- Publisher: Nightdive Studios , Prime Matter
- Release Date: May 30, 2023
- Also On: Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
- Unscored
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May 29, 2023System Shock is a very faithful remake that sacrifices a lot of potential for modernization for its nostalgia.
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May 29, 2023As a remake, it’s very conservative, but we found fascinating going back to System Shock, not only for its influence in gaming, but also because it’s something completely different from what we’re used to nowadays.
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Aug 24, 2023System Shock does an excellent job of resurrecting the 1994 game. Its graphic proposal and mechanics take you directly to the past, and therein lies its biggest weakness since its mechanics feel too outdated for 2023. The combat could be faster and more fluid, while the levels feel like a maze you must repeatedly return to to progress.
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Jun 8, 2023System 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.
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Jun 7, 2023Ultimately, the System Shock remake doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it doesn’t need to. The original game already revolutionized the shooter and immersive sim genre back in 1994. Nightdive Studios’ take gives one of the most influential games ever made a fresh coat of paint, tweaking the formula and pacing subtly while adding some quality of live improvements. For those that were too intimidated by the original, this is a fantastic way of playing it. While the few, but substantial, differences might be divisive among returning fans, the System Shock remake does a great job of informing new players of why the game was so impressive in 1994 and proves that it remains impressive in 2023.
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May 30, 2023If you’ve always wanted to play System Shock but never had the chance, then this remake is the ideal entry point for you.
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May 30, 2023Though held back from greatness by gameplay flaws and performance issues, System Shock still presents a fascinating world and interesting story that'll be more than worth the effort for dedicated players.
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May 29, 2023The 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.
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May 29, 2023Not the high-end remake that some fans would have been hoping for but even as a, at times, too faithful remaster this is a fascinating second look at one of gaming’s great unsung heroes.
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May 29, 2023The 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.
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May 29, 2023Behind the glammed up modernised graphics, this is still System Shock to its core, and there were good reasons why the sequel basically rendered it obsolete. The end result is a game that still ranks as a classic, but you must accept it on its own terms. If you want to explore the history of the horror genre then this is the version to play, but you might want to bookmark a guide to avoid System Shock’s most outdated elements.
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May 29, 2023System Shock is an upgraded classic with dated elements that needs quality of life improvements, yet despite everything is still a fun treat for immersive sim fans.
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May 29, 2023System 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.
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May 29, 2023A visually stunning but too faithful recreation of a cult classic held back by its dedication to the source material.
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Sep 30, 2023The System Shock remake is a boring shooter. It will not surprise old fans and can hardly attract new players.
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May 29, 2023Given its development problems, the fact that System Shock is a functional, stable game is a mini-miracle, but by sticking so rigidly to the original's ancient design it will appeal more to series fans than newcomers.
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Jul 10, 2023System Shock is haunting and lonely, has an expertly-crafted oppressive atmosphere, intense combat, and a strong sense of immersion. Unfortunately, the obtuse nature of the campaign makes it to navigate and generally understand what to do. Returning vets may appreciate the upgrade, but I suspect that new players like myself will feel excluded and put off by the steep difficulty.
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May 29, 2023An oddly pitched remake that has its moments but adds very little to the original beyond a visual upgrade.
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May 29, 2023System Shock makes a good first impression, only for frustration to become its default mode once more and more of the station opens up to you.
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May 29, 2023The atmospheric visual overhaul marks the best part of this exhausting and dated remake, while the villainous AI SHODAN remains a timeless antagonist.
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May 29, 2023Nightdive’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.
| This publication does not provide a score for their reviews. | |
| This publication has not posted a final review score yet. | |
| These unscored reviews do not factor into the Metascore calculation. | |
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Jun 7, 2023The remake modernizes, gives a little more accessibility and creates a more systemic work, always respecting the pillars of the original game and, above all, its great labyrinthine design in which you will have to constantly look at the map to avoid getting lost in its mazes full of enemies and secrets. [Recommended]
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May 29, 2023What really excites me when I play System Shock is how little it holds my hand. You can — and probably will — eat absolute shit the first time you try to make your way through the medical bay. You can get yourself into unsolvable situations — it’s a game that asks you to pay attention, that doesn’t always signpost the next thing to do. It also rewards your curiosity as much as it does your caution. I often found my way through levels mostly by accident, by deciding to turn down hallways I hadn’t gone down before. There’s always a discovery — a new weapon or a vending machine or a shortcut — or at least a useful lesson lying in wait. It’s easy to understand why people played this game and then became obsessed with it, why you can trace some people’s careers through the game. Ken Levine, who worked at Looking Glass when it making System Shock, certainly never stopped trying to make System Shock, eventually giving BioShock: Infinite an ending that suggests there are thousands upon thousands of variations on this theme. [Polygon Recommends]
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May 29, 2023But if you’ve an appetite for space dungeoneering in the company of one of gaming’s most iconic and influential villains, you’ll find the remake cleaves close to that original pitch. This is the product of a team which, to its credit, believed in the 1994 proposition of System Shock and trusted it would still stand up today, in spite of a 30-year shift towards smoothing the player’s path. The result has proved them right. It transpires that our creepy, manipulative robot mother knows best. [RPS Bestest Bests]
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May 29, 2023The end result is a delightful surprise. Where January’s Dead Space was an elegant update to a relatively recent horror game, the new System Shock feels neither affectedly retro nor entirely modern, neither lo-fi indie nor blockbuster-big. It’s one of the most subtly odd labors of love I’ve seen in the past few years. And like SHODAN, if you embrace its unconventional values, it will amply reward you — on its own somewhat painful terms.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 74 out of 110
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Mixed: 23 out of 110
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Negative: 13 out of 110
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May 31, 2023
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May 31, 2023
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Jun 4, 2023Very poor balanced. A very easy beginning with some awful levels with more enemies than ammo.