System Shock: Enhanced Edition
System Shock: Enhanced Edition is a first-person science-fiction exploration-based action-adventure game developed by Looking Glass Studios for the unnamed System Shock engine, and re-released by Night Dive Studios via the KEX Engine. Set in the year 2072, the player takes control of an unnamed hacker who awakes from a six-month long medical coma on board a desolate space-station overrun by the biomechanical creations of the AI SHODAN.
Few games in 1994 were as forward-looking as Looking Glass Studios' System Shock, with regards to both its cyberpunk narrative and its game design sensibilities. Playing through the 10-14 hour long campaign, now easier than ever, unleashes an unprecedented presentation of considered design, creative scenarios and thoughtful storytelling. The techniques and technical details almost feel anachronistic with their modern standards for guiding and challenging the player. The moody worldbuilding of Citadel (System Shock’s space station) is still captivating, still authentically lived-in and narratively grounded as the end result of the engagingly told backstory. Amidst vocal email messages and scattered audiologs, the title features genuinely compelling vocal performances, with a pace of storytelling and presentation which gradually reveals an engaging, complex and startlingly fluid and confident story which sticks the landing by the end. The level design, while dense and mazelike, is kept navigable through aesthetic variety and recognizable landmarks. Meanwhile, the gradual escalation of stakes in both the gameplay and plot is masterful; SHODAN, who’s menacing personality and imposing power wouldn’t be replicated again, presents a dungeon-master-like sadism, and the cat-and-mouse progression of the player’s rivalry with her is a real delight.
– Real player with 52.2 hrs in game
Read More: Best Classic 1990's Games.
I am a huge fan of System Shock 2 and consider it to be one of my personal favourite games ever. So you can imagine my delight when I was finally able to get my hands on and play the original System Shock here on steam. And whilst I still think SS2 is a much better game, I sincerely enjoyed playing this.
System Shock is an oldschool FPS in which you play as a hacker who must stop a rogue AI who has taken over the Citadel space station from taking over/destroying the Earth. Seems straightforward enough, but what I really like about the story is how it always feels like it’s moving forward. You wake up and find everything’s gone to hell. You desperately try and figure out what’s going on and how to stop it. And every time it seems like you’ve foiled SHODAN’s plans, she’s still one step ahead of you, so it’s up to you to keep up and try and save the Earth. I really like this as it seriously draws you in. You want to keep playing to find out what happens next and to get the last laugh in. Even though the graphics and controls haven’t aged well, I find System Shock to be a deeply immersive game.
– Real player with 47.9 hrs in game
Thief™ Gold
I can’t believe I played this game 20 years ago and it’s still a blast. Well, it’s my number one game, just look at my avatar.
Technology:
The way this game is meant to be played is with TFix + HDMod. I repeat !!!TFix!!! (not TGTool). I can safely say that now the game looks better than ever, even compared to its original release back in 98. The reason why is pretty simple - the hardware limitations at that time were quite significant. TFix patches the game with the unofficial New Dark Engine lifting the limitations imposed by the original Dark Engine. There are many improvements: support for higher resolution, the in-game objects have significantly more polygons, bugfixes, HD textures.
– Real player with 71.2 hrs in game
Read More: Best Classic Stealth Games.
It is amazing how as computing technology improves and new tools such as VR are introduced that consumers continue to pine for ‘better’ and ‘more immersive’ games, as though immersion is some ideal we may hope to one day achieve once the graphics are good enough and the gadgets we attach to our forehead become more effective. However, one need only look back to the late 90’s, when a developer known as Looking Glass studios was already forging the path for immersive simulators decades ahead of time.
– Real player with 61.2 hrs in game
Thief™ II: The Metal Age
This is going to be a long one! As my name entitles, this is probably one of THE best stealth game ever made! I will go in depth why it is and why you should be playing it:
Let’s start off with a list. What makes a stealth game one of the greats? In my own personal opinion it is: Have engaging, functional, and consistent stealth mechanics. Provide the player with alternate routes and methods of completing an objective. have interesting, unique levels. Have said levels progressively provide harder challenges to overcome. little to no combat, and have an engaging story and setting that makes the player want to progress. Every stealth game I have ever played usually doesn’t have all of these things checked marked on the list. MGS has forced combat and has a questionably written story. The first two Splinter Cell games were far too linear and also forced combat at times. Not to mention the sub par stories. Conviction tries way too hard to un-check every thing on this list. Dishonored’s story is cliche and is WAY too easy any way you play it (Yes, even the non lethal no powers run is too easy). The list goes on. That’s why everyone’s favorite stealth games usually are Splinter Cell Chaos Theory, the Hitman series, Death to Spies, and other games that manage to check the checklist. What about Thief 2?
– Real player with 238.7 hrs in game
Read More: Best Classic Stealth Games.
Intro
Thief II The Metal Age is easily one of the best games of all time and the pinnacle of not only stealth in video games, but level design and story telling. I may be in the minority in saying that I prefer both the original and Deadly Shadows more, but goddamn if this isn’t a worthy successor in every way, continuing the series and building upon the world that you helped shape by the end of the last game.
The Great:
++The sound design in this game is phenomenal. The propergation engine, the voice acting, the ambient effects… it’s totally unique (to this day!), and hugely innovative in its connection to gameplay, etc. Everything is just at the highest standard possible, which is to say, totally unmatched.
– Real player with 237.4 hrs in game
Arx Fatalis
Highly recommended for those that have played and liked games like Ultima Underworld or Dungeon Master (Legend of Grimrock).
The developers wanted to created Ultima Underworld 3 but were unable to get the license from you know who, which is a shame. With stronger resources this game could have been very special indeed. For an old game (2002), the graphics are pretty good and sound in some instances quite amazing, the game engine has aged well. I played the game of Steam and in Windows 7 and it was more or less playable apart from some memory crashes - I learned to save often using all the save slots - you need to do this too, especially when you move between levels. It is best to play the game without any background noise such as the TV/ music or radio - believe that. Not only will you get immersed in the game world, beautifully crafted by the designers, you won’t miss key information said aloud by your character and then never repeated!
– Real player with 44.3 hrs in game
Anyone who has played Dishonored 2 will have trouble believing that the same company that made that game also made this one, a few decades ago, and I mean that in the best of ways (in the best of ways for Arx Fatalis, the comparison doesn’t favor their later projects). And just to be clear, this was the first time I played Arx Fatalis, I had no nostalgia goggles to affect my judgment.
Arx Fatalis is a metroidvania First Person action-oriented RPG, that “can” be played entirely as a First Person Stealth game, similar to the Thief series, but equal focus has been put into its other playstyles. The medieval fantasy world of Arx is an underground network of caverns and tunnels, as the world goes through an apocalyptic winter above-ground. Goblins, Trolls, Humans, sexy Snake Ladies and recently genocided Dwarves call this place their home, and somewhat coexist.
– Real player with 37.7 hrs in game
Deus Ex: Game of the Year Edition
The narrative of this game is absolutely frightening. When I first played it some years ago, I was blown away by the attention to detail and twists and turns of the story. When I replayed it more recently, I instead felt that I was looking out my bedroom window, as though the writers had seen the future. I don’t know where Warren Spector is hiding his time machine, but I’d love to have a chat with him about it.
As for the game itself: if you’re willing to deal with some truly awful gunplay and some questionable controls, this is easily one of the greatest games ever made. It’s extremely difficult for me to describe the amazing feeling that comes from playing a good immersive sim; being able to hack specific ATM accounts because you read someone’s personal notes, reading newspaper articles that describe and flesh out the world just like a good book, the choices you have when it comes to conversations and interactions with both main characters and side characters; it all feels so real. I’ve truly never felt anything like it. I realize how cheesy that sounds, but I simply don’t have the talent for putting into words how incredible this game is underneath the dated exterior.
– Real player with 37.9 hrs in game
⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠠⠄⠄⠒⠂⢀⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄
⢀⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⢀⡀⠄⣰⣶⣦⡈⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄
⠄⠄⠂⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⣿⣖⣿⣷⣴⡄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄
⠄⠄⠄⠄⠁⠄⠄⠄⠄⣸⣿⣿⣿⠛⠩⠁⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄YES
⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⣀⣤⣾⣿⣿⡏⠉⠄⠁⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄
⠄⠄⢀⣴⣶⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡟⠺⡇⠄⢵⣤⣀⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄
⠄⢠⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡏⠁⠄⣷⣀⠈⠙⠛⠑⠄⠄⠄⠄I
⠄⣼⣿⣿⣿⡇⠹⣿⣿⣿⡦⠄⠹⢿⡇⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄PLAY
⠄⣿⣿⣿⣿⠁⢰⣤⣀⣀⣠⣔⢰⠄⠄⠄⠄⢀⡈⠄⠄⠄DEUS EX
⢠⣿⣿⠟⠄⠄⢸⣿⣿⣿⣿⠏⢸⡆⠄⠐⠄⢸⣿⣌⠄⠄
⢸⣿⣿⡆⠄⠄⢸⣿⡿⢿⡤⠄⠈⠄⠄⢀⠄⢰⣿⣿⡄⠄
⠈⢿⣿⣷⠄⠄⠄⣿⣷⣦⠄⠐⠄⠄⠄⠘⠄⠘⢿⣿⡇⠄HOW
⠄⠈⠻⣿⣇⠠⠄⢀⡉⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⢀⡆⠄⠄⠘⣿⡇⠄COULD
⠄⠄⠄⠘⣿⣧⢀⣿⣿⢷⣶⣶⣶⣾⢟⣾⣄⠄⡴⣿⡀⠄YOU
⠄⠄⠄⠄⠘⣿⣧⣝⣿⣷⣝⢿⣿⠇⢸⣿⣿⡎⡡⠋⠄⠄TELL?
⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⣝⠛⠋⠁⣿⣿⡎⢠⣴⣾⣿⣿⣷⠄⠄⠄⠄
⠄⠄⠄⠄⢠⣿⣷⣾⣿⣿⣿⠁⠘⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡄⠄⠄⠄
⠄⠄⠄⠄⢸⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠃⠄⠄⠈⣿⣿⣿⣿⡇⠄⠄⠄
– Real player with 36.6 hrs in game
System Shock 2
The cult classic sci-fi horror FPS-RPG has returned.
System Shock 2 is an interesting game to review in 2014. When it first came out in 1999, it was met with a lot of praise from the gaming press, winning over a dozen awards, including several “Game of the Year” titles, and since then it has appeared on several “Greatest Games of All Time” lists. However despite the praise, not many people actually bought and played it.
It feels like System Shock 2 has been granted a second chance though. The success Irrational Games has had with BioShock and BioShock: Infinite has interested people enough to want to check out System Shock 2, which was the first game Irrational created. This is great news, because while you might not expect it, I feel that System Shock 2 is the best of all the “Shock” games. It makes you realize that for all of the steps forward we have taken in terms of technology, in a lot of ways modern gameplay has taken a few steps backwards.
– Real player with 161.0 hrs in game
System Shock 2 is a first-person science-fiction exploration-based action-adventure horror game with RPG mechanics developed by Irrational Games and Looking Glass Studios using the Dark Engine. Taking place after the first System Shock, the player-character awakes aboard the “Von Braun”, an empty starship devastated by a biological mass commanding an egregoric hive mind.
Whereas System Shock 1’s intimidating, obscure control scheme and sheer age would unappealingly cling to it as the years went on, its sequel’s reputation is of a kinder, more accessible game for modern audiences. System Shock 2 is often played as a standalone title, which its story and presentation gracefully allows, and historically this is often viewed as the preferable option. Yet in a number of significant ways, System Shock 2 can be as esoteric and uninviting as its predecessor. The start of the campaign, for instance, is marked by a pronounced learning curve, albeit mitigated by a tutorial, and there’s an unflattering chunkiness to the visuals, intensified by jerky, stretchy 3D animations. Oftentimes the presentation requires the player to mentally fill in the gaps themselves, projecting detail and significance where there is none. Much of the gameplay’s mechanics are abstrusely informed to the player, requiring uncomfortable guesswork or guide-consulting. Before even beginning the adventure, for instance, the player is forced to choose between multiple progressive tiers of precious skill points before knowing any details about what they do. In-game, multi-part objectives are often dumped onto the player all at once and out of order, creating an alienating sense of halted progression. This isn’t to say the comparison to System Shock 1 is unfounded. On multiple levels, System Shock 2 actively strives to be more inviting, understandable and instructive than its precursor. In other ways, the sheer gap of time and innovation between the two titles solidifies it as having more modern sensibilities. Unmissable tools exist to helpfully identify collected items, and there’s no shortage of exposition to elucidate details of the environment. An objectives tracker mercifully updates itself, keeping the player up-to-date on what they still need to do. The music and sound design are of a standard which is more refined, effective and deliberate than the first game’s implementation of the same, and the progression of the story is more carefully directed than would be achieved in any first-person action games from the prior title’s era. And it goes without saying that the control scheme supports mouselook for aiming and shooting, aiming generally to put the player’s attention on the gameworld itself, rather than the HUD.
– Real player with 69.3 hrs in game
Strife: Veteran Edition
(NB - I initially put this as a postscript but I’ll put it here just in case: DO NOT LOOK THROUGH THE ACHIEVEMENTS! THERE IS A SPOILER PRESENT! You won’t know if you have never played this game before and if that doesn’t bother you, disregard but I have so it’s obvious to me.)
Many, many, many moons ago, I played a demo of an ad hoc Doom-meets-Zelda game on my cousin’s PC. Many, many, moons after (early 2007), when I accrued the cash to buy my own PC and a month or two after that when our house got the Internet, I stumbled across a website named Abandonia which served as a threshold for some of the long forgotten classics of yesteryear, most of which were, as they are today, long out of print. Well, that unusual title happened to be amongst its collective and after a little while struggling to get my head around the Metroid Prime of the mid-90s, a lot of fun and a lot of happy hours were spent playing through it.
– Real player with 57.9 hrs in game
I keep saying DOOM is a great template for shooters. With Heretic, they introduced an inventory system. In Hexen, they made hub worlds. And the Build engine is basically an upgraded DOOM engine with more possibilities for level design with layered floors, destructible scenery and explosions. So what can Strife add to shooters in 1996.
Story:
Unlike other shooter which just had a story to add context to what’s going on, Strife has a story with characters and pacing. Not a great story but an enjoyable one. One day, a comet crashed into earth and a plague killed a good chuck of the population was wipe out. However, many survivors started to hear a voice and made a religous movement called the Order which enslaved humanity and kill the women and children. Now a rebel force call the Front to take down this evil force, once and for all.
– Real player with 47.5 hrs in game
System Shock
Customers who pre-order this version of System Shock will receive System Shock 2: Enhanced Edition for free when SS2:EE is released.
“Look at you, Hacker. A pth-pth… pathetic creature of meat and bone.”
You awaken from a six month healing coma aboard Citadel Station, TriOptimum’s premier research facility. Mutants feast on their former crew mates, nightmares of flesh bound to metal roam the dark hallways, and the station’s A.I., SHODAN, is aiming Citadel’s mining laser… at Earth!
Your military grade neural interface is all that stands between humanity and the silicon god coming to remake Earth in their vision.
System Shock is a remake of the beloved PC classic. Updating mechanics, graphics, and enemy A.I. - System Shock is here to offer a new generation of players a chance to go toe-to-toe with one of gaming’s iconic enemies: SHODAN. Fight, hack, and save humanity from a fate worse than death itself.
Weapons & Tools at Your Disposal
“How can you challenge a perfect, immortal machine?”
Weapons have been completely overhauled to form a new deadly arsenal featuring the MK 2100 Magnum, SK-27 Shotgun, LG-XX Plasma Rifle, ND-12 Rail Gun, the Laser Rapier, and many more.
Plug-in the Mapping Unit implant to chart your way through all 9 levels of Citadel Station, hook-up the Biological Systems Monitor to monitor your health and energy consumption, and install the Multimedia Data Reader to experience the last horrifying moments of Citadel’s crew.
New Threats and Horrors
“My children, a human infection continues to thrive inside of me…”
SHODAN’s twisted mind has remade the crew into her image of perfection. Poisoning their DNA, she mutated their flesh. Clouding their minds, she grafted together steel and bone to make them cyborgs. Around every corner lurks a new and horrible way to die.
Explore Citadel Station for the 1st Time
“You are an interloper, a blight on my domain.”
Citadel Station has been renovated to include new areas to explore, traps to evade, puzzles to solve and secrets to discover.
Hack your way through Cyberspace, a 6 Degrees of Freedom (6DoF) hacking simulator rebuilt to be more dangerous with new enemies and challenges.
Thief: Deadly Shadows
I’m an unabashed long-time fan of the Thief series. I was excited to hear my favorite video games were getting a third installment. Then I played this…
The first time I played through this game, at every turn I sighed and thought bitterly about how such and such was different from this or that in the first two games. And almost every instance was different for the worse, not better. I finished the game with an unpleasant taste in my mouth. I’ve played it again before writing this review, this time deliberately putting the high expectation bar out of mind. The result has been a more enjoyable experience. It’s a shame but I suppose what I’m saying is that I enjoyed this game more when I lowered my expectations for it, ahaha. NOT RECOMMENDED.
– Real player with 91.2 hrs in game
I write this on the basis of not having played previous Thief games in the series. However, Thief: Deadly Shadows proved itself a firm favourite and true classic on my list (I owned the game on disc when it was first released but had to re-purchase on Steam so it was compatible with my current PC). It’s true that the graphics are now very obsolete compared to more modern titles - but it has been around for over ten years! - and I still have fond memories of exploring, stealing, sneaking, and eavesdropping.
– Real player with 79.1 hrs in game
Deus Ex: Invisible War
Consolized Deus Ex in virtually every aspect
Back when Deus Ex came out, PC games had a reputation for being more complex than their Console bretheren. PC titles tended to be more complex, have a ton of hotkeys that just couldn’t be fit onto a controller, and were larger in just about every way owing to the same factors that make PC’s technologically superior to consoles to this day. More RAM, more HD space, better graphical capabilities, etc etc etc.
Well into the 2000’s this reality was still prevalent, and no game better encapsulates this contrast and mentality turned reality than Deus Ex: Invisible War-a title made with consoles in mind first and foremost.
– Real player with 48.3 hrs in game
Deus Ex Invisible War is the Sequel to the extremely good Deus Ex which was released in the year 2000, Invisible War was released in 2003 for the Xbox Original and PC, just like Deus Ex it is a Cyber Punk RPG, set 20 years after the Original Deus Ex the world is still recovering from “The Collapse” basically a 2nd great depression when JC Denton destroyed Area 51, apparently he also Merged with Helios and the Illuminati took over? its a bit confusing, you play as Alex D, a Male or Female student enrolled in the Tarsus Academy who escapes an attack on the School done by The Order, after escaping Tarsus you decide who to trust, who to side with and generally what to do, you only know that Tarsus was secretly watching you and The Order were actually “Trying” to save you and the other Students.
– Real player with 32.6 hrs in game