Before there was the rather mediocre Bioshock, there was the masterpeice known as System Shock,an action role-playing game developed by Looking Glass Technologies and published by Origin Systems. Released in 1994.
The game is set aboard the fictional Citadel Station in a cyberpunk vision of 2072. Assuming the role of a nameless hacker, the player attempts to hinder the plans of a malevolent artificial intelligence.
Unlike other first-person games of the time, System Shock features true 3D environments, allowing you to look up and down, climb, duck, jump, and lean to the side. System Shock is hailed as a major innovation in its genre. It was later placed on multiple hall of fame lists. Despite its technological feats and critical acceptance, System Shock was outsold by its contemporaries.
In 1999, System Shock 2 was released and blew its predecessor away, literally, considering that the entire game took place on an abandoned spacecraft, the crew dead, meant you were alone...you and
SHODAN, when you first awaken it is S.H.O.D.A.N who helps you find your way around the ship, meaning she is both your best friend and your worst enemy but by the end of the game you would no doubt be glad to put her out of her misery.
Some few years after the release of System Shock 2, Looking Glass Technologies confirmed that System Shock 3 was under development but now little is known about System Shock 3, although people do claim that Bioshock is a so-called "spiritual successor" to the System Shock series, maybe when Bioshock is actually good I would believe that, for now I doubt its true, why, because Shodan or any of the System Shock elements never appear in Bioshock, but hey System Shock will live on, hail Shodan!
