Never played either of them, but the only one I ever hear anyone talk about is System Shock 2. Was SS1 just 'meh', or did it suck? Is it worth investing the time in just to play it before SS2?
It's okay, has a good story-line, it's harder than the first one, and the controls are messed up (well at least for me, I couldn't get my mouse to work with it). Graphics are actually rather good if you crank the resolution up all the way (...besides, if you don't the text is almost impossible to read).
I should attempt to find my SS2 disc and get those graphical upgrades...they'd make it so much more immersive.
System Shock 1 was, just like SS2 was, a game that exceeded expectations in its time. Although if you played it now the graphics would horrify you (I recall them being er...a little better than the first Doom game), it still had insane puzzles, freaky cyborg/zombies/whatever you call em, and was just as frightening as the second one.
I really liked both games. They were great, and yet they never got the recognition they deserved. The company almost went bankrupt once, I believe. A company that gave us some of the highest quality games out there.
Iv played both, SS1 is excellent with more creative levels than Doom, similar music and enemys (although the moving cameras ARE 3D!!) but load times are non-existant and the movies are increadable quality.
SS is not a first person shooter, so you can't really compare it to doom. I'm playing through SS2 right now, and the only thing that's kept me going is the storyline. Don't get me wrong, it's a terrific game, but I just can't stand horror. I had nightmares for weeks after watching The Ring. I have to play winamp on full volume to drown out all the scary sounds, and I never play SS2 after dark <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif'><!--endemo-->. But god, scenes like the part where you get to Deck 4 (FINALLY) and meet polito for the first time (so to speak), just amazing.
The thing that holds a lot of people back are what brings the others into the game -- its horror elements and its sheer difficulty. I got a little tired of running into the 50 hundred thousandth security cam, so I turned it down to easy mode and loaded a previous game if I ran into a cam. Other things about the game frustrate me to no end -- the maps are huge and complex, and having to back track all the way to where you forgot some crate or air regulator is a nightmare, so remember to leave and label navigational markers wherever you go.
I don't know about most people, but the game doesn't appeal to me as much, except for the plot. Did I ever mention I love good plots?
tankefuglOne Script To Rule Them All...Trondheim, NorwayJoin Date: 2002-11-14Member: 8641Members, Retired Developer, NS1 Playtester, Constellation, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
SS1 and SS2 -- Two of the most underrated RPGs of all time.
SS1 is comparable to Ultima Underworld in terms of graphics and interface. If you can deal with an outdated 3d engine, go for it.
SS1 was absolutely revolutionary in its time. You could pick up just about anything, carry it around, hrow it, use it to solve a puzzle, ect. You could crouch, jump, crawl, and sidestep all before Doom was released (IIRC). SS2 continued the story line but, unfortunatly, didn't innovate much and had a far far more linear progression. Still rather enjoyable, plus, its multiplayer when patched (Co-op 4 or less players only)!
Not to mention SS1 had level over level map geometry, a fantastic plot, awesome hacking minigames, and the greatest game villain of all time, SHODAN. In every single way it was superior to Doom and its ilk, expect perhaps in pure non-stop action. In my top 10 PC games of all time, for sure...
Absolutely loved SS2. I especially enjoyed finding the datalogs that revealed intricate details about the crew; their fears and final moments for example. So immersive. So divine. I dream of System Shock 3 <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
Grimm, it is a SIN if you never played System Shock.. Really. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
I never got around to buying it, and I can't find it anywhere (it will make a great christmas present, if my sister can find a copy <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->). I just didn't have the cash at the time, then I kinda forgot to gbuy it. >_<
Wouldn't System Shock be the first first-person game to have leaning? (And crouching, prone for that matter.)
Both are awesome games. SS1 was way ahead of it's time, which is probably one of the reasons that it's genius wasn't discovered until years later. Each deck is massive and complex. I love how they kept SHODAN's voice acting the same between the two games. She... or it... is one of the coolest villains of all time.
SS1's biggest flaw is it's controls. It doesn't have mouse look, since you use the mouse to aim on screen and interact with the environment. It takes some time to get used to, but after you do, it's not so bad.
SS2 is cool and all, but I don't know how anyone can be scared of a video game. Besides "BOOO" scary parts that startle you, how can you be frightened?
I tried SS2 in the dark, with headphones, fairly loud volume, in my basement at night (...my bedroom's in the basement, it's nice in the summer). <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused.gif'><!--endemo--> Plot is good, I like the datalogs too. Just not scary enough. Then again, movies aren't scary either. The one semi-scary part in a game I've ever known was RE1...and that was more "Run before the giant snake eats/traps/poisons you and you die and have to start from a save point.
I demand scary games! Well, the ET atari game was scary...but not the scary I want.
What made SS2 scary was that it wasn't trying to be a scary game. It just was. The atmosphere, the unrivaled use of audio, the 'shoes' that they put the player in, everything comes together in such a twisted way.
I don't know about the rest of you, but the way the twisted, mutated bodies of your former shipmates yelled at you, asked you to kill them, and warned you to run away just really hit me. The way you can hide in the shadows and let them walk by. The sound of feet patting as the thing talks to itself. The whole way the story unfolds through the audio logs is great. Some of the logs really send chills down my spine. When you think about the whole thing, its quite scary.
<!--QuoteBegin--Fina+Dec 12 2003, 11:35 AM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Fina @ Dec 12 2003, 11:35 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> And don't get me started on the Midwives. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> "This wont hurt a bit" "For the little ones"
tankefuglOne Script To Rule Them All...Trondheim, NorwayJoin Date: 2002-11-14Member: 8641Members, Retired Developer, NS1 Playtester, Constellation, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
System Shock 2 scared the hell out of me. Of course, I was like 8 or something when I played it, but still, it was SCARY. I remember happily walking through the first part, then opening that door, and BANG! being killed by my first Hybrid. It just popped up out of nowhere, scary as hell! I'm a bit /too/ twitchy (I look behind me a LOT in games), but man, if that was scary, what's DOOM 3 gonna be like?
Comments
I should attempt to find my SS2 disc and get those graphical upgrades...they'd make it so much more immersive.
I really liked both games. They were great, and yet they never got the recognition they deserved. The company almost went bankrupt once, I believe. A company that gave us some of the highest quality games out there.
In short buy SS1 and SS2.
The thing that holds a lot of people back are what brings the others into the game -- its horror elements and its sheer difficulty. I got a little tired of running into the 50 hundred thousandth security cam, so I turned it down to easy mode and loaded a previous game if I ran into a cam. Other things about the game frustrate me to no end -- the maps are huge and complex, and having to back track all the way to where you forgot some crate or air regulator is a nightmare, so remember to leave and label navigational markers wherever you go.
I don't know about most people, but the game doesn't appeal to me as much, except for the plot. Did I ever mention I love good plots?
SS1 is comparable to Ultima Underworld in terms of graphics and interface. If you can deal with an outdated 3d engine, go for it.
What he said.
You can say that again. I'd pre-order it (never pre-ordered anything)! <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
I'm absolutely positive I'd get the bejeezus scared out of me if I played them, but I need to play more horror games anyway.
Wow, that's fast. 8 hours and I'm only beginning deck 4 :\.
Both are awesome games. SS1 was way ahead of it's time, which is probably one of the reasons that it's genius wasn't discovered until years later. Each deck is massive and complex. I love how they kept SHODAN's voice acting the same between the two games. She... or it... is one of the coolest villains of all time.
SS1's biggest flaw is it's controls. It doesn't have mouse look, since you use the mouse to aim on screen and interact with the environment. It takes some time to get used to, but after you do, it's not so bad.
I tried SS2 in the dark, with headphones, fairly loud volume, in my basement at night (...my bedroom's in the basement, it's nice in the summer). <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused.gif'><!--endemo--> Plot is good, I like the datalogs too. Just not scary enough. Then again, movies aren't scary either. The one semi-scary part in a game I've ever known was RE1...and that was more "Run before the giant snake eats/traps/poisons you and you die and have to start from a save point.
I demand scary games! Well, the ET atari game was scary...but not the scary I want.
I don't know about the rest of you, but the way the twisted, mutated bodies of your former shipmates yelled at you, asked you to kill them, and warned you to run away just really hit me. The way you can hide in the shadows and let them walk by. The sound of feet patting as the thing talks to itself. The whole way the story unfolds through the audio logs is great. Some of the logs really send chills down my spine. When you think about the whole thing, its quite scary.
And don't get me started on the Midwives.
"This wont hurt a bit"
"For the little ones"
*Sudders*
One thing is how they appear, another thing is their story you extract from those logs...
Btw, high poly models for SS2: (they look good!) <a href='http://perso.wanadoo.fr/etienne.aubert/sshock/sshock_rebirth.htm' target='_blank'>http://perso.wanadoo.fr/etienne.aubert/ssh...ock_rebirth.htm</a>
Of course, I was like 8 or something when I played it, but still, it was SCARY. I remember happily walking through the first part, then opening that door, and BANG! being killed by my first Hybrid. It just popped up out of nowhere, scary as hell!
I'm a bit /too/ twitchy (I look behind me a LOT in games), but man, if that was scary, what's DOOM 3 gonna be like?