I keep reading about it yet when I check some info and screenshots it just looks and sounds unappealing.
What makes it so compelling? I do want to pick it up on Steam finally.
it was way ahead of its time. Semi open world (big maps), revolutionary AI but so bugged it often blocked progression (all ai had agenda and would wander around independant of player, making hilarious organic encounters as factions would drop and fight between themselves or bugs when important NPC would randomly disapear and die in a map corner or undermap.
It oozes atmosphere too as the setting was unique and very pretty for its time. The game offered a unique freedom of choices when dealing with missions for it was open ended level design and you could more or less play it like a RPG, betraying factions etc...
It also had very spooky levels (underground labs) akin to horror games with insane enemies that would really make you shit your pants when you encountered them in a dark rusty corridor only your flashlight as a light source.
It also had anomalies : paranormal phenomenoms generated by the high radiation exposures. Some were invisible but created hazard as you walk in : you had to throw bolts to find a safe passage through the reaction. Others were more flashy but most of them had the artefact in their heart you could loot and equip for powerful effects or sell for good cash.
Gun play was insane too : it was hard. Guns were shit lol you had a lot of choice of ammo for every situation like vs flesh or vs armor, it had dispertion model, ballistic model etc... It was frustration at first because guns were shit but when you master it and got good guns it was soooo good