System Shock begat BioShock
Who's the Big Daddy's father? It's no secret that there are a ton of similarities between the System Shock series and BioShock. Irrational Games' creative director, Ken Levine has said in various interviews that the art deco-oriented BioShock was designed to be a spiritual successor to its cyberpunk predecessor.
But where do you draw the line between a spiritual successor and a repackaged copy?
Check the stats below and decide for yourself.
Above: The writing is on the walls. Some of BioShock's most memorable moments and features come straight from its predecessor
Useless Facts:
- BioShock lets you customize your character with super special powers via Plasmids and Tonics, which are quite similar to System Shock's Psionic abilities.
- Both BioShock and System Shock 2 feature a friendly guide who talks you through the game. Both guides wind up having strikingly similar shocking secrets near the end.
- Hacking security cameras, turrets, and drones are a big part of both games. Both games also feature power ups that improve your hacking skills.
- BioShock fills you in on the plot through audio diaries much like System Shock's email logs.
- Boo! Both games feature ghosts or spirits that provide un-scary story fillers.
- If BioShock's hacking minigame seems familiar, it's because it's practically the same as Pipe Dream.
