Objectives, character customization, and interaction with the game world exceeded by far the customary requirements of contemporary shooters, infusing the game with role-playing elements. Though similar to other first-person shooters in terms of basic gameplay mechanics, the game's pace was nevertheless quite different, requiring the player to carefully explore the environment, collecting clues and crucial items in process. Similarly to that game, System Shock strived to represent realistic physical interaction in a 3D world. Released in 1994, System Shock was based on the engine implemented in Ultima Underworld.

Related by plot (including a common antagonist, the malevolent artificial intelligence known as SHODAN), the games share similar science fiction horror scenarios, in which the protagonist is trapped in an abandoned, enclosed environment (space station, space ship, etc.), trying to fend off enemies (cyborgs, mutated creatures, and others), find clues that would reveal past events, survive, and escape. System Shock games were notable for incorporating elements of first-person shooter, puzzle-solving, and role-playing.

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