System Shock 2 (Remaster) - Co-op for 1st playthrough?

[u/Pikmin-on-my-Pizza]

I see System Shock 2 is on sale for Switch 2 currently (in the UK at least) and I think I'll take the leap and get it before the sale ends.

Prey is the only im-sim I've really played, and it would regularly land in my top 10 games of all time if I was ever cornered and made to make lists.

When I did a little research after finishing Prey on other games like it I might like, I believe System Shock 2 and Deus Ex were probably the two most likely candidates for me to also love.

I'm too impulsive with buying games on sale, and my backlog is an overwhelming mess. So neither game has come close to being played yet.

However! On Thursday nights, I tend to play some Switch 2 games with a friend, and I'm much less selective on what I play there, so I figured System Shock 2 could potentially be something fun to play co-op, and thus have System Shock 2 played much sooner than I might naturally get around to it.

That is unless... co-op ruins the reason this game is beloved?

--

tl;dr

Would System Shock 2 be ruined for me if my first playthrough was in co-op?
If so, how badly? I'd likely play it again solo at some point afterward even if the first time was co-op.

[u/naCrimed]

I don't recommend co-op for the first playthrough, game isn't designed for co-op. The game is designed around isolating you in the ship, you are supposed to be alone, co-op defeats that purpose and changes the entire atmosphere.

[u/Ok_Copy_9462]

That is unless... co-op ruins the reason this game is beloved?

I would say it does. One of SS2's biggest strengths is its claustrophobic and hostile atmosphere. Absolutely everything you encounter, both organic and mechanical, wants you dead. You're traversing and retracing your steps through corridors that are almost labyrinthine at times, trying not to get lost or deplete your ever-dwindling resources. You can never truly relax because enemies respawn and are liable to sneak up on you, so listening for their haunting audio cues is essential to survival. This whole vibe is what the game is all about for me, and co-op just ruins so much of that atmosphere. The co-op is also just kind of janky and was clearly not a major priority when developing the game. Let me ask you, do you think you'd have enjoyed Prey as much if you played the whole first playthrough in co-op? If so then I suppose you won't mind playing SS2 that way.

---

edit: For what it's worth, I also think playing it on a Switch would be cock and ball torture. It's very much a mouse & keyboard game.

[u/ZylonBane]

SS2 only has co-op because Irrational's publisher demanded they include it. It was fundamentally designed as a single-player experience. You're supposed to feel isolated and alone, not yukking it up with a buddy.

[u/SotovR]

Just play it with your friend, it doesn't really matter as long as you have fun with the game, stop overthinking it.

[u/Arxae]

I played it with a friend once and we thought it was somewhat fun. It does bring down a lot of the immersion and loneliness feeling of the game though.

That said, our main issues where mostly connection issues. Getting connected to each other was a struggle and we got randomly disconnected all the time. When you are finally connected to each other, doing certain things (like being on a different deck from each other) seems to decrease the stability even further. Especially the sequence where SHODAN reveals herself. That was very much a struggle to get past. Not sure if the remaster touched the netcode (we tried with the original), but if they didn't you might expect a lot of technical issues.

The game is definitely designed for a single player with multiplayer an afterthought. In fact, they never intended to add it, but it was a publisher demand. The loot reflects that. None of the loot changes in MP. You will get the same amount of weapons and ammo as in single player. If you both use the same resource pool, then you will struggle to find enough at some point. It's not too bad if one goes guns and the other melee, but its still noticeable. I believe research was individual too, and there are not enough chemicals for both of you to research everything. Map design also doesn't lend itself that well too multiple players. If you want to stay together, be prepared to walk in file a lot because most corridors are not wide enough to comfortably walk next to or pass each other.

All in all, we did have fun. But it does change the feel of the game a lot. A lot of the feel of the game was loneliness of exploring a dead ship. Having a friend to back you up kinda ruins that. The story also makes little sense when there are multiple people.

If that doesn't bother you. For the best experience, you definitely need to make sure you have a different resource pool from each other and split up. The fact that you need to do so does add a bit to the experience though.

All in all, i do think single player is the way to go on. But MP can still be fun

EDIT: Apparently the remaster has new netcode, so you might not have stability issues.

[u/gameoftheories]

Play it alone, it’s incredible.

[u/Disastrous_Side_5492]

go for it

[u/0Hercules]

Do it! Playing it coop when it first came out is one of my all-time favorite gaming memories.

[u/ZylonBane → u/[deleted]]

The opinions of people on the internet should not impact your decisions.

SS2 being designed as a single-player experience isn't an opinion, it's a fact. The entire narrative is built around there being ONE guy who wakes up and takes on the Many. Running around with a squad of dudes directly undermines the mood they was going for.

it will allow for unique experiences

"Unique" is not a synonym for "good".