Adi Robertson, writing at The Verge, has a quick look back at what I would consider an iconic entry in video game history, System Shock 2, on the twentieth (twentieth!) anniversary of the game’s release.

System Shock 2 is one of those games, along with Half-Life 2, that will always have a place in my heart as more than just entertainment; it’s an experience. I replayed the game in the past year or so, and it’s remarkable how well a game from 1999 can hold up after so many years.

Robertson mentions the game’s impact on more modern games, like Dead Space, Prey, and BioShock, but calls out one of the things that makes the game feel so unique:

System Shock 2 uses a complicated upgrade system with draconian cutoffs for equipping important items. Your protagonist can be augmented into a super-hacker, a master of energy weapons and old-fashioned firearms, or a psychic warrior with pyrokinetic power and invisibility cloaking. He’s also highly vulnerable until you build up the right set of complementary upgrades, which requires progressing the plot long enough to earn dozens of rare “cyber modules.”
Meanwhile, the game overwhelms players with constantly deteriorating weapons and wandering enemies, wearing them down while they’re at their weakest, even as it dangles the promise of inhuman power in front of them.

Part of why I love the game is its refusal to cow-tow to players. This is not a game that takes it easy or pulls punches. Instead, it presents its challenge, and the player must navigate through levels and around enemies using the resources available. On top of that, its nerve-jangling atmosphere and enemy design gives me a little shudder whenever I think about playing through certain levels.

If the promised System Shock 3 does come to fruition, I can only hope that it’s half as good as its predecessor.