Observer: System Redux Reviews
If you are wowed by grimy and disgusting but beautifully realized cyberpunk aesthetics, then Observer: System Redux is worth your time since that is all it has to offer. This is a horror game for tourists, since there are no actual stakes, and if you die there is almost no progress lost. It is made to make you feel smart; you don’t have to actually be smart to solve the mystery or the puzzles.
If you like police procedurals or walking sims, Observer: System Redux is essentially a collaborative wired hybrid of the two. Tying both these genres together, Redux’s augmented bulk is held in place by a murder mystery that consumes the bulk of this 6-8 hour game. If that sounds like your jam, Observer: System Redux is definitely worth a play - and it's incredibly pretty too. For everyone else on the fence, Redux's gameplay leaves a lot to be desired and is probably a better option to rent than outright buy.
Observer System Redux is a prettier, smoother version of a good game, but its setting and characters are so grotesque and dark that it can be hard to get through.
If you ignore all the needless meddling with graphic options in the console versions of the game, you can call Observer: System Redux a pretty good remaster, with some great visuals and a portion of a completely new content. But at the same time System Redux carries on every single problem the original release had, basically being yet another walking sim. It's quite likely that Observer: System Redux will take its place among some other games, that no one will ever remember a year from now.
Review in Russian | Read full review
A solid pick for walking simulator fans, but others will find a shallow game hidden behind the excellent audio/visual presentation.
Observer: System Redux is a fascinating, sometimes thrilling trip that I would highly recommend despite its flaws. The game’s slower pace won’t be for everyone, but those who persist with it will be rewarded. It’s a world you wouldn’t want to live in, but an intriguing place to visit. Turn on, plug in, and freak out.
Observer: System Redux weaves a moving tale, both fascinating and relatable. With fantastic updated graphics, stunning audio, moving voice acting, and a memorable environment, this is a tale worth experiencing. I just wish it actually played better. The few times you actually have to do more than walk from room to room, the game falls apart. Thankfully they don’t make up a huge chunk of Observer, but they grow more common as you get deeper into the game. If you’re okay with that, though, and have time for an interesting cyberpunk story, Observer is worth your time.
Rutger Hauer, a future cyberpunk and an investigative adventure are the keys to Observer, which comes with a new version improved in terms of graphics and functionalities. The PlayStation5 and Xbox Series versions are different from each other, with gaps between one and the other and with certain inconsistencies and performance problems in their strong modes. For the price at which it goes on sale and the new content added, you can give it a try.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
The story is engaging and filled with noir goodness, the gameplay added to the feeling I was a memory hacking detective, and the visuals felt straight out of one of my favorite 80s movies. But the absolutely relentless and aggressive lights and patterns that invade the game a few hours in made it a hard game to finish. Because of this I still recommend it, but with a large and bold asterisk.
If remaining a fundamentally flawed experience, Observer: System Redux is a gorgeously nutty dive down the sci-fi horror rabbit-hole, and an impressive show-piece for your new hardware of choice.
Fans of horror games looking to play Observer: System Redux for the first time will find an immersive and thrilling experience albeit with some odd jank here and there. Meanwhile, those who’ve already experienced the original may want to wait for a sale.
Overall, Observer: System Redux is a great pickup for those looking to see just exactly how well their shiny new consoles can perform, as well as having an interesting experience to boot (you know, like a computer). Environments are beautiful in a truly depressing, atmospheric manner, and lead Rutger Hauer really makes the effort to portray a downtrodden detective tired of the new cybernetic world order. This is a clear pick up for fans of psychological horror drama, looking for a few jump scares and… uncomfortable-ness over a few hours. For the rest, however, it's an interesting experiment that perhaps could benefitted from less of the shocks and more of the Detective chops.
Blooper Studio's attempt to take advantage of the cyberpunk genre's hype created by Cyberpunk 2077 neither fails nor pays off, as Observer: System Redux is mediocre adventure game that can't really challenge the new generation consoles.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Observer: System Redux improves on the original's visual style and wonderfully disturbing nightmare sequences, but it doesn't fix an uninspired plot or lack of consistent horror elements.
Observer: System Redux follows in the wake of the original, repeating the same failures as three years ago. Yes, the work of Bloober Team in the graphic and artistic section is spectacular, with an impressive finish and managing to maintain 4K and 60fps at almost all times. But taking advantage of this new edition, they could have solved the problems in the gameplay that the original already presented.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Observer: System Redux is a legitimately impressive overhaul. At long last, the PS5 has allowed Bloober Team's ambitions with this title to be properly realized. New quests slot into the experience wonderfully, Rutger Hauer's performance remains impeccable, and the game just generally has a lot more to offer this time out. While an overreliance on jump scares and a plot desperately in need of some trimming hold the experience back from true greatness, Observer's fancy new PS5 incarnation at long last feels like the title it was originally intended to be.
Those who did not try the game yet, should go ahead and dive into this adventure, they will not regret it. Thanks to the added extra content, Observer System Redux can be also recommended to those who already unveiled Dan's story. Still, it feels that it would have been more appropriate to offer System Redux as a free upgrade to those who already own the game, instead of charging extra money for it.
This is without a doubt the definitive version of this game that you should play over all other versions, but its drawn-out sequences and repetitive sequences still, unfortunately, prevent this game from becoming "Essential" tier gaming.
Whether or not it’s worth it for your new system, is probably up to whether or not you’ve played it before. The additions to the main game include some extra playtime, and the graphical upgrades make it a smoother running experience, but I don’t know if it’s worth a brand new purchase of the game. However, if you haven’t played Observer: System Redux yet, this new version is the PERFECT way to get your hands dirty in this cyberpunk murder mystery.
Observer is a decent game. The highly detailed environments and disturbing dream sections are hobbled only by the gameplay’s limited, repetitive nature during the real world sections. It features a solid voice work performance from Rutger Hauer too. As an early title for the PS5, there is much to be impressed with. Observer runs smooth and loads quickly, and it looks great even though the artistic direction subdues the impact. However, the old dictum remains – good graphics alone do not make for a great game.