System Shock 2 is a game that, when I first played it, I took a huge break from before coming back. When I did eventually come back, I remember feeling tense, the sight of a psi-monkey walking down the corridor filling me with fear. It is probably one of the more immersive games I have played in my life, and I really mean it. The soundtrack, however, does detract a bit from it. Not that there's anything wrong with badass techno bangers, but it doesn't quite fit the general aesthetic of the game.

Gameplay wise it's definitely not the most polished, running on Thief's engine. While movement options are actually quite good, it suffers from Thief's terrible melee combat which, if you're a psi user, you might find yourself using a lot. Still, there are additional mechanics layered on top to make up for the clunkiness of combat.

The story is particularly good, focusing on giving you snippets of what has happened, without revealing the full scale of it all until later. Not to mention SHODAN being one of the best antagonists ever made.

Level-design wise it does suffer from issues such as areas looking similar, or being incredibly maze-like, but this adds to the feeling of being a rat trapped in a cage. With a fully functioning map it's quite possible to navigate the world without too much hassle (unlike Thief Gold.)

I'd recommend anyone to pick up this game and to listen carefully to what you're told to do. It is possible to soft-lock yourself if you're stupid.