System Shock 2 (PC, 1999)

• Partially non-linear structure (multiple solutions to various situations - a lot of combat is avoidable, optional items can be acquired with certain skills, partially non-linear progression on some floors) however the early progression of quests is linear and has more handholding via voiced instructions from a contact than in the prequel, Once you reach deck 4 (several hours into the game) and meet with Shodan near the beginning of it you can choose to explore deck 4 or deck 5 first, Somewhat different routes depending on your char build - mainly affects combat though, A single central elevator connects to 5 out of 6 decks on the von braun/main ship and a second elevator connects decks 5 and 6 (after that there are two other separate areas in the late game (can't return to the main ship at this point but can find new upgrade stations and chemicals as well as some shops) but they are basically linear except for one part of the Rickenbacker and one part of the Body of the Many)), Sometimes what you do in one sub area or floor affects something in another and you'll sometimes have to come back to a point of interest later on (you also find an optional code for a locked room on deck 2 while on a later floor)

• Some interesting abilities related to exploration and traversal however they are optional besides radiation protection (Instantaneous Quantum Relocation - teleport to a marked location/teleport beacon placed anywhere you've been to (current sub area only, alt+t deletes the current beacon, optional), Kinetic Redirection - pull small objects towards you (can also pull and stack destroyed turrets which allows you to reach higher in some spots (optional), explosive barrels can also be moved (optional)), enemy and item radar (Enhanced Motion Sensitivity/Remote Pattern Detection respectively), Photonic Redirection/Invisibility (optional), Neural Decontamination and Neural Toxin Blocker powers - shields you from 80% radiation damage and 100% toxin absorption respectively (some armors and items also help here as does high endurance, surgical units/med beds help with radiation, armor can be combined with psi for -95% radiation), Psionic Hypnogenesis/Electron Suppression - paralyze organic and semi-organic enemies or robots respectively (can also be done with one of the energy weapons, useful but optional); the teleport beacon and the Metacreative Barrier (mainly for trapping enemies) can also be used as platforms to reach certain places (optional) - the latter is more useful for this as it lets you use the beacon to teleport to a safe spot, )

• Save anywhere (multiple nameable slots (the game automatically enters current area+time taken by default), one quick save which happens automatically once per floor/deck and can be overwritten with Alt+S)

• Good map system (see SS1; note that it's not zoomable here though and various parts are pre-explored, also can't view previous floors and sub areas if you're not currently in them, much more vague map in one later area and no maps in the last two areas though they are more straightforward) and toggleable mini-map, Highlights interactive objects when near them (similar to the tooltip in SS1), Map markers - can only place map markers where your avatar is (not anywhere you click on the map) and can't drag and drop existing ones

• Inventory space is based on Strength (limited inventory space similar to Diablo with some stackable items)

• HP regen ability (Cerebro Stimulated Regeneration)

• Tons of character customization (O/S upgrades - mostly stat buffs including movement speed+some combat and quality of life stuff+salvage healing items from destroyed robots, 5 stats (8 levels w/ implants and psi powers; strength, endurance, psionics/magic, cybernetic affinity (helps w/ hacking/repairing/modifying) and agility)), 5 Technical Skills (6 levels; hack, repair, modify weapon, maintenance - increases effectiveness of maintenance tools and the charge of electric-powered items including weapons and the powered armor, research (use new weapons and implants+do more damage to enemies and learn more about them - a basic form of crafting as it requires chemicals, optional), 4 Weapon Skill categories (6 levels) and additional Psi Powers (35, 5 tiers), Implants give a temporary boost to one or more stats or skills for as long as you keep them charged

• Skill and stat upgrades can also be acquired via software items (can't be used to meet minimum stat requirements for things like research however - only give an existing skill a boost but for research there is also the lab assistant implant)

• Good sense of vulnerability and loneliness, Doesn't pause while checking inventory/map or using the upgrade terminals

• Quest/mission log

• Some sequence breaking possibilities (can jump down to skip walking around at one point in deck 4 (ops deck) if you do it right, can skip opening a shaft on floor 5 (for some optional goodies) by performing a tricky jump, can skip raising all the rockets for a certain late game puzzle if you have enough agility and use straferunning, speed boosters/high agility let you make some other unintended jumps, can also skip finding door codes if you know them already and this lets you skip ahead quite a bit at times, the teleport beacon and the Metacreative Barrier (mainly for trapping enemies) can be used as platforms to reach certain places as well as to skip triggering a barrier on Deck 6 created by the many that forces you to go back a bit on that floor and fight a mini-boss, oversights: minor skip where you can reach some items through a platform from below in the beginning, can grab a key card through a wall on the top of the von braun bridge, can skip some cutscenes with an exploit; more with out of bounds glitches)

• Difficulty options (4 levels - one main category here unlike in SS1 where you could tweak the levels in 4 different ones however you can also change it during gameplay here, higher levels: upgrades cost more, enemies deal more damage, using regeneration chambers costs more - free on Easy, lower drop rates, higher enemy respawn rates, fewer HP and psi points/MP)

• Resource management (alarms set off large amounts of enemies to go to the area that the player was last seen in by a camera - this goes on for 2 mins or until you disable security in the area/use the remote electron tampering psi power, weapon deterioration and maintenance+repairing (repair=fix a broken weapon while maintenance=upgrade the condition of a damaged weapon) for most weapons, jack of all trades character builds are discouraged. there's a time limit to disabled security (and to implants though you can generally go back and recharge them pretty easily or use a battery) and hacking attempts cost a small amount of money)

• Control config, Hotkeys for loading and changing ammo as well as healing and alternate firing modes for ranged weapons

• Good tutorials after the character creation (voiced instructions that don't pause gameplay, some in-game tutorial messages are conveyed through text boxes at info terminals though)

• The three different psi shields can be combined with each other and with powered armor for near invulnerability

• Some breakable obstacles and exploding barrels as well as some breakable doodads (a bit underused when it comes to exploration though as only breakable windows lead to new paths)

• Enemies can open unlocked doors (besides the ones triggering a loading screen) - Can't lock or re-lock opened doors to keep enemies away - can be annoying when trying to reorganize your inventory/decide on what to upgrade/read or listen to a message/check the map

• Talking NPCs that don't interrupt gameplay (later used in Half-Life), Telepathic communications from the antagonists (plus some radio communications from survivors) and enemies talking to themselves or to you as they seek you out

• Areas feel more like actual places than the average FPS level from the '90s (and in some ways more so than in SS1 which was overly maze-like at times), Item placement tends to align with the theming of each deck (makes them feel more distinct and convincing)

• Basic physics - can knock down items from heights with shots and can push some smaller boxes and other objects as well as exploding barrels (though not all exploding barrels for some reason), Can crush some enemies with the elevators and can also make them ride them to get them out of your way, Can jam some doors with for example a wrench

• Various scripted events (see the mini review)

• Can split up item stacks to recycle only parts of them - some consumable items don't stack however

• Respawning enemies in previously visited areas (happens more if using the resurrection stations to respawn yourself after dying?) - some enemies can be used for farming though it takes a while

• Some gear has hard stat requirements (str and/or weapon skill in the right category to use (oddly there's no str req for the grenade launcher), maintenance to be able to repair a damaged but not broken weapon - assault rifle for example requires a 4 in maintenance just to maintain, laser rapier has an agility requirement, later exotic weapons have both quite high requirements in that skill and research skill requirements) - would've preferred if you could still do these things without the required stats only less optimally

• Modifying/upgrading a weapon is partially based on chance which is increased by modify skill and cybernetic affinity stat (you can critically fail at it and break the weapon), Can use a french epstein device to upgrade level 1 weapons to level 2 instead of using modify (there are 4 hidden ones in the game)

• Semi-randomized loot from enemies and sometimes enemies themselves

• Some skippable cutscenes and some unskippable ones

• No target identifier here - instead shows the health bar of an enemy while attacking it by default

• A few shortcuts, No placed teleporters here

• From SS1: Most storytelling is done without cutscenes (voice logs, radio transmissions (including live ones during events and ones from survivors); more flavor text here), alternate ammo types for different kinds of enemies, persistent world - items stay where you dropped them (except for the teleport beacon), can lean around corners (can also lean forward here), temporary str and speed upgrade items (boosters) - doesn't have the dermal patches from SS1 though, can examine inventory items and GUI icons, can sometimes look into a room through bars/grating/crevices/windows to scout ahead a bit (generally not via a narrow path like a ventilation shaft here though), sometimes new enemies appear when revisiting a place you've been to which makes backtracking more interesting

• No mines here but instead of mines there are piles of worms that deal toxic damage if stepped on

Some notable cons:

• No cyberspace besides the tutorial and finale here (and gameplay in cyberspace is like in the main game here)

• Can't respec your build but can undo your choices while at an upgrade unit

• Few puzzles (2 or 3 fewer than in SS1)

• No subtitles (voices often overlap or get drowned out by noise and you can't always repeat them - can generally check the logs to repeat something though, some are kinda low in the sound mix) - added in a mod

• Missing some cool features from SS1 (No jump jets or flashlights here though (also no skates but you can increase speed via abilities and stats), see the mini review for more)

• Collision damage from running or jumping too fast into walls or other obstacles (if you have 5+ agility and use a speed booster you can actually die from running or jumping into something)

Playthrough - Video Review - Mini Review

Influenced by: Probably Resident Evil, Half-Life, possibly Unreal, Diablo, Strife, Powerslave/Exhumed

Influenced: Bioshock, Deus Ex, possibly Metroid Fusion, Metroid Prime series, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines, Doom 3, Tron 2.0, Prey 2006, Dead Space, Prey 2017