
Much like the first Bioshock, most of the game’s story is told through recorded logs of the setting’s denizens. Aside from a fellow survivor promptly giving the man orders from a radio, the man is alone as he faces off against the many horrors occupying the ship. Players take the role of an unnamed soldier who wakes up from a cryogenic sleep in the aftermath of the ships’ downfall. Unfortunately for the crew of both ships, the unknown proves to be far more formidable than they could ever imagine. With the Von Braun and Rickenbacker, two powerful starships at the ready, the elite scientists and soldiers of Earth work together in an attempt to uncover the unknown. After the destruction of the evil A.I., Shodan, and the disposal of the mutagen intended to infect Earth, mankind once again takes to the stars in the name of science. The year is 2114 cybernetics, intelligent computer A.I.s, space travel, and psychic abilities are all commonplace in the world of System Shock 2. Despite a few crow’s feet, it has managed to age very well. For the first time, System Shock 2 has been made available on Steam, a chance for gamers to look back at an important part of gaming history. Most roads lead back to System Shock 2, a game that was obviously a deep influence for the team’s later work on Bioshock. I think you're on to something (WW).I was never able to play past the first swarm of hybrids when you set off the security camera by the entrance to the medical section with the vanilla install because the models creeped me out so much.Once I installed SHTUP and Rebirth, I found the characters much less unnerving (midwives are only terrifying in the audio department), and I was actually able to play the game to the full.Now, I feel that the optimal experience is playing SS2 with just SHTUP, as it makes the environment more clear, but preserves original the character of the enemies.After the success of the Bioshock franchise, many have tried to look back at other games involving creator and lead writer Ken Levine. I find the angular models and muddy textures add to the creepiness. Originally posted by Grimlog:No yuo! Everyone should play SS2 without the upgrade mods first.
