In 1997, three Looking Glass employees left their jobs and founded Irrational Games. Their first project was to work with Looking Glass on a sequel to one of the most innovative FPS games of all time. The end result was of the most atmospheric, immersive, frightening and enjoyable games I've ever played.

System Shock 2 is a thinking man's shooter, a complex RPG, a stealth game and a survival horror nightmare combined with an amazing story to tie it all together.

The game is set in the year 2114, 42 years after the events of the original game and, while it helps in a few places, you do not need to have played the first game in order to fully enjoy this one.

You start as a nameless soldier applying to enrol into the UNN. After 4 years of service in your chosen branch of the UNN military, you are called upon to join the crew of the Von Braun, which is about to take her maiden voyage into the furthest reaches of space. You wake up on-board, with no memory of the last few weeks, to find that the crew has been slaughtered by an unidentified force.

In System Shock 2, every single bullet is crucial to your survival as you explore the open-ended environments. You will also have to think about what ammo to use against what targets, maintaining, repairing and upgrading your weapons to keep them in good condition, hacking computers, replicators and security systems and upgrading your cybernetic gear to allow you to carry more items, run faster, hit harder, hack better and take more damage. You will not be able to purchase all upgrades or master everything so choosing wisely is essential.

Don't expect to be guided by the hand however, you will have to find your own way around the ship. You can and will have to revisit previous areas of the ship and any items you have left there will still be there on your return journey. Don't expect cleared out areas to remain safe however, the game will keep you on your toes by re-spawning enemies making very few areas safe for long.

Talking about environments, this isn't a dark, miserable, flickery lighting infested place. This is a place where people had to live; you'll not only visit warehouses, docking areas, loading bays and shuttle bay areas but also living quarters and recreational areas, a casino, movie theatre and even a botanical garden! There are some other amazing places too but well.. where's the fun in me telling you everything? ;)

As for the story, its told in a way similar to that of the original game; you'll find audio logs around the ship made by the crew. From every day chores they had, love interests, moaning about co-workers to what is happening to them as they're recording, the logs give you a picture of what happened to them and may even help you find things hidden around the ship for your own survival.

System Shock 2 is built on the same technology Thief uses, known at the Dark Engine. Because of this, the advanced character controlling and stealth mechanisms are carried over to Shock 2. You can hide in the shadows and observe enemies and their behaviour. Enemies can hear you and can be distracted by noise, they'll search the area if suspicious of your presence and will alert their allies if you are seen or manage to escape from them after a fight doesn't go as planned.

For all its amazing points, the game does have some faults; some of the RPG skill branches don't make much sense, the level design at times feels rushed. The character models, even for the time, were incredibly ugly and whilst the game's story ends on a high note, the ending is a massive 'To be continued...' bombshell that may never get fully answered.

This is the pinnacle of 90's PC Gaming. Games like Deus Ex and BioShock would never have been made without this and games like Borderlands, Fallout 3/New Vegas, Dishonored, Mass Effect and Dead Space all went on to borrow elements from this one game.

Absolutely 100% recommended!!!

In 1997, three Looking Glass employees left their jobs and founded Irrational Games. Their first project was to work with Looking Glass on a sequel to one of the most innovative FPS games of all time. The end result was of the most atmospheric, immersive, frightening and enjoyable games I've ever played. System Shock 2 is a thinking man's shooter, a complex RPG, a stealth game and a survival horror nightmare combined with an amazing story to tie it all together. The game is set in the year 2114, 42 years after the events of the original game and, while it helps in a few places, you do not need to have played the first game in order to fully enjoy this one. You start as a nameless soldier applying to enrol into the UNN. After 4 years of service in your chosen branch of the UNN military, you are called upon to join the crew of the Von Braun, which is about to take her maiden voyage into the furthest reaches of space. You wake up on-board, with no memory of the last few weeks, to find that the crew has been slaughtered by an unidentified force. In System Shock 2, every single bullet is crucial to your survival as you explore the open-ended environments. You will also have to think about what ammo to use against what targets, maintaining, repairing and upgrading your weapons to keep them in good condition, hacking computers, replicators and security systems and upgrading your cybernetic gear to allow you to carry more items, run faster, hit harder, hack better and take more damage. You will not be able to purchase all upgrades or master everything so choosing wisely is essential. Don't expect to be guided by the hand however, you will have to find your own way around the ship. You can and will have to revisit previous areas of the ship and any items you have left there will still be there on your return journey. Don't expect cleared out areas to remain safe however, the game will keep you on your toes by re-spawning enemies making very few areas safe for long. Talking about environments, this isn't a dark, miserable, flickery lighting infested place. This is a place where people had to live; you'll not only visit warehouses, docking areas, loading bays and shuttle bay areas but also living quarters and recreational areas, a casino, movie theatre and even a botanical garden! There are some other amazing places too but well.. where's the fun in me telling you everything? ;) As for the story, its told in a way similar to that of the original game; you'll find audio logs around the ship made by the crew. From every day chores they had, love interests, moaning about co-workers to what is happening to them as they're recording, the logs give you a picture of what happened to them and may even help you find things hidden around the ship for your own survival. System Shock 2 is built on the same technology Thief uses, known at the Dark Engine. Because of this, the advanced character controlling and stealth mechanisms are carried over to Shock 2. You can hide in the shadows and observe enemies and their behaviour. Enemies can hear you and can be distracted by noise, they'll search the area if suspicious of your presence and will alert their allies if you are seen or manage to escape from them after a fight doesn't go as planned. For all its amazing points, the game does have some faults; some of the RPG skill branches don't make much sense, the level design at times feels rushed. The character models, even for the time, were incredibly ugly and whilst the game's story ends on a high note, the ending is a massive 'To be continued...' bombshell that may never get fully answered. This is the pinnacle of 90's PC Gaming. Games like Deus Ex and BioShock would never have been made without this and games like Borderlands, Fallout 3/New Vegas, Dishonored, Mass Effect and Dead Space all went on to borrow elements from this one game. Absolutely 100% recommended!!!