[Petrarch of the VBB]

I could never play SS2 for more than 20 mins, even when cheating! It's just frightening!

[mikhael]

Originally posted by Petrarch of th VBB
I could never play SS2 for more than 20 mins, even when cheating! It's just frightening!

That's why I played it. I groove on games that elicit genuine emotional responses. Very few games can do that, hence my dislike of most games. Shock2 and Thief, however, are among my favorite games for the raw fear factor.

[Levyathan]

Originally posted by mikhael
The last level was gorgeous, but I couldn't find that damned spiral staircase area to save my life.

Gorgeous? It uses the exact same architecture from the first Shock 1 level, the only different things are the objects and lighting. That's why I said it was an offense.

[mikhael]

Originally posted by Levyathan


Gorgeous? It uses the exact same architecture from the first Shock 1 level, the only different things are the objects and lighting. That's why I said it was an offense.

 I've not played Shock1 yet, so I don't know what its first level is like. I do have to say that I love the virtual bits of the area: the black walls with the neon traceries. Something about that just really appeals to me.

[Ulundel]

Originally posted by mikhael




 I've not played Shock1 yet, so I don't know what its first level is like. I do have to say that I love the virtual bits of the area: the black walls with the neon traceries. Something about that just really appeals to me.

Then play it. Belive me, it's worth it.

[mikhael]

Originally posted by Ten of Twelve


Then play it. Belive me, it's worth it.

I'm looking for the CD version. I want the voices.

That Brosius' chick they got to do SHODAN's voice (and, I think DeLacroix's) has a sexy voice.

Had it been me at the end of the game, I might have made a deal with SHODAN, rather than pulled her fuses.

[Ulundel]

I think the classic trash one should have voices and it's pretty impossible to get an original copy of SS

[Stunaep]

as mentioned before though, never got it to run whit sound.

Oh, and as far as I remember the CT version doesn't have voices.

[Ace]

IMHO, SS1 is a lot more freaky than Shock 2. There's just moments in it like running arround in the arcology deck and signs with: "Genetic Engineering is the Future" "Only the Strong Survive" and then all of the sudden getting ambushed by invisible creatures created by SHODAN

Shock2 doesn't quite have moments like that, it's much more linear and lacks the feel that you can do whatever you like but in truth you're only doing exactly what Warren Spector wanted you to do.

SHODAN has a very elemental force feel and almost seems like the goddess she claims she is, something which SS2 doesn't quite capture again even with The Many.

[Razor]

is this thread about?

[Levyathan]

Originally posted by mikhael
That Brosius' chick they got to do SHODAN's voice (and, I think DeLacroix's) has a sexy voice.

She's Eric Brosius' (the sound guy) wife, she designed one (or more than one, I don't know) of the Thief 2 missions.

Originally posted by Ten of Twelve
I think the classic trash one should have voices and it's pretty impossible to get an original copy of SS

The floppy version has just text, no voices, and gameplay resolution up to 320x240, as well as a couple of bugs (like illimited energy). The CD version has text, speech, resolution up to 640x480 (for the time it was released that was wonderfully good) and most (if not all) bugs fixed.

As for finding it, I hear people say it's pretty easy to find CD versions for sale at eBay, even with the ICE Breaker included (that's pretty hard to find).

Originally posted by Ace
IMHO, SS1 is a lot more freaky than Shock 2. There's just moments in it like running arround in the arcology deck and signs with: "Genetic Engineering is the Future" "Only the Strong Survive" and then all of the sudden getting ambushed by invisible creatures created by SHODAN

I take it you mean a "TriOptimum - Perfection through genetics" sign just before entering a room filled with virus mutants.

Other nice moment was * SPOILER- DO NOT HIGHLIGHT THE FOLLOWING TEXT IF YOU HAVEN'T PLAYED THE GAME *  "Nice jump, human!", just after using the boosters in the Storage level. Or "Welcome to my death machine, interloper!", then all lights are turned off and you get attacked by all sides. Memorable moments, those ones.

Originally posted by Ace
Shock2 doesn't quite have moments like that, it's much more linear and lacks the feel that you can do whatever you like but in truth you're only doing exactly what Warren Spector wanted you to do.

It really is linear, but there are a lot of good moments too. Like the third Sim Unit trap. And I don't know what you mean by doing what Warren Spector wanted. Warren Spector worked in Shock 1, but wasn't involved in any way in the development of Shock 2.

Originally posted by Ace
SHODAN has a very elemental force feel and almost seems like the goddess she claims she is, something which SS2 doesn't quite capture again even with The Many.

That might be because in Shock 2 she's not at home, she's just a fragment of her former self, struggling to become all what she once was. And The Many absolutely rocks! Its presence is what makes Shock 2 different than Shock 1. If it weren't for The Many, we'd have just a Shock 1 in a spaceship.

Originally posted by Razor
is this thread about?

Certainly not about the benefits of eating elephant meat every day.

[mikhael]

Originally posted by Ace
SHODAN has a very elemental force feel and almost seems like the goddess she claims she is, something which SS2 doesn't quite capture again even with The Many.

In Shock2, SHODAN is not the elemental force: The Many is the elemental force. SHODAN is this broken AI shard trying to reassert itself--and again, through your efforts, does so very well.

When I first played the game, I looked forward to hearing from Polito. She made me feel less alone (and man, does the Von Braun feel lonely!) and I looked forward to seeing here. Imagine my surprise when the knife gets twisted.  That was my first introduction to the Machine Mother in all her supreme silicon *****iness. You suddenly realized that everything you had done to this point, everything you had survived, was nothing. It was all down to this self proclaimed ascendent god-AI. She makes you remember that all the way through into the Body of th e Many.

She didn't even send you to the Many expecting you to succeed: she had the Rickenbacher and the FTL drive. She already owned the Many body and soul, no matter what the collective thought.  

The Many on the other hand, were biological horrors gone wildly out of control as that last log mentioned, "SHODAN shouldn't be allowed to play God. She's far too good at it." She created this entity, with the intent of unleashing it upon the world. Because of the Hacker, the Many slipped her leash prematurely, and they became the elemental, uncontrolled force that devoured the Von Braun and the Rickenbacher.

Now, for horrific moments, walking into the morgue in the Medical sector and turning around to find a dead body hanging from the ceiling cannot be beat. The Sim-Unit 3 trap was pretty good, as were the several "shotgun hybrid posse" moments. The real scare for me wasn't in the sudden surprises though, it was in the atmosphere. Early on, the game teaches you that corners are dangerous: they hide monsters and cameras and turrets. The game teaches you that even when you're alone, you're not. The monkeys are there screeching in the distance or a rumbler is growling about in search of his next meal, or the hybrids are singing their mantras to the Many.

I haven't played Shock1 yet, but I'm expecting it to bring out that same feeling of paranoia and dread.

[Ace]

What I meant Levayathan was that everything you did in SS1 was linear but seemed not do be, because Spector designed it to work that way.

Shock2 to me doesn't quite capture the magic since Spector wasn't behind it, a good game but not as freaky as it could be.

To me The Many isn't as good of an elemental force as SHODAN is in her purist. However the game starting with Polito and similarly other people involved was refreshing to me, however I knew she *had* to be SHODAN even from the start

[Stunaep]

THAT'S IT!!

*runs out to buy SS2*

*finds SS2 nowhere*

*hides in the corner and starts crying*

[Levyathan]

Originally posted by Ace
What I meant Levayathan was that everything you did in SS1 was linear but seemed not do be, because Spector designed it to work that way.

Oh, that. I should start reading more carefully.