I prefer System Shock 2, though my feelings on it are greatly complicated by having spent so much time modding it over the last 3.5 years. The first System Shock is a masterpiece, and most of its flaws having nothing to do with its age (the controls and interface are just fine) and everything to do with it being chock full of innovative ideas that didn't get completely realized. I greatly disliked the near-finished demos I played of the Remake, so I will probably never play that.
Strengths of System Shock:
- Complex and intricate level design that demands a lot from the player to explore and navigate
- Tactile user interface that rewards mastery and admits a bit of player customization
- Physics-based player movement model that grants the player expressive control over their character posture
- Weapon damage model with armor penetration and critical chance is really robust and intuitive
- 16 different weapons with their own properties, settings, and ammo types, leading to a satisfying power progression and playstyle flexibility
- Cyber augmentations found and upgraded via exploration in Metroidvania-style progression
- Cool quirky stuff like the patches having side effects and the rearview mirror augmentation are super endearing
- Wire and grid puzzles are nicely designed, sometimes combined with time pressure to really test the player
- SHODAN is absolutely menacing in gameplay with her ambushes and traps, as well as in her fantastic vocal performance
- Fantastic visuals, the environment art and enemy designs are classic pulpy cyberpunk + body horror
- 7-hour time limit on Mission difficulty 3 is diabolical, the tension in having to optimize your route through the station is wonderful and insane
Weaknesses of System Shock:
- Enemy AI is dumb as rocks, and lacking in differentiation. Most enemies are walking hitscan turrets
- Somewhat lackluster balance of weapons and tools. Weapons like the riot gun and stun gun are absolutely useless, while the laser rapier twoshots any enemy
- Resource overabundance, it's nearly impossible to run out of ammo and finding caches of bullets and grenades is rarely exciting
- Cyberspace is awful, the audiovisual feedback is piss poor and the 6DOF shooter gameplay is woefully basic
- Some levels are probably a little too mazelike for their own good, like the tunnels of the Engineering level
- The radiation SFX probably gave me permanent hearing damage
Strengths of System Shock 2:
- Brings back the RPG elements from Ultima Underworld to the Immersive Sim and with great success, build choices are both strategic and expressive
- Lots of ways to play the game, from running and gunning to sneaking and hacking to stunning and blasting enemies with your mind magic
- Level design is tight and refined, top notch dungeon crawling with scripted encounters, dynamic enemy ambushes, tricks and traps, and exciting loot. Rickenbacker and Body of the Many are also great in providing some much needed combat challenge and faster paced gameplay as the game comes to a close
- Resource management is actually impactful, the game is relatively hardcore with its item scarcity and enemies hit hard
- Grid inventory adds a lot of depth to equipment selection, user interface is snappy and slick
- Nice selection of weapons, equipment, and abilities the player can acquire, from ballistic weapons to sci-fi blasters to grenade launchers and alien contraptions
- Enemy AI is competent and displays a lot of diverse behaviors that give each enemy a unique personality and threat
- Combat mechanics are tactical and frenetic, the gunplay is a little odd but there's depth to the movement, melee, and shooting
- Superb atmosphere; the Von Braun is cold, clean, and creepy, and the Dark Engine's audio systems are put to great use
- The twist on the Shock story formula is engaging and follows logically from the first game (despite the 12 lightyear distance plot hole); The Many are terrific villains and the tenuous partnership you forge with SHODAN is very entertaining
- Top notch DnB/dark ambient soundtrack, despite what some idiots say
Weaknesses of System Shock 2:
- Highly questionable balance of character stats, skills, weapons and abilities. Exploits are obvious after a single playthrough but trap options can disappoint first timers
- Underbaked systems like weapon modification and underutilized skills make some character concepts feel incomplete
- Enemy AI has some notable flaws that allow the player to cheese them with a little practice
- Difficulty spikes at the Cargo Bay and quickly tapers off, failing to match the player's pace of character progression
- Where Am I? is a boring nostalgia sequence with barely any gameplay to speak of, and the two final bosses are disappointingly easy
- Story quickly goes off the rails into self-parody, sequel bait ending gag really stings 14 years later
- Blocky object models and subpar visual effects stop the game from having truly great aesthetic design