System Shock 2 PC

System Shock 2 Image
Metascore
92

Universal acclaim - based on 20 Critics What's this?

User Score
9.1

Universal acclaim- based on 506 Ratings

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  • Summary: Like System Shock 1, there will be persistent levels (i.e., drop an item on one level, and you could go back later to retrieve it), gameplay elements like logs, inventory, skills, persistent world, leaning, hacking, rpg elements, multiple weapons and enemies, and a compelling storyline.Like System Shock 1, there will be persistent levels (i.e., drop an item on one level, and you could go back later to retrieve it), gameplay elements like logs, inventory, skills, persistent world, leaning, hacking, rpg elements, multiple weapons and enemies, and a compelling storyline. Unlike most other first person shooters, the purpose of System Shock was not to kill everything in sight; nor was it a "find the key to move onto the next level" game. The plot was always present, but not so confining as in traditional shooters - there was almost always more than one task to accomplish. Levels were realistically designed and had logical reasons behind them. It is the principle of System Shock 2 to continue this game design. [sshock2.com] Expand
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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 20
  3. Negative: 0 out of 20
  1. 100
    The first game was an undeniable classic that could easily be ruined in the wrong hands. We're here to tell you to pack those fears away in a box because this is the dream sequel.
  2. Irrational Games and Looking Glass have produced one of the best games I've ever played. System Shock 2 is truly scary, smart, challenging, fascinating, and disturbing. I recommend it to any adventurous adventure player.
  3. If playing games is more of a religion than a hobby to you, meet your new bible...System Shock 2 will scare the hell right out of you -- and you'll like it for that reason.
  4. Simply put, the creepy atmosphere is incredible. Forget those survival horror games full of cheap scares and dark alleys. System Shock 2 manages to frighten without succumbing to horror contrivances. Considering this game is six years old, it truly is an achievement. [Aug 2005]
  5. A gaming triumph...More astonishingly, they've created a system of classes and abilities that are so varied that there's a compelling reason to actually play through the game more than once.
  6. A frightening game to the point that I found myself having to take breaks from playing just to ease the tension in my shoulders.
  7. Utterly immersive in its use of character attachment and amnesiac story-telling, it is a game that will honestly give you the sweats...It's all about replacing your shorts every half-hour or so.

See all 20 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 94 out of 101
  2. Negative: 3 out of 101
  1. TheHacker
    Aug 14, 2006
    10
    System Shock 2 received a lukewarm market reception and suffered from the closing of its development studio shortly after release. Despite System Shock 2 received a lukewarm market reception and suffered from the closing of its development studio shortly after release. Despite the obvious troubles Looking Glass were experiencing financially, System Shock 2 was released to universal critical acclaim. And rightly so. Every element of this Science Fiction FPS/RPG is so close to perfection it is almost a religious experience to behold. [***SPOILERS***] Your journey through the halls of the Von Braun on her maiden voyage gone awry is one of wonder, excitement, trepidation and outright terror, all convincingly fit into an RPG that was (for its time) uniquely set in the first person without feeling shoehorned. Character building is balanced, rewarding and essentially requires enough thought and planning to satisfy RPG fanatics without being inaccessible to fans of the more arcade style FPS genre. The interface is clean, clear, informative and functional. Each item has a complete text file attached giving its history, stat requirements and method of use, giving a sense of depth to the System Shock universe and even filling many story gaps from the previous game. The storyline is rich, detailed and full of the kind of incidental information that makes the Lord of the Rings feel like a living breathing world. As mentioned above, each and every item, from weapons and health items to potted plants and bottles of whisky have their own lovingly crafted place in the overarching plot of the System Shock world. Gameplay is closely linked to the main story and follows as a direct sequel to the original game in a manner that would make most Hollywood script writers embarrassed of their work. Each morsel of storyline, sparingly fed to you throughout the game, is like a treasure uncovered, another piece of the jigsaw slotted into place. Coupled with satisfyingly cerebral and often intense combat in both the ranged and melee departments, it still stands out as one of the most well crafted FPS games in existence. Sound is a standout feature, with an attention to detail more acute than is given to entire games. The low hum of machinery, the various computer noises, the inane chatter of the ship's droids and the tormented ramblings of your ill-fated crewmates will all conspire to build a tension so thick that it becomes almost unbearable. Much of the story is told through audio logs from dead or missing crewmates and the voice acting must be heard to be believed. If even one quarter of the games released today had this quality of voice acting, the gaming industry would be a much better place. The single drawback of System Shock 2 is in the graphical department. Whilst the concept design of the Von Braun, the items and the creatures which inhabit the ship are of exceptional quality, the Dark engine didn't allow the game to be a shining example of graphical prowess, even at release. That said, everything is functional and well made, but the low number of polys on the characters is a drawback, however small. System Shock 2 is easily one of the best games ever produced in this world or any other. Smart, tense action backed up by a surprisingly deep character development system makes this the ultimate 'thinking man's shooter' and will be no doubt held in the hearts of gamers as an overlooked gem for many years. Expand
  2. Feb 9, 2011
    10
    This is one of the greatest and underrated PC games of all time, simply terrifying to play with its unparalleled level of ambient horror thisThis is one of the greatest and underrated PC games of all time, simply terrifying to play with its unparalleled level of ambient horror this is the RPS that defined the genre and has set the standard for future games in this category. Dead Space/Bioshock/Deus Ex - all the others stem from SS2 and it's no surprise why.
    The gameplay is superior to SS1 and the sound and voice acting are some of, if not the best I have ever heard in my years of gaming. To me reviewing this in 2011 after playing it for about 8 years - this is the pinnacle of PC gaming and if you can get your hands on a copy and get it running then you are in for a world of horrific joy!
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  3. PeteD
    Feb 17, 2008
    10
    All I can say, is that I love this game so much, that if I were to win the lottery, I would hunt down all the previous developers of thisAll I can say, is that I love this game so much, that if I were to win the lottery, I would hunt down all the previous developers of this game, and hire them to make a system shock 3. I would then publish it, and the computer gaming world would be sent into a frenzy. Nobody would be able to get enough of it, because it would be the most perfect game ever made. And this version would have the multiplayer built in, in an easy to use way.
    One of my absolute top 10, no, top 5 games.
    I'm wanting to play this game again, but it doesn't run on my new computer. Dumb new technology...
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  4. Apr 1, 2013
    10
    Nothing short of the best game I have ever played, and ive played a fecking LOT of games. Sadly, they just don't make them like this anymore.Nothing short of the best game I have ever played, and ive played a fecking LOT of games. Sadly, they just don't make them like this anymore. While modern games look prettier, and are far more technically accomplished, none of them are half as immersive as this game was and still is to this day. Everyone should give this game a chance and try to look past its age visuals, because it truly is one of the greatest games every developed. Expand
  5. May 17, 2013
    10
    Cela faisait plusieurs années que j'avais entendu parler de Sytem Shock 2. Atmosphère stressante, voix intimidantes et bien réalisés, systèmeCela faisait plusieurs années que j'avais entendu parler de Sytem Shock 2. Atmosphère stressante, voix intimidantes et bien réalisés, système de RPG excellent, je n'entendais que du bon de ce jeu. J'ai pus enfin me le procurer résemment et me suis empressé d'y jouer. Sérieusement, mes attentes furent emplements atteintes! Je n'es jamais fais de review avant, mais pour System Shock 2 il fallait que je le fasse.

    -Le jeu immerse le joueur en le poussant s'investir dans l'exploration du Van Braun. Il n'y a pas de gros indicateur dans l'écran pour vous dire où aller comme la plus part des jeux d'aujourd'hui, non, vous devez lire et bien écouter ce qu'on vous dit pour trouver ce que vous aller devoir chercher, l'exploration rapporte gros dans ce jeu. Certains détails comme prendre une arme sur le sol pour la décharger de ses munitions avant de la reposer sur le sol apporte un certains réalisme au côté survie du jeu.

    -Les ennemies comme les mutants, cyborg, robots, araignés et Intelligence Artificielle diaboliques qui habitent le vaisseau vous ferons ressentir un sentiment de solitude et de danger oppressant, surtout parce que vous n'êtes pas équiper comme un commando et qu'économiser ses balles et médecines est nécessaire. Les voix sont de vrais merveilles, je suis franchement impressionné par celle de "The Many" et particulièrement celle de SHODAN.

    -Le côté RPG est excellent. Vous devrez user de votre tête pour déterminé quoi améliorer travers les compétences qui vont de hacking réparation, armes feux ou pouvoirs psychiques. La multitude de compétences augmenter vous permettra d'avoir différentes approches chaque fois que vous rejouerez. Qui dit RPG dit inventaire. Un peu comme Diablo ou Resident Evil 4, vous devrez placer vos différents objets dans de multiples cases et parfois même devoirs faire du rangement pour pouvoir y mettre un item de plus. Ce n'est pas nécessairement une corvée car malgré le grand nombre d'objets disponible, vous aurez bien souvent assé de place pour ce que vous voulez.

    -L'arsenal de notre héros est simple, mais intéressante. Vous avez 4 catégorie d'armes:
    Standard Pistolet, fusil pompe et fusil d'assault.
    Lourd Lance-greandes, fusil fusion et générateur de champs magnétiques.
    Énergie Épée laser, pistolet laser et fusil EMP.
    Éxotiques Crystal, Viral Proliferator et l'anelid lanceur de vers infectés.
    À vous de voir ce qui vous plaira. Chaque catégorie approte différentes tactiques.

    -La musique est bien souvent électronique et rythmé. Elle vous préparera mentalement exterminer tout danger qui osera vous défier. (Cela ne veut pas dire que vous pouvez tirer partout comme un fou haha).

    -Les graphiques ont un peu mal vieillit. Il ne sont pas d'est plus affreux, mais même en 1999 il se faisait mieux. Des taches de sang sur le sol, des ordinateur mise en pièces, des murs marqué de griffures énormes rendent l'environnement plus réel et l'on peut facile s'imaginer quel genre de massacre il y a eu dans les couloirs du Van Braun. *Des mods sont disponibles pour améliorer l'apparence des personnages et les textures de l'environnement. Vous trouverez tout rapidement sur google.

    -Les contrôles sont un peu diffciles commencement, mais après une heure y jouer vous n'aurez plus aucun problème rapidement aller dans votre inventaire, utiliser un objet, changer d'arme ou de munitions et vérifier vos objectifs. N'utiliser pas de manette, le jeu été fait pour la souris et le clavier.

    -Le level design peut paraître labyrinthique et se perdre peut arriver, mais si vous jeter de rapides coup d'oeil votre map et vous assurez de bien savoir les informations relié votre objectif, tout ira bien. Une mini-map peut être afficher si vous cocher l'option disponible quand vous regarder votre map. Le Van Braun est ÉNORME. On se sent tout petit dans cet énorme vaisseau et cela immerse vraiment le joueur. Des couloirs, des laboratoires, des chambres et salles de mahcines, il y a de tout!

    System Shock 2 en vaut vraiment la peine, c'est une expérience vivre et moins de 10$ sur Steam, vous seriez fou de passer coté. J'espère que mon review vous a plus, merci.
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  6. Oct 16, 2014
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. System Shock 2 is not only one of the best games I've ever played but it's one of the scariest as well.
    This game has every thing a good should have, a great story, great atmosphere, terrific voice action, great gameplay, a great tutorial level, real scares, great level design, and one of the best plot twists ever. The plot twist is so big it easily rivals Bioshock infinite's ending.
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  7. ShawnDarichuk
    Jul 9, 2008
    0
    This game is broken to the point of being unplayable. I don't get a gun when I start, I'm told that I can't even use the gun IThis game is broken to the point of being unplayable. I don't get a gun when I start, I'm told that I can't even use the gun I just found (because people in the military don't know what guns are), and my only weapon is a wrench. Wow, isn't that fun.
    Easily the worst PC game ever made.
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See all 101 User Reviews