System Shock 2: review

If System Shock was a handful of raw inedible peanuts, then System Shock 2 is a handful of delightful roasted peanuts. Which makes Deus Ex the transcendent peanut butter in this analogy.

I'm still stinging a bit from the ending, with its crass winks at the viewer, but it is fading quickly. It feels jarring because of the urgent and dire atmosphere, which is suddenly broken with silly Hollywood-style cliches. It's like being immersed in Lovecraft, and then suddenly Freddy and Jason stop by. And then you're back at the main menu, dumbfounded. For lack of anything better to do, I check the credits. An unexpected train wreck, which was fun for the crew, but its even more disturbing on another level. Curiously, the goofy ending and credits do little to distract from the majesty of the game.

I'm glad I don't have to just say this old classic was great for its time, as it is still a good game for today. While System Shock 2 doesn't look like it to belongs to the modern era, it actually marks the start of the modern era. Some day, some other game will start a new era of first-person role-playing games, but right now we're still living in System Shock's world.

I'm also very glad that I no longer have to avoid conversations and spoilers about System Shock. I should have played this years ago.