⠄⠄⠠⠄⢑⢽⣧⡀⠄⠅⠘⡽⣿⣄⡀⠄⠐⠐⠄⢀⠂⢀⠂⢀⠐⢀⢀⠄⢀⠄⡀⠁⠂⠈⡢⡀⠄⢁⠂⡈⡀⢀⠄⢁⢁⠄⢁⠄⠁⡈
⠂⠠⠄⡀⠠⣺⣿⣷⡄⠄⠄⠐⠿⣿⣷⠔⠐⢀⠐⠄⢁⠄⢐⠄⢈⠐⠰⠂⠄⡁⢀⠂⠄⠄⠰⠲⠃⠄⠁⠁⠈⠐⠂⠄⠂⠐⢈⠐⠂⠐
⡁⠐⠄⠄⠄⢀⣩⣆⣴⣆⠄⠠⠄⣶⣶⣾⣧⣄⠄⠄⠡⠂⠠⢁⢈⠐⡂⠈⠈⠆⡐⡂⢐⢂⢀⠑⠺⣿⣦⣀⠢⠄⠐⡀⡀⠄⠄⠈⠈⠠
⠄⠄⢀⠄⠄⠸⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣦⡀⠘⢿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣆⡀⠐⠄⠠⡐⡐⠅⠰⠰⠄⡀⠈⠐⠁⠨⢐⠂⡈⠙⠿⢷⣤⡄⠂⠄⠄⠡⡀⠂⠠
⠱⢤⣐⠠⠂⡀⢹⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣶⡌⡻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣶⣄⠄⠈⡂⠄⠌⠄⣀⣁⢁⡀⡀⢀⢀⣀⢠⣈⣀⣄⣍⣹⣷⣴⣀⡁⠐⢃⢄
⣄⣹⣿⣷⣦⠤⠄⠉⠻⢟⣻⣿⢿⣿⣷⣷⣷⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣆⢱⣦⣬⣂⣁⡈⡙⠿⣿⣯⣏⣿⣷⣿⣿⡿⣟⡿⢟⠻⠛⢿⣿⣾⣶⣮
⢿⠟⠁⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠙⠹⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠛⠉⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠙⠿
⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⢀⠄⠄⢠⡀⠸⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣯⠂⣀⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄
⣀⠄⣠⡄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⢀⣸⣽⣶⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣾⣯⣿⡿⢀⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠁⠄⠄
⣾⣦⠙⠋⠃⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠈⠄⣹⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣇⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠐⣶
⣿⣿⣆⠄⠄⢀⡪⢧⢌⡦⠄⢀⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡀⠄⠠⢯⡲⣖⡣⠄⠄⣼⣿
⣿⣿⣿⣦⣠⣄⣉⣈⣬⣌⣤⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣄⣌⣅⣘⣌⣊⣠⣴⣿⣿
⣻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⣿⣷⣿⣟⣯⡯⣿
⡹⣿⣻⣽⣟⣟⣿⡿⣻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣯⡿⣟⣫⡽⣽⣟⣹⢿⣟
⢽⡷⣻⡾⣽⡿⣯⡿⣽⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣻⣻⣗⣽⣟⣺⣟⢽⢷⢽⣏⡯
⢷⢽⡟⡾⣻⣹⣞⣽⣷⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣟⣷⣻⣾⣟⣗⣻⣗⣳⡾⣺⢶⢽
⢽⡾⣝⣗⢽⡽⣽⡿⣹⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣻⣾⣞⣯⣹⣗⡽⣽
⠪⣯⣫⣻⢾⣿⡿⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⣿⣽⣷⣻⣯⣿⢾⣽⡯
⠄⠹⣿⣾⣿⣽⣿⣽⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣾⣿⣽⣷⠃
⠄⠄⢹⣷⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠃⠄
⠄⠄⠄⠹⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡟⠻⠿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠟⢻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠃⠄⠄
⠄⠄⠄⠄⠹⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣶⣶⣬⣭⣍⣩⣭⣥⣤⣶⣶⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠃⠄⠄⠄
⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠘⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠁⠄⠄⠄⠄
⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠘⢻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠋⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄
⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠈⠛⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠛⠁⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄

Perfect in almost every regard besides art direction. This isn't really an issue with low polygon counts or whatever like some have; it's an aesthetic critique. The first System Shock, not in spite of but because of its deliberately vomitous particolored visuals and midi spam soundtrack feels just as alien and worthy of its titling as it did nearly twenty-five years ago. SS2's desaturated hues may be easier palatable for advertisement and player retention purposes, but it loses the original's utterly sublime sense of estrangement. Like entering the Overworld in Silent Hill, or unlocking a new area in Resident Evil. The experience of something horrifically new and entrancing we so crave that only great art offers. Amazing game with the main trouble of being a sequel to one of the finest renderings of transhuman anxieties and 90s cyberpunk telos ever made.

Man, I miss the future.

It's almost too familiar. The futile thumbing through articles of psychobabble in some vain attempt to give a somatic labeling to a conflicted psyche. The psychosexual allure of technology and the internet as potential transcendence from corporeal responsibility. The well-intentioned failures of institutional psychiatry and ultimately, the all too human desire to connect with the other in a century that increasingly obscures and polarizes our conception of the self. The very narrative happening in our minds and at our screens through the lenses of those most helpless and affected.

"Virtually all works on mental illness and psychiatry are about what goes on in the heads of either mental patients or psychiatrists. In the former class fall the tragedies written by former patients, novelists, philosophers, and some mental health professionals about what they—the sufferers or those who sympathize with them—think is going on in the minds of the mentally ill: these are called the inner experiences of the insane and the torments inflicted on them by others. In the later class fall the comedies written by psychiatrists, psychoanalysts, and other professionals about what they—the scientists and therapists eager to understand and help the helpless—think is going on in the minds of mental patients and what ought to be done about it: these are called the scientific theories and therapeutic techniques of psychiatry."