During the seventh generation of video game consoles, there were few games as defining as the Bioshock series. Started in 2007 by Irrational Games, the first title took players to an Ayn Rand inspired world that seemed perfect in its philosophy. However, the version of Rapture players became acquainted with was anything but. Genetic splicing, murdering, criminals abound. It was a mess of a place. Yet it was a masterpiece for gamers everywhere. At the time, there had been very few games that matched that level of player immersion or made players question their own agency and influence on the events. The first Bioshock was undeniably a masterpiece, and the first sequel wasn't half bad either. Then came 2013's Bioshock: Infinite, a game that had players questioning identity and the deep meaning behind simple words more than the original had. Throughout this defining series, we heard and learned hidden meanings behind "Would you kindly?" and "Bring us the girl and wipe away the debt." We used the otherworldly Plasmids and Vigors, and fought those it took over. These were games designed to take the player into another world and through a twisting journey that was all connected.

But, despite the general belief at the time, this wasn't the first time such a journey had been crafted.

Back in the late 1990s. the first-person genre as a whole was churning out nothing but quality titles. In the closing years of the 20th century, we had gotten indisputable classics like Thief: The Dark Project, SiN, Half-Life, Unreal, and so many others. It was a great time for the genre, though some games were completely unknown. Due to the success of games like Unreal and Half-Life, many games never got the recognition they deserved. Probably the biggest example of this is System Shock 2, which was released a year after the celebrated release of Half-Life in 1998. Like the underrated 1994 original, System Shock 2 was meant to combine first-person role-playing and shooter mechanics. However, this time, a different team was at the helm. System Shock 2 was the debut title from Irrational Games, who primarily worked on the game while System Shock developer Looking Glass Studios worked on a sequel to the 1998 title Thief: The Dark Project, which was designed by Irrational Games' soon-to-be founder Ken Levine. However, the team faced many problems while working on the game. These included an unfinished game engine, pressure from publisher EA, and lack of assistance from Looking Glass Studios. So it was a surprise that the game not only released, but became a shining example of narrative and atmosphere in a game of its genre. However, the game itself became lost in copyright limbo shortly after release. This led to massive issues with the rights and the ultimate creation of a spiritual successor in the form of Bioshock, which was meant to carry the positive aspects of System Shock 2 into a new generation. However, these games ultimately lost their way in accomplishing that. While the Bioshock series is still amazing, they started to lose the System Shock feel that spawned the series' creation in the first place. Then, by some miracle, a small studio named Night Dive Studios re-released the game for modern operating systems via Steam and GOG, allowing a new generation of gamers to experience what may just be the best PC game ever made. System Shock 2 expertly crafts together narrative, sound, visuals, and gameplay to heights we don't see even today, making it an experience worth living at some point.

Visuals were one hurdle that Irrational Games had to clear right off the bat. They used the Dark Engine, which was previously used in Thief: The Dark Project. However, the engine itself was left incomplete by Looking Glass Studios. This left Irrational Games to fix any software bugs they encountered during designing and playtesting. But, on the flipside, working closely with the source code allowed for enhancements and features to be added at will. The latter is clearly seen in System Shock 2's visuals. For the most part, System Shock 2 has aged surprisingly well. Textures are well designed, particle effects such as explosions are coded brilliantly, and the lighting is spectacular. Also worth mentioning is the amazing level design, which really makes you feel that much more closed in and trapped in the ship. It was really impressive, especially considering the limited experience at Irrational Games. However, the character models are pretty ugly. They were really low in polygon count, resulting in an origami look to them. Thankfully, these models are thankfully diverse, so you won't be seeing the same one over and over again. Plus, if any part of the visuals doesn't click with you, there are plenty of fan-made visual mods to make it look a bit better.

The sound design in System Shock 2 is a whole other story. Put simply. the sound design is just masterful. Sound effects are plenty in System Shock 2, and all are recorded with incredible precision. Shotguns crack with each shot, laser guns have audible recharge periods, and explosions are a noisy contrast to the silence of the ship. It's really good stuff that adds to the player's immersion. Then there's System Shock 2's techno soundtrack. Composed by Eric Brosius, Ramin Djawadi, and Josh Randall, the music goes along with System Shock 2's cyberpunk theme. But it's highly suggested that you turn the music off when you play the game. The lack of music allows the effects from the environment to take over, making it all the more creepy. But the real surprise is the voice acting. For a developer's first game, the voice acting is surprisingly high in quality in performance. This is a good thing, as thanks to the abundant audio logs, you'll hear a lot of voices throughout the game. But the standout performance is Terri Brosius, who returns for her part as SHODAN, the AI from the first game. Like her performance in the original System Shock, the performance she gives as SHODAN can only be describes as creepy. The way she taunts the player about being an insect, all the while speaking with a glitchy voice, is just undeniably creepy. She really cements SHODAN as being gaming's creepiest character.

The story, thanks to pressure from EA, was made to be a sequel to the original System Shock. Thankfully, it stands on its own, with no knowledge of the original game required. As a bonus, the opening cutscene explains the more important bits of the original story. So it helps. System Shock 2 is set in 2114, 42 years after the events that unfolded on Citadel Station in the first game. During that time, the massive TriOptimum Corporation underwent a large number of trials and, ultimately, bankruptcy. However, in 2112, the company is restored by a Russian named Anatoly Korenchkin, who gives the company profit through consumer and private contracts. The company also became responsible for the Von Braun, an experimental faster-than-light ship that is ready to take its maiden voyage. Entering the role of a UNN solider, you become stationed on the Rickenbacker, the UNN controlled security vessel. 5 month later, the soldier wakes up in a cryogenic recovery bay with no memory of past events. Awoken by a scientist named Janice Polito, the soldier is informed of a massive threat aboard the ship that killed the crew. The player, as the solider, is tasked with meeting Polito on Deck 4 of the ship, all the while dealing with the threat, as well as a malfunctioning AI named XERXES.

System Shock 2's story is really its strongest aspect. It's told in a way similar to other games like Dark Souls and Bioshock. The story isn't spoon-fed to the player or told through constant cutscenes. Instead, the player is tasked with discovering the full extent of the plot themselves, with only the essentials being told. This really encourages exploration throughout the story to find the many audio logs. Plus, the game has a massive twist about halfway through that still hasn't been matched to this day. Even Bioshock owes its twist to System Shock 2, as Bioshock's reveal is practically identical. This level of presentation, along with the gameplay, create System Shock 2's atmosphere. The game is completely psychological. Every horror in the game is lying in wait, but it's up to the player's mind to decide the severity and overall fright factor of the situation. Even today, System Shock 2 is downright creepy, even terrifying at times. It's a game all about isolation, effectivly making it the Alien: Isolation of its day. There is no help. It's only you, and your greatest ally isn't the most friendly in the world. It's a uniquely handled atmosphere that is just amazing.

The gameplay is largely similar to that of the first System Shock, in that it combines role-playing and shooter mechanics. Thankfully, though, there have been changes to make it more user-friendly and less clunky. For one thing, the player can now switch between a combat/exploration interface and their cyber interface, which shows inventory and character stats. This is in contrast to System Shock's cramped user interface. Switching between the two modes is thankfully easy and seamless, which is helpful in the game's more intense moments. Combat has also been improved, now acting like a more traditional first-person shooter. Meanwhile, the combat itself is split between different categories. But this just boils down to melee, guns, or the psionic powers. This helps in making the game much easier to navigate and play overall, but it doesn't make things easier. But probably the biggest change is in how the role-playing elements are handled. Instead of finding upgrades scattered in the environment, System Shock 2 opens with a cool prologue sequence. In small tutorials, the player is introduced to basic gameplay, as well has technical, weapon, and psionic skills. Then the player chooses a branch of the UNN: Navy, Marines, or OSA. The Marines are the most straightforward, focusing on firepower above all else. The Navy focus more on technology, meaning skills like hacking are much easier. Then there's the OSA, which is the most different. This class focuses on the psionic abilities, which function like the Plasmids and Vigors we would later see in Bioshock. These powers include telekinesis, lethal energy blasts, health restoration, and even invisibility. This is by far the most flexible of the classes, allowing you to choose a play style within the powers. Every class has abilities and stats which can be upgraded at specific stations using cyber-modules. But the catch is that the cyber-modules are not in plentiful supply and are gone permanently once you've spent them. So you have to be wise about it. There are also one-use OS upgrade stations, which add either permanite or one time effects. Like the cyber-modules, these need to be considered wisely.

System Shock 2 also takes more than a few ques from the survival horror genre. Along with genre norms like a limited inventory space and limited supplies, there are also a lot of enemies in System Shock 2. Some can even be tougher than you, or have weaknesses to specific types of ammunition. Your job is to analyze each enemy and react accordingly. Whether this means to pull out a specific gun, ammunition type, or to just run away is up to you. The game also makes the player especially weak. Damage is taken pretty easy, even with armor. Plus, the weapons have a habit of jamming frequently, leading to plenty of close calls or sudden deaths.

This brings me to what may be System Shock 2's only real fault. For its time and even by today's standards, System Shock 2 is a very difficult game. There is very little handholding or assistance given to the player. They're pretty much given free reign on how to and when to complete some objectives, as well to how they explore. But this only works so far. You will get lost and you will die frequently at times. It's just something you have to adjust to. This much can be forgiven. But there is also the possible and even likely scenario of getting to a point of having to restart due to how you placed your points. If this happens, it happens near the end of the game. It can only be described as frustrating, making your placement of points all the more important.

System Shock 2 isn't a short game by any means. Playing through on the normal difficulty setting will take longer than 12 hours to beat. Thankfully, with the audio logs, difficulty modes and the different character combinations and play styles, System Shock 2 does show off some replay value. The game's release on Steam and GOG also include the later added co-op mode. However, this mode feels like an afterthought. The mode itself isn't very stable at the moment, requiring patience and lots of saving. Plus, it makes the game way too easy and less scary. It is nice as an extra when it works, though it's nothing more. Thankfully, System Shock 2 also has a large and dedicated modding community. Along with the visual mods, there are also fan-made missions to play. So the content is almost neverending.

System Shock 2 had an effect on the industry no one could have even attempted to predict. Even though it had such a small initial release, the impact was extreme. System Shock 2 led to the making of Deus Ex, a game that is often called the greatest PC game ever. System Shock 2 obviously led to Irrational Games' later success with the Bioshock series, as well as the founding of Night Dive Studios, a publsher that lives to revive forgotten classics. It was a groundbreaking game that fell into the shadow of games like Half-Life. But games like System Shock 2 shouldn't be forgotten. The game is still amazing, even to this day. But, to many, it's so much more. It's a living piece of history. One of the most influential games ever made, and one that shaped the gaming ideals of developers and fans. Like the later Bioshock games, System Shock 2 is not just a game. It's an experience. A journey. It's a tough road to travel, and it sure is frightening. But it's rewarding in ways most games aren't. System Shock 2 gifts the player an incredibly presented and challenging adventure that is sure to be remembered.