System Shock® 2 (1999)

This game is still so playable even 14 years after its release. Essentially it is a survival FPS game with RPG elements. The music and sound effects are excellent and really get your blood pumping. The choice of weapons from standard guns to psychic abilities to exotic alien weapons give flexibility in the way you play. Everything is done right, from the ability to hack computers, gun turrets and security systems, to researching objects you find, to modifying your weapons to upgrade them. The logs you find along the way add immensely to the immersion of the game, giving you the often last glimmer of that persons life before they perished to some horrible monster! This really is one of the best games ever made. The only criticism I have is of the cheesy ending, but it is a minor gripe. Sometimes it is hard for a new player to come back and play old games because the interfaces are generally terrible and the screen resolutions don't scale. In System Shock 2 you can play at 1080p, and the interface is not cumbersome. If you are on the fence as to whether or not to buy this game, I urge you to give it a try. Just remember to not burn through ammo, this isn't Call of Duty!

I will just state it plainly. If I have to list 5 best games ever made, this game will be on that list. Whatever your game preferences are, you own youself to play it. Deep epic story and scary atmosphere will make you grip your wrench like you never had in your life. Go... and immerse yourself in the experience!

So, what should I say about this game? Simply wonderful. Finest example of horror survival shooter with RPG elements, which is able to engage the player with a brilliant story with very good plot twists, a great atmosphere conveyed by spot on sound effects and an hammering electronic soundtrack. Great value of replay-ability, since you can try to beat the game going full melee, soldier, hacker or psionic, or a mix between these main classes. Without even considering the full freedom you have during your adventure: you can move freely among any of the decks available in the ship. I guess it can be considered the father of modern survival and shooter games, since it embodies all of the characteristics you can find in games like Dead Space and Bioshock (obviously, since it comes from the same devs). I must say I really enjoyed every single minute I've played System Shock and I am forced to recommend to anyone this gem. 10/10

While it has its faults, System Shock 2 is an excellent game. Practically it's a streamlined and mainstreamed version of the first System Shock. Gameplay is more linear, and game isn't as challenging as the System Shock. Music isn't very memorable. Main problem of the System Shock 2 is that it’s not a scary game like the first System Shock. Time has treated System Shock 2 badly and running in the corridors of the SHODAN and XERXES doesn't give the thrill it used to give when it was first released. Essentially that means that for an example SHODAN shows wider range of emotions and isn't nearly as twisted, evil and sick as in the first System Shock. You can reason with the SHODAN in System Shock 2. System Shock 2 is more of an action game than RPG game unlike the first System Shock. Other than that there isn't much to say about System Shock 2. Basically it's legendary action-rpg which had little to no faults, and most things just work right. However as much as praise it does deserve, innovative it's not. That glory belongs to the first System Shock and its developers. Sequels are always inferior in one way or another (and it seems that most peple rate SS2 so high due nostalgic reasons or the case that they never played the original game which imho is much better). However please play System Shock 2. It's a fun game.

It's not as scary as it used to be. Running around level 5 looking for things tends to make one tense, though. The game is old, the visuals show, but the story still rocks. "You've done well insect..." - I know it pretty well. I even remember where things are. It's a shame I can't enjoy it like when I played for the first time.