System Shock (2023) Reviews
Lovingly remade, this game is no longer the trailblazer it once was, but there is an enduring majesty to the design of its space-station setting
At the end of the day, System Shock is the faithful remake of a 30-year-old game, and you can feel that age in every facet of its being. In some ways, this is a tantalising look back at the game that started an entire genre, and if you've got the enthusiasm or nostalgia for immersive sims like it, then it's worth checking out for that alone. However, if you lack that nostalgic connection, then System Shock is more a showcase of how far the genre has come, rather than a spotlight on how well it's held up. System Shock may have walked so others in the genre could run, but for us, that walk is just a little too slow.
The System Shock remake offers a lot of great graphical enhancements and beautiful stylistic choices that make for an overall enjoyable experience. Unfortunately, it's dragged back by several aspects that haven't aged well over the years and have become more accentuated after the advancements that gaming has made in all these years.
Won't be easy to drop the game before defeating SHODAN. This happens mainly thanks to an excellent gameplay set in superbly designed levels, despite some technical inaccuracies. Many hours await you in a continuous challenge between human and artificial intelligence.
Review in Italian | Read full review
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.
While we wait for a genuine reboot, System Shock is worth playing as a reminder of how important great ideas were, and still are, to the hobby we love.
The graphics won’t blow you away and it won’t be making too many “best graphics of the year” lists. But it’s a loving tribute and beautifully recreated edition of a much-beloved classic. There’s a lot to like in this remake, and if this is the building block for what’s to come in the franchise, there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic.
It's a game that may not be for everyone, but it has that charm that many of its fans will like. It would be unforgivable not to give a chance to one of the games that served as inspiration for other successes.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
System Shock's remake is a love letter to the original and its fans, but also an opportunity for new fans to rediscover an authentic video game classic.
Review in Italian | Read full review
However commendable Nightdive’s efforts to preserve the spirit of the original may be, it doesn’t take much frustrated wandering before questioning whether their modernization efforts have gone far enough.
System Shock is the remake fans have been waiting since 2015 and it succeeds in bringing back all that 90s PC gaming experience. Including the outdated feel in an era flooded with greater and more attractive games.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
The System Shock remake is the best way to play the PC classic, making it an enjoyable first-person experience for the modern age. However, it still clings to some somewhat outdated mechanics that will frustrate newcomers.
System Shock is a brilliant game any way you slice it, though for my money I’ll always go for this remake on consoles.
If you've been waiting for a facelift to experience this historic title, this is a fantastic time to hop in, but expect some of the rougher parts of its original design to irritate.
Making its console debut, Nightdive's excellent System Shock remake retains all of the meaningful changes from last year's PC version alongside a smattering of refinements for controller-wielding players, and succeeds as a brilliantly accomplished redux of a truly revolutionary FPS.
System Shock returns in 2024 as a premiere FPS narrative experience that shocks the player with each step. An easy recommendation for First-Person fans.
While the changes to the ending and some quality-of-life improvements do great work in improving this remake, System Shock still brings with it the thirty years of baggage that the original game did. Despite its resounding influence and its impact on a genre it arguably helped to carve out, the System Shock remake does best with what it has to offer an experience that's authentic to the original game, for better or for worse.
The System Shock remake is the best way to experience the original System Shock in all of its glory. While this is a largely faithful remake, the changes it introduces, like the modernized interface and controls, are a welcome change and make System Shock an absolute joy to play.