She’s taken from some obvious sources – 2001’s HAL primarily - but she’s something else, something more and something unique. System Shock, and Shodan especially, was /hopefully/ derivative. Most games fiction is hopelessly derivative.

Shodan is, as far as videogames go, an original. Most importantly, you’re directly facing a huge inverted crucifix.Įnvironment, input, plot and Shodan’s character merges perfectly through all these strains of sensory input merge into a way of conveying a message entirely unique to games. Since the entire ship’s flipped, the entire place is ruined. Every line of code in your subsystems elevates you from your disgusting flesh,” she notes, “perhaps you have potential.” And then, with a suggestion of a real alliance she’s gone. With every module she provides, she makes you more like her. She’s already exposed delusions of Godhood throughout, but in her mind, you’re part of the evidence of her divinity. She goes on to tell how she chose you, had a machine knock you unconscious and then operate to insert the cybernetic implants that have allowed you to progress so far.

“I thought Polito would be my avatar… but Polito was weak” she muses in her octave-leaping voice. That Doctor Polito killed herself rather than be involved any more.

That Shodan’s abandoned her other helper, Delacroix. As you head into the section, before everything kicks off, Shodan starts to speak to you. Through a series of misadventures, you’ve reversed the gravity on a segment of the ship so you can safely move past one of the hazards of deep space, at the expense of causing havoc as ceiling becomes floor, and visa versa. We’re approaching the end of System Shock 2. Not every one has one which… well, let’s show her at her best.

System shock 2 xerxes voice lines