wow this is fucking amazing but also I think the game kinda peaks in the first act. it definitely blows its load early and while it never gets bad I think it never gets quite as good as those first few hours where you're barely surviving. tho I have to say playing on hard definitely enhanced the experience because it makes every fight do or die and it becomes a game of never letting the enemy attack you because every single enemy hits like a truck now, so you have to use all of your tools. but still it becomes really easy halfway through and the game only gets easier strangely. idk might have to try it on nightmare with survival options.
now for the other positives: the atmosphere is sublime. Arkane really knows how to build tension and it shows plenty. Talos I feels hostile, like something might jump out at any second; you're never fully safe aboard the station. every place also feels lived in, like people actually used it to live there, but death and decay sprayed. it was always a bit sad when I stumbled upon a dead body, especially ones killed by mimics. those never stop being gross to see (in a good way). it really immerses you into the world.
the level design is also fantastic. not only because like I said, Talos I feels like a real place people would use, but also because it's extremely fun to navigate and memorable. I never once in my playthrough got lost while running around the station, it's all extremely intuitive (except in the zero gravity parts, those always mess with my brain), to the point that I recommend turning off objective markers as soon as you can because they ruin the experience otherwise. the levels allow for tons of creative solutions that reward the player for thinking outside the box, which is the mark of any great immersive sim. I always felt smart whenever I circumvented a locked door by climbing over the wall or sliding through a small opening using the mimic power.
speaking of powers, I found a lot more use out of them this time around. mostly for combat, but still. psychoshock especially became invaluable when fighting stronger enemies because it weakens them a ton, to the point that by the end I was barely using the traditional weapons like the pistol or the shotgun (which are also great tools and feel very good to use). if there's anything I'd knock against the game is the lack of enemy and weapon variety. there's like 6 weapons max and 3 or 4 enemy types with different variantf (like wow an electric and a fire variant of a common enemy, how original). they're always fun to fight and provide good challenge, which is why I want to see more! the weapons too, while limited are all very useful in their own right (except the stun gun which I used like twice).
and of course, I'd be remised to mention the greatest tool in the game: the GLOO cannon. this single weapon opens up so many possibilities in the level design by allowing you to create your own shortcuts that it's insane. genuinely the game would be 10 times worse without it. it's also a great and extremely useful combat tool.
I don't have a lot to say about the story. if you've played System Shock, System Shock 2 or Bioshock, then you know more or less what to expect. of course, the game is extremely well written, with the characters being very likable and really feeling alive and you want them to make it out safely. plus there quite a good number of twists in the story to keep you on your toes. the voice actors also do a fantastic job, tho I have to say the lip sync is very hazardous. there's also tons of additional themed about what it means to be human (a classic) and how corporations are evil but also the relationship between the game and the player which really caught me off guard the first time I played it.
there's also a few glitches here and there which I didn't really mind, it's more funny that anything, like that one time I accidentally clipped out of bounds.
overall, game's fantastic. probably the closest we'll ever get to System Shock 3 while never being derivative and always standing out on its own merits.
now for the other positives: the atmosphere is sublime. Arkane really knows how to build tension and it shows plenty. Talos I feels hostile, like something might jump out at any second; you're never fully safe aboard the station. every place also feels lived in, like people actually used it to live there, but death and decay sprayed. it was always a bit sad when I stumbled upon a dead body, especially ones killed by mimics. those never stop being gross to see (in a good way). it really immerses you into the world.
the level design is also fantastic. not only because like I said, Talos I feels like a real place people would use, but also because it's extremely fun to navigate and memorable. I never once in my playthrough got lost while running around the station, it's all extremely intuitive (except in the zero gravity parts, those always mess with my brain), to the point that I recommend turning off objective markers as soon as you can because they ruin the experience otherwise. the levels allow for tons of creative solutions that reward the player for thinking outside the box, which is the mark of any great immersive sim. I always felt smart whenever I circumvented a locked door by climbing over the wall or sliding through a small opening using the mimic power.
speaking of powers, I found a lot more use out of them this time around. mostly for combat, but still. psychoshock especially became invaluable when fighting stronger enemies because it weakens them a ton, to the point that by the end I was barely using the traditional weapons like the pistol or the shotgun (which are also great tools and feel very good to use). if there's anything I'd knock against the game is the lack of enemy and weapon variety. there's like 6 weapons max and 3 or 4 enemy types with different variantf (like wow an electric and a fire variant of a common enemy, how original). they're always fun to fight and provide good challenge, which is why I want to see more! the weapons too, while limited are all very useful in their own right (except the stun gun which I used like twice).
and of course, I'd be remised to mention the greatest tool in the game: the GLOO cannon. this single weapon opens up so many possibilities in the level design by allowing you to create your own shortcuts that it's insane. genuinely the game would be 10 times worse without it. it's also a great and extremely useful combat tool.
I don't have a lot to say about the story. if you've played System Shock, System Shock 2 or Bioshock, then you know more or less what to expect. of course, the game is extremely well written, with the characters being very likable and really feeling alive and you want them to make it out safely. plus there quite a good number of twists in the story to keep you on your toes. the voice actors also do a fantastic job, tho I have to say the lip sync is very hazardous. there's also tons of additional themed about what it means to be human (a classic) and how corporations are evil but also the relationship between the game and the player which really caught me off guard the first time I played it.
there's also a few glitches here and there which I didn't really mind, it's more funny that anything, like that one time I accidentally clipped out of bounds.
overall, game's fantastic. probably the closest we'll ever get to System Shock 3 while never being derivative and always standing out on its own merits.