System Shock 2 (pc) - A general guide Ver 1.0
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Version 1.0 released on 18/12/2003 by Basil Brush.
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Contents:
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1. Introduction
2. Choosing starting abilities
3. Difficulty levels
4. Abilities
5. OS Upgrades
6. Weapons
7. Other items
8. Research
9. Enemies (and how best to kill them)
10. Replicator list
11. Tips
12. Walkthrough
13. Bragging
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1) INTRODUCTION
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Welcome to my System Shock 2 guide. It's a fantastic game that hasn't really
received the credit it's due. It's not perfect, of course. Some think it's
too difficult, which it can be if you try to play it like a standard shoot
everything that moves fps. The weapon maintenance system can also be slightly
annoying - do pistols really break that quickly in real life? - but it's flaws
are minor and don't truly spoil the gameplay.
This guide contains a variety of information on the various skills, weapons,
items, and enemies in the game as well as a short walkthrough. Most of my
advice is skewed towards getting through the game on the Hard or Impossible
difficulty settings.
I have not felt it necessary to copy reams of text directly from the game. For
instance, you can find out exactly what each psi power does from your mfd, I'm
only going to give my opinion as to their usefulness. The walkthrough has been
kept to a minimum because I really don't like the describe every step in
triplicate kind.
Contact me on garkimasera@hotmail.com if you've got any extra info you think
would help. I'd especially like to know if I've missed any cybermodule
locations.
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2) CHOOSING STARTING ABILITIES
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MARINES: +1 standard
Year 1 - +2 endurance, strength or agility
Year 2 - +2 standard, or +1 heavy and +1 cyber (grenade launcher)
or +1 energy and +1 cyber (laser pistol)
Year 3 - +1 repair, modify or maintenance (maintenance tool)
I recommend +2 strength, +2 standard, +1 maintenance except on Impossible
where I'd take +2 endurance
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NAVY : +1 standard
Year 1 - +1 strength and either +1 hack, repair or modify
Year 2 - +2 standard, or +2 cyber or +1 maintenance
Year 3 - +2 agility, +2 endurance or +1 research
I recommend +1 strength and +1 hack, +2 cyber, and +1 research except on
Impossible where again I'd take +2 endurance
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OSA : First tier psi ability and psi amp
Year 1 - second tier psi, cryokinesis, and either psycho-reflective screen,
kinetic redirection, or psychogenic cyber affinity
Year 2 - +2 psi, +2 endurance or +1 research
Year 3 - +1 strength, agility, or cyber and either remote electron tampering,
neuro-reflex dampening or psychogenic agility
I recommend psychogenic cyber-affinity, +1 research, and psychogenic agility
except on Impossible where I recommend getting your head examined. Okay, +2
endurance again - but no hack and no standard weapons make it very hard at the
start and +2 psi may in fact be better.
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In general the marines and navy are easier to start off with, but psi powers
are more useful later on and the OSA start abilities cost more to buy.
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3) DIFFICULTY LEVELS
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There are four difficulty settings - Easy, Normal, Hard and Impossible - the
default being Normal. You can change difficulty at any time.
Always the same: enemy HP, strength and speed.
Obvious differences: less HP and psi points as the game gets harder; ability
upgrades cost more cybermodules; replicator items cost more.
Less obvious differences: fewer security panels and a few objects disappear.
Possibly my imagination: spawned enemies more dangerous especially on later
levels; and chances of getting items from eggs or enemies seems lower.
Cybermodule cost for abilities at different levels
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Tech skills: hack, repair, modify, maintain, research
Stats: strength, endurance, agility, psi, cyber affinity
Weapon: standard, energy, heavy, exotic
Psi figures are: tier cost/per individual power
Each psi tier gets you some extra psi points: tier 1=2; 2=4; 3=6; 4=8; 5=10;
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4) ABILITIES
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I'm not going to give a description, just my opinion on which ones you need.
Tech:
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Hack - the most important tech skill. Useful throughout the game. Get it
to level 4.
Repair - the least important. There are enough auto-repair units for broken
replicators (and one lock).
Modify - level 1 so you can modify pistol, shotgun, grenade launcher but
no higher
Maintain - level 2 or 3 is necessary; many of the level 6 weapons need a
maintenance skill of 4
Research - level 1 is obligatory, but you don't need more unless you want to
use exotic weapons. The labtech implant gives you extra +1
research
Stats:
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Strength - level 4 minimum
Endurance - on easy or norm you can get away with 2 or 3 or even less. On
impossible I'd say level 5 is what you need
Psi - level 5 unless you plan to do without psi powers altogether
Agility - level 4 though you can get away with less if you don't mind
being a slug
Cyber - level 4 (for hacking etc.)
Combat:
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Standard - Level 4 or 5
Energy - Don't bother especially on hard or impossible
Heavy - Level 5 or 6 but only to make the grenade launcher more powerful
Exotic - Don't bother especially on hard or impossible
Psi Powers:
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Tier 1 : Always
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Psycho-reflective screen - too small an effect to be worthwhile
Neuro-reflex dampening - you just won't use it
Kinetic redirection - handy in 8 places
Psychogenic agility - second best tier 1 power
Psychogenic cyber affinity - best tier 1 power, always use it before hacking
Projected cryokinesis - only if you have no choice
Remote electron tampering - don't set off alarms
Tier 2 : Always
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Anti-entropic field - you just won't use it.
Adrenaline overproduction - good, but like so many of the psi powers you'll
not have it active when you need it.
Neural decontamination - radiation is not that big of a threat
Cerebro-stimulated - on easy and normal it's probably too weak. On
regeneration impossible it works well. But you can probably
get by without it.
Psychogenic strength - if you can afford it early when you're still
using the wrench a lot it's good, otherwise.
Recursive Psionic - can be useful early on if your psi stat is low.
amplification
Localised pyrokinesis - if you can let them get that close you can use
a melee weapon.
Tier 3 : Always
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Molecular duplication - a great power especially on hard or impossible
It can reproduce all ammo and most hypos at
a cost equivalent to a hacked replicator on
the normal difficulty setting. All hypos and
grenades come at the cost of the cheapest so
even on easy it's the cheapest way to get
many items. It's convenient too.
You can duplicate speed, strength and psi
boosters, as well as worm ammo.
Doesn't duplicate batteries, maintenance tools
or psi hypos.
Electron cascade - more or less required if you want to use the
powered armour. Batteries can be pretty rare
on impossible though you can get them from
replicators.
Energy reflection - unnecessary.
Neural toxin blocker - I can think of one place in the game where it
might be useful.
Enhanced motion - interesting but not terribly useful.
sensitivity
Projected pyrokinesis - the main psi weapon but not powerful enough to
really use unless you've no option.
Psionic hypnogenesis - don't put them to sleep, kill them.
Tier 4 : Always
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Photonic redirection - invaluable for the last three stages, but
particularly for the final part of the
body of the many
Remote pattern detection - not as useful as it sounds
Electron suppression - useful only if your trying to beat the game as
a psi-only character
Psychogenic endurance - nice on impossible to give you a bit of a margin,
otherwise not truly necessary
Molecular transmutation - gives better returns than the recycler but as it
only does hypos and grenades one at a time works
out expensive in psi points.
Cerebro energetic - about as powerful as the crystal shard but ties
extension up your psi-amp. Not really needed.
Remote circuitry - again it's only useful if your a psi-only
manipulation character
Tier 5 : Only on easy or norm
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Advanced c-s regeneration - powerful, but like so many of the fifth tier
powers when you can afford it you don't need it,
and when you could use it you can't afford it.
Soma transference - see above
Instantaneous quantum - has, as far as I can see, one purpose: to let
relocation you kill yourself on the tram track. Perhaps you
can use it to get out of cargo bay A on deck 6
without losing the 10 modules. I don't know.
(Now I know, and you can avoid losing the 10
modules though it's hardly a bargain)
Imposed neural - same as regeneration and soma transference.
restructuring
Metacreative barrier - the description sounds good, the reality is
somewhat disappointing. You could block a passage
with it, I suppose.
External psionic - another power whose practical use escapes me.
detonation
Psycho-reflective aura - the best power but still too expensive on
impossible for the benefit gained.
Here are my recommended minimum upgrades on Impossible
Total cost in cybermodules is 882, assuming you bought them all, which is more
than are actually available in the game. Your starting abilities are worth
80-100 modules so you could get Heavy to 5 and maybe maintain to 3.
On easier settings you can boost heavy to max, maintain to 4 and strength to
max whilst dropping endurance a point or two.
Hack 4 allows you to hack crates, replicators and turrets. There are 4 things
in the game that need hack 6: 3 high security crates and the gamepig - use
ice-picks if you really have to - only one of the crates (Deck 6 officer's
quarters) is truly worth opening. At hack 4 , cyber 4, expertech implant and
psychogenic cyber affinity you should be able to hack everything else with
a better than 50% chance.
Modify 1 allows you to have the weapons of choice at full power earlier in the
game. Save the French-Epstein device from deck 1 until you get the grenade
launcher on deck 3. This makes the next few decks much easier.
Maintain 2 is the minimum for the grenade launcher and you can get through the
whole game with this especially if you're prepared to break a few pistols in
the early stages (The first pistol mod is really cheap).
Research 1 is all you need. To use the worm launcher requires research 5 and
exotic 6, that's 400 modules on impossible, nearly half the total. The exotic
implants are only marginally useful and the worm skin is not much better.
Strength 4 is more for inventory space than anything else. With the brawnboost
implant you'll have just enough. Use the powered armour.
Endurance 5 is 22HP on impossible. OS upgrade Tank, the endurboost implant
and psychogenic endurance will take this to 36.
Psi 5 to give duplication a strong chance of succeeding and photon redirection
a reasonable length of time. Use the psiboost implant and psi booster hypos
which can be duplicated at 20 nanites a shot.
Agility 4 with psychogenic agility and the swiftboost implant gives agility 7
which is good for getting away from rumblers and keeping up with assassins.
Cyber 4 should be enough for your hacking needs, more is overkill, less will
probably mean too many failed hack attempts in the later stages.
Standard 4 is enough to make the pistol and shotgun powerful. The assault
rifle at standard 6 is too many modules for too little gain.
Heavy 4 just for the grenade launcher - gets rid of spiders, assassins and
most bots in one shot. Rumblers take 1 incendiary grenade and a bullet.
Psi powers:
Tier 1 - you need cyber and agility is also helpful
Tier 2 - strength and regeneration are handy but you can get by without
Tier 3 - duplication relieves any ammo problem and is generally handy.
Electron cascade means you don't have to bother dashing off to
rechargers at inconvenient moments.
Tier 4 - photonic redirection and endurance - makes the last three levels
(Rickenbaker bridge, body of many, where am I?) a breeze, but you
can leave them until last to buy.
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5) OS UPGRADES
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Strong Metabolism : Damage from radiation and toxins reduced by 25%
Practically useless
Pharmo Friendly : Extra 20% benefit from all hypos
Sounds good, but in fact there are more than enough med
and psi hypos in the game even on Impossible
Pack Rat : 3 extra inventory slots
Unnecessary, except perhaps on Impossible
Speedy : Movement speed increased by 15%
Doesn't make a big difference - boost your agility when
needed via implant or psi power
Sharpshooter : Ranged weapons do 15% more damage
The second best upgrade, take it first or third
Naturally Able : 8 extra cybermodules
Pointless on any difficulty setting
Cybernetically : Allows use of 2 implants at same time
enhanced The best upgrade but take it second
Tank : Increases maximum HP by 5
Useless on Easy and Norm, but very good on Impossible
Lethal Weapon : Increases hand-to-hand damage by 35%
On Hard or Impossible take this first, as it really
helps on the first three decks.
Security Expert : +2 hacking skill applied only to security computers
Might be some use in the very early stages.
Smasher : You can execute overhand attacks with melee weapons
Powerful but slow - I prefer lethal weapon
Cyber Assimilation: Extract item from destroyed robot which can heal 15HP
There's more than enough healing items in the game to
bother with this
Replicator Expert : Items cost 20% less
On Easy and Norm there's more than enough nanites to
buy all you could need. On Hard and Impossible use
molecular duplication instead
Power Psi : Burnout no longer damages you
Only good if you use a lot of tier 5 powers
Tinker : Nanite cost for weapon modification down by 50%
Useless
Spatially Aware : Automap always filled in
Equally Useless
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My picks
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EASY : Sharpshooter/ Cybernetically Enhanced/ Lethal Weapon/ Power Psi
NORMAL : Sharpshooter/ Cybernetically Enhanced/ Lethal Weapon/ Power Psi
HARD : Lethal Weapon/ Cybernetically Enhanced/ Sharpshooter/ Tank
IMPOSSIBLE : Lethal Weapon/ Cybernetically Enhanced/ Sharpshooter/ Tank
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6) WEAPONS
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Type Name Lvl Mod 1 / 2 Maint Repair Research Stats
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None wrench - - / - - - - -
Standard pistol 1 1 / 3 1 1 - -
Standard shotgun 3 1 / 3 2 3 - -
Standard assault rifle 6 2 / 4 4 4 - Str 2
Energy laser pistol 1 2 / 4 1 1 - -
Energy laser rapier 4 - / - - - - Agi 3
Energy emp rifle 6 3 / 5 6 2 - -
Heavy grenade launcher 1 1 / 3 2 2 - -
Heavy stasis field gen 3 2 / 4 3 6 - Str 3
Heavy fusion cannon 6 4 / 6 4 4 - Str 4
Exotic crystal shard 1 - / - - - 4(Y) -
Exotic viral prolif. 4 3 / 5 4 4 3(Tc,Te) -
Exotic worm launcher 6 2 / 4 4 5 6(Mo,Se) Str,Agi 3
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Wrench - the basic melee weapon and, despite the greater power of the other
melee weapons, the only one you need.
Pistol - Second best ranged weapon. The three different ammo types means it's
effective against everything, easy to modify and maintain, loads of
ammo lying around for it. It's secondary fire mode is also the only
one that's ever worth using (apart from the exotics obviously).
Shotgun - It's more powerful than the pistol using standard bullets but
otherwise not, and the pellet ammo has to be used at such close
range you might as well use a melee weapon.
Assault - It's stronger than the pistol, but at standard 6 and the fact that
rifle you can't modify it with level 1 mod skill and that it also needs a
maintenance skill of 4 make it too expensive on Hard or Impossible.
Laser - Okay against droids, turrets and bots; rubbish against flesh. It
pistol needs no ammo and never seems to break, but you're still better off
without it.
Laser - Like all the energy weapons it's good versus mechanical and not so
rapier good versus the rest.
EMP rifle - A better version of the laser pistol with the same positives but
the same overriding negatives, and maintain 6 would be ridiculous
except that it too never seems to break.
Grenade - Without question the best weapon. With its range of ammo and
launcher hitting power it's effective against everything in the game. It's
easy to modify and maintain. You get one fairly early and needing
just heavy 1 makes it too good to pass up.
The only real problem is the relative lack of ammo but that's
what your nanites are for. Use third tier power molecular
duplication both for convenience and, on hard or impossible,
cost. I think that grenade ammo is probably the best in terms of
nanites per damage caused.
Stasis - Fun to play around with but ultimately pointless. Use the
field grenade launcher at a distance and switch to the pistol or
generator shotgun for close up work.
Fusion - Oh what a disappointment when you first get to use this horrible
cannon piece of dung. Normal is slow and weak, death is slower and
only reasonably powerful. You'll probably be more dangerous to
yourself than the baddies.
Crystal - It is the best melee weapon in the game but it won't be
shard noticeably stronger than the wrench unless you put a few points
on the exotic weapon skill, and by the time you get it enemies
will fall into two types: those you can safely bash with the
wrench; and those that are better handled from afar.
Viral - The human setting is more dangerous to you than anything
proliferator else and though the annelid setting is quite powerful, it
certainly isn't better than the grenade launcher. It requires
maintain 4 and degrades extremely quickly.
Worm - It's powerful but it costs so much to use - 400 modules on
launcher impossible - and comes so late in the game that it simply
doesn't make sense to try and get it. It also has the same
high maintenance, quick degradation problem as the viral
proliferator. And it's still not as good as the grenade
launcher.
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7) OTHER ITEMS
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I'm not going to list every single thing, just the armour, the exotic implants
and a couple of other things.
Hazard Suit - of almost no use and not worth lugging around for the few times
you might be able to.
Standard - requires strength 4, +30 defence.
armour
Heavy armour - requires strength 6, +40 defence.
Powered - +50 defence. The best armour but can be irritating if you don't
armour have electron cascade. So get it.
Worm skin - +20 defence and also protects against radiation and toxins.
Raises psi by 2 and drains psi points. Poor defence and lesser
rad/tox protection than the hazard suit in return for +2 psi
is not a good deal if you ask me.
Wormmind - takes one in every four points of damage from psi points rather
implant than HP. In short - pointless.
Wormblood - allows you to heal at worm piles. As you already have somewhere
implant between 2 and 6 ways to heal yourself (med hypos, medkits,
surgical units, healing glands, regeneration, advanced regen)
this is not really that useful.
Wormheart - prevents toxin damage (until you remove it) and regenerates one
implant HP every thirty seconds. The regen is too slow to be much use
and toxin damage is fairly rare and can be healed on the fly
with anti-toxin hypos which you'll still have to carry for
when you remove the implant.
Annelid healing - always use these before med hypos and medkits. You seem
gland to find fewer on the harder difficulty settings.
Annelid psi - fully restores your psi points. Rarer than the healing
organ glands. I have played entire games on Impossible without
finding one.
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8) RESEARCH
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Name Level Chemicals
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Crystal shard 4 Y
Viral Proliferator 3 Tc, Te
Worm Launcher 6 Mo, Se
Wormblood implant 4 Cu
Wormmind implant 3 Cs
Wormheart implant 5 Cs, Hs
Worm skin 3 Hs, Tc
Annelid healing gland 1 Os
Annelid psi organ 1 Ga, Y
Psi booster hypo 1 Na, Ir
Hybrid organ 1 -
Monkey brain 1 Fm
Midwife organ 1 -
Grub pod organ 1 Cf,Ga
Swarm pod organ 1 -
Arachnid organ 1 Ir
Rumbler organ 1 Mo
Psi reaver organ 1 Ra
Toxin A 1 2 Sb, V
There are two chemicals - BA, As - that seem to have no use
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9) ENEMIES
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Hybrids - They're ugly and they're sorry.
Pipe wielders should just be hit with the wrench. For shooters: run
in close so they keep backing up and then two hits of the wrench
should be enough.
Monkeys - two kinds: the bad monkey who has cryokinesis and the evil monkey
with pyrokinesis. Dodge the bolt if necessary, get in close, crouch
and whack them, or splat them with the shotgun, or shoot them with a
couple of standard bullets, but I abjure thee never, ever spank
them. Spanking the monkey can lead to embarrassing parent/child
husband/wife interface opportunities. Believe me, I know.
Cyborg Midwife - part human, part machine and fires a green laser.
Either a couple of AP bullets or move in close so she won't
fire her laser and beat her to death with the wrench.
Lovely, or should that be ughhh.
Eggs - check them for goodies and then blast them with the shotgun or a
standard bullet. Use the wrench if you don't mind risking them 'going
off'.
Worm - the wrench or a bullet.
Swarm - annoying insect swarm. Run till they drop.
Cyborg Assassins - two kinds: black and red; both move and shoot fast. On easy
they're a joke, on impossible they're deadly.
An emp or frag grenade should be enough. Otherwise use AP
bullets. Always try to get the drop on them if possible.
Arachnids - three kinds: small, big and semi-visible. They're all annelid,
and they can all poison you.
The babies can be killed with a shotgun slug or simply whacked.
The parents require a frag or incendiary grenade. A few
anti-personnel bullets also works quite well.
Rumbler - big, mean and difficult to outrun. Classed by the game as a human
hybrid.
An incendiary grenade followed by an anti-personnel bullet is the
best method. Followed by 2 frag grenades, or as many anti-personnel
bullets as it takes. Projected pyrokinesis should also be reasonably
effective.
Psi Reaver - nasty flying thing that reappears far too quickly and shoots
energy balls at you. Also a defenceless icky lump that
controls it.
Take out the flying part with an incendiary grenade or
anti-personnel bullets and the icky lump with the wrench.
Protocol Droid - annoying, exploding, pain in the arse. An AP bullet or two
should do it.
Turrets - several kinds, but all handled the same way. If security is off-line
either hack them or hit them with the wrench and finish them at a
safe distance with a bullet. Otherwise use an emp or frag grenade.
Bots - several kinds, but all handled the same way. An emp grenade or AP
bullets. If you really want you can melee them and just use a bullet
to finish them off, but this is not so easy on impossible.
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10) REPLICATORS
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Deck 1 - Engineering
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Near Elevator: Soda / Fragmentation Grenade Clip / Psi Hypo / Med Hypo
Hack: Soda --> 6 AP Bullets
Engine Core : Cigs / 6 Standard Bullets / Anti Toxin Hypo / Psi Hypo
Hack: Cigs --> Proximity Grenade Clip
Cargo Bay 1A : Soda / Maintenance Tool / 6 Rifled Slugs / Strength Booster
Hack: Soda --> 6 Anti-Personnel Shotgun Shells
Cargo Bay 2A : Cigs / Battery / 6 Standard Bullets / Anti-rad Hypo
(Broken) Hack: Cigs --> V1 Repair Soft
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Deck 2 - Med/Sci
----------------
Science Area : Chips / Med Hypo / 6 Standard Bullets / 12 Standard Bullets
Hack: Chips --> Maintenance Tool
Near R&D : Chips / Anti-rad Hypo / 6 Standard Bullets / Anti Toxin Hypo
Hack: Chips --> Psi Hypo
Crew Lounge : Juice / Maintenance Tool / V1 Hack Soft / Anti-rad Hypo
Hack: Juice --> Anti Toxin Hypo
Crew Quarters: Cigs / Fragmentation Grenade Clip / Psi Hypo / 6 Rifled Slugs
Hack: Cigs --> V1 Research Soft
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Deck 3 - Hydroponics
--------------------
Biosurvey : Vodka / Med Hypo / 6 Rifled Slugs / V1 Repair Soft
Hack: Vodka --> V2 Repair Soft
Hydroponics A: Cigs / Anti Toxin Hypo / 6 Standard Bullets / V1 Modify Soft
(Broken) Hack: Cigs --> Medical Kit
Hydroponics A: Mug / Anti Toxin Hypo / Psi Hypo / Battery
Hack: Mug --> 6 Standard Bullets
Hydroponics D: Cigs / Fragmentation Grenade Clip / Maintenance Tool / Psi Hypo
Hack: Cigs --> Incendiary Grenade Clip
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Deck 4 - Operations
-------------------
Crew Quarters: Cigs / 6 AP Bullets / Frag Grenade Clip / 6 Standard Bullets
(Broken) Hack: Cigs --> EMP Grenade Clip
Mess Hall : Mug / Psi Hypo / Strength Booster / Med hypo
(outside) Hack: Mug --> Medical Kit
Mess hall : Vodka / Maint. Tool / 6 Anti-Pers. Shotgun / Prox. Grenade Clip
(inside) Hack: Mug --> V2 Repair Soft
Near Barracks: Cigs / Juice / 6 Rifled Slugs / Psi Hypo
Hack: Cigs --> 6 anti-personnel Bullets; Juice --> Recycler
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Deck 5 - Recreation
-------------------
Nr. Athletics: Soda / 6 anti-personnel Bullets / Anti Toxin Hypo / 10 Prisms
Hack: Soda --> 6 Rifled Slugs
Bon Chance : Chips / 6 AP Bullets / Anti Toxin Hypo / Psi hypo
(Broken) Hack: Chips --> Incendiary Grenade Clip
Cinema : Chips / Cigs / Soda
Hack: No change
Love Area : Nikki / Candy / Sven / Lance
Hack: No change
Galleria 1 : Cigs / Frag Grenade Clip / Med Hypo / Psi Hypo
Hack: Cigs --> Medical Kit
Galleria 2 : Soda / Maintenance Tool / 10 Prisms / Anti Toxin Hypo
Hack: Soda --> Recycler
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Deck 6 - Command
----------------
Near Tram : Vodka / Psi Hypo / Anti Toxin Hypo / 6 Standard Bullets
Hack: Vodka --> 6 AP Bullets
Bridge Area : Vodka / Proximity Grenade Clip / Recycler / 10 Prisms
(Broken) Hack: Vodka --> Medical Kit
Capt Quarters: Vodka / Psi Hypo / 6 Anti-Pers. Shotgun / 6 Rifled Slugs
Hack: Vodka --> V3 Repair Soft
Shuttle Bay : Vodka / Frag Grenades / Incendiary Grenades / Maint. Tool
Hack: Vodka --> EMP Grenades; *Vodka --> Sympathetic Resonator
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rickenbacker
------------
Nr Nacelle B : Chips / Psi Hypo / Medical Kit / 10 Prisms
Hack: Chips --> 20 Prisms
Torpedo room : Vodka / 10 Prisms / Anti Toxin Hypo / ExperTech Implant
Hack: Vodka --> Disruption Grenage Clip
Bridge : Juice / Maintenance Tool / Psi Hypo / EMP Grenades
(Broken) Hack: Juice --> 20 Prisms
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Body of Many
------------
Near Start : Juice / Anti Toxin Hypo / Psi Hypo / Medical Kit
Hack: Juice --> Proximity Grenade Clip
Nr Recharger : Chips / Anti Toxin Hypo / 6 Anti-Pers. Shotgun / 10 Prisms
Hack: Chips --> 6 Anti Personnel Bullets
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11) TIPS
--------
General:
Read all logs, listen to emails.
Don't forget about the lean buttons, and the reload and change ammo keys.
Hack everything you can. Shoot all cameras and hack or destroy all turrets.
You can cancel an alarm by using a security panel. Always use psychogenic
cyber affinity if you have it. Never take the chance of messing up a hack
- it's always better in the long run just to reset and try again.
There are plenty of healing items in the game so don't try to avoid using
them especially on the higher difficulty settings.
Don't automatically quickload when you've been killed if you've activated
a revive chamber - after all you're still alive aren't you?
Upgrade as soon as you can. I think tech skills and standard weapons should
be first, especially hack, then first tier psi for psychogenic cyber affinity,
then heavy weapons and third tier, along with stats.
Running attracts enemies. So walk especially when you're weak at the start.
Don't try to carry everything around. Dump stuff by the main elevator shaft.
Don't bother to collect weapons you probably won't be using.
Use the powered armour - there's a recharger in just about every area.
Always research enemy organs as soon as possible.
Don't try and save ammo - you can always buy more and there's no point
ending the game with 200 anti-personnel bullets or 3000 nanites. Only AP
bullets on decks 1 and 2 require preservation, unless you've got hack 3 or
molecular duplication already.
Use the surgical unit keys - only deck 4 doesn't really have a convenient
surgical unit.
Be thorough, so you don't have to run back and forth fighting newly spawned
enemies.
Download the final patch.
And don't quick save. It doesn't make the game any easier, but it does
add immeasurably to the tension and atmosphere of the game, and it saves
you from that dread condition perfectitis. (Perfectitis - a disease of
videogamers in which they have to continually repeat sections merely because
they used one too many bullets, or had to use a healing item or some other
trifling matter, thereby severly disfiguring gameplay.)
Specific:
Deck 2:
-------
If you can't hack use a speed booster to dodge the turrets near the
first recharger.
Don't open the security crate in the force-field room - it's not worth it.
Get some Fm and Os from the chemical storage when you first pass it.
You don't have to kill everything. On impossible it might be easier to
run around the maintenance bot on the way to deck 1.
Deck 1:
-------
Don't bother with the hazard suit.
If you've got hack 3 you can get AP bullets from the replicator near the
main elevator.
Try killing bots and droids in the cargo bays by crushing them with the lifts.
Once you've cleared the radiation you won't need anti-rad hypos again until
deck 8. So dump them.
Take 2 SB and a V from chemical storage.
Deck 3:
-------
You can get v1 modify soft from a body shortly after finding the grenade
launcher, giving you a better chance of doing the first mod without
wasting too many nanites.
Set off all the poison eggs in sector B maintenance at once, then use a hypo.
In hydroponics D turbine control smash the right and centre windows. Jump out
from the right one and drop from the cross pipe back through the centre one.
It's a lot easier than trying to make the jump back through the right window
especially if you have low agility.
Deck 4:
-------
Use the grenade launcher and frag/emp grenades to kill the cyborg assassins
in one shot.
Deal with the spider trap by running back to the ladders and taking them out
from the top. (I always use up any proximity grenades I might have picked up)
Get the recycler from the replicator opposite the armoury.
Deck 5:
-------
Do the mall section first - the sooner to get the third OS upgrade.
Buy only the 'nikki' card in the cybersex area, the others aren't worth it.
Get some Mo from the chemical storage because you'll probably need it for
a rumbler organ shortly.
Deck 6:
-------
If you haven't got molecular duplication then the replicator near the shuttle
bays is your last chance to buy frag and incendiary grenades.
Deck 7:
-------
The broken replicator on the bridge is your last chance to buy maintenance
tools, should you need any.
Enemies on the bridge respawn fairly quickly. Hacking the turrets can keep
them occupied while you finish your business.
Deck 8:
-------
Use photonic redirection to approach and then kill the 'brain' of the psi
reaver before destroying the projection.
Get an anti-rad hypo from the bodies in the first section and duplicate it.
Five or six should be sufficient even on impossible.
Deck 9:
-------
Just head straight for the end - you should have more than enough ammo and
healing not to have scrounge around.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12) WALKTHROUGH
---------------
Deck 2 - Med/Sci
----------------
Get the wrench from the body and whack the debris blocking the ladder. Pick up
the keycard to open the locked door then get the log from the body to discover
the door code (45100). Follow the path, drop into the room, pick up the spent
power cell, recharge it, insert it and enter cryo recovery facility.(There's a
locked door down here that you can hack, but if you can't the door code is as
low as you can go.)
Find the science sector access card and open the door.
Go to the main elevator to receive a clear explanation of what you must do.
Head to the door to the Med sector, pick up the spent power cell, run to the
charger, recharge it return to the door and enter the Med sector.
Find the body (left, right, smash window, jump through, down ladder) with the
crew quarters access card and backtrack to the crew quarters door.
Run down to the crew lounge - there's a replicator with Version 1 Hacking
Soft here, which can be useful on the harder difficulty settings - and get
your first OS upgrade. The locked security room here can be opened with a
code found in a log on deck 4 (98383). Carry on down to the last room on the
right and get the R&D access card from the desk. Head back to the door and go
back to the science sector.
Open the R&D door, find Watt's, get the two logs, one of them has the
maintenance door code (12451). Drop down into deck 1.
Deck 2 Cybermodules
-------------------
4 - Reaching Cryo-recovery A
4 - Body in Cryo-recovery A
4 - Entering Science Sector
2 - Body near recharger
4 - Inserting power cell to open door to Med Sector
2 - Body in primate research area
2 - Body in radiation lab
5 - Retrieving R&D access card
4 - Body in crew quarters - at the very end up a ladder and jump
4 - Entering R&D sector
6 - Getting log with maintenance door code from Watts
-------------------
Total : 46
-------------------
Deck 1 - Engineering
--------------------
Head left from the start to find the sealed door to the Engine Core, and to
receive a communication which explains what you must now do. Run back through
the coolant tubes until you reach the main elevator. Carry on and you'll enter
a long passageway with too many doors. When you get to the place with the
gravlifts, go up. You'll find the locked door to fluidics control (15061) and
a log telling you where the woman with the code is hiding. Go down and head to
command control.
After the cutscene carry straight on till you get to the room with 4 doors and
a security camera. Turn left and enter cargo bay 1A - find the corpse with the
cargo bay 2A access card. Go to cargo bay 2 and find the body with the log
containing the code to fluidics control. Return there and discover that Xerxes
has overridden the control. Read the log on the body and head to auxiliary
storage 5 (34760). Get part 45m/dEx and return to command control, between the
two cargo bays. Insert part in 45m/dEx in the override slot and go back to
fluidics. Use the control to clear the radiation. The engine core is now
accessible so head straight there.
Go into both engine nacelle control rooms and start them up. Then take the
lift up to main engine control and fire it up. Main power is back online and
the main elevator now works. Return there and go to deck 3.
Deck 1 Cybermodules
-------------------
2 - Body in coolant tubes near door to engine core
2 - Body in the area near the elevator with a security panel
2 - Security Station locker
3 - Cargo bay 1A 3rd level near security crate
2 - Body in cargo bay 1B 2nd level
2 - Body in cargo bay 1B 3rd level
2 - Body in cargo bay 2A 3rd level
2 - Body in cargo bay 2B 2nd level
2 - Body in open storage room on way to auxiliary storage 5
2 - Body outside auxiliary storage 5
10 - Getting part 45m/dEx
10 - Installing part 45m/dEx in command control
10 - Fluid control ON
10 - Restore main power
2 - Body in fluidic tunnels
-------------------
Total : 63 (109)
-------------------
Deck 3 - Hydroponics
--------------------
Oh no, my shaft is blocked! Turn left, then first room on right. Get vial of
Toxin A. Research it (2 Sb, 1 V). Head back past the elevator to the OS
upgrade machine. Go through the doors then door on second left to the room
with the dead replicator. Smash the window and enter the next room, grab the
2 vials of Toxin A.
Carry on down and round passing the door to hydroponics D. Follow your nose to
the room with a ladder, ascend and advance through the office to the downwards
ramp and the first enviromental regulator in sector C maintenance. Insert
Toxin A. Back to the office and through the window, drop down via the broken
pane and head round to chemical storage to pick up another vial of Toxin A and
any chemicals you might need. Return down the long corridor, take the
hydroponics B access card from the body on the shelf and then further down
pick up the grenade launcher. Hurrah!
Head into the cold storage area (sector B maintenance) and use another vial in
the second enviromental regulator . Pick up the hydroponics A access card from
a body and return to the sector B door. Turn right and go straight to
hydroponics A.
Ignore the extra vial of Toxin A here, pick the hydroponics D card off the
body in the next room and go straight to the third enviromental regulator.
Return to the main section and then make your way to hydroponics D. Left from
the entrance, left again and then use your last vial. The blockage is gone!
Pick up the powered armour here if you want and go back to the main elevator.
Deck 3 Cybermodules
-------------------
10 - Getting first vial of Toxin A
3 - In a desk in the biosurvey area
3 - In the experimental office
13 - Inserting first vial of Toxin A in an enviromental regulator
3 - Bin in chemical storage
3 - Lying near a pool in biosurvey labs
3 - On top of some crates in sector B storage area
13 - Inserting second vial of Toxin A
3 - Down in sector B maintenance tunnels
3 - In first room of hydroponics A (after the bulkhead)
3 - Hydroponics A cultivation cells
14 - Inserting third vial of Toxin A
3 - Hydroponics D turbine control
3 - Hydroponics D turbine control (through window, up ladder and round)
14 - Inserting last vial of Toxin A
3 - Pit in hydroponics D turbines
-------------------
Total : 97 (206)
-------------------
Deck 4 - Operations
-------------------
Go through bulkhead 41 and prepare to be bored. Play swine hunter while
Shodan drones. Head across to the doors. Kill red one with a the grenade
launcher. Get the quantum simulation chip. Return and go through bulkhead
42. Kill red two and get the interpolated sim chip. Run straight to the end
and find the quantum simulation unit. Use the sim chip on it. Return to the
first area (near the main elevator) and go through bulkhead 43. Go straight,
left, left again, round and down to find the interpolated sim unit. Use the
chip on it. Head back towards the door and take the other path, head right
at the turret past the recharger and on. Kill red three. Get the linear sim
chip. Take the left door (assuming you killed red 3 where you first see it)
and find the linear sim unit. Use the last sim chip. Return to the elevator.
Deck 4 Cybermodules
-------------------
10 - getting first sim chip
2 - pit in systems admin area
3 - body in lounge (first area)
3 - in room on lower level crew quarters
3 - in room on lower level crew quarters
3 - in room on lower level crew quarters
15 - reprogram first sim unit
3 - hanging body
2 - lounge (with crystal shard)
2 - body near bulkhead 42
10 - getting second sim chip
3 - room near radiation leak
3 - room in galley area (lots of chips)
3 - body in sys ops area (up a ladder)
15 - reprogram second sim unit
3 - body near upgrade units
3 - on floor in barracks
10 - getting final sim chip
25 - reprogram final sim unit
2 - body in the area under the locked ops override room
2 - in pit near blocked corridor
-------------------
Total : 125 (331)
-------------------
Deck 5 - Recreation
-------------------
Leave the first area and turn right. Pick up the empty power cell. The
first picture (10) is opposite the upgrade units. Carry on round the corner,
past the athletics sector to the bulkhead leading to the mall. Enter the
mall. Head straight along, then right at the t-junction. You'll pass the
third OS upgrade unit. Proceed to the gravlift and then continue down the
upper level until you get to a small gallery. Here you'll find the second
part of the transmitter code (4).
Head to the garden section. Enter the area below, go round past the locked
door and find the body with the crew access card. Get it. The third picture
is in the bon chance lounge (part with a replicator). The code is [1.
Enter the crew quarters area. Go up to the second level. On the north
corridor, the rightmost room has the fourth picture (6]). The middle room
has a body with the athletics sector card. Return to the athletics sector.
Enter the basketball court, go through the access tunnel to the pool and
find the slot to put the power cell in. Back to the court, take the lift to
the upper level, enter the code in the transmitter [14106]. Go to the
primary lift in the centre of the crew quarters area and up to deck 6.
Deck 5 Cybermodules
-------------------
Mall area:
5 - body in cinema
4 - body in casino
6 - body near revive chamber
10 - 'Nikki' room
4 - body in galleria surrounded by eggs
4 - body in toilet
Garden area:
5 - body in security station
2 - body in Bon Chance lounge
5 - desk in maintenance access area (behind broken door)
3 - body through maintenance hatch
3 - body in area opposite chemical storage
6 - body in mess hall
8 - body in dining hall
4 - body in locked room below garden
20 - getting the crew access card
Crew quarters area:
10 - body in locked room on second level
10 - getting athletics sector card
3 - body on second level
Athletics area:
10 - entering athletics area
20 - transmitting code
-------------------
Total : 142 (473)
-------------------
Deck 6 - Command
----------------
Head straight for the tram. Get on, go past the first stop. Get off and
head to the bulkhead.
Take the small lift to the first level and walk round to the officers
lounge. Go up to the officers quarters. Find the log with the security
station code (83273) then enter the security station and get the shuttle
bay access card.
Return to the officers lounge and take the path behind it to the escape
capsules. At the leftmost one you'll find the bridge access card.
Head to the bridge door, go up, round, up again to the second level,
smash the glass and get the ops override access card.
Return to deck 4. Go through bulkhead 43 to the ops override room and
activate the panel. The go to deck 1 engine core, enter the code 94834
and use the engineering override panel.
Zoom back to deck 6, head round to the shuttle bays. Destroy both
shuttles (you'll have to be able to hack a replicator). Go back to the
bridge, kill the psi reaver, and then return to the umbilical which is
now accessible. Leave the Von Braun.
Deck 6 Cybermodules
-------------------
7 - waste barrel near upgrade units
3 - waste bin between replicators near tram start
4 - body upper level at first tram stop
6 - behind girders near bulkhead to bridge sector
5 - on desk just after bulkhead in bridge sector
8 - body in bathrooms near officers' quarters
6 - in locker in room in officers' quarters
20 - Getting Myers log with security station code
6 - on pipes behind officers lounge (above pool)
7 - near escape pods (nearest to upgrade unit)
20 - using bridge access card
8 - bridge - by turret on the lower level
20 - getting ops override card from bridge
20 - destroying first shuttle
30 - reaching umbilical to Rickenbacker
(+10 - body in cargo bay A)
(-10 - leaving cargo bay A)
-------------------
Total : 170 (643)
-------------------
Deck 7 - Rickenbacker
---------------------
Head straight up the long ladder. Destroy the first red and black egg
opposite. Go up the ladder behind up. Raise the obstruction.
Follow the path round until you come to the hull breach. Go in the
small office and extend the struts. Go back to the ramp by the security
crate and follow the path to the room on the other side of the breach.
Extend another strut. Head back through the pipes and drop into the section
with two bodies. Go to the extended strut and hop across to the now
accessible room. Get the Rickenbacker access card. Jump back and go up
the long broken ladder. Destroy the egg at the top - should be the sixth.
Go through the door and turn left. Make your way to nacelle B. The two eggs
at the entrance are numbers 11 and 12. Enter nacelle B and follow the path
round to the gravitonic generator. Switch it off. Also destroy the 13th egg
while you're here.
Return to the door where you used the access card and take the other fork.
Keep on going until you're in large area with a replicator. Kill egg no. 15
then enter the far end. Operate the buttons on the control panel. Far left,
next left, and far right should be pressed twice to raise the torpedoes fully.
Third left should be pressed once. Climb on the lower torpedo and head round
to the ladder. From here simply advance to the end and kill the last egg.
Take the lift to the next section. Go straight through until you find Diego's
body. Take his quarter's access card. Go up to the bridge. Take the shuttle
(Don't forget the last OS upgrade).
Deck 7 Cybermodules
-------------------
2 - destroying the first egg
15 - lifting the blockage just after the first egg
6 - killing the sixth egg
8 - killing the eleventh egg
20 - turning off gravity in nacelle B
8 - killing the fifteenth egg
20 - climbing out of the torpedo room
5 - in room before the torpedo launch area
5 - along the pipe and through the window
16 - destroying the last egg
4 - by the body in the chapel
6 - at the bottom of the shaft (along with a beaker)
15 - reaching the final elevator
20 - picking up the worm launcher in Diego's cabin
-------------------
Total : 150 (793)
-------------------
Deck 8 - Body of Many
---------------------
Head out to the main passage. Take the first left down to a pool with a
psi reaver. Kill it. Shoot the nerve cluster. Leave via the other exit, then
first left, second left into a series of radioactive pools. Go right to the
end and shoot the nerve cluster. Return and enter a large circular passage.
The sphincter is anticlockwise about 90 degrees. Go through it and follow
the path until you get to a chamber with 4 large grinders. Two going up and
two going down. Jump on the one directly in front and then across to the
blue ladder like thing. At the top is a nerve cluster. Shoot it. Jump back
down and then through the hole which is not the one you just came through.
Carry on straight to the top and dive gracefully into the lake. Take out the
psi reaver from the water than climb out. Kill the rumbler.
If you're sensible you'll now engage photonic redirection and dash to the
brain chamber. Run around the periphery killing the 5 psi reavers. Then
blast the psi reaver projections. Shoot out the three whirling stars and
then take out the brain (or whatever it is). You have killed the many.
Drop through the hole where it was.
Deck 8 Cybermodules
-------------------
10 - body in pool near first psi reaver
10 - body near the first replicator
10 - body near second nerve cluster
6 - body near first sphincter
5 - body near first couple of grinders
10 - body round corner from the really big grinders
6 - in wastebin in area opposite 'nest'
10 - body in 'nest' area (first right)
10 - body in 'nest' area (near the end)
-------------------
Total : 77 (870)
-------------------
Deck 9 - Where am I?
--------------------
Make any last upgrades, pick up the sparkly log. Engage photonic redirection,
use a speed booster and run past the red assassins straight to the next log
(or make your way visible, shooting them if you must). Jump carefully down
until you see the opening and then jump through. Get the last log. Boost
everything you can, recharge etc. and then drop in on Shodan.
Use the ice-picks on the three corner panels or hack them if you have to.
Use the grenade launcher with emp grenades on Shodan's physical form.
When the shield is down, finish the job.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
13) BRAGGING
------------
My best times without any saves, apart from the autosave, and a last one
just before the final confrontation (to see how long it took).
Easy - 3:54:24
Impossible - 5:28:35
Beat that, you walkthrough reading swine.
Try this for a challenge:
Marine: No psi or tech skills allowed except for maintain (any level) and
research 1 (because the game demands it).
Navy : a) No psi or weapon skills apart from standard.
b) No psi, only allowed one level in each of standard, heavy, energy
and exotic
OSA : No weapon skills, no tech skills apart from research 1, on
impossible, with your eyes closed.
And that's it.
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E-mail any comments, corrections or extra info to: garkimasera@hotmail.com
Website: nav.to/basilbrush (winner of 0 awards and counting)
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