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Consider briefly what it takes to make a legitimately good game. Not functional; good. Good graphics, good sound, good controls, good level design, good challenge... it needs to be good across the board. Or does it?
To analyze this, let's have a look at System Shock 2, arguably one of the better (certainly one of the most popular) FPS/RPG hybrids, which I suppose is like saying that Godfather I is one of the better of the Godfather movies. But I digress; System Shock 2 is generally agreed as a winner, a top-tier game that successfully blends FPS action with RPG aspects, immersing the player in a convincing sci-fi/horror setting where humanity experiences yet another moment of "WHERE'S YOUR HUBRIS NOW, BITCH!" But where, exactly, does it win? What makes it stand out so? What does it do right?
If someone says that it gets the gameplay just right, the proper response is to look at them strangely and back away. Weapon balance is all out of whack; the Assault Rifle thoroughly trumps every other weapon in the game, Exotic Weapons are for players who think that complex weaponry is for real men, and the Grenade Launcher is the only worthwhile Heavy Weapon in the game. In fact, I'm going to refer to every other weapon in the game as Not The Assault Rifle. Psi powers are thoroughly underpowered and suffer from the crippling flaw of most magic systems in RPGs - magic simply takes too long for too little reward, when one could simply gun down the offending monster and call it a day. Weapons degrade insanely fast, to the point where a pristine Rifle will be close to breaking by the time you actually empty the magazine.
Not that you'll need to waste all 36 bullets to bring an enemy down, considering the difficulty of the game is somewhere near zero. The only way any living creature in the game will take more than 5 bullets to bring down is if you commit the cardinal sin of using armor-piercing ammo against a flesh-and-blood target, or vice versa (anti-personnel versus armor). Otherwise, the monsters that supposedly overran all the ship's defenses and killed the crew can be brought down with just a few shots and some simple backpedaling - just like in every other FPS you've played. Gaining even one point of research lets you analyze all of the organs of the monsters, helping you get the job done quicker. Should something actually get close enough to harm you, for the mere pittance that is 10 nanites the hero can be completely restored with all of his inventory and a portion of his health, far away from danger, literally as he was at the second of his death, and as many times as is necessary to finish the fight.
And lest we forget, the much-touted skill system, that which sets SS2 apart from its FPS brethren, is woefully unbalanced beyond simple weapon choices. Maintenance is the only skill you truly need. Repair is completely pointless, as is Modify; there are enough one-use devices for each skill (that can be used without having to know said skill), and let's be honest, you're not going to tweak out that dinky little Not The Assault Rifle, you're going to bump up the already-godlike Assault Rifle. You are obligated by the game to invest in one point of Research, and that's all you need to know how to do more damage against the creatures. Your guns, on the other hand, degrade like you're in the Time Machine going forward at 10,000 years a second and you accidentally dropped the gun out of the precious time bubble that keeps you from decaying into dust within seconds, necessitating Maintenance. Hacking is optional, and tends to be a waste of time outside lowering the prices on vending machines or opening the locker cabinet that's hiding a hundred nanites and a psi hypo.
So let's review: weapons are poorly balanced, the game has little in the way of challenge, and its RPG elements are equally lacking. So what makes SS2 awesome?
Is it the atmosphere? Perhaps. The graphics look downright old by now, but the design of each level is superb. There's no doubt about the function of each area you enter; there are restrooms, bedrooms, storage areas, sickbays, lounges, crew quarters, security stations, recreational facilities, companionways, and so on. The lights are out in some sections, other parts are flooded, strange biomass grows on the walls... the builders really knew how to convey, physically, that something was amiss, even despite the already alien setting. The architecture is familiar and natural while still being creative. There is a palpable sense of dread as you move about, unsure whether that thing you just heard in the distance is coming for you.
Maybe it's the dialogue? For such a simple plot, the voice acting is superb. Logs and emails tell their tale in shaky, scared, or uncertain tones; corporate bureaucrats and scientists speak of profit and potential, while security guards and maintenance personnel mention the myriad number of problems with the doomed spaceship. Creatures moan and howl in the distance, protocol droids chirp cheerfully as they approach you with suicidal intent, spiders hiss and click as the scramble towards you, looking a little TOO realistic for my taste (even if they can't actually climb to follow you). Hollywood has produced few that can rival the audio excellence of System Shock 2, and that only aids in the immersion factor.
Perhaps its the interface? User-friendly is the word of the day. Left mouse fires, right mouse uses. All the information you ever need about stats, items, ship functions, whatever is available at the touch of a button. Automaps keep track of where you are and where you've been, all important codes are stored in accessible notes and emails can be accessed as many times as necessary. The tutorial is built in such a fashion that it is informative without being intrusive, and may be skipped altogether. From start to finish, the number of things to learn may be daunting, but it is never out of the player's grasp, and there is always time to stop and review what you need to do, and how you need to do it.
Maybe it's all of these things. Maybe it's none of them. Maybe it's simply that all of these elements combine to make an experience greater than their sum.
For the record, I think System Shock 2 is an excellent game, a masterpiece in its own right; it has flaws, and not insubstantial ones, but these are simply overwhelmed by the whole of the experience. It's not that the good erases the bad, it's simply that the overall product is sublime. The weapon imbalances are a bitter pill, but put that pill in some ice cream (or, in this case, an excellent presentation) and suddenly it tastes a whole lot sweeter. Difficulty is off, sure, but I wasn't thinking about it when I was madly blazing away at a pack of Rumblers with the Assault Rifle as they charged me from around a corner. Skills are imbalanced, but even though it only takes one bullet to silence a camera that can be blinded by hacking a panel, I'll still hack the panel if I don't think I can spot the camera in time.
Such is the good of SS2 that it keeps me from thinking about the bad. Such is the reason it earns its Awesome badge; it surpasses its limitations and flaws to become a memorable, enjoyable, and repeatable experience. Just remember; no matter how good you are with the Crystal Shard or the Fusion Cannon, it's still Not The Assault Rifle.
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