system shock 1 definitely belongs on the list, there's no disputing that.
but saying it was better than 2 is just... well, it's wrong.
it's like saying alien was better than aliens, they just don't compare.
one was a horror/suspense/thriller the other was an action movie, and i feel the same can be said for the system shock franchise.
shock 1 was definitely better in certain aspects, but shock 2 was better in other areas, like the combat for example. it felt kind of clunky and a bit bad in shock 1, but it flowed better in 2.
the storytelling and atmosphere was better in 1, i was legitimately scared running through that game the first time. in shock 2 it was less... pervasive, the atmosphere and storytelling were still THERE, but i didn't feel like i was going to crap myself every time i turned a corner. or more precisely, i WAS crapping myself, but for different REASONS. it wasn't that i was scared of the situation or what might happen next, i was afraid of meeting up with something that was way too powerful for me to really take on.
plus, shock 2 had co-op.
i do, however, agree wholeheartedly that MOO2 was the best one in THAT series.
also: oh god, d/generation, that game was freaking amazing.