System Shock (2023) Reviews
In the end, the System Shock remake is exactly what you'd expect from a title of this caliber. The original is a true milestone in the gaming industry, and here it's been recreated just right. This means that the player immediately realizes that they are holding something important and unique, but at the same time they don't feel trapped by a simplistic historical record approach. There's a real freshness that makes this recreation live up to its many contemporary spiritual successors like BioShock or Dead Space.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
System Shock Remake lacks the polish we've come to expect from modern remakes, but it is definitely the best version of a cult classic. It feels a bit old, but the creepy atmosphere and mysterious story make players want to explore it. You'd think a game about AI would have better NPC's, though!
Review in Dutch | Read full review
System Shock is unapologetically old-school, keeping the core of a nearly thirty-year-old game while mainly focusing on visual and presentation upgrades with a few quality-of-life additions around the edges. While combat may not be the most exciting, exploring the maze of Citadel Station is still a fascinating time, and it’s nice to have a game get out of the way and let me put things together for myself. Some modern players may bounce off of System Shock due to its design, but those who stick with it will appreciate why it’s been so influential over the last few decades.
The System Shock remake is a faithful re-imagining of the original 1994 title. The remake offers updated graphics, gameplay, and control. What holds the game back is how committed it is to be a faithful remake, which ultimately makes it alienating for new players and fans of the immersive sim genre. But if you're a fan of the System Shock franchise, then the remake is the definitive way to play System Shock.
The System Shock remake gives a new aesthetic to one of the most influential games ever and proves it remains important with minimal changes.
System Shock is a remake that modernizes one of the most influential games while also preserving its defining aspects.
Despite having some sparse storytelling and a lot of annoying gameplay elements, the System Shock remake still succeeded in providing an enjoyable experience and proved that even after all these years, the game is still worth the time of new and returning fans.
System Shock is a great example of a remake done right. This betters the original release with improved combat, visuals, handling and writing, while maintaining the key source material, making sure SHODAN is as sinister as ever, that you never know what to find around every corner, and every inch of the environment is used to the full. Some performance problems and configurations restrict this a bit, and the difficulty will definitely be off-putting for others, even on the lowest settings, but this is every bit the game we hoped it would be, and a reminder of just how good and ahead of its time the original really was.
All things considered, the System Shock Remake is a bit of a tough sell. Fans of the original will no doubt be curious to see how this version has turned out. Though for the neutral crowd, it may leave them wanting.
If you are interested in where certain games got their inspiration from, then System Shock is a sort of polished re-enactment of the past.
System Shock remake offers a great facelift on almost every front but leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to enemy AI and sound design.
After almost three decades behind it, Nightdive Studio revives System Shock, a much-loved cult game that, this time, is presented to us as a remake (remember that there is also an Enhanced version that is more visually faithful to its original), preserving its game mechanics and adapting them to current ones, all programmed with Unreal Engine 4 with updated graphics in high definition according to current standards. It also has a very interesting interface, which makes all the addons look spectacularly good, updated controls and a soundtrack and voices that make walking the citadel and facing the horrors sent by SHODAN even more immersive than ever. A very entertaining adventure, especially for lovers of shooters and exploration, that although it can be finished in 6 hours on its lowest difficulties and knowing what to do, it can take substantially longer on its highest difficulties.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
System Shock is indeed a good remake, capable not only of replicating the wonderful and distressing atmospheres of the 1994 original, but of expanding on them thanks to a decidedly distinctive -- if occasionally a bit strange -- visual style and a level design still capable of setting the standard. Nightdive Studios has brought to life what is probably their best remake work; an act of love towards the work of Warren Spector and Doug Church, which now everyone can finally enjoy in its modern form.
Review in Italian | Read full review
System Shock is less of a modern means through which to experience the best of the original but a separate beast, one far clumsier but in much nicer lipstick.
System Shock by Nightdive Studios is a marvel of a title, whilst also serving as an utterly transcending and faithful adaptation. The game brings the iconic 1994 shooter to life in modern and unique ways, allowing the classic to be experienced by an entire new generation of video gamers. Similarly, it introduces a unique type of gameplay that many games today have all but forgotten about. It requires thinking, encourages exploration, and absolutely does not hold the player’s hand during any of its many challenging levels. Faithfulness is what System Shock beckons, yet perfection is what it achieves.
The ecosystem of the System Shock remake has all those elements that established the original game, confirm the professionalism of Nightdive Studios but - and most importantly for the community - discount, if accepted by the community-market, the return of SHODAN in a possible System Shock 3.
Review in Greek | Read full review
The original System Shock was a classic but also a niche game that never achieved commercial success; this remake highlights the niche aspect but will forgo the classic label. It may entice players who want to see how this updated version looks and plays, and while there’s some considerable tension to be had while going down narrow and dim lit corridors, the fun of being lost in maze after maze wears out quickly, especially when you’re doing the umpteenth scan through the map looking for whatever card or switch you have missed. At this rate, SHODAN is likely going to conquer both Citadel Station and Earth, as frustrating her plans is precisely that – frustrating.
For those who are huge fans of the original release, I am sure that this will be highly regarded as a fantastic remake. But this is more than that: for those new to the franchise, this is also a great point to step in at. Nightdive’s System Shock remake is one that will appeal to both audiences. The core gameplay mechanics may not the best or most polished, but it’s the world design, atmosphere and engaging plot that make for an experience that is still very much unique, and well worth the gigantic wait.
Nightdive Studios' System Shock remake is the definitive version of the classic 90s PC title whose influence is still felt in today's sci-fi shooters.
Nightdive's System Shock remake is a strange game, and whether it will appeal to you may largely depend on your nostalgia for the era of gaming from which it came. This remake still shows its age, despite the considerable and impressive paint job, lighting, and updated controls. If you don't mind the sometimes murderous level of difficulty, tons of backtracking, and minimal handholding, System Shock may be a compelling piece of gaming history that is worth checking out.