System Shock 1 had a 'difficult' interface for its time. I just wanted to pipe in that, after mastering it, I have forever found myself remapping the keys in other FPSes to resemble it, and usually outstripping others in multiplayer games.
Given the number of possible actions/options in System Shock, I think the interface was pretty well thought out. The story was complex, the atmosphere tense, and the environment was very immersive for the time. It holds up even today, though the sprites be pixelated.
I feel that those who'd grumble about the interface do so because they're not comfortable using more than 4 or 5 keys to play any one game. As for me, as a tween at the time coming out of Ultimas as well as UW1 and 2, playing and mastering this game caused a permanent improvement in my keyboard and spatial dexterity. I am glad they went the way they did, rather than dumbing it down to make it more user friendly.
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