System Shock 2 Review by Charlatan Wonder

[6741d56ce26c2unn_atropos]

°review
Reviewer: Charlatan Wonder

Title: System Shock 1
Duration: 00:20:25
Language: English
Year: 2019
Topics: Lord of the Rings of Video games, solidification of the immersive sim, RPG game at heart, weapons, armor, implants, game rewards exploration, audiologs, enemies (hybrids, mid-wifes, worms, rumblers, robots), Shodan (antagonistic relationship), feeling of insignificance, first stable fps/rpg hybrid, multiple play styles: emergent gameplay, inspiration for: Prey, Dishonored, Bioshock, System Shock 3, comparing System Shock 2 and Bioshock: Comparing System Shock 2 and Bioshock:
Shown Modifications: System Shock°Enhanced°Mac faces

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZtAw6ilQaY

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Comparing System Shock 2 and Bioshock

One must have had some really low standards for Bioshock to have "blown their teenage mind". I don't get it. Even if you were to have little gaming experience prior, or exclusively played all the trash that was being pumped out in the mid-late 2000s (especially in FPS), it's still not that impressive an experience.  Even stranger still when these people play SS2 after and still claim Bioshock to be the superior experience. Sure, if mindless, disjointed and unrewarding gameplay is your thing I guess.
I'm actually quite close with someone like this, also very fond of Bioshock. He doesn't play games often...of course. I think his mindset and expectations of games is just wrong (e.g he doesn't like to be challenged). Also of note: he's a massive stoner and gaming time is more switching off the brain time for him it seems. That's actually at conflict with most dev's design intent, hence my conclusion. It is what it is.

[6741d56ce2d61JDoran]

I didn't watch the video, so I don't know the context of any "blown their teenage mind" comments, but if he/she was referring to the graphics, sound, and atmosphere of the game-world itself, then "blew my mind" would be quite in keeping with other people's comments (back when the game was released, every comment or review about the game that I saw gushed about the aesthetics of the game) especially if they didn't realise or care that the gameplay itself was so cut down from System Shock 2. If, on the other hand, he/she was referring to the gameplay then either he/she is exaggerating or they are very unfamiliar with first person shooters. I like Bioshock a lot, but gameplay-wise it's nothing special, a good but not great game. Bioshock 2 is much better, but again, it's just a first person shooter in a very good coat.

[6741d56ce305dJoin2]

a good but not great game. Bioshock 2 is much better, but again, it's just a first person shooter in a very good coat.

Nah.

[6741d56ce331esarge945]

So many based takes in here.

I also struggled to find Bioshock compelling as a teen. I started playing it immediately after finishing Deus Ex and System Shock 2 for the first time. And it was extremely disappointing as a result.

Certain things like the lack of inventory I could live with. But when I saw how scripted the world was and how basic and dumb the enemy encounter designs were,I gave up playing. I was 13 at the time and was much smarter then than I am now since I've gone back to it a few times since and always ended up abandoning it after the first few levels.