For those in favor of a more powerful melee weapon that can deal far greater damage than the inadequate Lead Pipe in System Shock remake, be sure to get your hands on the Laser Rapier in your Citadel Station ascension against SHODAN.
System Shock offers plenty of weapons that are perfectly capable of handling the enemy variants of the Citadel Station. But with ammunition and energy limitations, you should be rotating your weapons around to avoid restricting yourself when battling for survival is inevitable. Many robots, cyborgs, and mutants want your head as they’re ordered by SHODAN to kill you on sight.
If you want to stick around without relying solely on the Restoration Bay, here is where to find the Laser Rapier in System Shock.
System Shock remake: Laser Rapier location
The Laser Rapier is a great melee weapon to pick up early in your System Shock remake playthrough. Found exclusively in level three Maintenance, the only thing you need to do to get this weapon is to complete Medical and Research Labs.
Elevators only take you to specific levels, forcing you to not only explore but also lead you to particular objectives while you ascend through each deck of the Citadel Station. You need to get into Maintenance via the Research Labs elevator to begin your search for the Laser Rapier.
The Research Labs elevator in question is located inside the Gamma Quadrant. You can get to Maintenance and Reactor from here: Exit the Research Labs elevator after using it to get to Maintenance and turn left. Enter the first room on your left and drop down into the lower platform where a ladder will take you to another area in Gamma Maintenance. This section is super limited as it only leads to a dead-end, but here is where you get the Laser Rapier.
A single Security Bot waits here, ready to attack anyone who rounds the corner. A simple grenade thrown onto its feet will destroy it instantly. Go into this room you’ve now successfully cleared from enemies and pick up the Rapier off the shelving unit at the back. The Rapier is equipped as soon as you pick it up. Make sure to swap your Lead Pipe slot to the Rapier for easy weapon swapping, switching from melee to a firearm with a click of a button.
How does the Laser Rapier work?
The Laser Rapier offers a base damage of 90, obliterating the minuscule damage that the Lead Pipe provides. No longer will you need to repeatedly swing while backstepping to avoid taking unnecessary damage from enemies. The Rapier is an energy-based weapon. This means that it will eventually need its energy replenished via a Charging Station or Battery Pack.
Look out for any lightning bolts on the map for a Charging Station. Battery Packs are lootable items, typically found in storage rooms. You can recharge energy using Square (PlayStation) or X (Xbox) when you have an energy source to drain power from.
Keep an eye on your blue energy bar in the top-right corner of your screen. Energy weapons like the Laser Rapier and Sparqbeam require energy to function. If your energy capacity empties, neither weapon can be used until you re-acquire energy. An important note: Energy cannot be restored at Restoration Bays or Surgery Machines.
