The MasterClass in Horror and Immersion that is SYSTEM SHOCK 2

www.humblebund... It's a wonderful time to experience System Shock 2 if you haven't already (affiliate link)System Shock 2 is perhaps the finest example of an immersive sim that there is. It's combination of RPG and shooter elements wrapped up into a horror package that many, many modern games can trace their roots back to like Bioshock, Prey, and so many others.
/ charlatanwonder
System Shock and System Shock 2 pioneered so many gameplay features that we take for granted today like Audio Diaries, Hacking everything in Sight, and an antagonist that is more than just a boss battle towards the end of the game.

[@normang3668]

Played it when I was 13, scared me to death five minutes in. Didn't play it again until I was 14. 10/10

[@AlbertInSanAntonio]

This game won 18 awards and even was featured as a PC classic and was being sold in stores all the way up to 2004

[@aaadj2744]

Sadly, Looking Glass Studio still went bankrupt after how much praised and achievement they got after developed this. I wish they're still around :-( ...

[@Gerickmb]

@@aaadj2744 let's hope the remake comes out🙏

[@blindedjourneyman]

@@Gerickmb eh no need steam release+ the quality of life n grphx mods

[@davidbanan.]

@@blindedjourneyman HAVE YOU PLAYED THIS GAME?; This game is dated AF, its fantastic yes, its still dated

[@blindedjourneyman]

@@davidbanan. I PLAY SS2 at least once a week, I just love trying wonky builds and doing certain limitations. ^^ idk if its dated you weirdo. it's very fun next week imma go all in with energy weapons XD

[@Aa-dn1oq]

I really wish more love was given to System Shock 1. It takes some getting used to but once you get past the barrier to entry you find a really high quality survival horror metroidvania.

[@epik4192]

I honestly think SS1 has held up better than its sequel

[@Yomom12388]

“Metroidvania”. Bruh that genre didn’t even exist at the time.

[@Aa-dn1oq]

@@Yomom12388 Well no one played SS1 at the time whilst metroid and castlevania became so iconic they popularized and entire genre so imma just refer to it as metroidvania as opposed to "exploratory survival action game with backtracking, unlockable abilities, with an emphasis on environmental storytelling".

[@TheJosep70]

Even with the stupid controls, I absolutely love it. Luckily it's been fixed.

[@anthonyhiggins9799]

@@Yomom12388 There were numerous releases of Metroid and Castlevania games before there was ever a System Shock. The style may not have been recognised as a ''genre'' or philosophy at the time, but it is now and the term is fitting for System Shock. ''Immersive sim'' was not a term at the time either, but most people agree that the System Shocks are immersive sims..

[@Volvith]

"It looks like 2020 is going to be a very good year..." 2020: **stares in biblical apocalypse**

[@gameman1957]

Would be a great video game. What do you think ?

[@azure401]

Some might say it feels like we're straight up living in an immersive sim.

[@WolfOfLegend]

When he said that I laughed really hard lmao

[@CharlatanWonder]

Yeah I'm still waiting for the part of the year when I can upgrade my stats to let me hide in the vents for the rest of 2020.

[@gameman1957]

@@CharlatanWonder Haha... Funny! You have some great videos

[@merten0083]

This video of System Shock 2 reminded me to turn on suit sensors

[@pr3historic647]

Uhhhh I just finished it... how do I do that lol

[@1glitchyboye344]

SUIT SENSORS TO MAXIMUM OR CATGRILL WILL D O M M Y MOMMY YOU IN MAINTENANCE

[@boioed8010]

@@1glitchyboye344 assblast USA woop woop

[@germoua9593]

@@pr3historic647 suit sensors to maximum and "captain is condom"

[@Kaos1989]

"2020 looks like a good year for System Shock 3" not so sure about that anymore...

[@justsomecheese8166]

We still get the remake though

[@dunkyking6310]

The remake is very good. I'm playing through it and am having a ball

[@14dcook]

Major tip: after reaching Hydroponics, start overcharging your laser pistols Also, don’t bother with Repair. Maintenance is much better as it not only prevents your weapons from breaking, but also improves damage

[@Kingdeather]

I remember playing System Shock 2 out of curiosity and I have nothing but respect for the guys that made it. I’d honestly consider it one of my favorite games of all time, and I’ve seriously recommended it to other people. Seeing someone talk about it and how much of an influence it is makes me really happy.

[@ZylonBane]

"Most things that were good in System Shock 2 were dumbed down in Bioshock." There, fixed that for ya.

[@stupid90able]

After beating system shock 2 for the first time it was kinda hard to go back to Bioshock. It just feels so simplified.

[@derpoi]

@@stupid90able I prefer Bioshock's setting and better FPS emphasis and i love it more, but i agree SS2 has better mechanics, RPG elements and nailed horror better, those low poly eggs, annelids, and the voices of The Many, and SHODAN freak me out, (ngl i wasnt actually that scared of SHODAN compared to The Many tho) it is so rare for a game to make me feel afraid because i dont play horror much. Also weirdly, i personally find the clunkiness of the shooting to be oddly satisfying, as well as being able to hold the wrench and releasing it to strike, the research skill limiting what you can use makes it very difficult tho. The ending was kinda funny but it broke all the tension and sense of helplessness that was built up as i was playing the game

[@Biojack222]

@@derpoi for some reason, despite how old the game is and how many times I play it, when the walls slide down to reveal shodan in that big room on the ops deck sends chills down my spin, makes me feel like I'm about to face an eldrich god not an AI.

[@Nicomanism]

all my 20 years of gaming experience, I have never played BioShock when it came out even near end of 360's life cycle. I have played, completed System Shock 2 - which is one of my favorite CyberPunk FPS RPG. And recently, I dive into my collection of games I collected, and decided to play BioShock for the first time in 2022. Yes, what you state basically feels as a dumb down version of System Shock 2. It is hard on medium setting, I won't lie. Though, System Shock 2 is the game I can go back to and play anytime. Its hold up so well in its sound design, immersion, atmosphere, and storytelling. Bioshock I like it bit more on FPS but that can be debated.

[@jas4341]

Here’s some Easter eggs from the system shock universe from way back. I remember playing crusader no remorse and included in the box was a fluff newsprint with the WEC announcing the building of shodan on Saturn. Also if you watched the end game cut scene closely you could see that the hacker was looking at a mobile power suit from the strike force centauri game.

[@Gerickmb]

That's actually pretty cool

[@VimyGlide]

"you're never going to get to the point of power creep" *CACKLES IN OSA MELEE*

[@VimyGlide]

@Shane McKenzie you're not wrong but at the same time osa melee is more fun

[@Bentbire]

I have resisted the urge to watch this video until I finished the game for myself, not because I don’t want to hear your thoughts but because I wanted as fresh an experience as possible. God. This game is top 10 if not top 5 for me now

[@baransevim3969]

No game in my life has given me nightmares, but System Shock 2. It’s an absolutely chilling video game, and truly is a masterclass in horror and immersion. It scared me for such a long time that I couldn’t beat it for years.

[@ThePourf]

About nightmare...try AVP 2.

[@masterzoroark6664]

"Are you the one with us?"

[@blindedjourneyman]

Its also comedic ever crush security bots with an elevator? Oh no stop help error ect lmao

[@a.g647]

I'm a massive BioShock fan (not Infinite admittedly) but calling BioShock an Immersive Sim is a stretch. It is far more linear than System Shock 2, which itself was more linear in level design than System Shock in my opinion (not in gameplay though). For everything BioShock improves though I believe it takes away, or at the very least streamlines. I don't mean streamline as a bad thing though, it has peaks and drops. Great video though, and the recommendations were a really nice addition to it all. I'm really glad this channel exists with all the Immersive Sim content. Thank you for continuing to upload

[@Guywhosjustsomeone]

Not sure if you’ve played it but prey is an amazing game. Probably would have been more suited to be named system shock 3 instead of taking the name prey from the previous game

[@a.g647]

@@Guywhosjustsomeone I have, multiple times. Really enjoy it, have played it multiple times, it just isn't System Shock, really. Which is okay, what isn't is that it almost is. I just kind of wish it was able to forge its own identity, But it had no chance to do so given its naming and the very unsubtle homages to past games. I think it's time for immersive sims design as a whole to move on and do the same. Else we may get less Prey and more linear experiences.

[@ericknorskr8568]

For each thing Bioshock improves, it dumbs down Other 3 mechanics.

[@ericknorskr8568]

But in the end, Bioshock gives you two options the entire game: do u wanna shoot shoot the things or zappy zappy, burn burn them?

[@a.g647]

Erick Norskr I actually kind of wish BioShock went all in with Plasmids and gene tonics. Integrating them fully into gameplay so they are an extension of the mechanics. We see glimpses of this with some obstacles only solvable by Plasmids. But it makes me wonder why hacking or even armour/shields weren’t tied to them. It could have allowed for specialisation while still keeping them tied to the game, really making it stand-out amongst other Shock games. The more grounded realism of BioShock’s powers is still unmatched to me and I fear that has yet to reach its potential. And likely never will.

[@TheTmieBandit]

"2020 is going to be a good year" yea, we wish

[@Ryskay]

Just finished system shock 2 and i loved every second of it. You sparked my love for immersive sims.

[@TwoWholeWorms]

Dammit, Nightdive, hurry up and finish the remake! Also, dammit, now I want a BLT. :/

[@wyldeman7]

I'm playing it atm, it's great!

[@RelativelyBest]

"An assault rifle will get you through the game much smoother than a laser sword will." This makes me kinda sad.

[@Cj-nj6cv]

I mean, this applies to all difficulties except Impossible. You wanna save every bit of ammo for that.

[@blindedjourneyman]

hell even the handgun n shotty can, appropriate ammo+ 3 round burst kills all. don't use shotty alt tho double dmg for 3 rounds is only worth vs the robots since they hurt like hell

[@ferbthe2gadgetguy]

Always saw this as the predecessor to Bioshock and to hear what Kevin Levine was doing before Bioshock, is a bit funny as to how simple things can change the course of history.

[@vahlok1426]

I didn't get the greatest first impression from System Shock 2, but after giving it a second shot years back I finally felt it click. It's such a fantastic game.

[@barret-xiii]

When I was younger, I never understood the BDSM world and why anyone would be a sub; taking constant verbal and physical abuse, being ordered around, and somehow enjoying it... Then I met SHODAN... Best toxic relationship ever!

[@AlbertInSanAntonio]

Lol

[@afrog2666]

So, no redheads then? xD

[@H41030v3rki110ny0u]

@@afrog2666 why does it never fail that they're wild???

[@Mattfromthepast]

"Oh my god what is that supposed to be?!" That's what happens when you play a game that has early 3D graphics.

[@blindedjourneyman]

I came back to this video to say, THANK YOU MAN! I LOVE THIS GAME I've been doing so many playthroughs with just the grphx and ease of life mods this game came to be my top 5 by my 2nd failed playthrough. I legit can't thank you enough for helping rec this game. It wss THE FIRST thing I nabbed when my.laptop finally arrived in july. I also thanked the other madlad who told me about this brilliant gem

[@Weeklong_Seagull]

Omg I never realised how much arcane is really trying to keep the immersive sim alive, prey is very system shock, no wonder its name was supposed to be phyco shock. The weapons look very similar

[@courier665]

"Nah"

[@masterzoroark6664]

*screams in SHODAN*

[@SteinerArts]

"GLORY TO THE FLESH. GLORY TO THE MANY."

[@TheAustinWoolShow]

"Nah." -The coolest guy ever. 207something.

[@crimsondynamo615]

His only line and yet it’s super badass in context

[@blindedjourneyman]

He saw what shodan does and is willing to do id refuse it too lol. Hmmm.... serve a rogue ai who WILL betray me... nahh

[@davidbanan.]

The Thing right is that this game much like the original is a space dungeon crawler, not a horror game, they just pulled it off so perfectly, that its scarier than many horror games

[@thedonahoes]

Thank you! This was the first game that made me feel something. Can't believe it has been 20 years.

[@Darkphantaria]

I played this masterpiece back in the day, and although difficult to set up co-op games, the hoops you had to jump through to play multiplayer were well worth it as playing with others took the game to another level.

[@JoeWags888]

Just finished this game, from your recommendation, and I LOVED IT SO MUCH. I will be recommending this to everyone interested in games, generally.

[@MrPwner911]

18:28 - 18:42 this aged like milk in the desert on a hot summer day.

[@Skirmitar]

:(

[@MissNulle2000]

how has this channel not gained a larger following yet? Like seriously this has a lot more worth while within it then a lot of channels with 1mil+ channels nowadays. AND it covers obscure realms of gaming in great detail. Not the most common thing an thus an attractive thing to anyone with an interest in gaming and the like. All im saying is. This channel has to be the best thing I've come across on youtube in a long while.

[@TTV_TOMTISM]

The tips at the end on how to enjoy SS2 with modern control schemes is what drove me to like AND subscribe.

[@ytgc-royalewarex5190]

A sci-fi first person horror game with RPG element like System Shock is the best thing ever happened in gaming at the time

[@rantmilk]

I remember after I finished prey 2017 (which I absolutely adored and love so much ) a lot of online people said to check out system shock and I am just now looking into it ;-;

[@rantmilk]

@Ecard Ecardian I mean I liked the newer prey and from what I saw of the older one it doesn’t look like something I wanna play.

[@Zealolicious]

Bro you didn't have to spoil the working for shodan part. That was the best twist of the game

[@OLee82]

0:50 - The true insipiration of most of it is System Shock 1.

[@lostglaceon9274]

He mentions that later in the video, but he honestly should've established that earlier on. He definitely made it seem like System Shock 2 was the source of everything, when in reality SS2 was just what made it more widespread.

[@origamianalytics6174]

This group of people invented the first-person stealth game and the first-person rpg-shooter. All these youngin's forget where the predecessors come from.

[@darylcarr8283]

SS2 was hands down the BEST accidental video game purchase I ever made! In '99 I knew NOTHING about it or its predecessor; just thought the SHODAN artwork on the box looked cool. The best part of the game for me was the ambiance...I didn't dare play this game at night without all of the lights in my house on!

[@wowathena]

Not many people realize but with lazer pistol, u can fire overloaded round then swap setting to normal and keep on firing without losing momentum. Most usually fire overload round then cant shoot again until pistol cool down so they give up using overload altogether and stick with low dmg normal setting till end of game.

[@Inignot12]

Bought it on steam sale years ago and will be installing it for the first time tonight, thanks CW!

[@Xegethra]

God System Shock 2....should play it again. Keep thinking about it from time to time.

[@ethandickinson4016]

It's about time. Thank you for this.I thought people had forgotten about this gem.

[@fuzzydunlop7928]

"SILENCE THE DISCORD" The Many, giving good advice to content creators since 1999.

[@orvilleredenpiller338]

“You can get an assault rifle...” around the time you board the Rickenbacher “and shoot your way through this game...” what, are we revisiting earlier levels? “but where’s the fun in that?” I don’t know, I tend to keep going once I’ve gotten the assault rifle.

[@CharlatanWonder]

Lol you can get the assault rifle as early as Hydroponics. If you dump all available modules into standard weapons to use it and repair to keep it working it can and will carry you through most of the game.

[@jasoncarswell7458]

@@CharlatanWonder It's hands down the best overall weapon. Ammo is same as the pistol (thus very common) but does much more damage. And you can switch types on the fly. I tried to like the weird rare weapons but they're way too situational and often the ammo's utterly scarce.

[@dannylamb456]

Best to get the AR in the Crew Quarters armoury. It has slightly better stats

[@Luemm3l]

then there are the morons like me who start as a psychic on first playthrough without having played an RPG/FPS hybrid before... still did pretty good and was almost OP at the end with my shields, adrenaline upped, making yourself invisible... soon you are a ninja, one-hitting enemies from the shadows with your trusty wrench or shard.

[@NicolasMontchery]

Whoever remembering playing it back in 1999 knows for a fact that this game was a masterpiece.

[@pajamapantsjack]

Man I love these videos keep up the good work

[@BDtetra]

I 100% disagree with Bioshock. Bioshock 1 was a great game, but it took most of the freedom you had in SS2 and limited you to "doing it the correct way". Each following entry especially Infinite had worse story telling as well. Bioshock had the choice of "choosing whether you save or kill the little sisters", and that's it. I mean, the story itself is about you having no choice. I see it basically as a corridor where there are doors that you can open if you have a certain skill, but otherwise you just walk to the end of the hallway. That's why Bioshock is and although I played all 3 entries, each entry got worse and by Infinite I felt insulted playing it because the game was treating you like a baby throughout the whole game. Prey 2017 on the other hand, at least for me, is the worthy successor to this franchise. It does everything that SS2 did but took great advantage of Veriticality in 3D games and whoever came up with the goo gun is a genius since it truly opens the game up for freedom in traversing the map. In Prey you are pretty much free to kill NPCs (although there are 4 I can think from the top of my head that change the story a bit), or even decide to never take any skill points into Typhon augments. The story is also phenomenal and its a twist done right (although I do also like BS1's twist). I'm baffled on why this game didn't get the recognition it deserves.

[@JustSkram]

Because (almost) every reviewer just wrote it off as "bioshock in space" and played it like a normal FPS and it's heartbreaking cause the game is really really good. It also doesn't help that echochambers complained that it wasn't Human head's prey 2.

[@masterzoroark6664]

Pray yes. Also, fuck Bioshock Infinite, especially Burial at sea. It felt like Levine's fanfic to get rid of Bioshock 2

[@n3rdy11]

Hear hear! I still remember how utterly underwhelmed I was by Bioshock. It isn't a bad game, but the way it got hyped up as the "modern system shock" set me up for massive disappointment because it didn't come even close to the freedom of SS2.

[@Xegethra]

Yeah I'm the same way, I even played Bioshock first. I was just getting out of college at the time and I never was much of an "immersive sim" gamer. But Bioshock came out and I couldn't really tell it apart from other shooters I had played. I just felt like I was shooting a bunch of crazies underwater. Couple years later a friend of mine who loves System Shock recommended I play it. I had previously played Deus Ex and loved it so I gave it a try. I really like System Shock 2.....honestly destroys Bioshock in gameplay and I like it's story too. Has a much better sense of a destroyed lost setting than Bioshock did with the mad AI running it. I don't mind flat linear FPS games, so long as that's what's being advertised. Bioshock thinks it is bigger than what it is. And I played it at a time where I wasn't aware it was trying to be like bigger games like System Shock, just that it was gonna be more immersive and cool and stuff, but I ended up thinking it was a run of the mill shooter...still do really. I can get into linear games, and Bioshock had it's moments but I like other more linear FPS games more.

[@elgeniomaestro]

System Shock 2 is great, but there's a massive amount of lies in this video "first shooter with a mana bar", you know there was a System Shock 1, right? I know, a lot of people seem to pretend that the first game doesn't exist for some reason, but that's not an excuse, It had an energy bar that you used for energy weapons and upgrades, that sounds like a mana bar to me, and that's just one

[@reddude954]

How dare you? Don’t you ever accuse me of taking psychic monkeys for granted in modern gaming, good day sir!

[@saturn7_dev]

I bought Shock2 on discount games bin from a shop at $9.95 - this was the best $10 I ever spent.....brilliant game. For System Shock 2 is the best game ever made - even slightly higher than Deus Ex.

[@stevenxw]

i just finished SHOCK2 yesterday!! total run time of 16 hours and a whole lot of save scums, but genuinely loved the game and am excited for the enhanced edition/future VR support!

[@DoctorDex]

A video about System Shock and Bioshock featuring an adorable cat? Man this is the best channel ever!

[@John_Souls]

To this day my second favorite game of all time, right behind Deus Ex. A Masterpiece. Hope third game from the series will hold this level.

[@memedbengul4350]

My kind of guy. What else have you played and think is somewhat on par with these? I'd recommend Satellite Reign wholeheartedly; amazing, little-known game.

[@John_Souls]

@@memedbengul4350 Playing VOid Bastards now, rogualike FPS, similar atmosphere to System Shock, also EYE DIvine Cybermancy, veeeery bizarre game, but holy shit, ambience is awesome. And maybe Starcrawlers, if u like dungeon crawlers.

[@vs3347]

I played SS2 and I thought the controls were really wonky, then like a year later I tried it again and it turns out the devs updated the game and made the controls feel like a modern today's game, I was impressed they would still update such an old game, I just had to play it.

[@ZylonBane]

Bioshock really doesn't play like System Shock 2 at all. It poaches many of SS2's game systems, but it pushes them so into the background that they barely matter. It's first and foremost a simplistic shooter, but with pretty graphics and a couple of marketable character designs, so everyone falls all over themselves praising it. It's telling that in Bioshock Infinite they jettisoned these legacy gameplay elements almost entirely.

[@OuroborosChoked]

It really saddens me when people call Bioshock the "spiritual successor" to System Shock 2. It's a bit like saying Call of Duty is the spiritual successor to Deus Ex. While System Shock 2 is fairly linear, you can choose how to tackle your various tasks and are free to wander the ships as you unlock each area. Bioshock, on the other hand, is so _insultingly_ linear they included a quest marker arrow *and* glowing key items (both turned on by default!) just to make sure the pea brains playing don't get lost in the narrow hallways that they're guided through. Inventory system? Gone. Character customization? Essentially gone. Horror atmosphere? YMMV, but IMO: gone. Sound engine? GONE. Nobody did sound like Looking Glass. Nobody comes close even today! What did they replace all of this with? Bargain bin philosophy that doesn't even work in context and a hacking mini-game slightly more complex than connect the dots (which becomes increasingly tedious as the game progresses). Bioshock is an INSULT to the System Shock legacy. It's a dumbed down shooter, and I'll never stop saying so.

[@OuroborosChoked]

@The Cure For Optimism It wasn't even good for that. Half of the scene where Andrew Ryan is toying with you is in a cutscene! You can neither choose nor obey. The *one thing* the game was shooting for, and they fuck it up. That one moment should have been a harbinger for the disaster that was Bioshock Infinite. Ken Levine and his non-choice gameplay need to GTFO. Bring back Warren Spector.

[@JustSkram]

That's why you play prey 2017 instead

[@michaelhe3138]

@@OuroborosChoked go fuck yourself bitch

[@Slaanash]

Fighting that Protocol Droid at 1:36 with a basic pistol and 3 HP made me tense the fuck up just watching it.

[@wumborat3669]

13:10 love to see mr. scratch from american nightmare be mentioned, that character is awesome

[@duuqnd]

I bought the game thanks to this video and it really is as great as you say it is, maybe even better. Thanks for finally convincing me to play it, it's been on my mental "need to play" list for far too long.

[@_BirdOfGoodOmen]

Jesus. This game's so scary I freaking jumped when the hybrid cam out at 2:20 and it was just you talking over gameplay footage

[@Clairvoyant81]

I'm going to watch the second part of this just because I really, really do not understand why people keep saying that Bioshock is "System Shock 2, but better"..... it's System Shock 2 when you remove choice, thought and consequences. It's easier to play, but that's about the only thing I can think of Bioshock does better.

[@jaktje]

Just started to play this game.. i freaking love it.

[@trakzerak735]

In the beginning I never thought I would actually finish this game. I was (and still am) new to the entire immersive sim thing. And like for every newcomer, SS2 was slap in the a**! But as time progressed, I LEARNED to PLAY this game! And eventually completed it and LOVED it! Don't judge a game immediately when you start playing it! But if you are for example a BioShock fan (like myself), be aware that this isn't your typical FPS.

[@zachanikwano]

Amazing vid but also more cat please

[@nicholastosoni707]

SS2 is 21 years old this year. And it is _still_ utterly batshit, even on the "Normal" difficulty. I'm back on Operations deck right now, and I've hit the part where I'm *really not going to win any popularity contests.* Rumblers and Cyborg Assassins swarm me right out of the regenerator pod. Wooh! XD

[@stephenhartley2853]

such a great game. no hand holding, just heres a map and heres your objective, work it out yourself. the modern cod era gamer would be stumped.

[@DoratTheKiller]

Playing it for the first time co-op now in 2023, and while some RPG aspects are tedious and some other in general have aged poorly, it's still a very great game with a lot of depth to it.

[@AyubuKK]

Imagine if the Internet itself became a sentient AI. And had full control and immediate access to all the technology and information on Earth and in space. And ruled the world as an immortal digital God. That’s a terrifying thought.

[@DeoMachina]

One of the weirdest things was learning that the guy who wrote System Shock 2 was also the same guy who wrote the trash that was BioInf Like..what happened, Ken?

[@Gerickmb]

Bioshock Infinite was hindered by production time and many other things it had nothing to do with his writing..

[@BlownMacTruck]

@@Gerickmb I mean you can’t say that definitively. There’s no alternate version of Bioshock Infinite that has a proper version of the plot.

[@schnozbott]

Heh it's been a long time since I've seen the original models and textures in SS2, having only played runs with mods for many years

[@lv1543]

>shooting your way out of situations >not banzi kamakazie wrenching everything in sight

[@doomed98985]

Ahh yes. The only game where monsters attacking me apologize to me.

[@LastOneLeft99]

I preordered System Shock 2 because I was a Thief fan and I liked the demo a lot.

[@kalenics123]

If only the makers of Alien isolation would make a system shock type game

[@asleepghoulshow]

That would be something, great idea.

[@DarrenHoussein]

@Fresh Beginnings Dont you mean SS1 or?

[@acewolfgang276]

I played this about a month ago, but I only wanted to sample it since i haven't beaten System Shock 1 yet. In fact i was talking about it on discord saying how Bioshock was inspired by it and you came out saying that you were actually working on that video.

[@acewolfgang276]

@Fresh Beginnings I like it so far, just been playing a bunch of games lately. It's shocking how advanced SS1 was in its time.

[@lostglaceon9274]

@Fresh Beginnings Eh, I don't recommend skipping the first one at all. The Enhanced Edition fixes all the issues that it really had other than some of the things not being explained well enough. You can even use VirtualMIDISynth to change the soundfont! I personally recommend SSS_arranged_final.sf2, it's a soundfont someone completed last year specifically for System Shock and it fits really well! Just searching the name of the soundfont should get you to the video with the download link.

[@lostglaceon9274]

@Fresh Beginnings Fair, but I think it'd be more accurate to simply explain to people to play the first one with a few helpful tips, skipping to the 2nd one if they don't enjoy the 1st one enough. The main reason I say that is people like me couldn't get into the second one as much as the first one. I'm the type of person who doesn't really like having things like weapon degradation and slot-based inventory elements in shooters, but enjoy the immersive factors and audio log style of storytelling.

[@garcemac]

I am 56 years old. Yes, System Shock was "jump Scary" back then. Then again, so was Raid On Bungling Bay. Nothing is scary anymore.

[@Ovog95]

You know, it's funny that I love the immersive sim genre, but I only learned that it's a genre called immersive sim like 3 days ago.

[@ym5891]

0:35 Don't you mean.... *The Many* ?

[@krwawyzenon5747]

Awesome video about one of my favourite games ever! THX a lot! ;)

[@DaGamingLife]

This is a amazing video for a game that deserves much needed praise. my only nitpick of this video is the word masterclass. I feel is already overused.

[@kyleolson8977]

I love System Shock 2, but there's some revisionist history here. Actually a lot. And not much research. First, and most importantly, it's called System Shock "2". System Shock existed. System Shock 2 was a more popular game, but the original game was responsible for so many of the gameplay elements. The biggest improvement in the game was that when System Shock was released in 1994, while shooter controls were still in flux, while by the time SS2 was released, shooter controls were standardized (at least, pre-cover shooter controls). System Shock has some unnecessarily complicated controls. The biggest influence of System Shock 2 was repackaging System Shock in a modern-ish package, a game which had flopped and was not well known because of that. A say modern-ish because one thing new reviewers don't seem to know is that System Shock 2's graphic were regarded as sub-standard and primitive at the time. It was a small dedicated team working on the game, they did not have the resources. If you compare to Playstation games it might look fine, but for PC gamers, this was not a good looking game. In fact, the biggest problem was that it was so obviously not a AAA game. This was certainly not the first real-time shooter game to have a "mana bar". Even your narrow definition is off, ignoring the fact that an element like Mana was standard before Diablo game out. Jedi Knight, for example, 1997. Raven's 1994 CyClones. I can go back as far as there are FPS. Bungee's Pathway's Into Darkness in 1993, for example. To say it was the first is to not have tried to look for one. I could probably go before Wolf3D, but I don't want to argue over what counts. And clearly a game like Jedi Knight is an FPS with a suite of Magical-Adjacent utilities. First "Stable" FPS Hybrid. I don't even know what you mean by Stable, but no. If you don't count Arena and Daggerfall because they don't shoot guns, I'm sure we can find more. Let's see. DeathKeep, game out on 3DO (!) in 1995. (also had a mana bar). King's Field, 1994 (magic bar). Raven's ShadowCaster in 1993 (Mana bar). To say the origin of RPG elements like skill points is from this is also to ignore the non FPS games as well. Maybe those other games weren't "stable" enough for you. "More sympathetic villains" Citation needed, to say the least. Shodan was a very influential character, and again people saw this because they played System Shock 2, but these are elements of the first game that were recycled in the second game. It's a good follow-up, plot wise, but that character is from the first game. Also, Deus Ex is not a child of this, that game was well into production. Deus Ex is a child of the original System Shock, not this. Spector was not with Looking Glass when Irrational came up with the idea for System Shock 2. If System Shock 2 had not come about, we still would have had much of the ideas become public through that game. "Emergent" game play. Again, this is thin logic and ignores other PC games that don't fit your narrow definition that had this. Like The Elder Scrolls. Or Thief. Other games outside this area like Jagged Alliance. Heck, this was the selling point of the N64 Mission Impossible game before they stopped trying to make it good. By making claims that aren't true, you make it easy to undersell the game because they're easily proven false. In reality, this was very important evolutionary game. It did set standard for how things should be done, but it didn't invent them like you say.

[@Ferro2155]

This was so interesting to read I had to pause the video! Really interesting insight, thanks

[@elgeniomaestro]

Not to mention that System Shock 1 also had an energy bar...

[@boieecrib8211]

First played system shock 2 like 4 years ago when I was like 12 and did not get it and gave up but I’ve been playing it recently and it has to be one of my favourite games

[@racman9964]

God bless people how make such content! Thank you man! Very interesting story

[@Blazs120gl]

I'm amazed how this game, 20 years after I've first played it, still has some ungraspable atmoshpere. I can only describe it as a visual charm, it has a unique lighting or something that can make up for the aged visual quality, no matter the year. It gives a lot to the experience as somehow, it makes the visuals more immersive and plausible than competitors of its time Half-life or Unreal. Dunno it's maybe just me seeing it. I can't see this 'magic' in those remake projects or in any other 3D engines. I would be curious how well this 3D engine could have worked as an archviz system in its time period to depict actual places.

[@Sinn0100]

You know what killed me.... Now, I knew of System Shock, but I was so caught up playing Doom, Street Fighter II, Virtua Fighter, etc... to really pay it much mind. All throughout my life, I have played on consoles and PC. So you better believe I was all over System Shock 2 in 1999. However, I always thought (was it Looking Glass Studios?) really dropped the ball with System Shock 1+2.... If there was ever a set of games begging for a Sega Dreamcast release, the System Shock series was it. I remember playing Half-Life on my Dreamcast/PS2, thinking where is System Shock? Especially since if I remember correctly the company behind System Shock wasn't making the kind of money they deserved as their games weren't reaching their full audience potential. Addendum- Both the Dreamcast and PS2 had the graphical chops to run the System Shock games quite well. Both consoles had mouse & keyboard support, which would have made their transition a breeze. The only issue I can maybe see is the games would probably need new shorter loading zones, and with the Dreamcast, maybe multiple discs. What do you think?

[@Blueamber557]

I had a blast playing recently but I got a more thriller feeling then horror, maybe if I played back when it was released it would have been more terrifying but the aged graphics and writing took away much of the horror, honestly died laughing at the end and that made it entirely worthwhile. The gameplay holds up amazing though and had a really fun time!

[@bobincognito]

*Makes agility build* Forest Gump: wakes up from cryochamber

[@CharlatanWonder]

TFW you run so fast that if you don't turn around in time you'll hit the wall so hard you'll literally die.

[@FirstnameLastname-py3bc]

6:43 - that Thief animation though

[@t.t6294]

I finished the game two days ago. absolutely amazing. I Played every single Immersive I could find. only Prey is left which runs poorly On my pc

[@robertparker6280]

Can't WAIT for Nightdrive Studios SS2 Enhanced Edition!!!!

[@woodenrollercoasterupsided1010]

RIP SS3

[@doc.awkward4457]

System shock 1 was good and all, but system shock 2 perfected the recipe

[@zukodude487987]

This reminds me of those noisy ghosts in thief.

[@onetruekeeper]

The few things I did not like about SS2 is that there are sometime too many enemies and not enough ammo and health to complete the objective. The other is that it gets confusing to figure out what one needs to do or where one needs to go since there are no direct instructions or clues as to how to get there. The map, inventory system and abilities upgrade could be better designed as well.

[@MajorSvenGaming]

I just bought this game on GOG for £1.19... Then I see ur video... Then I get excited..... Shame the GOG deal runs out in 20hrs

[@nifftbatuff676]

Bioshock managed to negate every single thing that made System Shock 1&2 so great. It is the anti-immersive sim.

[@YOSUP315]

I only played the first Bioshock once, but have to agree. System Shock 2 took most of the things SS1 tried to do and made them actually work, and added a lot in addition. Whereas, Bioshock just stole the optional Psy abilities and vita chambers and made them central to all gameplay. Now you have to use flame, have to use telekinesis, have to find vending machines to change your spells or change your gear. And you have to put up with respawning from a chamber you never even activated, until you take out the baddies. There's no sense of accomplishment. Infinite fixed that, but wasn't an immersive sim.

[@theultimateevil3430]

I think that's also the case for System Shock 2, it has lost something from System Shock 1. I definitely had more fun panting and sweating as I ran through corridors of Citadel station, though SS2 has great atmosphere and immersion, core gameplay seemed a bit bland.

[@judegriffin6464]

Only game that has ever genuinely scared me

[@WobblesandBean]

HOLY SHIT WE'RE FINALLY GETTING SYSTEM SHOCK 3?? Finally, that cliffhnger will be addressed! I wonder if they'll have it so Shodan has literally taken over the human race via the flesh interface she created in SS2.