System Shock 1 Review by AesirAesthetics

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°review
Reviewer:  AesirAesthetics

Title: System Shock 1
Duration: 00:18:44
Language: English
Year: 2016
Topics:
Immersion|
- Realism: realistic levels and sound design,
- Tension: hud like in flightsims, undermining the player, ungraceful movement, Retro futurismn, slowing down the player for immersion
- Projection: player psychology→lack of visual fidelity (lack of HD graphics), visual information becomes readable as game progresses, fill the gaps in your mind

Gameplay|
- For worldbuilding: cold cyberpunk logic, revisiting places
- For depth: pioneering emergent gameplay
- For characterization: easy bonding, active involvement, data gathering, best silent protagonist in all of gaming

Story|
- quick story recap, bridge level: conditioning for internal fears, shift to H.R. Giger horror, anticlimatic ending
- structure: three-act structure, narrative arc unfolded through player driven exploration, arc & progress linked: rewarding, conventional narrative but molded to fit the gameplay
- Cyperpunk: scifi game with cyperpunk window dressing, player character past the “heros journey”
- SHODAN & Citadel: clashing of SHODANS (reffered to as “it”) and the players rules, tension of passiveness and underpowerment in a very personal relationship-->atmosphere

Conclusion|
fantastic game, sadly without design documentation, internal consistency

Named Modifications: Enhanced Edition

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaIAuFtF8XM

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