Very good for story- and character-based adventures. I prefer to create the characters so they have real places in the adventure (of course, you can also accomplish this by guiding the players in creating characters - and who doesn't do that?); and then tailor the situations to play into their disadvantages (which must all be approved by the GM anyway - obviously). I like the whole "Well, you've said your character is this overconfident and that cowardly, and now you want to act some other way? Roll dice!" -system (I like it more in Pendragon and PenDragon Pass, though). GURPS is my game of choice for cyberpunk or sci-fi, because when you get shot or stabbed, you've been shot or stabbed.

You should've picked up the new edition, though. Much improved. Stuffs the old basic book and both Compendiums and then some into two books.