Metascore
92 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 20 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 20
  3. Negative: 0 out of 20
  1. 100
    The first game was an undeniable classic that could easily be ruined in the wrong hands. We're here to tell you to pack those fears away in a box because this is the dream sequel.
  2. 100
    Never has a game gripped my attention so completely, it was able to throw me from my chair while trying to dodge an attack, lean forward to be one inch from the screen, or throw my mouse off the table in an effort to get away from an enemy.
  3. If playing games is more of a religion than a hobby to you, meet your new bible...System Shock 2 will scare the hell right out of you -- and you'll like it for that reason.
  4. Even with the amazing achievements in other areas of the game, one of the most under-appreciated, but ultimately useful, components of SS2 is its interface.
  5. It's scary, it's atmospheric, it has a great plot, and it rewards the thinking player more than the fragaholic.
  6. Irrational Games and Looking Glass have produced one of the best games I've ever played. System Shock 2 is truly scary, smart, challenging, fascinating, and disturbing. I recommend it to any adventurous adventure player.
  7. Bar none, the best FPS game to come down the pipe in quite awhile...By successfully blending the RPG and action elements, System Shock 2 has assured its place in gaming history.
  8. One of the most immersive, emotive, addictive, and just plain fun computer games we've ever played. [Oct 1999, p.122]
  9. Like RPGs? Like to be scared? System Shock 2 shows that a game can please you on a multitude of levels: visual, auditory, and emotional.
  10. The creators of the game must have had an affinity for the art of suspense because this game was a thriller all the way through. Top it all off with absolutely wonderful gameplay, be it puzzles or action, and you have the masterpiece that is System Shock 2.
  11. Simply put, the creepy atmosphere is incredible. Forget those survival horror games full of cheap scares and dark alleys. System Shock 2 manages to frighten without succumbing to horror contrivances. Considering this game is six years old, it truly is an achievement. [Aug 2005]
  12. 90
    An amazingly well crafted example of the genre that combines raw action with horror and suspense to deliver a gameplay experience that is very different from anything else on the shelves.
  13. A gaming triumph...More astonishingly, they've created a system of classes and abilities that are so varied that there's a compelling reason to actually play through the game more than once.
  14. Boy, did System Shock 2 suck me in and not let me go. It's been two weeks since I got this game and I look forward to playing it every day.
  15. A hybrid game that effectively blends elements from a variety of genres into a thoroughly enjoyable and accessible package.
  16. Despite my grumbling about the artificial intelligence,...what I enjoy about System Shock 2 is the high degree of freedom you have in deciding what directions to develop your character.
  17. A frightening game to the point that I found myself having to take breaks from playing just to ease the tension in my shoulders.
  18. While not as incredibly rich and engrossing as "Half Life" (though, frankly, I got bored of that faster than I got bored with SS2), it is nonetheless a very solid game.
  19. There is only one major criterion System Shock 2 fails to hit. Graphically, it isn't so special.
  20. Utterly immersive in its use of character attachment and amnesiac story-telling, it is a game that will honestly give you the sweats...It's all about replacing your shorts every half-hour or so.
User Score

Universal acclaim- based on 127 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 46 out of 47
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 47
  3. Negative: 1 out of 47
  1. Cynewulf
    10
    Simply one of the finest games ever created. One of very few games that reduced me to cowering in a corner listening intently for any signs of movement. The graphics may not be up to standard these days but there's no way this game should be marked down for that. Perfection! Rest in peace Looking Glass. Full Review »
  2. This is one of the greatest and underrated PC games of all time, simply terrifying to play with its unparalleled level of ambient horror this is the RPS that defined the genre and has set the standard for future games in this category. Dead Space/Bioshock/Deus Ex - all the others stem from SS2 and it's no surprise why. The gameplay is superior to SS1 and the sound and voice acting are some of, if not the best I have ever heard in my years of gaming. To me reviewing this in 2011 after playing it for about 8 years - this is the pinnacle of PC gaming and if you can get your hands on a copy and get it running then you are in for a world of horrific joy! Full Review »
  3. ShawnDarichuk
    0
    This game is broken to the point of being unplayable. I don't get a gun when I start, I'm told that I can't even use the gun I just found (because people in the military don't know what guns are), and my only weapon is a wrench. Wow, isn't that fun. Easily the worst PC game ever made. Full Review »