Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful, engrossing gameplay, sad when it ended
Review: Don't you love to cruise about two years behind the technology crest? All the games are under 20 bucks and easy to run, all the patches are out and everything is good to go. That said, this is just a fantastic game, appealing to the Role player (choices of three different branches of a futuristic military) the first person shooter (most of the game) and the adventure/mystery gamer as you have to think your way through...and fight well. You have to like sci-fi to really get in this game. But if you can put yourself in a huge spaceship investigating why all the occupants are dead (mostly through the video they left around) you will love this game. Creepy to downright frightening at times, kind of Resident Evilish. If you play lights off\sound up like I do, this game may scare ... you. I am going to go boot it up, it's a lot of fun, though clunky here and there (mostly in setting up a character at first) it kept me going for quite a while. and the price is right :)
Rating: 
Summary: I'm Ruined!
Review: I had the monumental misfortune of playing SS2 before most of the "Best of the Year" and "Best Game Ever" ... games that are so wildly popular. Sure, it's got flaws. Yeah, I've got my pet peeves. But for the truly all-around immersive horrorific first-person gameplay experience, this is the game you MUST get. First off, the creep factor is unbeatable, approached only by certain episodes in its cousin games, Thief 1 and 2. I'm a pretty hard-core horror addict, and I had trouble playing this game while alone in the house - no - make that alone in the room. Especially after dark. The designers did a great job with the atmosphere; it's claustrophobic, lonely, startling, and just plain scary. The monsters here don't just jump out of the shadows or take 85 rounds to kill. They mutter, grumble, shamble, and run...and they spawn. Hint: it's much creepier to play with the techno-y soundtrack turned off or way down. The environmental creepiness stands up well enough on its own. In terms of gameplay, this one's got a fabulous setup. The controls are easy enough to use with practice, and the training levels before the meat and potatoes scenarios will help you get your bearings just fine. Manipulating your environment is as easy as it gets - your interface highlights what you can use and/or pick up, so there's no guesswork involved there. I get really tired of games that make you feel around for usable items instead of letting you use your creative energies on other, more important tasks. Like figuring out what the hell these worms are for...? The only real problem, as in every other game on the market, is getting on and off ladders, and frankly, whatever brilliant software designer conquers that problem deserves a Nobel Prize. I fear that I am getting long-winded, so allow me to wrap this up. This is an AWESOME game. Get over your polygon hang-ups and stop whining about having to maintain your guns so they don't break. Play a Psy-Ops character, or go back to your boring and totally non-stimulating Half-Life. If you haven't played Half-Life yet, do so before you play SS2, or you will be sorry. I'm playing it right now, and I can't wait for it to be over so I can replay SS2. Yep. I'm ruined.
Rating:
Summary: The scariest computer game ever made!
Review: Complete and utter horror!!!!! That is the only way that I can describe this game. This game is mind-numbingly gruesome, terrifying tale of a world just beginning to crawl out of cyberpunk dystopia, only to have its latest scientific marvel plunged back into that hell. SHODAN is back, and she wants you to fight her battle against her biological creations. You are caught in a deadly crossfire in the claustrophobic corpse of a starship, and you have no friend but yourself. As the extremely complex plot twists and turns on itself, you are further plunged into an electronighmare which only intensifies until you finally discover the true horror of SHODAN's latest plans... The gameplay is a brilliant hybrid of FPS and RPG, with a complicated RPG system making the game incredibly deep. If you have EVER passed this game up, you deserve to die. This game is far more atmospheric than Deus Ex or any similar title and it is the most unutterably scary game I have ever played. This will give you nightmares! PLAY IT. NOW!
Rating:
Summary: Not an FPS or an RPG, SS2 combines the two perfectly
Review: My favorite thing about SSII is that it tells a coherent story that makes sense. Every action you take in SSII is motivated by a desire to accomplish a clearly-stated objective. Goals are not assigned arbitrarily, either, and are extremely well-explained by the superb voice acting. When you accomplish a mission, you are rewarded with access to more areas of the ship and new missions to accomplish.
Another great aspect of this game is the way it flows. There are no levels, other than levels/decks within the ship you are trying to escape from, and accomplishing certain objectives means traversing multiple decks.
There are times when this game is extremely scary. It's designed to frighten you, and at times it accomplishes this goal very well. The music is mostly techno, but it's scary techno. That might not make sense to you, but trust me, it can be very intimidating at times.
If you haven't played the original System Shock read up on its plot before you play this game. The background information you gain will help you out a lot.
Overall, this is on my top ten all-time.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best of all time
Review: This is one of best games of any type I have played (and I have played a lot of games on PC). Here's what I like: 1) Outstanding, creepy ambiance...augmented by great sound and good graphics. This is one game that totally envelopes me, to the point that I completely lose myself in it for hours on end. 2) Great story. I care about what's going on and the characters. 3) Many ways to play the game. The RPG aspect, added to a FPS is truly outstanding. This is a game where it's absolutely necessary to build your character by making hard choices. In this way you write the story. Because it's an older title it's on sale. Don't let that fool you. This is one of the greats.
Rating:
Summary: Biased reviews?
Review: First off, this *is* a good game, regardless of it's faults. You know the start of the story from the preview above, but it doesn't *begin* to describe it in full. The plot is nearly ingenious. The level design is superb. The sound is awesome and the challenge is there. The graphics leave a lot to be desired as far as character models go and a lot of the textures. I'm not sure if it's purely the engine or the designer. The atmosphere is creepy and oddly authentic, too. The occasion pre-recorded message will play over the ship's comm system telling of a poety reading some time later that day, and on. Taunts from your main antagonist(s) (The Many, SHODAN)... it's an experience. Some have said it isn't good and to go play UT or HL or even Daikatana. Those games don't set out to do what SS2 set out to do, so shouldn't ever be compared. Half-Life is a good game, but SS2 is NOT a quake clone. Some say it's hard? It's only as hard as you want to make it... It has a great story, so if you're having trouble only your morals (and access to cheat codes) will weigh you down. Don't condemn it before you finish it! If you think you even *sort of* like this kind of game, get it. It *is* awesome, it *is* involving, and it _is_ scary (if you let it be). It's a game for thinkers, go figure. I want to tell you all a few of the most interesting secrets about the game, but that would give too much away.
Rating:
Summary: Leave Your Lights On...
Review: I grew up being a horror film fan, and it takes a fair amount of eerie-ness to move me. I've also played hundreds of computer games, many of which tout themselves as being in the horror genre. But enough about me... "System Shock 2" is easily the most atmospheric and downright frightening game I've ever played. It has a permanent home on my hard drive, thanks to its fair amount of replayability, and absolutely excellent gameplay. Essentially, the game is similar to many "first person shooters" in the way it operates. That's where its similarity to other games stops. Keep your lights turned on when you play this one..! "System Shock 2" is a masterpiece of space horror. Your all-seeing and ever-present foe... the supercomputer named "SHODAN"... has my vote as the most diabolical and psychologically disturbing antagonist I have ever run up against in any game. Her horrible "creations" (cybernetic horrors constructed from a combination of robotic machinery and human corpses) are nearly as unsettling. In this dark and ominous game, the tension is quite palpable... you can hear your enemies in the dimly lit rooms and corridors of an *immense* starship, somnabulistically muttering things which will absolutely creep you out. The first time I heard a "Midwife" unit calmy muttering "Babies need fresh meat..." whilst she was murderously searching for me... BRRRRRRRRRR..!!! Let me out of HERE..!!! This game is simply dripping with creepy atmosphere that truly makes one feel all alone, and up against some seriously frightening nastiness. And the *excellent* audio effects add immensely to an already frightening, oppressive, and often frantic experience. I won't give anything else away. I'll simply give "System Shock 2" my "Best PC Horror Game Of All Time" award. If you can still find a copy of this game, grab it... as I believe it is no longer being produced. Also, a WARNING to parents: I do NOT recommend this game for young people. It is entirely too psychologically disturbing and graphic (especially if one downloads a patch available on the web which updates the graphics considerably). The patched version that I play contains quite a bit of partial nudity (topless and bloody Midwives), and extremely realistic gore. "System Shock 2" has an overall setting and storyline that are decidely adult in nature. Definitely not a game for kids, period. A big 5 stars, easily. A must have for any mature horror game addict.
Rating:
Summary: *shivers*
Review: I read the reviews on this game here on Amazon and decided to snap up a copy of this game. Oh Lord, what an experience! Others here have said they don't know how to classify this game. A strange amalgamation of First Person Shooter, RPG, and Horror game all rolled into one. And you thought it couldn't be done. Again as others have said before me, the closest I've seen to this game would have to be Half-Life. But within it are elements of Thief and a lot of the fear factor from AvP. You begin with the choice of one of three jobs: Marine (for weapons junkies), Navy Technician (computer hackers who electronically can finagle thier way through in lieu of fighting sometimes), and Psi soldier (who uses mental powers to eliminate threats, or to get around them). The atmosphere is incredibly eerie, and this game will induce a serious case of paranoia in you as you play. You'll find yourself jumping out of your chair when a harmless valve hisses next to you. Likewise your skin will crawl and your heart will literally gallop when you hear the sound of shuffling feet just around that corner in front of you... Graphics weren't really an issue for me. The character models aren't especially attractive but the action really makes it so that you don't mind. The big surprise to me was the quality of the ambient terrain. I wasn't expecting the surfaces of the Von Braun to look so detailed and even in today's graphics-driven gaming community this 6 year old game really holds it's own. The atmospheric sounds, be they dripping water, air vents, or the inane babbling of Xerxes are brilliant. Throw that in with the noises of the Many hunting for you, the sounds of footsteps, etc.....I spent a lot of time cowering behind crates afraid to look around the corner with my 1 remaining pistol round. And yet I couldn't stop playing. Multiplayer is a blessed throwback to the Doom era, where players don't compete at all, but rather go through the game cooperatively. I had my brother hooked on SS2 within 5 minutes and after a week we were both tackling the Many together, he as a Psi Trooper and myself as a seasoned Navy Tech. And it really helps alleviate the sometimes overwhelming loneliness of spending so much time in a game where everything not only wants to kill you but is sometimes so darned sneaky about it. Only AvP ever made me jump higher out of my chair than this game did, and to it's credit SS2 made you think a lot more than the former could. Take the time out of your life to play this classic out, and see what games today should be!
Rating:
Summary: Warning: no other game will satisfy!
Review: I just finished re-playing System Shock 2 for the 5th time in 2 years. It has ruined me for all other games...there's nothing else like it out there! The variations on this game are endless. First, the choice of Marines (mainly weapons points to start), Navy (mainly cybernetics skills) or OSA (PSI abilities). Then, as the game progresses you choose which new abilities to acquire. Want to "blow em up real good"? Use your cyberchips to acquire more weapons skills (but save some for Repair/Maintain/Modify as well as Research...you'll need those too!). Is avoiding detection & opening locked boxes for supplies your priority? Then increase your Cybernetics & Hacking skills (but don't neglect your basic Weapons points too much!). If you go with the Psi options, you'll really need quick thinking & strategy to stay alive, as there are so many choices available to you; should you blow up your attackers, freeze them, or invisibly evade them? All equally valid options, & all change the game play! This game really proves that cutscenes are absolutely unnecessary to immersive game play. System Shock 2 uses no cut scenes except at the very beginning, & a surprise revelation about half-way thru. Other than that, if you need additional narrative information, you choose when & what to focus on thru your PDA & the discs that you find along the way. Some have no bearing on your play, some are vital, but none will slow down the game til you are ready to hear them. Thanks to this flexibility, I have come to loathe games that interrupt play with bad voice acting & animation. You may feel the graphics are a bit basic initially, but as you play not only do you stop noticing any crudeness, you will actually come to appreciate the fact that there are not constant breaks while the game reloads itself; also, the fact that EVERY THING is available to investigate will ruin you for higher-graphics/less playability. A good example of this is Unreal 2; it may have great graphics, but it stops to initialize itself so often, & runs so many cutscenes, that I found it a bore. I have never been bored by System Shock 2. It really is incredible that no other game I've come across can beat System Shock 2; there are no others I've played that allow you to go back to any other level, & once there, find an item you dropped days back (& still with the same qualities as when you left it!). I love Half-Life (& it's Mission Packs). Alice has great graphics and music. I started as a gamer playing Quake 2 & it's Mission Packs. But nothing since I first played System Shock 2 has ever come close to satisfying me. Please, won't someone make another game like this??
Rating:
Summary: Still one of the best games I've ever played.
Review: System Shock 2 is hard to categorize, because it blends several genres and styles of games so well. It's a Role-Playing First-Person Shooter Science Fiction Survival/Horror game, with some extra twists here and there. If you wished Half-Life was more like Deus Ex, or you wanted to play the more violent and scary parts of Thief with 22nd century firepower, this is the game you want to play. Though it's getting a bit dated now, this game was far enough ahead of its time to still be very playable. Where the original System Shock made history as a remarkably immersive story-driven first-person shooter, the sequel goes even further with complex character development elements usually only seen in role-playing games. The graphics scale up smoothly enough to still look impressive on today's faster, higher resolution (and higher polygon count) displays, the sound is of sufficient quality to still be just as effective as most newer, more technically advanced productions, and of course, a great story is never obsolete. Once you get into a game this immersive, you forget about the technical details that may no longer be as cutting-edge as they once were. Just turn off the lights, plug in your headphones (or surround-sound if you have it), and try to stay alive. If you happen to forget that it's just a game, this one can really scare you. Definitely not for the faint of heart. The biggest flaw in this game is that the developers just didn't have enough time to fully flesh-out and polish some of the later parts. Certain areas are just less expansive and detailed and finely-tuned than others. The game doesn't significantly suffer from what's missing. It just could have been that much better. By far the most common complaint about this game is that the weapons break too fast. Personally, I don't consider that a flaw. I like the extra stress factor of having to keep an eye on the condition of my weapons. Unlike most First-Person Shooters, your resources are very limited in this game. Throughout most of the game, you will very rarely have enough ammo to stop worrying about making every shot count. There are a limited number of weapons available, and if you keep firing one until it jams, you have to either expend other resources to fix it or deal with the fact that you have one less gun to work with. If you really don't like worrying about broken weapons, there is a way to reduce or completely disable weapon deterioration. It's not a menu option you can switch on and off within the game, but the release notes file on the CD explains how to do it, and it's not difficult. One complaint I've heard about the end of this game is that there are two "final battles" at the end, and the second one is disappointingly easy. I didn't feel that way because I recognized that the first final battle was the climax, and then when there was one more confrontation after that, I thought of it as more of an epilogue than a challenge. This is something gamers just aren't used to, and the only other game I've played that had an "epilogue" after the final confrontation was Half-Life, which has been accused of having the worst ending of any game ever. The ending of System Shock 2 isn't nearly that bad, but it can be disappointing if the relatively short final areas have left you expecting more. Unfortunately, due to the particular circumstances of the closing of the company that developed the game, Looking Glass Studios, it is very unlikely that there will ever be a third System Shock game.
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