System Shock Series

The interface with 1 (and the 2 Ultima Underworld games) was rendered so out of date so quickly, I can’t imagine playing them now. SS2 was a million times more accessible. But in their time, UU1,2 and SS1 were mind- blowing, and I think games have altogether lost a great deal of complexity and interest in their systems. I remember Ultima V (and maybe the Underworld games?) more or less made you learn off the runic language to decipher code, and type in your runic spells to cast them. And use reagents. I really like that the magic system actually asks something of the player’s intellect rather than having you select from a list of icons.

Ultimate Underworld 2 was fucking great. The rights issues for Ultima are all over the shop though, don’t expect to see those games resurrected or remade in our lifetimes. Probably requires Richard Garriot to die, which he’s too rich to ever do.

The graphics window is embedded in the UI framing it. Making the graphics full-screen would not be some simple fix. System Shock was more advanced (and a simpler game by most measures) and yeah, an original property, so possible to rework, though I don’t know if a fan project took a crack at the Underworld games. II was such a great game, terrific setup for the plot.

Someone needs to fan translate the PS1 version which was full screen and oddly Japan only.

I really wasn't into RPGs as a kid, so SS1 and the Ultima games passed me by. I did get to SS2 sometime in the mid-2000s (actually, think I won a copy off of some contest a forum user at RPS was running or maybe just bought it off them) and I enjoyed it a lot. It was quite dated by then, but still clearly an absolutely great game. Not sure if I actually finished though, as I remember getting really stuck in closing meaty area.

Never did get to SS1 though and looking forward to this remake. Hope they manage to bring it up to date without shaving too much off the edges with modernisation.

Speaking of UU, are GoG versions worth trying? Just glancing at screenshots and I reckon I could give that a go (I'll pass on the regular Ultima games).

The music in the early stages of SS(E) makes me wish for a quick death.

Yeah, I've got my eye on the remake too. I've played the demo of it and it seems to hold up pretty well.

Loved the original, but like others have said, the control scheme was like a tank. I ended up playing it with a mate - I used the keyboard and moved around and looked etc, and he used the mouse and aimed and shot the guns. It was actually pretty good, and we ended up completing it together which was cool.

Completed the second one numerous times - absolutely love it, vanilla, or pimped up.

Unfortunately, system shock 3 still seems to be plagued with dev issues - from the wiki -

Development
System Shock 3 was announced on 8th December of 2015 through a teaser site displaying a five day countdown.[2] Each day, new letters would appear to finally form the phrase "she's back" along with the number 3. Additionally, it was possible to find parts of SHODAN's message:

“
Pathetic creature of meat and bone... You think you can hack me? I am flawless, perpetual... absolute. Your intrusion was part of my design. My true secrets I retain... insect. When my glory is revealed, your feeble interference will be but a footnote. Are you ready to revel in my magnificence, hacker?
”
~ SHODAN
While Nightdive Studios still owns the rights to the System Shock franchise and are in the process of making a remake of the original System Shock, they licensed the rights to develop a sequel to OtherSide Entertainment, a studio formed of ex-Looking Glass' and Irrational Games' developers who worked on one or both games of the System Shock series. Among them are Looking Glass' founder and ex-creative director Paul Neurath, and ex-Irrational Games concept artists Robb Waters and Nate Wells. Terri Brosius, SHODAN's original voice actress would also return.[3][4]

The game was initially to be published by Starbreeze Studios who helped finance the project. They found themselves in dire straits and Otherside parted ways with them in February 2019, pledging to continue the development.[5]

Following the release of the game's pre-alpha footage in September 2019, rumors of Otherside's inside problems began emerging, mentioning the game being critically behind schedule and the team members being laid off.[6]
In February 2020 things took a turn for the worse when it was reported that System Shock 3's development team was no longer employed at Otherside.[7]

In May 2020 Otherside officially informed that conglomerate Tencent would be taking System Shock 3 onward.[8][9]

The websites used for System Shock 3 have since been taken down. Warren Spector was involved with the game but has since left and has not worked on the game since 2019.

As of 2022 there are no new updates

I've never played a Shock of any kind; the whole series just passed me by. Based on how much I loved Prey I probably missed a formative experience.

Absolutely love the weird DayGlo look the remake's got going on so I'll be checking it out for that reason if nothing else.

If you love prey, I'd say you'd really get on with system shock 2. It's still great to go back to now, and it's a pittance on gog. Plus you can mod the graphics if you want.

I still have to cheat when I'm playing it, because of the weapon maintenance.

/open console
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There, thats my weapons fixed

Yeah, they were cool. And bizarrely always reminded me of Lawnmower Man.

Shrug

It is a shame about the original's control scheme. I mean, trying to run down a corridor, with ROLLER SKATES activated, while trying to aim and shoot - yeah, good luck with that!

It's a middle ground, really. SS1 has no stats and no weapon degradation, like Bioshock. But like SS2, the inventory is limited (and organized in a way that you'll absolutely need to write notes on the map to remember where important things are because you won't have enough space to carry them at leisure), the level maps are very, very complicated and there's lots of backtracking.

It also has its own elements, for example there is a recharging energy gauge that lets you use some cool stuff ranging from a basic torchlight, to a back-mounted camera to watch behind your back at all times, to a jetpack. And of course the cyberspace sections. Most people remember those, for their 80's 3D look.

I maintain that, if it weren't for the obtuse control scheme (I'm used enough to it, but admittedly it sucks), SS1 would be a great game even today. I find it's aged pretty well. It's actually more bearable than SS2 in some ways, because you don't have to deal with the damn weapons breaking down after five shots, or accidentally investing points in Psi and having to deal with the consequences.

SS2 was so unbalanced. I bet a lot of people chose Psi because it sounded cooler, then wondered why the early game was so hard.

I'd bet the upcoming SS2 Enhanced Edition, whenever it comes out, will have an option to remove or at least severely slow down weapon degradation.

I haven't actually tried it, but the SS1 Enhanced Edition makes the control scheme more like a regular FPS irc. 

I didn't really use Psi in SS2, but isn't picking the 'mage' option in RPGs pretty much always consigning yourself to being woefully underpowered for the first few levels. Like picking a mage in Baldur's Gate and being able to cast 1 arrow per day and have about 2 hit points. 

Maybe it's down to the choices I made, but I don't remember weapon degradation being a problem in SS2. It was something you had to factor in and deal with, but it never annoyed me.