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| “ | - Unknown, Only a select powerful few are chosen to become some of the greatest cyborgs in SHODAN's army. Small in number but devastating in force. |
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~ System Shock Kickstarter
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The Cortex Reaver (also known as the Cyber Reaver and Cerebral Outworld Rovers) is an enemy encountered in System Shock (Remake). Compared to the original game, the remake version has received a number of appearance changes for the cyberspace version.
Overview[]
One of the deadliest enemies on Citadel Station, only encountered 3 times in total, the Cortex Reaver is a quadrupedal tank that serves as a 'boss fight' in RealSpace. It's extremely heavily armed and armored: A combination of rapid-fire energy projectiles from the mounted cannons, frag grenades, gas grenades and its own massive legs allow the Reaver to fight effectively at just about any range.
Even worse is that every encounter is a 'cage fight' in the room where the Reaver appears. Once you're starting this monstrosity down it is kill or be killed.
The Cortex Reaver battled on Level 5- Flight Deck will not drag the Hacker to the Restoration Bay if the player dies, instead harvesting the Hacker's body for itself and giving the player an immediate game over.
Strategy[]
Tactical Analysis[]
As durable as the Cortex Reaver is, even they cannot stand up to repeated swings of the Laser Rapier. There is perhaps no better use of a Reflex Patch or Berserk Patch, if you can find the time to apply them safely. Be mindful of the Reaver's tendency to disperse several gas grenades around itself if you are fighting it in melee range. Back-pedal away from it the instant you hear the telltale countdown of grenades as you are unlikely to survive the barrage. Aside from the grenades, the Reaver may also swipe at the player with their legs.
If you have the Railgun, now is the time to pull it out. Just beware a single shot is not enough to down the Reaver, switching weapons is probably safer than trying to wait out the long recharge.
Without the Railgun your best bet is anti-robot weaponry - the Mag-Pulse Rifle will serve you well. The KF-18 Skorpion is also useful if you have enough Teflon rounds and the 50-round magazine upgrade. You'll burn through a lot of 9mm bullets with the Skorpion but there's no better target to use them on!
The Mark III Rifle is surprisingly a poor choice - you'd be better off pulling out a Magnum 2100. The LG-XX Plasma Rifle is a high-risk, high-reward option: both fire modes deal great damage, but the primary fire will drain precious energy from your energy shields, and the chance of hitting yourself with a Plasma Core blast can end up doing more harm than good.
EMP grenades are invaluable when dealing with a Reaver as will briefly stun it just as any other fully robotic unit, as are Reflex boosters to give the Hacker precious time to switch weapons or reload or dodge. Keep in mind that the Cortex Reaver has many tools at its disposal and one of these tools is its high-top speed, making hand-thrown grenades an unreliable method. If acquired, use the grenade launcher to deliver explosives quickly and accurately.
If the Hacker attempts to hide behind cover it will launch a barrage of top-firing rockets which deal massive AoE damage. Switch positions rapidly once you witness the Reaver using explosives and do not hug the cover you are hiding behind, lest you get blown up.
Other forms of attack involve suppressing the player with its energy weapons while pacing around the room at average speed. If it fails to make contact with the player for too long, the Reaver may decide to sprint around, usually towards the player or a position which will allow the Reaver to flank the hacker. It's extremely quick during those short bursts of speed, so don't get surprised and keep a healthy distance between yourself and the enemy to give yourself time to react.
Overall Strategy[]
Being a boss-type encounter, the Cortex Reaver is an all-out situation. Use the best possible weapons and equipment that you have. If possible, stack some berserk, stamin-up and reflex patches on yourself before the fight. Carry battery backs or perhaps even the illusive I-Cad Battery in order to keep your shield and energy weapons in the fight.
Don't drag out the fight for too long: The massive barrages of explosives, be it rockets or gas grenades, mean that the cortex reaver can easily eliminate the hacker with a single well-placed strike, so destroy it before that happens. Aggressiveness of action can make the fight trivial, especially if you combine EMP grenades, reflex patches, and berserk-fueled Laser Rapier strikes.
Gallery[]
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