Plant Mutant (System Shock Remake)

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“	Specimen 25: The original purpose of cross-breeding plants and humans was to determine if humans could sustain themselves through photo/nox synthesis. While this test was a failure, the unintended side was the subject became communicative with other plant life. The experiment would have been a massive achievement in espionage if the subjects had not lost the ability to communicate with humans shortly after mutation. A single useful data point was collected from this experiment which described the poinsettia as a particularly social plant.	”
	~ TriOptimum Employee Manual

For the enemy in the Original Game, see Plant Mutant.

The Plant Mutant is an enemy encountered in System Shock (Remake). Compared to the original game, the remake version has received a number of appearance changes.

Overview[]

Plant Mutants are mutated plants capable of moving around and launching projectiles. They are found exclusively in the Groves.

Strategy[]

Tactical Overview[]

The Plant Mutant is a low tier enemy, boasting a relatively modest health pool, a medium range distance projectile attack and a respectable top-speed. They have a tendency to camouflage themselves when unaware of the player's presence and idle, which makes them look similar to a relatively large plant bud.

Just about any ranged weapon is great at taking these enemies down. Their high top speed makes melee combat impractical, but not impossible. Running up to the mutant with the help of Turbo Motion boots and smacking it with a laser rapier power-attack will make a very short work of this enemy. Other preferred methods of attack are the Skorpion SMG loaded with 9mm Standard ammunition, the shotgun loaded with either munitions and the assault rifle loaded with magnesium rounds. Energy weapons will work in a pinch as well, although are still less effective than their ballistic counterparts.

The mutant's preferred mode of attack is lobbing relatively fast moving projectiles in an arc at the player. Despite being somewhat fast moving, those projectiles are still easily dodged by a constantly moving player. The range at which the mutant will deploy them is somewhat short as well, meaning that engaging this mutant from medium to long range is going to be an almost completely painless experience for the player.

Overall Strategy[]

These mutants tend to attack the player in small groups of 2 to 3, often backed up by other types of mutants as well. Do not allow them to use strength in numbers: Either retreat to a previously cleared area and funnel the enemies into your kill zone one by one or use the Turbo-Motion Boots LV2 to gain height advantage on the mutant and thus remain outside it's projectile's range.

While the enemy might be hard to notice when it is camouflaging itself, it is not invisible. Don't rush into unexplored greenery and you're bound to spot the mutant before stepping too close to it. It'll take them a while to unfurl from their dormant state, use this opportunity to destroy the mutant before it can become a danger. The Sensaround implant is also an excellent way of spotting these mutants before they become hostile.

As with many other mutants, the plant mutant carries no loot and as such is always going to be a net loss of resources when engaged. If possible at all, avoid conflict and bypass them altogether.