System Shock 1 is available on GOG!!

[Lucas]

And yes, it deserves its own thread 

http://www.gog.com/game/system_shock_enhanced_edition

Spefically, it's an "Enhanced Edition" which includes mouselook, higher resolutions and remappable keys ('til now, all of that was part of a modded version).

I always liked the first episode more, although SS2 was a masterpiece as well; just a matter of personal preference. Back then, the "Underworlds" unlocked the "true 3D" first person experience, but beside its fantasy environments and the ongoing explosion of the FPS shooters (a slightly different take was provided only  by Dark Forces, IMO), the general atmosphere and features were getting stale, IMO.

Then, System Shock came, and it was bizarre to say the least: those pixellated, weird rooms with even more flashy colours; the immersiveness of the experience, our first meeting with SHODAN, the cyberspace, the incredibly complex maps.

It was a jewel, and still one of the best original concepts ever conceived for a videogame.

[Yegolev]

Best news of 201X.  Better than #2 for many reasons, including the rollerskates.

[Jeff Kelly]

I bought it twice when it came out. The floppy disc version first and then the CD-ROm version with voice and slightly higher resolution when it became available.

The control scheme is completely arcane though. Granted at a time when even popular games like doom didn't let you look up it had a decent set of options (strafe, lean and peak around corners). Having to do so with UI controls and mouse though wasn't really that great. So remappable keys and more mouse-look options is great.

It also, for better or worse, introduced a few tropes we are using to this day, like audio diaries for example.

I never liked System Shock 2 though. Mostly for the fact that you could irevocably get stuck in the final set of levels with no way of continuing.

[Trippy]

Yes 1 was better than 2.

I might even be able to do the hacking mini-game properly this time around now that I'm used to flying with reversed controls with a mouse. Back then I still played a lot of flight sims so I would constantly get the controls mixed up between the hacking flying bits and the regular first-person shooter bits.

[Mandella]

The control scheme is completely arcane though. Granted at a time when even popular games like doom didn't let you look up it had a decent set of options (strafe, lean and peak around corners). Having to do so with UI controls and mouse though wasn't really that great. So remappable keys and more mouse-look options is great.

Even though I have always prided myself on flexibility when it comes to learning control schemes, for some reason the original System Shock completely stymied me. Maybe it was because when I got around to it there were already better control paradigms out there and I hated to go back, but this is one of the only games that I loved that I still never completed.

I did at least play it far enough to appreciate the plot twists of System Shock 2 (which was a fine game itself, IMO).

They want eight whole bucks for the Enhanced Version eh? I think I might be able to budget that...

[Yegolev]

It's definitely from the Before Times when we didn't have a standardized UI, and I'd say that it was less-difficult at the time mostly because we didn't know any better and didn't have finger-habits.  Also Daggerfall.

[Sky]

SS1 was a great control scheme for the time. Lean, man! That alone added so much tension.

[Yegolev]

Leaning is actually a game function and not a user interface element.

[Sky]

Leaning is actually a game function and not a user interface element.

IT hAD A BUTTAN

[Yegolev]

The button was the user interface to perform the leaning.

OK, I'll stop now.

Good times.

[Jeff Kelly]

There are both keyboard keys and clickable UI elements that control your 'stance' (lean left or right, duck etc.)

[Yegolev]

Post too short.  Please explain what you did with the real Jeff!

[Jeff Kelly]

He's I'm OK. Totally nothing wrong here guys. Promise.

[Pennilenko]

There are both keyboard keys and clickable UI elements that control your 'stance' (lean left or right, duck etc.)

TLDR