Interface

Part RPG, part FPS

The developers did a great job with the interface, given the amount of complexity in System Shock 2. Most of the time, you'll be tooling around the levels in first person mode, which is familiar to anyone who plays Quake. Walking and running is a lot slower (more realistic?) than most action fans would be used to, as well as jumping. These are traits that can be tweaked by adding to your agility stat or using a speed boosting implant, "spell", or hypo. Right mouse button is, by default, set to use/search mode. You'll be using search and use a lot to check corpses, desks, and boxes for useful items and also to open doors and activate machinery. When you hit search, the inventory screen pops up, which disables your mouse look and activates a cursor which you can use to manage your inventory and statistics

No weapons allowed!

Cool - an OS upgrade station

This view looks very much like the inventory mode in Diablo, only this one is more complex because it is here where you must manage your hints/clues in your PDA. Any audio logs you pick up from dead crewmembers can be played back from your PDA, as well as any notes you receive from Dr. Polito. The inventory mode is also where you check on your stats and ability levels. Additionally, any research you conduct on items can be initiated and checked on with the inventory mode up.

Just a bad looking model

Blood, but no body

Minor Gripes

Overall, the interface was very well done, but of course, when you're in inventory mode, you can't turn around or shoot, meaning you're quite vulnerable if a baddie sneaks up on you. Luckily a quick tap on the TAB key takes you right back to shoot mode. Overall it's fine if you're a marine but hacker characters have to be careful because the hacking screen puts you in inventory mode.

Someone barfed something nasty

Whoa - a blown up toilet