Got my bootleg of System Shock 2. Not disappointed. I fell in love with it. The game that started it all. Bioshock and Deus Ex!
STORY
You are aboard the Van Braun. A anonymous Soldier. After years of hard training in certain classes you find yourself in the awkward situation that most of the populous of the people their have been infected or died. All thanks to SHODAN a computer AI. It is time to go around and fend for yourself and eventually defeat SHODAN.
On the way you will hear audio logs, see g-g-g-GHOSTS!, and survive. Twists and turns are abound.
GAMEPLAY
System Shock 2 meshes single player Shooting, Role playing, and survival horror elements all together. But System Shock seems to completely miss the mark on Shooting and melee combat as weapons constantly combust and break making it as fun as cock and ball torture to even fire any of them. The game is so heavy on it's dungeon crawler style RPG elements that shooting becomes second nature. It feels like true survival horror though. No matter what you do in System Shock 2 you are either too stupid or too weak to perform the most basic of tasks. The enemies are absolutely threatening. The MANY will come in different variety. Mostly men with wrenches and come around the corner making loud noises to try to pulverize you. You will meet strange monsters. You do get cool weapons like a lazer rapier.
Hack puzzles are about.
Abilities like using super powers to manipulate objects are present.
Prepare to be greeted by rare yet profound scripted events.
You have to be at a certain level to literally do anything. A THING.
You even get a nice inventory system.
There are little to no cutscenes so you are completely immersed at all times.
Levels are nice and open but very dark and foreboding.
GRAPHICS
Though System Shock 2 is 20 years old as this review is written it has not aged well at all really. The environments are clean and dark and moody for the most part. The 3D models though as low poly as imaginable are very well animated. It's very atmospheric though you will feel like you are there.
SOUND
Oooh... the Sound... Oh MY GOD! ITS SO SCARY! The pulse pownding techno. The depressing diaries of madness. The MOOOANNING OF THE MANY... ERRR KILL MEE!!!!
System Shock 2 will completely immerse you in it's dreadful dreary scifi world.
OVERALL
Get System Shock 2. If you dare!