System Shock 2
Encyclopedia
System Shock 2 is a 1999 first-person
action role-playing video game, designed by Ken Levine for Microsoft Windows
. The title is a sequel to the 1994 PC game System Shock
, and was co-developed by Irrational Games and Looking Glass Studios. The sequel was originally designed as a standalone title with no relation to System Shock; story changes were made when Electronic Arts
—who owned the Shock franchise rights—signed on as publisher. System Shock 2 was released on August 11, 1999 in North America.
The game takes place on board a starship
in a cyberpunk
depiction of 2114. The player assumes the role of a lone soldier trying to stem the outbreak of a genetic infection that has devastated the ship. Like System Shock, gameplay consists of first person shooting and exploration. The game also incorporates role-playing system
elements, where the player can develop unique skills and traits, such as hacking
and psionic abilities.
System Shock 2 received positive reviews when released, but failed to meet commercial sales expectations. In retrospect, many critics have determined the game to be highly influential, particularly on first person shooters, and far ahead of its time, and inducted it into several "greatest games of all time" lists. In January 2006, Computer and Video Games
reported System Shock 3 may be under development. As of January 2009, nothing conclusive has surfaced regarding the purported project's status. In 2007, Irrational—then 2K Boston/2K Australia—released a self-proclaimed 'spiritual successor' to the System Shock series, entitled BioShock
, to critical acclaim and strong sales.
Like its predecessor, gameplay in System Shock 2 is an amalgamation of the role-playing game (RPG)
and first person shooter (FPS) genres. The player uses melee and projectile weapons to defeat enemies, while a role-playing system
allows the development of useful abilities. Navigation is presented from a first-person perspective
and complemented with a heads-up display
that shows character and weapon information, a map, and a drag and drop inventory. Backstory is explained progressively through the acquisition of audio logs and encounters with ghost
ly apparitions
.
The game begins with the player choosing a career in a branch of the Unified National Nominate, a fictional military organization. Each branch of service gives the player a set of starting bonuses in certain skills, though he may thereafter freely develop himself as he pleases. Marines begin with bonuses to weaponry, Navy
officers are trained in repairing and hacking
, and OSA agents get a starting set of psionic
powers.
The player can upgrade his skills by spending "cyber-modules", which are obtained as rewards for completing objectives or searching every nook and cranny of the ship. Skills are enhanced by spending cyber-modules at devices called "cyber-upgrade units". O/S units allow special one-time character upgrades to be made (e.g. permanent health enhancement).
An in-game currency, called "nanites", may be spent on items at vending machines. This includes ammunition supplies and health packs. "Quantum Bio-Reconstruction Machines" can be activated and reconstitute the player for 10 "nanites" if they die in the same area. Otherwise, the game ends and progress must be resumed from a save point
.
The player can hack devices, such as keypads to open alternate areas and vending machines to reduce prices. When a hack is attempted, a minigame
begins where a grid of green nodes form; the player must connect three in a straight row to succeed. Optionally, electronic lock picks
can be found and automatically hack a machine, regardless of its difficulty.
Various weapons can be procured throughout the game, including melee weapons, pistols, shotguns, and alien weapons. Non-melee weapons degrade with use and will break if they are not regularly repaired with maintenance tools. Different ammunition types exist which are more effective to susceptible enemies. For example, organic enemies are vulnerable to anti-personnel rounds
, while mechanical foes are weak against armor-piercing rounds
. Because ammunition is scarce, the player must use it sparingly and carefully search rooms for supplies.
The game also includes a research function. When new objects are encountered in the game, especially enemies, their organs can be collected. Combined with chemicals found in storage rooms, the player can research the enemies and improve their damage against them.
OSA agents effectively have a separate weapons tree available to them. Psionic powers can be learned, such as invisibility, fireballs and teleportation.
. After joining the United National Nominate, the protagonist — Soldier G65434-2 — is assigned to the Rickenbacker, a military spacecraft. The Rickenbacker is escorting the Von Braun, an experimental faster-than-light
(FTL) starship
, on its maiden voyage. As the Rickenbacker does not have an FTL system of its own, the two ships are attached together for the trip.
A few months into the journey, the ships respond to a distress signal
from the planet Tau Ceti V. A rescue team is sent to the planet surface where they discover strange eggs. The eggs infect the rescue team and integrate them into an alien communion that calls itself the Many. The infestation eventually overtakes both ships.
The soldier awakens in a cryo-tube
on the medical deck of the Von Braun with amnesia
due to a computer malfunction. He is immediately contacted by another survivor, Dr. Janice Polito, who guides him to safety before the cabin depressurizes. She demands that he rendezvous with her on deck 4 of the Von Braun. Along the way, the soldier battles the infected crew members. The Many also telepathically communicate with him, attempting to persuade the soldier to join their collective.
After restarting the ship's engine core and purging an elevator shaft, the soldier reaches deck 4 and discovers Polito is dead. He is then confronted by SHODAN
, a malevolent artificial intelligence
that devastated Citadel Station, a fictional space station
, in the previous game. It is revealed she has been posing as Polito to gain the soldier's trust.
She goes on to mention that she is responsible for creating the Many, the results of her bioengineering experiments on Citadel Station. The hacker (System Shock 1) ejected the grove that contained her experiments to prevent them contaminating Earth, an act that also allowed part of SHODAN to survive the events of the first game. The grove crash-landed on Tau Ceti V. While SHODAN went into forced hibernation, The Many evolved beyond her control.
SHODAN issues an ultimatum to the soldier, stating his only chance for survival lies in helping destroy her rebellious creations. Efforts to regain control of XERXES, the main computer on the Von Braun, fail. SHODAN informs the soldier that destroying the Von Braun is their only option, but he must transmit her program to the Rickenbacker first. While en route, the soldier briefly encounters two survivors, Tommy Suarez and Rebecca Siddons, who flee the ship aboard an escape pod.
With the transfer complete, the soldier travels to the Rickenbacker and learns both ships have been enveloped by the infection's source, a gigantic mass of bio-organic tissue. The soldier enters the biomass and destroys its core, stopping the alien infection. SHODAN congratulates the protagonist and informs him of her intentions to merge real space and cyberspace by subverting the reality-altering mechanics of the Von Braun's faster-than-light drive. The soldier confronts SHODAN in cyberspace
and defeats her.
The final scene shows Tommy and Rebecca receiving a message from the Von Braun. Tommy responds, saying they will return but Rebecca is acting strange. Rebecca is shown speaking in a voice similar to that of SHODAN, asking Tommy if he "likes her new look", as the screen fades to black.
Development began in 1997 when Looking Glass Studios
approached Irrational Games
with an idea to co-develop a new game. The development team were fans of System Shock and sought to create a game with similar elements. Early story ideas were similar to the novella Heart of Darkness
. In an early draft, the player was tasked with assassinating an insane commander on a starship. The title took 18 months to create with a budget of $1.7 million.
The game was pitched to several publishers, and Electronic Arts—who owned the rights to the Shock franchise—responded by suggesting the game become a sequel to System Shock. The team agreed; Electronic Arts became the publisher and story changes were made to incorporate the franchise. The project was allotted one year to be completed. To compensate for the short time frame, the staff began working with Looking Glass Studio's unfinished Dark Engine
, the same engine used to create Thief: The Dark Project
.
The designers wanted RPG elements in the game. Similar to Ultima Underworld, another Looking Glass Studios project, the environment in System Shock 2 is persistent
and constantly changes without the player's presence. Paper and pencil RPGs
were also influential; the character customization system was based on Traveller's
methodology. In System Shock 2, this design was implemented in the fictional military branches. By allowing multiple character paths, the player could receive a more open-ended gameplay experience.
Horror was a key focus and four major points were identified to successfully incorporate it. Isolation was deemed primary, which resulted in the player having little physical contact with other sentient beings. Secondly, vulnerability was created by focusing on a fragile character, instead of making the player strong. Lastly were the inclusion of moody sound effects and "the intelligent placement of lighting
and shadows".
The game's lead designer, Ken Levine, oversaw the return of System Shock villain SHODAN. Part of Levine's design was to ally the player with her, but he also believed game characters were too trusting, stating "good guys are good, bad guys are bad. What you see and perceive is real." Levine sought to challenge this notion by having SHODAN betray the player: "Sometimes characters are betrayed, but the player never is. I wanted to violate that trust and make the player feel that they, and not [only] the character, were led on and deceived." This design choice was controversial with the development team.
Several problems were encountered during the project. Because the team comprised two software companies, tension emerged regarding job assignments. Some developers left the project altogether. Additionally, many employees were largely inexperienced, but in retrospect project manager Jonathan Chey felt this was advantageous, stating "...inexperience also bred enthusiasm and commitment that might not have been present with a more jaded set of developers." The Dark Engine posed problems of its own. It was unfinished, forcing the programmers to fix software bugs when encountered. In contrast, working closely with the engine code
allowed them to write additional features. Not all setbacks were localized; a demonstration build at E3 was hindered when it was requested all guns be removed from the presentation. This was done in light of the recent Columbine High School massacre
.
A demo
for the game, featuring a tutorial and a third of the first mission, was released on August 2, 1999. Nine days later, System Shock 2 was shipped to retailers and received acclaim from numerous critics. An enhancement patch
was released a month later and added significant features, such as co-operative multiplayer
and control over weapon degradation and enemy respawn
rates. A port was planned for the Dreamcast, but was subsequently canceled.
" awards by publications, such as Game Revolution
and USA Today
. Reviews were very positive and lauded the title for its hybrid gameplay, moody sound design, and engaging story. Despite critical acclaim, the title did not sell well.
Many publications praised the title for its open-ended gameplay. With regard to character customization, Trent Ward of IGN
stated the best element of the RPG system was allowing gamers to "play the game as completely different characters", and felt this made each play-through unique. Erik Reckase writing for Just Adventure agreed, saying “There are very few games that allow you [to] play the way you want”. Alec Norands of Allgame
believed the different character classes made the game “diverse enough to demand instant replayability."
Critics described the game as frightening. Colin of Game Revolution
attested that the game rivaled the terror of Resident Evil 2
and Silent Hill
, and felt the game was "brimming with horror”. Computer and Video Games
described the atmosphere as “gripping” and guaranteed readers they would "jump out of [their] skin" numerous times. Norands found the sound design
particularly effective, calling it “absolutely, teeth-clenchingly disturbing,” while PC Gamer
editor William Harms christened System Shock 2 the most frightening game he had ever played.
Many critics found the weapon degradation system to be irritating. Members of the development team have also expressed misgivings about the system. The RPG system was another point of contention. Desslock of GameSpot described the job system as "badly unbalanced" because the player can develop skills outside their career choice. Norands felt similarly about the system, saying it "leaned towards a hacker character".
s and the horror genre. In a retrospective article, Gamespot
declared the title "well ahead of its time" and stated it "upped the ante in dramatic and mechanical terms" by creating a horrific gameplay experience. Along with Deus Ex
, Sid Shuman of GamePro
christened System Shock 2 "[one of the] twin barrels of modern FPS innovation," due to its complex role-playing gameplay. IGN writer Cam Shea referred to the game as "another reinvention of the FPS genre", citing the story, characters, and RPG system. The title has been inducted into a number of features listing the greatest games ever made, including ones by Gamespy
, Edge
, IGN, Gamespot, and PC Gamer
.
The return of SHODAN has been observed as an innovation itself. Brad Shoemaker of Gamespot described her revelation to the player as "one of the most shocking and effective video game plot devices" he had ever seen. Her inclusion, Gamespy stated, is what made System Shock 2 "a complete experience instead of just another game." SHODAN has proven to be a popular character among some critics; among these are IGN, Gamespot, and The Phoenix
.
System Shock 2 has amassed a cult following
with fans, many of whom have demanded a sequel. Some fans are active in the modding community where collaborations to update the game's graphics take place. One graphical enhancement mod
, entitled Rebirth, replaces many low-polygonal
models
with higher quality ones. Another mod, the Shock Texture Upgrade Project (SHTUP), significantly increases the resolution
of in-game textures
. The community at Sshock2, a fan site, have also released a free level editor
entitled ShockEd, which is a repackaged version of Looking Glass Studios' own editor.
In 2007, 2K Boston/2K Australia—previously (and again, as of January 2009) known as Irrational Games
—released a spiritual successor to the System Shock
series, entitled BioShock
. The game takes place in an abandoned underwater utopia
n community gone awry through the genetic modification of its populace. The game has been very successful commercially and critically. BioShock 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. The two titles also share plot similarities and employ audio logs and encounters with ghost
ly apparitions
to reveal backstory.
On January 9, 2006, GameSpot reported that Electronic Arts
had renewed its trademark protection on the System Shock name, leading to speculation that System Shock 3 might be under development. 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. PC Gamer UK expanded these rumors further, stating the team behind The Godfather was charged with its creation. Ken Levine, when asked whether he would helm a third installment, replied "that question is completely out of my hands." He expressed optimism at the prospect of System Shock 3, but was also very critical of Electronic Arts' attitude towards development of the game. As of January 2010, nothing conclusive has been reported regarding the status of the purported project.
As of November 2011, still nothing has been heard on the potential for a sequel.
First person (video games)
In video games, first person refers to a graphical perspective rendered from the viewpoint of the player character. In many cases, this may be the viewpoint from the cockpit of a vehicle. Many different genres have made use of first-person perspectives, ranging from adventure games to flight...
action role-playing video game, designed by Ken Levine for Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
. The title is a sequel to the 1994 PC game System Shock
System Shock
System Shock is a first-person action-adventure video game developed by Looking Glass Technologies and published by Origin Systems. Released in 1994, the game is set aboard the fictional Citadel Station in a cyberpunk vision of 2072...
, and was co-developed by Irrational Games and Looking Glass Studios. The sequel was originally designed as a standalone title with no relation to System Shock; story changes were made when Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
—who owned the Shock franchise rights—signed on as publisher. System Shock 2 was released on August 11, 1999 in North America.
The game takes place on board a starship
Starship
A starship or interstellar spacecraft is a theoretical spacecraft designed for traveling between the stars, as opposed to a vehicle designed for orbital spaceflight or interplanetary travel....
in a cyberpunk
Cyberpunk
Cyberpunk is a postmodern and science fiction genre noted for its focus on "high tech and low life." The name is a portmanteau of cybernetics and punk, and was originally coined by Bruce Bethke as the title of his short story "Cyberpunk," published in 1983...
depiction of 2114. The player assumes the role of a lone soldier trying to stem the outbreak of a genetic infection that has devastated the ship. Like System Shock, gameplay consists of first person shooting and exploration. The game also incorporates role-playing system
Role-playing game system
A role-playing game system is a set of game mechanics used in a role-playing game to determine the outcome of a character's in-game actions...
elements, where the player can develop unique skills and traits, such as hacking
Hacker (computer security)
In computer security and everyday language, a hacker is someone who breaks into computers and computer networks. Hackers may be motivated by a multitude of reasons, including profit, protest, or because of the challenge...
and psionic abilities.
System Shock 2 received positive reviews when released, but failed to meet commercial sales expectations. In retrospect, many critics have determined the game to be highly influential, particularly on first person shooters, and far ahead of its time, and inducted it into several "greatest games of all time" lists. In January 2006, Computer and Video Games
Computer and video games
A video game is an electronic game that involves human interaction with a user interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. The word video in video game traditionally referred to a raster display device, but following popularization of the term "video game", it now implies any type of...
reported System Shock 3 may be under development. As of January 2009, nothing conclusive has surfaced regarding the purported project's status. In 2007, Irrational—then 2K Boston/2K Australia—released a self-proclaimed 'spiritual successor' to the System Shock series, entitled BioShock
Bioshock
BioShock is a first-person shooter video game developed by 2K Boston and designed by Ken Levine. It was released for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 on August 21, 2007 in North America, and three days later in Europe and Australia. It became available on Steam on August 21, 2007...
, to critical acclaim and strong sales.
Gameplay
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
and first person shooter (FPS) genres. The player uses melee and projectile weapons to defeat enemies, while a role-playing system
Role-playing game system
A role-playing game system is a set of game mechanics used in a role-playing game to determine the outcome of a character's in-game actions...
allows the development of useful abilities. Navigation is presented from a first-person perspective
First person (video games)
In video games, first person refers to a graphical perspective rendered from the viewpoint of the player character. In many cases, this may be the viewpoint from the cockpit of a vehicle. Many different genres have made use of first-person perspectives, ranging from adventure games to flight...
and complemented with a heads-up display
HUD (computer gaming)
In video gaming, the HUD is the method by which information is visually relayed to the player as part of a game's user interface...
that shows character and weapon information, a map, and a drag and drop inventory. Backstory is explained progressively through the acquisition of audio logs and encounters with ghost
Ghost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
ly apparitions
Apparitional experience
In psychology and parapsychology, an apparitional experience is an anomalous, quasi-perceptual experience.It is characterized by the apparent perception of either a living being or an inanimate object without there being any material stimulus for such a perception...
.
The game begins with the player choosing a career in a branch of the Unified National Nominate, a fictional military organization. Each branch of service gives the player a set of starting bonuses in certain skills, though he may thereafter freely develop himself as he pleases. Marines begin with bonuses to weaponry, Navy
Navy
A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...
officers are trained in repairing and hacking
Hacker (computer security)
In computer security and everyday language, a hacker is someone who breaks into computers and computer networks. Hackers may be motivated by a multitude of reasons, including profit, protest, or because of the challenge...
, and OSA agents get a starting set of psionic
Psionics
Psionics refers to the practice, study, or psychic ability of using the mind to induce paranormal phenomena. Examples of this include telepathy, telekinesis, and other workings of the outside world through the psyche.-History and terminology:...
powers.
The player can upgrade his skills by spending "cyber-modules", which are obtained as rewards for completing objectives or searching every nook and cranny of the ship. Skills are enhanced by spending cyber-modules at devices called "cyber-upgrade units". O/S units allow special one-time character upgrades to be made (e.g. permanent health enhancement).
An in-game currency, called "nanites", may be spent on items at vending machines. This includes ammunition supplies and health packs. "Quantum Bio-Reconstruction Machines" can be activated and reconstitute the player for 10 "nanites" if they die in the same area. Otherwise, the game ends and progress must be resumed from a save point
Saved game
A saved game is a piece of digitally stored information about the progress of a player in a video game. This saved game can be reloaded later, so the player can continue where he or she had stopped...
.
The player can hack devices, such as keypads to open alternate areas and vending machines to reduce prices. When a hack is attempted, a minigame
Minigame
A minigame is a short video game often contained within another video game. A minigame is always smaller or more simplistic than the game in which it is contained. Minigames are sometimes also offered separately for free to promote the main game...
begins where a grid of green nodes form; the player must connect three in a straight row to succeed. Optionally, electronic lock picks
Lock picking
Lock picking is the art of unlocking a lock by analyzing and manipulating the components of the lock device, without the original key. Although lock picking can be associated with criminal intent, it is an essential skill for a locksmith...
can be found and automatically hack a machine, regardless of its difficulty.
Various weapons can be procured throughout the game, including melee weapons, pistols, shotguns, and alien weapons. Non-melee weapons degrade with use and will break if they are not regularly repaired with maintenance tools. Different ammunition types exist which are more effective to susceptible enemies. For example, organic enemies are vulnerable to anti-personnel rounds
Anti-personnel weapon
An anti-personnel weapon is one primarily used to incapacitate people, as opposed to attacking structures or vehicles.The development of defensive fortification and combat vehicles gave rise to weapons designed specifically to attack them, and thus a need to distinguish between those systems and...
, while mechanical foes are weak against armor-piercing rounds
Kinetic energy penetrator
A kinetic energy penetrator is a type of ammunition which, like a bullet, does not contain explosives and uses kinetic energy to penetrate the target....
. Because ammunition is scarce, the player must use it sparingly and carefully search rooms for supplies.
The game also includes a research function. When new objects are encountered in the game, especially enemies, their organs can be collected. Combined with chemicals found in storage rooms, the player can research the enemies and improve their damage against them.
OSA agents effectively have a separate weapons tree available to them. Psionic powers can be learned, such as invisibility, fireballs and teleportation.
Plot
The story begins in 2114, forty-two years after the events of System ShockSystem Shock
System Shock is a first-person action-adventure video game developed by Looking Glass Technologies and published by Origin Systems. Released in 1994, the game is set aboard the fictional Citadel Station in a cyberpunk vision of 2072...
. After joining the United National Nominate, the protagonist — Soldier G65434-2 — is assigned to the Rickenbacker, a military spacecraft. The Rickenbacker is escorting the Von Braun, an experimental faster-than-light
Faster-than-light
Faster-than-light communications and travel refer to the propagation of information or matter faster than the speed of light....
(FTL) starship
Starship
A starship or interstellar spacecraft is a theoretical spacecraft designed for traveling between the stars, as opposed to a vehicle designed for orbital spaceflight or interplanetary travel....
, on its maiden voyage. As the Rickenbacker does not have an FTL system of its own, the two ships are attached together for the trip.
A few months into the journey, the ships respond to a distress signal
Distress signal
A distress signal is an internationally recognized means for obtaining help. Distress signals take the form of or are commonly made by using radio signals, displaying a visually detected item or illumination, or making an audible sound, from a distance....
from the planet Tau Ceti V. A rescue team is sent to the planet surface where they discover strange eggs. The eggs infect the rescue team and integrate them into an alien communion that calls itself the Many. The infestation eventually overtakes both ships.
The soldier awakens in a cryo-tube
Cryonics
Cryonics is the low-temperature preservation of humans and animals who can no longer be sustained by contemporary medicine, with the hope that healing and resuscitation may be possible in the future. Cryopreservation of people or large animals is not reversible with current technology...
on the medical deck of the Von Braun with amnesia
Amnesia
Amnesia is a condition in which one's memory is lost. The causes of amnesia have traditionally been divided into categories. Memory appears to be stored in several parts of the limbic system of the brain, and any condition that interferes with the function of this system can cause amnesia...
due to a computer malfunction. He is immediately contacted by another survivor, Dr. Janice Polito, who guides him to safety before the cabin depressurizes. She demands that he rendezvous with her on deck 4 of the Von Braun. Along the way, the soldier battles the infected crew members. The Many also telepathically communicate with him, attempting to persuade the soldier to join their collective.
After restarting the ship's engine core and purging an elevator shaft, the soldier reaches deck 4 and discovers Polito is dead. He is then confronted by SHODAN
SHODAN
SHODAN is a fictional artificial intelligence and the main antagonist of the cyberpunk first-person shooter/role-playing games System Shock and System Shock 2. She is voiced by game writer and designer Terri Brosius.She is characterized by her megalomania and chaotic, discordant speech...
, a malevolent artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
that devastated Citadel Station, a fictional space station
Space station
A space station is a spacecraft capable of supporting a crew which is designed to remain in space for an extended period of time, and to which other spacecraft can dock. A space station is distinguished from other spacecraft used for human spaceflight by its lack of major propulsion or landing...
, in the previous game. It is revealed she has been posing as Polito to gain the soldier's trust.
She goes on to mention that she is responsible for creating the Many, the results of her bioengineering experiments on Citadel Station. The hacker (System Shock 1) ejected the grove that contained her experiments to prevent them contaminating Earth, an act that also allowed part of SHODAN to survive the events of the first game. The grove crash-landed on Tau Ceti V. While SHODAN went into forced hibernation, The Many evolved beyond her control.
SHODAN issues an ultimatum to the soldier, stating his only chance for survival lies in helping destroy her rebellious creations. Efforts to regain control of XERXES, the main computer on the Von Braun, fail. SHODAN informs the soldier that destroying the Von Braun is their only option, but he must transmit her program to the Rickenbacker first. While en route, the soldier briefly encounters two survivors, Tommy Suarez and Rebecca Siddons, who flee the ship aboard an escape pod.
With the transfer complete, the soldier travels to the Rickenbacker and learns both ships have been enveloped by the infection's source, a gigantic mass of bio-organic tissue. The soldier enters the biomass and destroys its core, stopping the alien infection. SHODAN congratulates the protagonist and informs him of her intentions to merge real space and cyberspace by subverting the reality-altering mechanics of the Von Braun's faster-than-light drive. The soldier confronts SHODAN in cyberspace
Cyberspace
Cyberspace is the electronic medium of computer networks, in which online communication takes place.The term "cyberspace" was first used by the cyberpunk science fiction author William Gibson, though the concept was described somewhat earlier, for example in the Vernor Vinge short story "True...
and defeats her.
The final scene shows Tommy and Rebecca receiving a message from the Von Braun. Tommy responds, saying they will return but Rebecca is acting strange. Rebecca is shown speaking in a voice similar to that of SHODAN, asking Tommy if he "likes her new look", as the screen fades to black.
Development
Looking Glass Studios
Looking Glass Studios was a computer game development company during the 1990s.The company originally formed as Looking Glass Technologies, when Blue Sky Productions and Lerner Research merged....
approached Irrational Games
Irrational Games
Irrational Games is a video game developer founded in 1997 by three former employees of Looking Glass Studios: Ken Levine, Jonathan Chey, and Robert Fermier as Irrational Games...
with an idea to co-develop a new game. The development team were fans of System Shock and sought to create a game with similar elements. Early story ideas were similar to the novella Heart of Darkness
Heart of Darkness
Heart of Darkness is a novella written by Joseph Conrad. Before its 1903 publication, it appeared as a three-part series in Blackwood's Magazine. It was classified by the Modern Library website editors as one of the "100 best novels" and part of the Western canon.The story centres on Charles...
. In an early draft, the player was tasked with assassinating an insane commander on a starship. The title took 18 months to create with a budget of $1.7 million.
The game was pitched to several publishers, and Electronic Arts—who owned the rights to the Shock franchise—responded by suggesting the game become a sequel to System Shock. The team agreed; Electronic Arts became the publisher and story changes were made to incorporate the franchise. The project was allotted one year to be completed. To compensate for the short time frame, the staff began working with Looking Glass Studio's unfinished Dark Engine
Dark Engine
The Dark Engine is the computer game engine used for the Looking Glass Studios games Thief: The Dark Project , Thief II: The Metal Age , and the Looking Glass/Irrational Games title System Shock 2 .-Features:...
, the same engine used to create Thief: The Dark Project
Thief: The Dark Project
Thief: The Dark Project is a 1998 first-person stealth game developed for Windows by Looking Glass Studios and published by Eidos Interactive...
.
The designers wanted RPG elements in the game. Similar to Ultima Underworld, another Looking Glass Studios project, the environment in System Shock 2 is persistent
Persistent world
A persistent world is a virtual world that continues to exist even after a user exits the world and that user-made changes to its state are, to some extent, permanent...
and constantly changes without the player's presence. Paper and pencil RPGs
Paper and pencil game
Paper-and-pencil games are games that can be played solely with paper and pencil .In some board games, including some abstract strategy games like Gomoku, a piece once played will not be moved on the board or removed from the board...
were also influential; the character customization system was based on Traveller's
Traveller (role-playing game)
Traveller is a series of related science fiction role-playing games, the first published in 1977 by Game Designers' Workshop and subsequent editions by various companies remaining in print to this day. The game was inspired from such classic science fiction stories as the Dumarest saga series by...
methodology. In System Shock 2, this design was implemented in the fictional military branches. By allowing multiple character paths, the player could receive a more open-ended gameplay experience.
Horror was a key focus and four major points were identified to successfully incorporate it. Isolation was deemed primary, which resulted in the player having little physical contact with other sentient beings. Secondly, vulnerability was created by focusing on a fragile character, instead of making the player strong. Lastly were the inclusion of moody sound effects and "the intelligent placement of lighting
Lighting
Lighting or illumination is the deliberate application of light to achieve some practical or aesthetic effect. Lighting includes the use of both artificial light sources such as lamps and light fixtures, as well as natural illumination by capturing daylight...
and shadows".
The game's lead designer, Ken Levine, oversaw the return of System Shock villain SHODAN. Part of Levine's design was to ally the player with her, but he also believed game characters were too trusting, stating "good guys are good, bad guys are bad. What you see and perceive is real." Levine sought to challenge this notion by having SHODAN betray the player: "Sometimes characters are betrayed, but the player never is. I wanted to violate that trust and make the player feel that they, and not [only] the character, were led on and deceived." This design choice was controversial with the development team.
Several problems were encountered during the project. Because the team comprised two software companies, tension emerged regarding job assignments. Some developers left the project altogether. Additionally, many employees were largely inexperienced, but in retrospect project manager Jonathan Chey felt this was advantageous, stating "...inexperience also bred enthusiasm and commitment that might not have been present with a more jaded set of developers." The Dark Engine posed problems of its own. It was unfinished, forcing the programmers to fix software bugs when encountered. In contrast, working closely with the engine code
Source code
In computer science, source code is text written using the format and syntax of the programming language that it is being written in. Such a language is specially designed to facilitate the work of computer programmers, who specify the actions to be performed by a computer mostly by writing source...
allowed them to write additional features. Not all setbacks were localized; a demonstration build at E3 was hindered when it was requested all guns be removed from the presentation. This was done in light of the recent Columbine High School massacre
Columbine High School massacre
The Columbine High School massacre occurred on Tuesday, April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School in Columbine, an unincorporated area of Jefferson County, Colorado, United States, near Denver and Littleton. Two senior students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, embarked on a massacre, killing 12...
.
A demo
Game demo
A game demo is a freely distributed demonstration or preview of an upcoming or recently released video game. Demos are typically released by the game's publisher to help consumers get a feel of the game before deciding whether to buy the full version....
for the game, featuring a tutorial and a third of the first mission, was released on August 2, 1999. Nine days later, System Shock 2 was shipped to retailers and received acclaim from numerous critics. An enhancement patch
Patch (computing)
A patch is a piece of software designed to fix problems with, or update a computer program or its supporting data. This includes fixing security vulnerabilities and other bugs, and improving the usability or performance...
was released a month later and added significant features, such as co-operative multiplayer
Cooperative gameplay
Cooperative gameplay is a feature in video games that allows players to work together as teammates. It is distinct from other multiplayer modes, such as competitive multiplayer modes like player versus player or deathmatch...
and control over weapon degradation and enemy respawn
Spawning (computer gaming)
In video games, spawning is the live creation of a character or item. Respawning is the recreation of an entity after its death or destruction....
rates. A port was planned for the Dreamcast, but was subsequently canceled.
Reception
System Shock 2 received over a dozen awards, including seven "Game of the YearGame of the Year
Game of the Year is a title awarded by various magazines, websites, and shows to a deserving game. Many are only for PC or console video games...
" awards by publications, such as Game Revolution
Game Revolution
Game Revolution or GR is a gaming website created in 1996. Based in Berkeley, California, the site includes reviews, previews, a gaming download area, cheats, and a merchandise store, as well as webcomics, screenshots, and videos...
and USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
. Reviews were very positive and lauded the title for its hybrid gameplay, moody sound design, and engaging story. Despite critical acclaim, the title did not sell well.
Many publications praised the title for its open-ended gameplay. With regard to character customization, Trent Ward of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
stated the best element of the RPG system was allowing gamers to "play the game as completely different characters", and felt this made each play-through unique. Erik Reckase writing for Just Adventure agreed, saying “There are very few games that allow you [to] play the way you want”. Alec Norands of Allgame
Allgame
Allgame is a commercial database of information about arcade games, video games and console manufacturers.Allgame is owned by All Media Guide, along with Allmusic and Allmovie....
believed the different character classes made the game “diverse enough to demand instant replayability."
Critics described the game as frightening. Colin of Game Revolution
Game Revolution
Game Revolution or GR is a gaming website created in 1996. Based in Berkeley, California, the site includes reviews, previews, a gaming download area, cheats, and a merchandise store, as well as webcomics, screenshots, and videos...
attested that the game rivaled the terror of Resident Evil 2
Resident Evil 2
Resident Evil 2, known as in Japan, is a survival horror video game originally released for the PlayStation in 1998. Developed by Capcom as the second installment in the Resident Evil series, its story takes place two months after the events of the first game, Resident Evil...
and Silent Hill
Silent Hill
is a survival horror video game series consisting of seven installments published by Konami and its subsidiary Konami Digital Entertainment. The first four games in the series, Silent Hill, Silent Hill 2, 3 and 4, have been developed by an internal factor, Team Silent...
, and felt the game was "brimming with horror”. Computer and Video Games
Computer and video games
A video game is an electronic game that involves human interaction with a user interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. The word video in video game traditionally referred to a raster display device, but following popularization of the term "video game", it now implies any type of...
described the atmosphere as “gripping” and guaranteed readers they would "jump out of [their] skin" numerous times. Norands found the sound design
Sound design
Sound design is the process of specifying, acquiring, manipulating or generating audio elements. It is employed in a variety of disciplines including filmmaking, television production, theatre, sound recording and reproduction, live performance, sound art, post-production and video game software...
particularly effective, calling it “absolutely, teeth-clenchingly disturbing,” while PC Gamer
PC Gamer
PC Gamer is a magazine founded in Britain in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future Publishing. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games magazines in their respective countries...
editor William Harms christened System Shock 2 the most frightening game he had ever played.
Many critics found the weapon degradation system to be irritating. Members of the development team have also expressed misgivings about the system. The RPG system was another point of contention. Desslock of GameSpot described the job system as "badly unbalanced" because the player can develop skills outside their career choice. Norands felt similarly about the system, saying it "leaned towards a hacker character".
Legacy
System Shock 2 is regarded by critics as highly influential, particularly on first-person shooterFirst-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
s and the horror genre. In a retrospective article, Gamespot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
declared the title "well ahead of its time" and stated it "upped the ante in dramatic and mechanical terms" by creating a horrific gameplay experience. Along with Deus Ex
Deus Ex
Deus Ex is an action role-playing game developed by Ion Storm Inc. and published by Eidos Interactive in 2000, which combines gameplay elements of first-person shooters with those of role-playing video games...
, Sid Shuman of GamePro
GamePro
GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
christened System Shock 2 "[one of the] twin barrels of modern FPS innovation," due to its complex role-playing gameplay. IGN writer Cam Shea referred to the game as "another reinvention of the FPS genre", citing the story, characters, and RPG system. The title has been inducted into a number of features listing the greatest games ever made, including ones by Gamespy
GameSpy
GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...
, Edge
Edge (magazine)
Edge is a multi-format computer and video game magazine published by Future Publishing in the United Kingdom. It is known for its industry contacts, editorial stance, distinctive anonymous third-person writing style, yearly awards and longevity....
, IGN, Gamespot, and PC Gamer
PC Gamer
PC Gamer is a magazine founded in Britain in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future Publishing. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games magazines in their respective countries...
.
The return of SHODAN has been observed as an innovation itself. Brad Shoemaker of Gamespot described her revelation to the player as "one of the most shocking and effective video game plot devices" he had ever seen. Her inclusion, Gamespy stated, is what made System Shock 2 "a complete experience instead of just another game." SHODAN has proven to be a popular character among some critics; among these are IGN, Gamespot, and The Phoenix
The Phoenix (newspaper)
The Phoenix is the name of several alternative weekly newspapers published in the United States by Phoenix Media/Communications Group of Boston, Massachusetts including the Boston Phoenix, the Providence Phoenix, the Portland Phoenix and the now-defunct Worcester Phoenix...
.
System Shock 2 has amassed a cult following
Cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
with fans, many of whom have demanded a sequel. Some fans are active in the modding community where collaborations to update the game's graphics take place. One graphical enhancement mod
Mod (computer gaming)
Mod or modification is a term generally applied to personal computer games , especially first-person shooters, role-playing games and real-time strategy games. Mods are made by the general public or a developer, and can be entirely new games in themselves, but mods are not standalone software and...
, entitled Rebirth, replaces many low-polygonal
Low poly
Low poly is a term used to describe a polygon mesh in 3D computer graphics which has a small number of polygons. It is, however, a relative term, usually referring to meshes in real-time applications . That is to contrast them with meshes in animated movies and special effects of the same era...
models
3D modeling
In 3D computer graphics, 3D modeling is the process of developing a mathematical representation of any three-dimensional surface of object via specialized software. The product is called a 3D model...
with higher quality ones. Another mod, the Shock Texture Upgrade Project (SHTUP), significantly increases the resolution
Image resolution
Image resolution is an umbrella term that describes the detail an image holds. The term applies to raster digital images, film images, and other types of images. Higher resolution means more image detail....
of in-game textures
Texture mapping
Texture mapping is a method for adding detail, surface texture , or color to a computer-generated graphic or 3D model. Its application to 3D graphics was pioneered by Dr Edwin Catmull in his Ph.D. thesis of 1974.-Texture mapping:...
. The community at Sshock2, a fan site, have also released a free level editor
Level editor
A level editor is a software tool used to design levels, maps, campaigns, etc and virtual worlds for a video game. In some cases the creator of a video game releases an official level editor for a game, but other times the community of fans step in to fill the void...
entitled ShockEd, which is a repackaged version of Looking Glass Studios' own editor.
In 2007, 2K Boston/2K Australia—previously (and again, as of January 2009) known as Irrational Games
Irrational Games
Irrational Games is a video game developer founded in 1997 by three former employees of Looking Glass Studios: Ken Levine, Jonathan Chey, and Robert Fermier as Irrational Games...
—released a spiritual successor to the System Shock
System Shock
System Shock is a first-person action-adventure video game developed by Looking Glass Technologies and published by Origin Systems. Released in 1994, the game is set aboard the fictional Citadel Station in a cyberpunk vision of 2072...
series, entitled BioShock
Bioshock
BioShock is a first-person shooter video game developed by 2K Boston and designed by Ken Levine. It was released for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 on August 21, 2007 in North America, and three days later in Europe and Australia. It became available on Steam on August 21, 2007...
. The game takes place in an abandoned underwater utopia
Utopia
Utopia is an ideal community or society possessing a perfect socio-politico-legal system. The word was imported from Greek by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book Utopia, describing a fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean. The term has been used to describe both intentional communities that attempt...
n community gone awry through the genetic modification of its populace. The game has been very successful commercially and critically. BioShock shares many gameplay elements with System Shock 2: reconstitution stations can be activated, allowing the player to be resurrected when they die; hacking
Hacker (computer security)
In computer security and everyday language, a hacker is someone who breaks into computers and computer networks. Hackers may be motivated by a multitude of reasons, including profit, protest, or because of the challenge...
, 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. The two titles also share plot similarities and employ audio logs and encounters with ghost
Ghost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
ly apparitions
Apparitional experience
In psychology and parapsychology, an apparitional experience is an anomalous, quasi-perceptual experience.It is characterized by the apparent perception of either a living being or an inanimate object without there being any material stimulus for such a perception...
to reveal backstory.
On January 9, 2006, GameSpot reported that Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
had renewed its trademark protection on the System Shock name, leading to speculation that System Shock 3 might be under development. Three days later, Computer and Video Games
Computer and video games
A video game is an electronic game that involves human interaction with a user interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. The word video in video game traditionally referred to a raster display device, but following popularization of the term "video game", it now implies any type of...
reported a reliable source had come forward and confirmed the title's production. Electronic Arts UK made no comment when confronted with the information. PC Gamer UK expanded these rumors further, stating the team behind The Godfather was charged with its creation. Ken Levine, when asked whether he would helm a third installment, replied "that question is completely out of my hands." He expressed optimism at the prospect of System Shock 3, but was also very critical of Electronic Arts' attitude towards development of the game. As of January 2010, nothing conclusive has been reported regarding the status of the purported project.
As of November 2011, still nothing has been heard on the potential for a sequel.
External links
- Official System Shock 2 website
- System Shock 2 at the Open Directory ProjectOpen Directory ProjectThe Open Directory Project , also known as Dmoz , is a multilingual open content directory of World Wide Web links. It is owned by Netscape but it is constructed and maintained by a community of volunteer editors.ODP uses a hierarchical ontology scheme for organizing site listings...
- System Shock 2 at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
- System Shock 2 at MobyGamesMobyGames-Platforms not yet included:- Further reading :* Rusel DeMaria, Johnny L. Wilson, High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games, McGraw-Hill/Osborne Media; 2 edition , ISBN 0-07-223172-6...