°review
Reviewer: Leadhead

Title: System Shock 2
Language: English
Year: 2019
Named Modifications: none

Part 1: Constant regret
Duration: 00:07:20
Topics: how did Irrational Games achieve overarching feel of the game?
- comparison to RPG System of the Resident Evil series: every fired bullet feels like a wrong but necessary mistake, System Shock 2 denies power trips
- Cybermods: gradual upgrading and (weapon) specialisation: sowing doubt, slippery slope
- combination of exotic weapons and psi
- Game stirs fear of freedom. Leading to regret

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfOJSn0JYvc

Part 2: Inconceivable Isolation
Duration: 00:21:15
Named Modifications: none
Topics:
- mfd: game does not pausing creates immersion
- integrated respawn system
- developers created intentional feeling of abandonment, lack of concern for player: practical architecture and focus on believeability, no hand holding
- audiologs telling what is at stake →Prey, telepathic messages by the many, many never lies to the player vs SHODANS betrayals (dead of delacroix in the shuttle bay)
- incredible worldbuilding: item descriptions: beakers and cigaretts-→ use of use of literature as a story telli8ng device in computer games
- players relation to SHODAN: voice of Polito is a seed of distrust leading to SHODAN reveal after which the player must consider SHODAN the lesser of two evils
- great but cheesy cliffhanger ending. Leadhead’s ending
- game holds up and is timeless

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJMg_sq0FDo

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