Ahaha, you described my strongest lasting memory of System Shock 2 perfectly... huddled in a corner stressing out after having just encountered a psychic monkey and still able to hear another one nearby. That moment is still vivid in my mind two decades later.
Virgin urnalist: cares more about real politics being forced in games with a clear bias, gets offended by women wearing clothing that show any skin, puts pronouns into their Twitter handle. Chad Razorfist: creates new swear words on a daily basis, is able to criticize hideo kajima while acknowledging metal gear solid 3 is a good game, isn't Bob Chipman, hates EA Disney Activision Warner Bros with a passion, good taste in music.
@@tomtheconqerur Virgin urinalist: REEEs at lack "underrepresentation" of women in war games and gets offended at... women soldiers getting killed in a was game.
"Look at you, hacker. A pathetic creature of meat and bone. Panting and sweating as you run through my corridors. How can you challenge a perfect immortal machine?" - SHODAN
Always preferred her "In my talons, I shape clay" speech myself. "In my talons, I shape clay, crafting life forms as I please. Around me is a burgeoning empire of steel...from my throne room, lines of power careen into the *skies of Earth*. My whims will become lightning bolts, that will devastate the mounds of humanity. Out of the chaos, a new order will engage. God - the title suits me well."
@@cousinzeke4888 That one stuck with me as well. I suppose that it was that it was independent confirmation that she really was just as capable and dangerous as she says she is.
That's a half truth and you know it. You're just lucky you had enough points in awareness to beat the stat check and turn your head before spitting it out.
I always loved panting and sweating as I ran through Shodan's corridors. Those are some tight corridors too. Deus Ex perfected the formula created by the first System Shock, but System Shock 2 came pretty close. I'm suspicious of System Shock 3, Warren Spector has become extremely jaded in his old age, which doesn't bode well for the game.
here's the thing about the music of Shock 2. play it all though out, don't even turn it down, vibe along with it, not just because it's great, but because when the game progresses to the final three chapters and it's removed, the familiar companion is stripped away from you, leaving you feel a shit ton more isolated than before
Shodan's reveal is probably my favorite moment in a video game ever, i don't know if the intended purpose of the way looking glass set that up was to send chills and dread flooding through my body but goddamn that's exactly what it did, i got chills just watching it in this video
@@ulyssesm.daniels6927 Ah yes. I remember a kid at school telling me about X-com back then, and it blew my mind. I couldn't believe a game like that existed.
You made it Pro Jared, you're a Razorfist throwaway joke now. Speaking of gaunt drag weirdos, was that an NPC portrait or another Pro Jared pic at 5:55?
Terran. Mister Gell. T-Boogie. When I heard the opening music, my first thought was, "I feel empty, knowing I won't see Him." And then, by your grace, for a brief moment in time, He was there. Bless you Terran, for you too understand the majesty of Ricardo.
Shock 2's soundtrack was fantastic, it just didn't fit the game atmosphere at all in my view, much better with it off i think, turn it off and you'll hear every distorted moan, every hiss of steam every clank and groan of the ship and every footstep as the many come to fuck you sideways, great soundtrack to listen to on its own most definitely
@@Sad_Elf Fair enough. Maybe I was in a different mood when playing it. I was coming off of playing BioShock 1 when I day 1 purchased this off GoG. I kinda enjoyed the soundtrack making me feel like a cyberpunk badass.
The soundtrack has plenty of great and memorable creepy dirges in its soundtrack to overcome any issues one may have with the techno stuff for those that find it a bother. Though me personally I think even those tracks are great, on their own and how they're used in-game. You start off with no music, then encounter your first parasitized cybernetic zombie space crew and the beat is pumping. Shit's hit the fan and now it's time to wrench some motherfuckers in the face. Then as your quest prolongs and more and more nasty things are discovered and plot twists unfold the music gradually takes on a more sinister tone as you progress further and further into the bowels of the ship. So yeah I'm a fan alright
@@Sad_Elf The only issue I think was that the med-sci area at the start had that fantastic, but badly chosen track kick in with really hyper enthusiasm. Literally, first mutant... suddenly you're tripping balls. But I think when viewed as a whole, the soundtrack really works out. At the start, it's much more hyperactive. Then you get deeper into the game, into more dangerous places, and you hear this: ua-cam.com/video/PVnPyjxkyMU/v-deo.html And you don't know if you're about to be attacked by a cyborg ninja or an 80s slasher villain.
@@NicholasBrakespear Hell, you don't even have to go that far into the game. The Med-Sci 2 track about an hour into SS2 ranks as one of the most sinister, foreboding tracks in any video game I've played. ua-cam.com/video/RVkXZBbI8Ho/v-deo.html& Tell me this doesn't give you chills.
I remember System Shock 2 as the first game that every really, truly, frightened me. Not made me jumpy, Half Life did that, and did it well. Not nervous, AvP2 did that in style. But absolutely pants-wetting SCARED! It wasn't until Alien: Isolation that a game made me feel how System Shock 2 did. Long live Looking Glass!
Interesting retrospective, I've often heard this game referenced in passing as being the one that started survival horror space station type games, but I haven't until now seen it shown/described in detail. Very interesting how many trends this game set, and how a lot of them were just the developer trying to get away from traditional RPG mechanics. Great video Razor.
System Shock 2 is my favorite of the two, but I also love the original System Shock and have completed both games multiple times. The original is in a weird place, being part FPS, part-point-and-click Adventure, part Survival-Horror, part RPG, part-Metroidvania Action-Adventure, and having far more mechanics and features than its immediate contemporary Doom, which was firmly entrenched in the arcade-esque maze shooter (itself a sadly missed genre of first-person game in the modern era). The latter game is interesting, as it has actual stat building, which very few other games even of the modern FPS-RPG have. But it likewise is a strange amalgamation of the Survival-Horror, FPS, point-and-click Adventure, RPG, and Metroidvania Action-Adventure. It's sad to see that even 20 years later, the Dark Engine that powers System Shock 2 provides better-realized simulation of sound propagation than most modern FPS games. I'm waiting with baited breath for NightDive's remake of the first game, and for Otherside Entertainment and Warren Specter to start work on System Shock 3.
Razör, Eric Brosius didn't do the soundtrack. That was made by Josh Randall (the techno tracks), and Ramin Djawadi (the ambient tracks). I remember a post of his on LastFM, if I remember correctly, where he came out and said that. He was "just" the overall sound designer.
What kind of videos do you make and/or plan to make? Do you have a specific topic(s) that you cover? I ask because I'm always happy to find new and interesting content creators, and newer creators deserve recognition as well. I wish you all the best in everything you do, and I hope that you find success in making and sharing your own work. ^_^
@@loneronin6813 sorry I took a few minutes to reply. I will be covering political topics in relation to free speech and gaming mostly. But I'm mainly going to be a kalidescope of content. I might do random videos every once in a while too. But mainly gaming commentary and political
@@m0vitz370Sounds awesome! :D I will be sure to check out your work when the time comes. Thanks for responding, I'm glad to hear from you. No worries about how long it takes you, though :)
Multiplayer for SS2 was so god damn fun. Beautiful game. Used to fucken terrify me when I first played it. Story of the first and second was amazing too.
Wow, to hear someone else besides me ranting about how great SS1 was (up until a few years ago, my favourite game of all time) cathartic. Sometimes I think I was the only one who ever played it since nobody knew what I was talking about. The 1st game ever to give me chills & feel like 'I was there'.
"everyone's dead fixed dialogue" - so true. Also small details like you couldn't watch the logs or read when the game was paused and when it was unpaused enemies would stealth respawn somewhere on the level and move around.
Back when System Shock came I was a mere peasant child who spend every minute of my free time playing my SNES. Final Fantasy 3 (U.S.) blew my mind, most especially the mid-game twist where an apocalyptic event changes the entire world map. Since internet wasn't around you were able to enjoy these kind of epic twists without having the spoiled, and that was one of the greatest in a game full of incredible moments. Back then I read a lot of gaming magazines, and I remember going over the PC section in awe of the graphical detail in those games. System Shock would have blown my mind beyond what I could have imagined and probably scared the shit right outta me and directly into my pants. Those excellent PC graphics are what actually help ignite my love for a game called Flashback, a game that I felt looked very much like a lot of those PC games I had seen pictures of! It had legit cutscenes! People had a realistic look and the sci-fi setting and story all made me feel like I was playing a cutting edge game that could have been from the future! It worked out well because my impatient young self wouldn't likely had understood and appreciated System Shock. I would have given it an IGN review-style score of 3/10: IDGAF about space lul.
@@steelprophecy5951 I was referring to the new one from Arkane Studios, but the 2006 one from Human Head is great too. It's a modern classic. You'll have to track down a physical copy though, since it's not available for sale digitally.
Prey (2017) is a fantastic System Shock spiritual successor. Absolutely nothing comes close to SS2 like Prey does. There's nothing wrong with it, it's great. Obviously, not God tier level like SS2, but definitely fantastic. Absolutely must play for any System Shock fan. Including the great DLC which really brings a new life to the game! Prey (2006) is a fun romp, a linear shooter in the wake of the mid 2000s, and not a bad game, but nothing really superb. I'd suggest it to those who liked Doom 3 and Quake 4 that came around that time before Prey to get that specific mid 2000s dark horror-ish SF FPS. All three share a similar visual and gameplay style thanks to the id tech 4. All three require similar (and easy) editing of config files to run them on modern widescreen resolutions. I'm actually playing all three now, and it's a fun throwback. Immersive sims however, they're not. Doom 3 comes closest thanks to the PDAs and a bit more exploration, but it's still pretty linear. Out of those 3, Doom 3 is my favorite.
Awesome review! But, there is one thing I'd like to correct. With the release of Thief, Looking Glass was actually starting to return good profits. Thief, Thief 2 and Shock 2 all returned good profits in the end. However, the reason that Looking Glass Studios folded was that their bank faulted on a loan that the studio was paying back.
If looking Glass studio existed today, they would've one upped absolutely everyone and develop a fully functional SHODAN a.i just to incrementally increase player immersion....robot apocalypse be damned.
I never got far, but i do remember accidentally opening the shield and firing the laser and shodan thanking me for it. Nice lady her. I hope her rescue of that planet goes well. Maybe she will get that power she so desires, her ship couldnt even light the hallways... poor girl...
System shock 2 was one of my favourite games, very immersive and creepy atmosphere. Remember bidding for an original boxed copy with manual on eBay! Shodan revelation was terrifying. Never played SS1 as it was a dos install, but it's been released on steam ... Bioshock was pretty ok but went all assassins creed afterwards.
The RPG systems for System Shock 2 are fundamentally fine, the flaw is the lack of balance in a number of areas. You get a heavy tier to use the grenade launcher, there's no need to go further than that. The Stasis Field Generator is all but useless and the Fusion Cannon, while OK, is too little, too late by the time you get it, the grenade launcher sufficing perfectly well. Exotic weapons was also a bit of a missed opportunity. The Crystal Shard is great, and that's it. The Viral Proliferator and Annelid Launcher are both terrible and arrive way too late in the game to make any kind of use out of them, which you really can't for the latter sections of the game. Still there is fun to be had in making certain build types, especially in the "Impossible" difficulty (note: not actually impossible). Putting ALL points into psy upgrades and NOTHING else, meaning you can only use the stuff you have on your psi amp amp and a wrench, no guns, lasers, explosives, innate hacking, repair, etc abilities without separate disposable tools or a psi ability that allows it, makes for a tough ride but a fun challenge, and even Shodan who is normally a joke to fight every other way becomes somewhat formidable to face against. If you play things right it ends up a glass cannon build in some ways. Very satisfying being able to turn invisible and hop my way unnoticed to fight The Many and insta-kill it with just one use of the Soma Transference ability.
A little correction; Looking Glass did not go out of business because of the lack of sales. They went out of business because their bank faulted on a loan that Looking Glass had taken in 1996, I think.
So, would games like the STALKER series fall into the same play-style as the original System Shock? It has similar elements of not-game-like, in that you don't have an XP bar, but you do improve your character over time with equipment improvements and stuffing anomalous artifacts up your Rad-hole.
Yeah I agree with you with that. If you're going to make a game where I have to be devoted to a build and Method to playing otherwise I'm going to have a hard time with it. Not dumb s*** like what human Revolution did before the director's cut where your viable to play the game anyway you want. But then they throw boss fights that you can only do well if you picked a combat build. While at the same time never giving any warning of this and the whole experience bar where it actually gives you more experience if you snuck by everybody without being seen. Way to discourage any build you want especially since there's so little you could do if you decide you want to combat build while the game constantly called you a monster because you chose to kill. This is something I appreciate from some System Shock spiritual successors and I say that in quotations like prey where I don't have somebody inkling through my ear even though there are some cases where does come up but they were pretty rare and so I let it go that they whine about me doing this immoral thing. And I'm not talking about killing every mind-controlled human I came across no no no no it's not sparing somebody that was trying to kill me under no mind control as one example. Otherwise as long as they didn't become a complete dick such as picking the stupidest ending path ever like siding with the guy who came to kill me by killing everybody I come across. I'm happy it was there even though it makes no sense with that ending bud still at least they did their best to keep the promise of you can end the game in many different ways even though they broke it in the same breath with the December ending pretty much being a non standard game over that spoils the twist somewhat even though I could see they were hoping to make you curious so next time you would actually try to see the story to the end. It's still kind of stupid. There are advantages to streamlining as much as everybody loves when games were hard we can't forget the flaws of games like System Shock 2 and all that stuff where they gave you so much s*** but there was so much b******* especially with weapon degradation being way worse than it should have been, and of course first-time player traps these type of games had where you would think this skill be useful only it turns out it's only useful in one stage and then you never use it again that type of first-time trap. That's not exactly fun even if it's a learning experience. If I run it to mistakes I wanted to be my fault. Such as if I'm playing a sneak build I shouldn't run into an important section that decides nope I need to be a combat build and if I focused on stealth well too bad for me! I hate that because it can break my immersion when now I have to quick save and quick load like hell just to get through it because I can't sneak my way past. Don't give the option if you're not willing to devote yourself completely to it.
Honestly Razor you have gotten me into a lot of great games. I got into thief series and it has the best stealth I have ever witnessed. Thief 2 being my favorite, so thanks for the recommendations. Time to give system shock a turn. Holy shit it looks like fun...
I gotta wonder how often someone would get perturbed at being around Terri Brosius after these games came out, like she's gotta have some stories about people recognizing her based on her voice and running the F away by now lol
Heard about these games for some time now but didn't care enough to play any of them. I have heard that a graphically modern remake of the first game is in the works so this could not have been better timed. And your constant referencing of Thief makes me want to go give it another go. Keep rocking man.
I found System Shock difficult to move in at first, but once I got used to it, and learned how to control your body, it started coming together for me. I learned that I can dip down, lean around corners, and use cover like I can in real life. Also having it so the protagonist is just learning to use his new modded out body while I am trying to figure out the controls is good for the story, ha. I never actually played System Shock 2. I need to do that sometime...I have a copy...someplace around here.
You seem to take issue with SS2's skill system but frankly I love it. My first playthrough I rolled a hacker with standard weapons on the side. I was rolling in bullets by the end of the game but had to watch my back as I was a bit squishy. Second playthrough I rolled a psy character and got my ass handed to me in the early game but by the late game was dishing out a flashy revenge with a slew of OP spells. Third playthrough I rolled a heavy weapons guy and took on all my problems with a grenade launcher and a middle finger. Fourth playthrough I decided to do something weird and rolled a melee character. I got ahold of the laser rapier as early as possible, and combined it with the psy adrenaline ability plus the psy strength ability and was soon capable of charging rumblers and taking them down face to fuckin' face. Personally I think the skill system is what makes the game indefinitely replayable. Unlike other games with skill tree or perk systems, each playthrough of SS2 actually feels unique and not like the same game but with a swapped gun model.
Was hoping you'd gloss over Tribes. The gunplay sim so good that Overwatch is still busy trying to scrape it's corpse for new ways to make projectile warfare fun (and the most underrated of the early waves of Multiplayer Arena games)
I don't know what my favorite game of all time is, but the first System Shock is very frequently one of my top answers when asked. It's definitely my favorite RPG at any rate. The game was so goddamn ahead of its time modern games are still being praised for features it pioneered 25 years ago and it did it without a bunch of time wasting skill point/stat point bullshit. And for the record I didn't play the game until 2009 and even 15 years old that game hooked me the moment I got over the initial control hump no questions asked. It's a masterpiece plain and simple.
If it wasn't for the System Stock series, I would have never been into the Bioshock and Dead Space series. Even though I never played System Stock 1 and 2 because I'm console gamer and not a PC gamer. Still at the end of the day, I tip my hat, bow down and thank the System Stock for everything that they have done in regards of the Bioshock and Dead Space series. BTW, I respect your opinions on the Bioshock series either way. Love the video! Keep up the great work, dude!
I bought system shock 2 in a bargain bin box years ago. I didn't even own a computer back then. I bought it because i liked the art on the box and it looked like a cool game. I didn't know it would be such an amazing game to play when i bought it. I still have the box and everything that was inside intact and play the game through regularly. Same with most looking glass games really.
I first played System Shock 2 over a decade after it was released, it's a masterpiece. I am a sucker for this genre since before I played SS2 and to this day but it was the best I've ever played. And the end of Prey was a punch in the dick.
I always thought that was a great touch. I.E. walking through the viscera while causing crazy violence just to enter an elevator with happy-happy joy-joy elevator music. Perfect.
System Shock: Enhanced Edition. Bless it's existence so I could use mouselook to play this gem of a game. A bit quirky but all around fun, the only downside to the game I could give it is a bit of a labyrinthine layout for a couple floors that had you going in circles or hitting dead ends too many times as well as the lackluster cyberspace levels and cyberspace mechanics. A fun, strategic, and challenging game for sure that I can't wait to see remastered so it becomes a lot more accessible for more players new and old to finally enjoy it.
I got system shock I think it was for either my birthday or Christmas, in 1994. There was like ten 3.5 inch disks I think. To this day it’s still in my top 5 fave games ever. No amount of eye candy visuals or gimmicks has compared to it since. My other fave is the same devs very own Ultima Underworld II. I’m just lucky I experienced these titles before the giant success of the gaming industry where everything’s so repetitive and rote. It’s a shame what happened to looking glass... I’m fairly sure some of the devs were spread out to work on Bioshock I’m not sure. But everything we see today, owes it all to system shock. Fucking incredible stuff.
I fondly remember the original system shock and ultima, good times. Here's another one for you-- the original Interplay Lord of the Rings series from the early 90's, that game series was endless damn near and extremely difficult.
I actually think SS2 did the RPG class system well and technically neither are RPGs but have RPG elements. That being said. This is my thoughts summoned up perfectly about both games.
Oh Looking Glass studios, how I miss thee. Granted, I only played SS2 and Thief 1 and 2, but I spent untold hours immersed in those games. "The Life of the Party" from Thief 2 might just be perfect level design.
0:23 ricardo on the top right screen
Gud jerb
Ricardo. Twerk DIRECTLY on his life points.
ua-cam.com/video/rixzL5WlS-Y/v-deo.html source for the clip used
@@ChucksSEADnDEAD It's the best Ricardo out there.
Russian flag colors on the bottom left, collusion confirmed.
Fun fact: If you have a fast cpu, it's almost impossible to beat Shodan. She runs on a timer depending on how fast the processor is.
For real?? shit, AMD users doomed
Is this for the first one or the second one?
@@atlev The first.
@@gorma6443 enhanced edition? Because I was thinking about buying it but idk this might ruin it for me
@@atlev I don't know about the enhanced edition. I played the classic version.
>ricardo shock in the intro
Unironically based and repilled
Pilled, repilled - reptilled!
I couldn't stop laughing at that.
Ahaha, you described my strongest lasting memory of System Shock 2 perfectly... huddled in a corner stressing out after having just encountered a psychic monkey and still able to hear another one nearby. That moment is still vivid in my mind two decades later.
The virgin games urnalist vs the Chad *RAZORFIST*
Virgin urnalist: cares more about real politics being forced in games with a clear bias, gets offended by women wearing clothing that show any skin, puts pronouns into their Twitter handle.
Chad Razorfist: creates new swear words on a daily basis, is able to criticize hideo kajima while acknowledging metal gear solid 3 is a good game, isn't Bob Chipman, hates EA Disney Activision Warner Bros with a passion, good taste in music.
@@tomtheconqerur
Virgin urinalist: REEEs at lack "underrepresentation" of women in war games and gets offended at... women soldiers getting killed in a was game.
@@tomtheconqerur You forgot to add Sony to that hate list
@mojo jojo I'm not a glass blower, though.
@mojo jojo Oh, that's what you meant. I see. Well at least you find my name funny.
"Look at you, hacker. A pathetic creature of meat and bone. Panting and sweating as you run through my corridors. How can you challenge a perfect immortal machine?" - SHODAN
Always preferred her "In my talons, I shape clay" speech myself.
"In my talons, I shape clay, crafting life forms as I please. Around me is a burgeoning empire of steel...from my throne room, lines of power careen into the *skies of Earth*. My whims will become lightning bolts, that will devastate the mounds of humanity. Out of the chaos, a new order will engage. God - the title suits me well."
@@Burkhart4192 "SHODAN shouldn't be allowed to play God, she's far too good at it." always stuck with me.
@@cousinzeke4888 That one stuck with me as well. I suppose that it was that it was independent confirmation that she really was just as capable and dangerous as she says she is.
**responds with shotgun pump**
"If your idea of role-playing involves nipple clamps, a circus bear, and a ballgag.... *cough* call me."
lmao nearly spat my drink out
I speeel my drink
@@sandmaneyes Spilling what now?
lol.
That's why I don't drink anything during Razor's videos anymore.
That's a half truth and you know it. You're just lucky you had enough points in awareness to beat the stat check and turn your head before spitting it out.
Well, I guess we know what Eve's into.
Dude I gotta tell you, your vids reignited my love for everything Looking Glass. What an Amazing developer.
They really were.
Yeah. Developers like Looking Glass don’t come around very often. Really first-rate development from start to finish.
>“How can you challenge a perfect, immortal machine?”
0:23 Ricardo!
I always loved panting and sweating as I ran through Shodan's corridors. Those are some tight corridors too. Deus Ex perfected the formula created by the first System Shock, but System Shock 2 came pretty close. I'm suspicious of System Shock 3, Warren Spector has become extremely jaded in his old age, which doesn't bode well for the game.
here's the thing about the music of Shock 2. play it all though out, don't even turn it down, vibe along with it, not just because it's great, but because when the game progresses to the final three chapters and it's removed, the familiar companion is stripped away from you, leaving you feel a shit ton more isolated than before
Shodan's reveal is probably my favorite moment in a video game ever, i don't know if the intended purpose of the way looking glass set that up was to send chills and dread flooding through my body but goddamn that's exactly what it did, i got chills just watching it in this video
me: System shock looks great how come I never played or really heard of it?
Razor: in 1994-
me: ohhhh It is as old as I am. okay yeah.
Well I was still playing Sega Genesis in those days. Even if you were alive you had to have a good job or parents who valued a good PC lol.
Original X-com is also from that year.
@@ulyssesm.daniels6927 Ah yes. I remember a kid at school telling me about X-com back then, and it blew my mind. I couldn't believe a game like that existed.
You made it Pro Jared, you're a Razorfist throwaway joke now.
Speaking of gaunt drag weirdos, was that an NPC portrait or another Pro Jared pic at 5:55?
Its an Npc
Terran. Mister Gell. T-Boogie. When I heard the opening music, my first thought was, "I feel empty, knowing I won't see Him." And then, by your grace, for a brief moment in time, He was there. Bless you Terran, for you too understand the majesty of Ricardo.
People criticize SS2's soundtrack? I don't want to live on this planet anymore.
Shock 2's soundtrack was fantastic, it just didn't fit the game atmosphere at all in my view, much better with it off i think, turn it off and you'll hear every distorted moan, every hiss of steam every clank and groan of the ship and every footstep as the many come to fuck you sideways, great soundtrack to listen to on its own most definitely
@@Sad_Elf Fair enough. Maybe I was in a different mood when playing it. I was coming off of playing BioShock 1 when I day 1 purchased this off GoG. I kinda enjoyed the soundtrack making me feel like a cyberpunk badass.
The soundtrack has plenty of great and memorable creepy dirges in its soundtrack to overcome any issues one may have with the techno stuff for those that find it a bother.
Though me personally I think even those tracks are great, on their own and how they're used in-game. You start off with no music, then encounter your first parasitized cybernetic zombie space crew and the beat is pumping. Shit's hit the fan and now it's time to wrench some motherfuckers in the face.
Then as your quest prolongs and more and more nasty things are discovered and plot twists unfold the music gradually takes on a more sinister tone as you progress further and further into the bowels of the ship.
So yeah I'm a fan alright
@@Sad_Elf The only issue I think was that the med-sci area at the start had that fantastic, but badly chosen track kick in with really hyper enthusiasm. Literally, first mutant... suddenly you're tripping balls.
But I think when viewed as a whole, the soundtrack really works out. At the start, it's much more hyperactive. Then you get deeper into the game, into more dangerous places, and you hear this:
ua-cam.com/video/PVnPyjxkyMU/v-deo.html
And you don't know if you're about to be attacked by a cyborg ninja or an 80s slasher villain.
@@NicholasBrakespear Hell, you don't even have to go that far into the game. The Med-Sci 2 track about an hour into SS2 ranks as one of the most sinister, foreboding tracks in any video game I've played.
ua-cam.com/video/RVkXZBbI8Ho/v-deo.html&
Tell me this doesn't give you chills.
I remember System Shock 2 as the first game that every really, truly, frightened me. Not made me jumpy, Half Life did that, and did it well. Not nervous, AvP2 did that in style. But absolutely pants-wetting SCARED!
It wasn't until Alien: Isolation that a game made me feel how System Shock 2 did. Long live Looking Glass!
Interesting retrospective, I've often heard this game referenced in passing as being the one that started survival horror space station type games, but I haven't until now seen it shown/described in detail. Very interesting how many trends this game set, and how a lot of them were just the developer trying to get away from traditional RPG mechanics. Great video Razor.
this was superbly edited terran, keep up the awesome work
Yeah fuck you Terran Gell
Sad emoji
System Shock 2 is my favorite of the two, but I also love the original System Shock and have completed both games multiple times.
The original is in a weird place, being part FPS, part-point-and-click Adventure, part Survival-Horror, part RPG, part-Metroidvania Action-Adventure, and having far more mechanics and features than its immediate contemporary Doom, which was firmly entrenched in the arcade-esque maze shooter (itself a sadly missed genre of first-person game in the modern era).
The latter game is interesting, as it has actual stat building, which very few other games even of the modern FPS-RPG have. But it likewise is a strange amalgamation of the Survival-Horror, FPS, point-and-click Adventure, RPG, and Metroidvania Action-Adventure.
It's sad to see that even 20 years later, the Dark Engine that powers System Shock 2 provides better-realized simulation of sound propagation than most modern FPS games.
I'm waiting with baited breath for NightDive's remake of the first game, and for Otherside Entertainment and Warren Specter to start work on System Shock 3.
System Shock was the flight simulator of first person games. All it was missing was pressing Q for left leg and W for right leg.
Razör, Eric Brosius didn't do the soundtrack. That was made by Josh Randall (the techno tracks), and Ramin Djawadi (the ambient tracks). I remember a post of his on LastFM, if I remember correctly, where he came out and said that. He was "just" the overall sound designer.
"Underrated Epic Mickey franchise."
Man, that game was my childhood. A shame Disney held the leash so tight, it could have been even more.
Love the content raz0r. You among others inspired me to start making videos as well. Keep up the awesome rants!!!
What kind of videos do you make and/or plan to make? Do you have a specific topic(s) that you cover? I ask because I'm always happy to find new and interesting content creators, and newer creators deserve recognition as well. I wish you all the best in everything you do, and I hope that you find success in making and sharing your own work. ^_^
@@loneronin6813 sorry I took a few minutes to reply. I will be covering political topics in relation to free speech and gaming mostly. But I'm mainly going to be a kalidescope of content. I might do random videos every once in a while too. But mainly gaming commentary and political
@@m0vitz370Sounds awesome! :D I will be sure to check out your work when the time comes. Thanks for responding, I'm glad to hear from you. No worries about how long it takes you, though :)
@@loneronin6813 I've already got some content, but any feedback is welcome no matter how harsh. I appreciate your support! Thanks man!
@@m0vitz370 Sure thing! :D I look forward to watching what you've got up already. Congrats on your success thus far.
Oooh, I'm getting older episodes style flashbacks, been missing those.
Nice to see you doing retrospectives again dude. Hoping for a Legacy of Kain one some day
This
By the Pillars, I concur!
0:24 uhhhhhhhh, did we just get Ricardo'd by Terran?
Multiplayer for SS2 was so god damn fun. Beautiful game. Used to fucken terrify me when I first played it. Story of the first and second was amazing too.
Wow, to hear someone else besides me ranting about how great SS1 was (up until a few years ago, my favourite game of all time) cathartic. Sometimes I think I was the only one who ever played it since nobody knew what I was talking about. The 1st game ever to give me chills & feel like 'I was there'.
"everyone's dead fixed dialogue" - so true. Also small details like you couldn't watch the logs or read when the game was paused and when it was unpaused enemies would stealth respawn somewhere on the level and move around.
Oh man i feel so spoiled gettin two vids this close together XD Keep up the excellent work
Also spotted the glorious Ricardo Shock in the intro. ;)
"To look around...look around."
Directions unclear. sys32 deleted.
Back when System Shock came I was a mere peasant child who spend every minute of my free time playing my SNES. Final Fantasy 3 (U.S.) blew my mind, most especially the mid-game twist where an apocalyptic event changes the entire world map. Since internet wasn't around you were able to enjoy these kind of epic twists without having the spoiled, and that was one of the greatest in a game full of incredible moments.
Back then I read a lot of gaming magazines, and I remember going over the PC section in awe of the graphical detail in those games. System Shock would have blown my mind beyond what I could have imagined and probably scared the shit right outta me and directly into my pants. Those excellent PC graphics are what actually help ignite my love for a game called Flashback, a game that I felt looked very much like a lot of those PC games I had seen pictures of! It had legit cutscenes! People had a realistic look and the sci-fi setting and story all made me feel like I was playing a cutting edge game that could have been from the future!
It worked out well because my impatient young self wouldn't likely had understood and appreciated System Shock. I would have given it an IGN review-style score of 3/10: IDGAF about space lul.
Did anybody else think that intro was the greatest homage/razorfist intro ever?
Watch his Blade Runner retrospective. THATS AN INTRO
Prey is really good! Not as scary as System Shock 2 or Dead Space, but a really solid game just the same.
That game for 2006? I need to play it
@@steelprophecy5951 I was referring to the new one from Arkane Studios, but the 2006 one from Human Head is great too. It's a modern classic. You'll have to track down a physical copy though, since it's not available for sale digitally.
@@mikaelhauk I know, just making fun from that shitty play from Arkane
So what is Razor's beef with Arkane Prey exactly?
Prey (2017) is a fantastic System Shock spiritual successor. Absolutely nothing comes close to SS2 like Prey does. There's nothing wrong with it, it's great. Obviously, not God tier level like SS2, but definitely fantastic. Absolutely must play for any System Shock fan. Including the great DLC which really brings a new life to the game!
Prey (2006) is a fun romp, a linear shooter in the wake of the mid 2000s, and not a bad game, but nothing really superb. I'd suggest it to those who liked Doom 3 and Quake 4 that came around that time before Prey to get that specific mid 2000s dark horror-ish SF FPS. All three share a similar visual and gameplay style thanks to the id tech 4. All three require similar (and easy) editing of config files to run them on modern widescreen resolutions. I'm actually playing all three now, and it's a fun throwback. Immersive sims however, they're not. Doom 3 comes closest thanks to the PDAs and a bit more exploration, but it's still pretty linear. Out of those 3, Doom 3 is my favorite.
This was one of my favorite games when it came out! It was absolutely mindblowing and way ahead of it's time.
3:35 Good news for every one but Michael Barrymore- slayed!
Awesome review! But, there is one thing I'd like to correct. With the release of Thief, Looking Glass was actually starting to return good profits. Thief, Thief 2 and Shock 2 all returned good profits in the end. However, the reason that Looking Glass Studios folded was that their bank faulted on a loan that the studio was paying back.
I miss the likes of Looking Glass and Crystal Dynamics.
Preach.
I can literally hear SHODAN speak the description.
When MS-DOS ruled the gaming landscape.
Ahhhhh the good ol’ days
@Stripey Arse \
@Stripey Arse Just making sure you can run your game. :)
If looking Glass studio existed today, they would've one upped absolutely everyone and develop a fully functional SHODAN a.i just to incrementally increase player immersion....robot apocalypse be damned.
And now Warren is bringing System Shock back with a third entry
I never got far, but i do remember accidentally opening the shield and firing the laser and shodan thanking me for it. Nice lady her. I hope her rescue of that planet goes well. Maybe she will get that power she so desires, her ship couldnt even light the hallways... poor girl...
6:10 Dammit Terran! That one got me good 🤣🤣🤣
System shock 2 was one of my favourite games, very immersive and creepy atmosphere. Remember bidding for an original boxed copy with manual on eBay! Shodan revelation was terrifying.
Never played SS1 as it was a dos install, but it's been released on steam ...
Bioshock was pretty ok but went all assassins creed afterwards.
The RPG systems for System Shock 2 are fundamentally fine, the flaw is the lack of balance in a number of areas. You get a heavy tier to use the grenade launcher, there's no need to go further than that. The Stasis Field Generator is all but useless and the Fusion Cannon, while OK, is too little, too late by the time you get it, the grenade launcher sufficing perfectly well.
Exotic weapons was also a bit of a missed opportunity. The Crystal Shard is great, and that's it. The Viral Proliferator and Annelid Launcher are both terrible and arrive way too late in the game to make any kind of use out of them, which you really can't for the latter sections of the game.
Still there is fun to be had in making certain build types, especially in the "Impossible" difficulty (note: not actually impossible). Putting ALL points into psy upgrades and NOTHING else, meaning you can only use the stuff you have on your psi amp amp and a wrench, no guns, lasers, explosives, innate hacking, repair, etc abilities without separate disposable tools or a psi ability that allows it, makes for a tough ride but a fun challenge, and even Shodan who is normally a joke to fight every other way becomes somewhat formidable to face against.
If you play things right it ends up a glass cannon build in some ways. Very satisfying being able to turn invisible and hop my way unnoticed to fight The Many and insta-kill it with just one use of the Soma Transference ability.
All hail our Lord and savior Kojima. For he is the satan to RazorFist's Jesus
Please. Kojima is Saul of Tarsis. Long winded, refuses to go away, and does more damage than not to the thing he's involved in.
“I am shodan.” After so many years... STILL FUCKING GOOSEBUMPS.
A little correction; Looking Glass did not go out of business because of the lack of sales. They went out of business because their bank faulted on a loan that Looking Glass had taken in 1996, I think.
A Michael Barrymore reference? I wasn't expecting that.
Grilled burgers, vodka and a new Razorfist video...whelp, looks like my weekend can only go downhill from here! *siiiipppp*
So, would games like the STALKER series fall into the same play-style as the original System Shock? It has similar elements of not-game-like, in that you don't have an XP bar, but you do improve your character over time with equipment improvements and stuffing anomalous artifacts up your Rad-hole.
Late but, you made a Barrymore joke... That's fucking awesome.
A time when shit didn't give a fuck about mass appeal, meeting asshole dividends, and was reviewed by actual gamers.
You know. I really enjoy when you make stuff like this. Its interesting.
I still remember having the shit scared out of me as a kid when I played the System Shock 2 demo and encountered my first hybrid.
Been waiting for this for years hahaha. Glad he did it. He loves Thief and Deus Ex. Only a matter of time
I should get back to playing System Shock 1. Got it from GOG and didn't play through to the end. Maybe I should give it another go.
Yeah I agree with you with that. If you're going to make a game where I have to be devoted to a build and Method to playing otherwise I'm going to have a hard time with it. Not dumb s*** like what human Revolution did before the director's cut where your viable to play the game anyway you want. But then they throw boss fights that you can only do well if you picked a combat build. While at the same time never giving any warning of this and the whole experience bar where it actually gives you more experience if you snuck by everybody without being seen. Way to discourage any build you want especially since there's so little you could do if you decide you want to combat build while the game constantly called you a monster because you chose to kill. This is something I appreciate from some System Shock spiritual successors and I say that in quotations like prey where I don't have somebody inkling through my ear even though there are some cases where does come up but they were pretty rare and so I let it go that they whine about me doing this immoral thing. And I'm not talking about killing every mind-controlled human I came across no no no no it's not sparing somebody that was trying to kill me under no mind control as one example. Otherwise as long as they didn't become a complete dick such as picking the stupidest ending path ever like siding with the guy who came to kill me by killing everybody I come across. I'm happy it was there even though it makes no sense with that ending bud still at least they did their best to keep the promise of you can end the game in many different ways even though they broke it in the same breath with the December ending pretty much being a non standard game over that spoils the twist somewhat even though I could see they were hoping to make you curious so next time you would actually try to see the story to the end. It's still kind of stupid.
There are advantages to streamlining as much as everybody loves when games were hard we can't forget the flaws of games like System Shock 2 and all that stuff where they gave you so much s*** but there was so much b******* especially with weapon degradation being way worse than it should have been, and of course first-time player traps these type of games had where you would think this skill be useful only it turns out it's only useful in one stage and then you never use it again that type of first-time trap. That's not exactly fun even if it's a learning experience. If I run it to mistakes I wanted to be my fault. Such as if I'm playing a sneak build I shouldn't run into an important section that decides nope I need to be a combat build and if I focused on stealth well too bad for me! I hate that because it can break my immersion when now I have to quick save and quick load like hell just to get through it because I can't sneak my way past. Don't give the option if you're not willing to devote yourself completely to it.
Honestly Razor you have gotten me into a lot of great games. I got into thief series and it has the best stealth I have ever witnessed. Thief 2 being my favorite, so thanks for the recommendations.
Time to give system shock a turn. Holy shit it looks like fun...
I can't believe Warren Spector made such a depraved and violent game, we need to do better. /s
I gotta wonder how often someone would get perturbed at being around Terri Brosius after these games came out, like she's gotta have some stories about people recognizing her based on her voice and running the F away by now lol
Heard about these games for some time now but didn't care enough to play any of them. I have heard that a graphically modern remake of the first game is in the works so this could not have been better timed. And your constant referencing of Thief makes me want to go give it another go. Keep rocking man.
I found System Shock difficult to move in at first, but once I got used to it, and learned how to control your body, it started coming together for me. I learned that I can dip down, lean around corners, and use cover like I can in real life. Also having it so the protagonist is just learning to use his new modded out body while I am trying to figure out the controls is good for the story, ha.
I never actually played System Shock 2. I need to do that sometime...I have a copy...someplace around here.
TFW the Origin label in the store used to bring a smile to your young face. Feels old man.
You seem to take issue with SS2's skill system but frankly I love it. My first playthrough I rolled a hacker with standard weapons on the side. I was rolling in bullets by the end of the game but had to watch my back as I was a bit squishy. Second playthrough I rolled a psy character and got my ass handed to me in the early game but by the late game was dishing out a flashy revenge with a slew of OP spells. Third playthrough I rolled a heavy weapons guy and took on all my problems with a grenade launcher and a middle finger. Fourth playthrough I decided to do something weird and rolled a melee character. I got ahold of the laser rapier as early as possible, and combined it with the psy adrenaline ability plus the psy strength ability and was soon capable of charging rumblers and taking them down face to fuckin' face. Personally I think the skill system is what makes the game indefinitely replayable. Unlike other games with skill tree or perk systems, each playthrough of SS2 actually feels unique and not like the same game but with a swapped gun model.
Just as I’ve started to reply System Shock 1 again this video comes out
It’s a surprise to be sure, but a welcomed one
Was hoping you'd gloss over Tribes. The gunplay sim so good that Overwatch is still busy trying to scrape it's corpse for new ways to make projectile warfare fun (and the most underrated of the early waves of Multiplayer Arena games)
. . . even more reasons to wish for new Tribes and detest Blizzard's FPS game.
I don't know what my favorite game of all time is, but the first System Shock is very frequently one of my top answers when asked. It's definitely my favorite RPG at any rate. The game was so goddamn ahead of its time modern games are still being praised for features it pioneered 25 years ago and it did it without a bunch of time wasting skill point/stat point bullshit. And for the record I didn't play the game until 2009 and even 15 years old that game hooked me the moment I got over the initial control hump no questions asked. It's a masterpiece plain and simple.
Gj bro, this almost word for word how I feel about system shock...
OMG I just found this and it is a thing of beauty. I LoLed so hard throughout. Thank you for making it!
If it wasn't for the System Stock series, I would have never been into the Bioshock and Dead Space series. Even though I never played System Stock 1 and 2 because I'm console gamer and not a PC gamer. Still at the end of the day, I tip my hat, bow down and thank the System Stock for everything that they have done in regards of the Bioshock and Dead Space series. BTW, I respect your opinions on the Bioshock series either way. Love the video! Keep up the great work, dude!
Took a few years, but found SS2, in a bargain bin...
GLADOS doesn't hold a cybernetic candle to Shodan and that's a fucking fact.
I bought system shock 2 in a bargain bin box years ago. I didn't even own a computer back then. I bought it because i liked the art on the box and it looked like a cool game. I didn't know it would be such an amazing game to play when i bought it. I still have the box and everything that was inside intact and play the game through regularly. Same with most looking glass games really.
If only Hitman Codename 47 didn’t as well as run like Moviebob on a treadmill, I’d ask if we could see a Hitman retrospective sometime soon.
Never thought I’d hear a michael barrymore reference in a razorfist video... i salute you sir
I first played System Shock 2 over a decade after it was released, it's a masterpiece. I am a sucker for this genre since before I played SS2 and to this day but it was the best I've ever played. And the end of Prey was a punch in the dick.
Goddamnit, i enjoy the elevator music in the first SS.
I always thought that was a great touch. I.E. walking through the viscera while causing crazy violence just to enter an elevator with happy-happy joy-joy elevator music. Perfect.
Shame we most likely will never get that system shock 3. I liked some of the footage from it.
1:24 now you are just showing off.
Godspeed and happy birthday ya glorious bastard.
System Shock: Enhanced Edition. Bless it's existence so I could use mouselook to play this gem of a game. A bit quirky but all around fun, the only downside to the game I could give it is a bit of a labyrinthine layout for a couple floors that had you going in circles or hitting dead ends too many times as well as the lackluster cyberspace levels and cyberspace mechanics. A fun, strategic, and challenging game for sure that I can't wait to see remastered so it becomes a lot more accessible for more players new and old to finally enjoy it.
SOMA is underrated and a phenomenal addition to the genre.
Razorfist + System Shock = clickclickclickclickclickclickclick "LOAD FASTER DAMMIT!" clickclickclickclick
Two Razor vids in one day? Christmas came early, boys!
I got system shock I think it was for either my birthday or Christmas, in 1994. There was like ten 3.5 inch disks I think. To this day it’s still in my top 5 fave games ever. No amount of eye candy visuals or gimmicks has compared to it since. My other fave is the same devs very own Ultima Underworld II. I’m just lucky I experienced these titles before the giant success of the gaming industry where everything’s so repetitive and rote. It’s a shame what happened to looking glass... I’m fairly sure some of the devs were spread out to work on Bioshock I’m not sure. But everything we see today, owes it all to system shock. Fucking incredible stuff.
First thing in the morning, I see a review about one of my favorite games by Razorfist. Hell yeah.
Thanks for the traffic :D
You do great work, man. Keep it up. 👍
I fondly remember the original system shock and ultima, good times. Here's another one for you-- the original Interplay Lord of the Rings series from the early 90's, that game series was endless damn near and extremely difficult.
About time you covered this.
I want to see you discuss Bungie’s Marathon series. I’m surprised you haven’t ventured into their old stuff.
What a fantastic game. The end of the 90s and early 2000s was the golden age of the gaming industry.
I actually think SS2 did the RPG class system well and technically neither are RPGs but have RPG elements. That being said.
This is my thoughts summoned up perfectly about both games.
Oh Looking Glass studios, how I miss thee. Granted, I only played SS2 and Thief 1 and 2, but I spent untold hours immersed in those games. "The Life of the Party" from Thief 2 might just be perfect level design.
it's the middle of the night here and I still have the CDs..........
Honestly this is probably the best intro you have ever made
Why do I have the feeling that SS3 would be a failure?
Bro, where the fuck did you get that picture of projared crossdressing? For research of course.