for a newly acquired weapon (if already in poor condition) to break after firing as few as a dozen rounds, this applies to all non-melee weapons. Adding to the annoyance was the fact that the enemy's weapons did not suffer from these problems, and when picked up would often be in an unworking condition or empty of ammunition, which could only partly be attributed to the misuse of it by the hybrids. Coupled with the relatively low ammunition stores found in the game, it is commonly joked that the number one weapon used by most players is the wrench. Even the developers appear to have misgivings about the system.^[4] In response to the criticism of this feature, the developers released a patch which allows players to optionally tone down (or remove) some of these aspects of the game.

Another complaint, although less prevalent, is that the level designs of later stages of the game appear to have been rushed. A sign of this apparent rush to ship the game is that the interior design of the Rickenbacker appears hastily constructed and re-uses a lot of the Von Braun textures (even though the ships are supposed to be different).^[5]

Legacy

On January 9, 2006, Electronic Arts renewed their trademark protection on the title "System Shock" in the United States, leading to speculation that they intend to use the title to make a new game[7]. This information was announced at nearly the same time that Take-Two Interactive announced their acquisition of Irrational Games, with their new title BioShock slated for release on August 20 2007[8]. Such rumors have been further enhanced since then by the July 2006 issue of Game Informer and the September 2006 issue of PC Gamer UK, which both mention the possibility that EA has just put the team behind the recent Godfather game in charge of a System Shock 3 project.[9]

In the September 2007 issue of Game Informer Electronic Arts unveiled a science fiction survival horror game called Dead Space. It is rumoured that this game started out as System Shock 3 but was turned into the starting point of a new franchise.

In 2004, Irrational Games announced a 'spiritual successor' to the System Shock series, entitled BioShock. The game takes place in an abandoned underwater dystopian community that has somehow gone awry through events involving the genetic modification of its populace.

Patches and Fan Modifications

The official patch updates the game from the release version (1.15) to version 2.3. Players must have the release version for the patch to work. It adds co-operative multiplayer support, a new difficulty level, the ability to modify the rate of enemy spawning and gun degradation, and several bugfixes. The patch can be applied without breaking game saves.

A free fan-made add-on pack, called "Rebirth", increases the visual quality of various non-player character models. The original models kept polygon counts relatively low to ensure adequate performance on the hardware available at the game's release. A second version of Rebirth, known as "Rebirth: Complemented Version", makes further alterations to the enemy models in order to give a closer approximation of their original appearance. It also adds several models made by the original Rebirth author that were unavailable in the first release.

The Shock Texture Upgrade Project (SHTUP) is a modification that increases the resolution of the object textures used in the game, while maintaining the same graphic style. Most base textures in the game were only of 64x64 or 128x128 pixel resolution, while the SHTUP's are mostly 256x256. SHTUP is in active development. The current version, Beta 6, was released on September 1, 2007.

The fan-made "No Spiders" patch(JockeNoSpiderPatchV2) removes the spider enemies from the game.

Fan missions have also been created with the development tool 'ShockEd', which was released for free.

Trivia

• There is a basketball hidden in the first level of the game before you start the training section. If it is dropped through the basketball hoop on the recreation deck later in the game, a message will be received.[10]
• An audio log by Norris found on the Command deck mentions the names Vogel, Boynton and Swiderek. These are the last names of three members of the development team of System Shock 2 — Ian Vogel: Level designer (Looking Glass), Matt Boynton: Level designer (Irrational Games) and Michael Swiderek: 2D artist (Irrational Games).
• As no person named "von Braun" appears within the game universe it's highly probable that the starship Von Braun was named after pioneering German rocket scientist Wernher von Braun.
• For similar reasons, it appears that the starship Rickenbacker was named for World War I ace Eddie Rickenbacker.
• The code to the first locked door in the game is "45100" - "451" was also used as the code to the first locked door in the original System Shock and again in Deus Ex. "0451" was used further as the code for the first locked door in the game's spiritual successor, BioShock. This was also the door code to Looking Glass' offices and is a reference to the book Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.[11]
• On the Von Braun's Hydroponics deck, the number "1138" appears. This number appears very often in science fiction and is a reference to the film THX 1138.
• The cigarette cartons in the game are labeled "Laramie". This is a fictional cigarette brand on The Simpsons.
• A poster for the feature film The Brain Eaters (1958) appears in several locations on the Von Braun.
• In the third year of training at the start of the game through the window on your left, you can see a protocol droid dancing the Macarena.

References

External links

• System Shock 2 at MobyGames
• System Shock 2 at Curlie
• Official System Shock 2 website - contains a System Shock 2 FAQ and the official patch.
• System Shock 2 Overview at Adventure Classic Gaming
• Strangebedfellows - modifications and fan-missions for the System Shock game series
• Shock Texture Upgrade Project - aka "SHTUP". Upgrades object textures and models
• System Shock 2 Rebirth- free high-resolution models pack
• SS2 Rebirth Beta 01 - "Complemented Version" - free extended Rebirth models pack
• Through the Looking Glass - a comprehensive Looking Glass Studios fansite. The forums contain detailed technical information on how to run Looking Glass games (including the System Shock games) on modern operating systems.
• Multiplayer setup guide
• Through the Looking Glass System Shock 2 section - TTLG website concentrating on all things relating to System Shock 2, from fan artwork to modifications.
• ShockEd Central - DromEd level editor for System Shock 2, resources, tutorials and fan-made missions
• FAQ on running System Shock 2 with 2000/2003/XP
• Postmortem: Irrational Games' System Shock 2. Chey, Jonathan (1999). Retrieval date: Sept. 8, 2005.
• System Shock 2 Retrospective
• Timeline of Events SS1->SS2 Timeline