Introduction

Developer: Looking Glass and Irrational Games
Publisher: Electronic Arts
System Shock 2 official page: http://www.shock2.com
Release Date: August 12, 1999

Welcome to the Dark Side

You know, it's always been kind of a mystery to me just why Anakin would become big bad Vader because he got trained... well, if the training included System Shock 2 and Yoda was right about fear, I must wonder no more. System Shock 2 is one terrifying mofo.

Game starts out like Half-Life

No I mean really like HL

Here's an excerpt from an ICQ conversation about System Shock 2 I had with my editor. The 'philosophy' here is definitely based on Ray Feist's work (no, not deep introspective articles, but fantasy novels :)

"Kenn, my friend, let me explain fear to you.

Fear is something we all love. It is an excuse that prevents us from doing things that might hurt us. It can be anything from a fear of jumping into the path of a moving train, to something more subtle, like say... not asking out a girl you really like because you might get hurt by rejection.

Nice sight to start off the game

Don't get used to living people in SS2

Of course, fear is also exhilirating - especially when it comes to physical danger. It is what makes horror movies fun, and what made Half-Life a great game to play. Though there is no real physical threat, it is simulated well enough to be exciting.

Half-Life also looks like a campfire ghost story next to The Blair Witch Project, when compared to SS2."

Yes, you read that right. System Shock 2 - or at least the parts in the demo - are scarier than Half-Life.