System Shock® 2 (1999)

This game may have old-looking graphics, but make no mistake, everything else about it is top-notch. There's a reason people still play it to this day.

If you've played Bioshock or PREY and are looking to come back to explore System Shock 2, you'll be able to fit right in. After perhaps an hour or so of acclimating to the specific parts that are unique to this one (RPG stats and use of skills), it fits like a glove. It still holds up and it's fascinating to see the roots of this style of Game.

Immersive sim, die Spiele wie Bioshock und Deus Ex erst möglich gemacht hat.

Whether talking System Shock, BioShock, or PreyShock, this one remains supreme and probably always will. The best RPG inspired gameplay for this type of game, the most detailed and interactive level design, the best writing and narrative design of the Shock games, the best enemy design, the best weapon and powers design by far, the best character progression, the best balanced difficulty modes, the best sound design, the list goes on. This game is so rich in gameplay content and thematic content that it overwhelms lots of modern day gamers despite how well designed it and its tutorials are. This game really has everything going for it. Some mild mods are recommended to get the most out of this game, even for first timers. I won't link them since Steam tends to remove third party links now, but check out systemshock.org and follow the "SS2 Newbie Modding Guide" first, then install "SS2 Rebalanced Skills and Disciplines" and finally "SS2 Alarming Cameras (SCP Minimod)". Feel free to check out others as well.

Imagine that I played through this game in 2019 after games like "Prey" or the whole "Bioshock"-Series. First it was difficult for me to get into the game (as there is no handholding in old games), but after a while it "clicked" and I played it through completely. I have to say, even if the graphics are poor for today and the shooting feels clunky, it´s one of the best games I have ever played in my life. It really shows how good games were in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The atmosphere is just great, the story is captivating and the degree of freedom that you have here (in terms of gameplay) is just incomparable. Yes, Bioshock is a great game, too (one of my favourites, to be honest), but it feels "dumbed down" in terms of gameplay in comparison to this one. Yet, the freedom might be problematic for new players since one can easily invest in the wrong character traits, which makes the game almost unbeatable in the end. Don´t choose a high difficulty setting if you play it for the first time. Moreover, don´t hesitate to read for tips and hints (if you need to). Pros: - fantastic atmosphere - captivating storyline - part of gaming history - freedom of gameplay - long game, good content Cons: - difficulty level is rather high - many enemies reappear all the time (gets tedious) - shooting is clunky, no feedback (okay, it´s not a shooter)