(Sorry, but I couldn't wait until the end of the review to get that out.)įrom beginning to end System Shock 2 is an amazing experience, and from a design standpoint, nearly flawless thanks to strong storytelling, well-implemented gameplay mechanics, and fantastic worldbuilding. The answer is unequivocal-it's still a great game. This raises a question, however-is System Shock 2 worth going back to? Is it still a great game nearly fifteen years later, or has technology passed it by? Is it now nothing more than a footnote in game design history? Long unavailable for purchase and largely unplayable on modern systems, System Shock 2 is now easily accessible to the generation of gamers who grew up on the games it inspired. That it had one of the all-time great video game stories is just icing on the cake.

Skill progression, hacking, upgradable weapons, intuitive inventory management… System Shock 2 transcended its genre to become the first true first-person role-playing game (FPRPG). Making a list of all of the games System Shock 2 has influenced would be a waste of time, since it's far simpler to explain that 'any FPS with RPG elements' can count themselves as inheritors of its legacy. LOW Fumbling with my psi-amp while being peppered with gunfire. HIGH The first journey into the mind of your foe.

End of system shock 2