I played System Shock 2 for the first time few months after its premiere and I instantly have fallen in love with this game. It's one of those few games, where everything is exceptional and works well together. To start with - it's an FPP and RPG hybrid. You can't go through the game ignoring any of these aspects - there's not enough ammo to shoot through the levels. You will have to make use of all your skills together: hacking, repairing and maintaining your gear. On top of it you can use your psionic skills - hit you enemies with freezing projectiles, pull objects with kinetic redirection, drain hit points from your target or use 32 other abilities. What I liked most about System Shock 2 is its story - it's both scary and engaging. You always feel lonely and terrified of what's lurking behind the corners. Everything adds to this atmosphere - the mutants look horrifying and yell at you, the environment is hostile, there are blood marks everywhere. Eric Brosius music makes you even more tense - I still remember the hydroponics music: both jolly and twisted. You can read audiologs left by the crew which make you familiar with the events that happened and you will often see the effects - the whole environment tells the story, which is what I consider the peak of immersion. All in all I recommend this masterpiece to everyone - although the graphics may feel a bit dated, the whole game still has its charm.
