2. System Shock 2 (1999)

The inventory systems and gameplay are classic '90s RPG style and revolve around a lot of mysterious deaths.

Not many gamers are familiar with System Shock by name, but they are familiar with its offspring: a game called BioShock. BioShock was a spiritual successor to System Shock 2, which many considered to be ahead of its time and revolutionary for its combination of roleplaying, survival horror, action, and first-person shooting. Like Deus Ex, it also has a cyberpunk setting, but deals with a darker, more speculative horror side of it when a ship's AI goes rogue. Unraveling the mystery of how it all happened is the core mission of the game, and like with BioShock, much of the story is revealed through audio logs and things left after the fact.

Controlling mostly as a shooter, System Shock 2 features character progression, inventory management, and cybernetic powers that will all be familiar to RPG fans, but feel incredibly different thanks to the setting and unique way they're handled. The shooting feels good, as does upgrading your character along the various skills as you fight off hordes of infected crew members.