System Shock Enhanced Edition

[Deleted member 11852]

This is now out on GOG and it's currently 20% off. From GOG:

About: System Shock: Enhanced Edition also includes the classic version of the game.

You're a renowned hacker, the most notorious cyberspace thief in the corporate world. Caught during a risky break-in, you become indentured to Diego, a greedy Trioptium exec who bankrolls a rare cyberjack implant operation. After six months in a healing coma, you awaken to the twisted aftermath of a terrible disaster. Where are the surgeons? Why is the station in such disrepair? Slowly, the chilling realization that something is very wrong creeps over you.
Once a prime corporate research facility, Citadel now teems with mindless cyborgs, robots and terribly mutated beings, all programmed to serve SHODAN, a ruthless A.I. There's scarcely time to think before it unleashes the first terror...

Exactly twenty one years after its first release, System Shock is back!
The Enhanced Edition adds a modern touch to this true classic gem, without taking anything from its unmistakable atmosphere.
See for yourself that the game that has been called the benchmark for intelligent first-person gaming, has lost nothing of its ability to keep you on the edge of your seat.

System Shock: Enhanced Edition features:
- Higher resolution support: up to 1024x768, and 854x480 widescreen mode.
- Mouselook support added.
- Remappable keys with three profiles to choose from: original controls, custom controls, and lefthanded controls.
- Some original game bugs fixed.

• Rocket through cyberspace to steal information, hack security and grapple with watchdog defense programs enslaved to a maniacal computer.
• Survive battle after battle against armies of killer cyborgs and deadly robots as you collect hardware attachments, life-sustaining patches and deadly weapons to combat mindless mutants.
• Test your intelligence by solving puzzles, rewiring access panels and outwitting SHODAN in its own cyber-realm.
• Enjoy the vastly improved controls and graphics of the Enhanced Edition - or keep your experience as close to the original as possible with the Classic version.

 

[swaaye]

Oh neat. I'll get it just for the improved controls.

 

[Davros]

An absolutely outstanding game.
Players new to it will hate the dated graphics and non standard control scheme, but if you can look past it your in for a hell of a ride.

 

[eastmen]

one of the best games I've ever played.

 

[dogen]

Hmm.. I've played through system shock 2 and it was great, but I'm not liking this as much so far. Maybe I need to get a bit further.

 

[swaaye]

Yeah I think System Shock 2 is much better. The original game is definitely primitive DOS era stuff. I actually haven't bought it yet because I remembered I played it a bit years ago and didn't really get into it. In 1994 it certainly was ground breaking for sci-fi fans though. I suppose it's basically a sci-fi Ultima Underworld.

This enhanced version was a free community project until now, by the way.

 

[Richard]

SS is IMO a better overall game than SS2 which I still consider a masterpiece. Unfortunately the original's mechanical chunkiness and archaic systems come across as incredibly jarring to contemporary sensibilities while SS2 is recent enough to not show through as much. It may seem like there shouldn't be many differences between SS and SS2 in this regard (released in 1994 and 1999 respectively) but those years saw a revolution in graphics, control schemes, UIs, story, design, etc.

I haven't tried this rerelease but I feel this is one of those games you had to experience at the time or thereabouts to really appreciate it. If you're getting into it now, you'll notice the lack of over 20 years of UI, engine, graphics and design evolution. If you can bear with it you will be rewarded with a better story and a more haunting experience.

It's like playing Wolf3D after playing DOOM. You can still enjoy it but most people simply shrug and move on.

 

[swaaye]

Shock fans would do well to look up SOMA.

 

[PSman1700]

Now, thats an enhanced version

 

[swaaye]

Getting close! Demo is available. I've been waiting since the 1994 reviews for it to look like this.

The VR hacking appears to play like Descent. How bout that.

 

[iroboto]

Getting close! Demo is available. I've been waiting since the 1994 reviews for it to look like this.

The VR hacking appears to play like Descent. How bout that.

Man, was hoping this would be a re-imagining of SS2. Dark, dirty, RT, grimy. Could easily push dead space and others to run for their money.

 

[swaaye]

Man, was hoping this would be a re-imagining of SS2. Dark, dirty, RT, grimy. Could easily push dead space and others to run for their money.

Yeah System Shock 2 is a special game. Let's see umm....Dead Space, Doom3, Bioshock, Dead Effect, Solarix, SOMA, Hollow, Syndrome, PAMELA, Phantaruk, The Persistence, Syren, and uh Alien Isolation are essentially reimaginings of it.

There was a System Shock 3 in the works a few years ago but that fell apart for some reason.