Observer: System Redux

Observer: System Redux is one of the titles that has surprised us the most so far this year. A remastering of the title that appeared back in 2017 where the psychological thriller reaches its graphic climax proposing and convincing in all aspects.

Observer System Redux is an absolute must-have, whether you played the original game or not. If you're keen on Cyberpunk and horror, you'll find here exactly what you want: a beautiful game, with a stunning universe and fantastic dialogues and storytelling. Improvements are more than welcome and offer a more attractive and intense experience. The best game Bloober Team has delivered. It clearly doesn't deserve to be lost in time like tears in rain.

A terrifying, visually arresting masterclass in sci-fi and horror. Observer: System Redux is more relevant now than ever and a must-buy for fans of both genres.

In essence, Observer plays out much the same way FMV games from the 90s did. Fittingly, players are in this game as an observer, and those who chafe at lack of agency should look elsewhere. This is Daniel Lazarski’s tale, and it’s not a happy one, but it is one worth playing for any sci-fi or cyberpunk fan.

One of the core debates within Observer: System Redux is whether augmentation makes recipients more or less. In the case of this enhanced edition of the acclaimed, dark cyberpunk tale, it’s definitely a case of more. Barring a few graphic and gameplay niggles, the developers have taken a cult indie classic and improved it further, providing a better balance of mystery thriller and psychological horror to accompany the brain-spearing next-gen visuals.

Observer: System Redux uses familiar sci-fi themes to create a compelling murder mystery in a haunting dystopian future. Though it takes place entirely in a derelict apartment building, the setting never feels restrictive, thanks in part to the clever mind-hacking sequences that let you explore the victims’ memories. It’s genuinely creepy, with the constantly building tension only interrupted by a few frustrating stealth sequences that feel like they came from another game. Even so, Observer: System Redux is a great display of survival horror storytelling.

With all these new additions and improvements, I guess the answer some of you are looking for is whether Observer: System Redux is worth checking out if you’ve already played through the original. Well, there are several answers to that question. If you haven’t played it already, and you really dig horror and sci-fi stories, then you should absolutely play this game. If you played it and enjoyed it the first time, like myself, then yes, you should totally play Observer again. If you are looking for a game to show off your new toy to your friends or specifically want to see what cool new things Bloober Team added to Observer: System Redux, then you can definitely skip this one.

Observer: System Redux is a very high-quality psychological horror title, and truly one-of-a-kind (not counting the original, of course). While it may not provide players with many of the normal horror tropes and mechanics—choosing instead to almost entirely submerge them in atmosphere alone—it still manages to create a consistently unnerving environment, happily coated in a gorgeous cyberpunk aesthetic. So long as you don’t mind a more hands-off approach to horror, System Redux will absolutely not let you down.

Observer: System Redux is a clear improvement of the original game by giving it the graphic engine of the most recent Bloober Team games. The three new investigations deepen the themes of the game and this is good news as the universe of Observer is thought-provoking. The slightly shaky infiltration phases of the original version are still present and the way Bloober Team creates a horrific atmosphere based on jumpscares and aggressive staging is still a bit tiring. Observer has enough trump cards up its sleeve to offer a solid cyberpunk thriller to fans of the genre.

The new version of Observer goes beyond a visual touch up and offers some gameplay improvements along with a splash of new story content (additional small investigations). And that’s fine, but did we really need a remaster of a game released three years ago? [01/2021, p.35]