Poetic thief on 1/2/2010 at 13:55
Ok, you guys might remember me from (
http://www.ttlg.com/FORUMs/showthread.php?t=128246) this cry for help. I have since finished the game, but...why am I sad?
I am sad because they don't make games like this anymore. (And by "they" I mean the big gaming companies published by EA, Activision etc)
And this is NOT nostalgia speaking. I am not talking through rose colored glasses because I played SS2 for the
FIRST TIME in 2009, and yet, I can't think of another game that had such an overall impact on me.
What I loved about this game:
1. The mood/ atmosphere.
This was one of the most immersive gaming experiences I've ever had. Seriously. I felt like I was transported to the Von Braun. I wasn't just some guy sitting at a keyboard, I was actually there. It takes a special kind of game to really draw you in to its world like that.
The audio logs were such an ingenious way to present the story, and they definitely added a great deal to the immersion.
2. The "Shocks" (pun intended :p)
This is the first game in a looooooooong time where I genuinely felt afraid. I think the fact that game was so immersive/atmospheric played a BIG part in this. I am not someone who is easily scared. Reading "Ghost stories" is actually one of my hobbies, and only three or four authors have the skill to make me feel fear.
This game had many moments where I was sneaking along, and one voice would make the hair stand on the back of my neck. There were many times where my heart stopped for a split second as something unexpected jumped out.
And I loved every minute of it.
3. The role-playing possibilities.
I am a pc rpg gamer primarily, so I approached this game like I approach all my rpg's. I had a very specific character in mind. I didn't care if he was weak in some areas, or if he had one severe handicap. I played my role to the tee.
And this payed off because I think SS2 is a game where you would diminish the experience if you play as a jack-of-all trades, master-of-none type. I specialized only in areas that fit my character, so I had to think of ingenious ways to get around my weaknesses. This, in turn, lead to more opportunities for thinking, and strategizing. I had a blast with this.
4. Heart and soul
This is pretty subjective, but I feel that this game has "heart." I got a sense that the people who made this game had a lot of fun doing it, and really put their hearts into it. Just little things, and little details like the wall pictures, and swinekeeper, and the
hilarious info descriptions, added that final touch to make this game such an engrossing experience.
This "heart", although hard to describe, is something which I feel is missing in a lot of the games I play today.
ZergMasterBaiter on 2/2/2010 at 04:30
Quote Posted by Poetic thief
This "heart", although hard to describe, is something which I feel is missing in a lot of the games I play today.
As far as great scifi horror settings go, System Shock 2 is perfect in my book. The more times you replay it, the less it appears to you as a simple game and more like... a totally cinematic experience. I've always been crazy about space-set horror. I watched and rewatched the first two Alien films dozens of times since first seeing Aliens as a wee lad of eleven. But never mind, I'm digressing, to me SS2 would not have been half as good had it not been set on a huge starship, without the constant humming coming through the bulkheads whispering of the infinite coldness of Space on the other side. And you the player, a tiny insignificant "insect", protected only by the dead, metal shell of VonBraun from the screaming dark void outside. :p Just writing this makes me want to give the game another go, another new survival experience.
But I must agree with you, sadly there are few games these days that give me that same addictive space survival horror fix, the "heart" SS2 in my opinion, and only Dead Space and Doom 3 come to mind. And not even movies :(. Was I the only one who loved every moment of Pandorum?
Poetic thief on 2/2/2010 at 05:12
Quote Posted by ZergMasterBaiter
I've always been crazy about space-set horror.
Aww man. Space horror is definitely a special kind of horror. You're right, the mysterious, endless void of outerspace, the eerie silence...I could go into this further but it might deserve a separate thread entirely.
System Shock 2 definitely exploited the natural creepiness of outerspace to great effect.
I also wish that there were more space horror movies. I haven't seen Pandorum as yet, but it seems to be right up my alley. I really enjoyed Event Horizon although it doesn't seem to have many fans, and I couldn't find another movie like it.
polytourist97 on 3/2/2010 at 09:06
*raises hand
Is this the space-horror fans anonymous session?
I am the only person I know in the world that actually really liked Event Horizon. And I just typed that sentence before actually seeing that Poetic also mentioned it in the last post. I'm not the only one!
I think SS2 really just got so many things right; the setting, the gameplay, the pacing, the story... Other good/great games may get one or two, or at most three of those right, but only a few have been as well-rounded as SS2. It does have something intangible about it as well. I just remember being absolutely enthralled with it from the moment I started playing. I had gotten Homeworld at the same time (which was also a really good game), but as soon as I started playing SS2, there was no turning away. I found my gaming genre (fps-rpg) and my setting (futuristic/cyberpunk) as well as finding out that I LOVED playing a scary game.
There is some truth when people on these forums joke that once you play SS2 you become a gaming pessimist. To an extent, it has raised my expectations of what a game can and should be to such a level that it is difficult to find games that measure up... and I wouldn't want it any other way.
Zygoptera on 4/2/2010 at 02:20
I wouldn't say that I loved Event Horizon but I did think it was far better than its reputation suggested.
icemann on 4/2/2010 at 07:50
While not AS good as SS2 I thought Bioshock and Deadspace were pretty damn good.
Fallout 3 is fantastic also. I spent 3 weeks straight playing that and then a few more with the time taken to beat all the DLC over time.
Matthew on 4/2/2010 at 12:05
I like Event Horizon! But admittedly, I like a lot of it just for Sam Neil chewing the scenery.
ZylonBane on 4/2/2010 at 13:50
I liked it for the scenery chewing Sam Neil.
(disclaimer: did not actually like Event Horizon)
fett on 8/2/2010 at 03:59
Totally agree. Every time I finish playing SS2 I have to take a break from gaming completely because I'm so disappointed at how shallow other games are. Not to mention I usually play it two or three times in a row and build my character differently, so I feel like I've been playing it for ages.
Kefren on 8/2/2010 at 19:38
Drifting OT, but I just replayed the Doom3 'Event Horizon' mod this week. Occasionally it captured the claustrophobic horror, and almost reminded me of SS2 (if I squinted), but mostly it just reminded me of how much I love SS2. The same person who did the Even Horizon mod also did one for Phantasm, which was much better - a scary short blast and a homage to the horror films.
