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3/07/2021

System Shock (Enhanced Edition) Quick-and-dirty walkthrough

If you need maps, CheatCC has some good ones.  Do remember that the in-game map lets you add your own notes, though - great for noting places you'll need to return to later, or caches of items you may not have room for at the moment.



PART 1 - Disable the Laser

Floor 1

Objectives

  • Destroy all the security cameras you find.  There's a secret elevator in the central hub (southwest corner of the central structure) that has four, as well as a puzzle to open the laser barrier.
  • Destroy the security nodes and note the number that appears on the monitor in the room.
  • Optional but highly recommended: Find the Magpulse.  Ammo for it is scarce early on, but this weapon is extremely useful later!
  • Optional but highly recommended: Once security is at 0%, a secret door on the east end of the level will open containing the Magnum.  This will be extremely useful later on, so be sure to grab it!
Door codes
  • Recovery suite code: 451 (in your note to yourself)
  • Armory code: 705 (in Grossman's audio log)

Floor 2

Objectives

    • Destroy the security nodes and note the number that appears on the monitor in the room.
    • Flip the circuit in Alpha Quadrant to turn the lights back on in Beta quadrant.
    • Find the Laser override security code to thwart SHODAN's plan to level earth's cities.
    • Locate the X-88 Isotope and the laser firing controls.  We'll need this later.
    • Optional: Find the code to disable robot production, which will prevent the Hoppers on this floor from respawning.
    Door codes
    • Laser override code: 199 (Solve the puzzle in the library)
    • Robot maintenance shutdown code: 623 (Found on a paper on the floor)

    Floor 3

    Objectives

    • Destroy the security nodes and note the number that appears on the monitor in the room.
    • Locate the Diagnostic Log bay (near the security node), Abe Ghiran's head, and the Interface Demodulators.  You won't need any of these just yet, but they will be important later.  (The head is the only one that appears intact in your inventory, as well as the only one that can't be disintegrated by energy weapons).
    • Optional but highly recommended: Find the Laser Rapier.  This weapon is extremely powerful and can cut down almost any enemy in 1-2 hits.  Very effective against the Invisible Mutants here, too.
    • Most doors here will not open until much later in the game, so ignore them for now.

    Floor 4

    Objectives

    • Destroy the security nodes and note the number that appears on the monitor in the room.
    • Find the enviro-suit (in a locked room that requires a code).
    • Locate the plastique.  Again, we don't need it just yet, but it will be important later.
    Door codes
    • Locked closet: 838 (Pieced together from two audio logs)

    Floor 5

    Objectives

    • Destroy the security nodes and note the number that appears on the monitor in the room.
    • You may notice two doors on the far-east side locked by passcodes.  We'll come back for these later.
    • You can't go up any further until the laser is destroyed, so if you came this far, you'll have to go back now.  Sorry!
    Floor R

    You can come here right after Floor 2, but I recommend you visit floors 3 and 4 first to arm up first, as it's packed to the brim with cyborgs and robots and also has a lot of radioactive hotspots.

    Objectives
    • Activate the Shield Generator.  You will need the X-22 Isotope from Floor 2 for this, so if you don't have it, go get it now.
    • You will also need to activate the laser override.  It's in a room near the core and requires a three-digit passcode.
    • Avoid the center of this floor for now - the core is extremely radioactive and full of very dangerous enemies.  We'll have to come back here later anyhow, so wait until you're better armed.
    Once you've done both of those things, return to Floor 2 and fire the laser via the button in the central room; it will fire into the station's shields, overheat and explode.
    (You can also get a bad ending if you fire the laser without raising the shields first.  Save first, though)


    PART 2 - Jettison Beta Grove

    Floor 6

    Objectives

    • Destroy the security nodes and note the number that appears on the monitor in the room.
    • Go to the Alpha, Beta and Delta groves, and activate the Jettison Override in each.
    • Flip the Jettison Enable Master Control and you'll get an error.  This unlocks the maintenance doors on Floor 3, so we'll have to head back down there.
    Door codes
    • Executive maintenance crawlway: 711 (in Cyberspace)
    Floor 3

    Objectives
    • Check the Diagnostic Log to find that you need to fix Relay 428.  Get the Interface Demodulator and use it on that (located in the west maintenance tunnels) to repair the master jettison control.
    • While you're here, you should also use Abe Ghiran's head on the retinal scanner to get the Environmental Suit v2 if you haven't already.  You'll need this!
    • Make sure you note the number that appears on the monitors when the security level drops low enough if you didn't get it on the first visit!
    While you're here, it'd be a good idea to collect 4 Plastiques from Floor 4 and at least one spare Logic Probe.

    Now you can go back up to 6 and jettison Beta Grove (though SHODAN will try very hard to stop you, so be ready).  Edward Diego himself will also attack you near the elevator to Floor 7; try to avoid taking him head-on, and instead set a trap for him or snipe him from a distance.


    PART 3 - Sabotage the Antennas

    Floor 7

    Objectives

    • Find the Environmental Suit v3, Jump Jet v3 and Energy/Projectile Shield v3 here.  We'll need them for what lies ahead!
    • Destroy the four Antenna relays on this floor.  Each one will require a Plastique to be used on the control panel.  The one on the south side is trapped - use a Logic Probe on the panel to escape before the plastique detonates (or if you don't have one, disable the cyborg conversion unit beforehand).
    Once all four are destroyed, Rebecca Lansing will tell you to scuttle the station.  You'll have to go back down to Floor R for this.


    PART 4 - Scuttle the station and escape?

    Floor R

    Objectives
    • Enter the central reactor core, destroy all the nasty enemies here, and enter the center of the core.  Input the code that appeared on the monitors after you destroyed the security nodes on Floors 1-6 (it's random each game; you did write them down... right?).  
    Rebecca will contact you again and give you the code 001 for the escape pods on Floor 5.  Go there, and you'll be confronted by Diego for the second time.  Again, it's better to snipe him or set up a trap than to face him head-on.  Enter one of the escape pods and SHODAN will bar your escape; Rebecca will tell you to get to the bridge before SHODAN separates it from the rest of the station.  So, we're off to Floor 8.


    PART 5 - Defeat SHODAN

    Floor 8

    Objectives
    • Not a whole lot of particular interest here; just a lot of powerful enemies and a conspicuous number of powerups and charge stations, hinting that something big is coming up.  Just clear them out and arm up, then enter the central core from the center door up the gravshafts (you'll have to float to it with your Jump Jets).
    • Optional: You can get the Plasma Rifle here if you're so inclined, but it's a rather impractical weapon so I don't recommend it.
    Diego will confront you for the third and final time just before the Floor 9 elevator; he will teleport in right behind you, so be ready for him.  I've found the best strategy here is to heal up to max, put up your shields, use a Reflex and Berserk patch, then approach the door.  Once he appears, cut him down with the Laser Rapier before he can react.  You can also take out his backup before they get much chance to attack this way.  Pick up his keycard, hop on the elevator and go up to Floor 9.

    (You can also try to set a trap with a bunch of bombs, but it's very difficult to avoid getting blown up yourself!)

    Floor 9

    Objectives
    • You'll have to solve three puzzles here to open up the barriers leading to the computer room, in the north, east and south.  The south area is a maze full of continually-respawning Autobombs, so keep your shield up and watch your back while you're working on the puzzle (or, if you have a spare Logic Probe, use it there).
    • You'll have to collect the Isolinear Chipset and use it in the computer room to open the bridge.  It's in a cage; press the switch on the wall to teleport into it, then press the button in the cage to get back out.
    • Once you're in the bridge, fight off all the Elite Cyborgs, enter Cyberspace, navigate to SHODAN and defeat her.  Not much to say; just rapid-fire and take her out before she overtakes you.
    Congratulations!  Enjoy your ending.