I wrote another article! This is the third of the trilogy on strangely underused game-genres, here are Part 1 and Part 2.
Both the Mass Effect and Deus Ex series are huge successes. The games offer a unique combination of talking and shooting elements. (They often have other elements, such as RPG-like stats and skills, but the combination of guns and conversation is unique and interesting enough to work on its own.)
Go check it out!