System Shock is a game that needs no introduction...or maybe it does, considering its unique circumstances. Looking Glass Technologies's proto-immersive sim is the stuff of gaming legend, having inspired countless titles since, even Looking Glass's own future work. As excellent as it is even to this day, System Shock hasn't had the easiest time getting into the hands of the modern gamer. Entirely unavailable officially for over two decades, it wasn't until Nightdive Studios' Enhanced Edition remaster that the game was able to be purchased at all. Even with modern accessibility and Nightdive's post-launch support for the remaster, System Shock's inherent design is offputting for many people, regardless of how intuitive I feel it is. While I wouldn't consider it "necessary", the game is a prime target for a modern remake, and who else but Nightdive to step to the mantle? After nearly eight years of development and multiple project restarts, Nightdive's proper game debut has finally made it to store shelves and into my grubby hands.
The System Shock remake, then, is an interesting hybrid between old and new. While not entirely one-to-one, the level design is fairly similar to the 1994 original, down to the lack of explicit player guidance. This will still divide some players, but as a lover of the original, I'm glad this approach was taken. While on some level, this makes ReShock feel a little less "special", there's something refreshing about playing a game in the modern day so committed to letting the player figure things out on their own. In any case, much of the original has been completely overhauled. Gone is the "calculator interface" in favor of a far more modern user experience more in line with say, the modern Deus Ex games. It is far easier to use the game on a basic level than it was in the original, and while I find this system less addictive, it is certainly more user-friendly and that's going to be a plus for a lot of people. As for the gameplay mechanics, they're certainly far more in line with what you'd expect from a modern immersive sim. Gone are the floaty physics and shooting of the original, replaced by fairly grounded gunplay and combat which feels satisfying and rewarding to use. Enemies are tough and demand a decent bit from the player and even in the late game I was still occasionally caught off guard. All of the original's weapons have been overhauled to be a bit more distinct than they were in the original, and have even been given alternative fire modes and attachment upgrades in some cases. There's definitely more customization in terms of how you can handle encounters, which is what you'd expect from a modern game in this genre. On some level, it is difficult to praise Nightdive's design work on this remake, because while very different in ways both obvious and subtle, a lot of what makes it so successful can be traced back to Looking Glass's original design and concepts. Citadel Station's brilliant levels, the immersive gameplay, and the gear you acquire are all in the original and are mostly faithfully adapted here. What Nightdive has largely done is taken the gameplay mechanics and modernized them while still keeping the ideas intact, and while on some level I sort of wish they went further than they did, there's always something commendable about a remake dedicated to staying true to the source material. There are new elements for sure, the SK-27 Shotgun is a new weapon and it is incredibly satisfying to blow mutant heads open like watermelons with it. Enemy AI is as you'd expect completely reprogrammed and they are more nuanced in their behaviors (albeit not significantly more so). The only real complaint I have is that melee combat feels worse than in the original - while improved from the demo, it still doesn't have the satisfying THWACK of the original melee system and while still effective, just doesn't have the feedback I'd want. The boss fights are also sort of whatever - many of Edward Diego's encounters are cheesed easily through the dermal patches (to be fair, also true of the original, too), and a few of them, such as the second Cortex Reaver fight and the final Diego fight, might be too annoyingly fast-paced for ReShock's gameplay loop. The final boss fight against Shodan is appallingly awful, essentially being a waiting game that nearly put me to sleep. I completed the game before the big update that overhauled it, so as far as I know, it may have been improved since. Cyberspace was one of the more gimmicky aspects of the original, mostly existing just to wow mid-90s PC gamers but the added complexity it brings to the game was and still is quite impressive to this day. ReShock turns the original's floaty exploration into more of a Descent clone, with more nuanced movement mechanics and more satisfying cyber-combat. It's certainly an improvement in a few ways, but I think I ended up preferring the original version of the concept. Cyberspace in ReShock doesn't evolve or change as the game goes on and eventually, I found these setpieces grew a tad dull. This wasn't as big of a problem in the original because these sequences were more about exploration than combat. Not a major problem, but something I wish was elaborated on a bit more. It feels restrained as is.
One of System Shock's many claims to fame was its form of "post-incident storytelling" (not a real term) where the protagonist enters the narrative after the inciting incident and has to piece together what remains. Audio logs, often taken for granted as a trite form of storytelling, are part of what made System Shock stand out back in the day and were a brilliant way of overcoming technological limitations to convey a harrowing tale, the journies of off-screen characters, and worldbuilding. Naturally, the game keeps these, and while many are simply re-recorded and slightly rewritten, I was surprised by the amount of brand-new logs. They fit within the game pretty well and there's even some fascinating new worldbuilding (such as why Citadel is such a labyrinth even in areas people are supposed to regularly occupy). Something I found mildly annoying, however, is that the game seems to take itself somewhat non-seriously in ways that slightly rub me the wrong way. While embracing the cheese the original game had is fine, in some ways, it almost feels parodic, such as the serv-bots being welcoming and hospitable while also trying to slice you to pieces. This is never much of a problem, the game largely maintains a serious tone and is something that is definitely a silly nitpick on my part, but I found it notable enough to mention.
While the original System Shock can look garish to some nowadays, it's important to remember that for its time, it was quite demanding for PCs and was a real showcase for what top-of-the-line hardware could do. Although early promotional footage for the game as well as its initial Unity prototype showcased a greyer, relatively more realistic art direction, Nightdive has wisely gone in the opposite direction with an art style both densely detailed and low-fidelity. While at first glance, ReShock looks quite detailed, moving up close you'll find that everything is pixellated. This is a brilliant mix of retro sensibilities and modern Unreal Engine 4 rendering techniques to create a look that is highly unique nowadays. Embracing its roots as a mid-90s PC game, the color palette is rich and vibrant, while still maintaining a moody and dark atmosphere. ReShock's use of volumetric lighting is particularly stunning - the way light beams through the halls of Citadel, creating a smokey and misty atmosphere is downright jaw-dropping, especially in Research when the lighting is primarily red and orange. Lighting in general is the game's strong suit, and it looks especially evocative even in more "natural" conditions. Particle effects are also great, and I often would stop and take a close look at hover lifts just to stare at them for a moment. The environments are richly detailed too and despite the retro aesthetic look lived in and used. I especially loved the unique look of every level, such as the bumpy purple walls of Medical, the striking crimson of Research, and the oily red and grey pipes of Reactor. The only one that sort of falls flat is Maintenance, which is brightly lit instead of bathed in shadow, robbing the level of the infamous creepiness it had in the original. Cyberspace also looks great, with its environments quite literally pulsating with color and warping to give it a digital feel. It looks and runs great at maximum settings (pretty much exclusively hovering around 120 FPS for me with rare drops) and the game's implementation of DLSS 3.1 reconstructs very well without many visual artifacts at all. If I have any gripes, it's that I'm not huge on all of the monster redesigns. While some of them look great, such as the fresh takes on the iconic cyborg elite guards and assassins, others look a fair bit odd, such as the mutated cyborg and a particularly garish interpretation of Edward Diego's final form. I found their 1994 designs far more appealing, but I suppose in isolation they do not look bad.
I will say, if this remake has a "weak point", it's perhaps the score from Jonathan Peros, who had previously been involved with remastering the original game's soundtrack for the album in 2020. What Peros manages to accomplish here is certainly solid work, his ambient tracks complement the game's environments decently and the combat tracks are a highlight. It's fairly satisfying to hear Reactor's ambient theme devolve into a crunchy electronic "mess" with a thick bassline (ripped from the original Reactor theme!). The return of dynamic music, which was disappointingly missing from System Shock 2, is much appreciated. While not nearly as complex as the original game's innovative audio technology (at least, to my ears. There's probably some crazy complicated under-the-hood tech I just can't see in ReShock.), it still adds an appreciable amount of dynamism to the game's audio design. For example, the music doesn't dynamically change based on enemy positions, environmental hazards, or health like in the original, and the lack of that is disappointing, but I still have to admit it's an improvement over SS2. I also appreciate how melodies and motifs from the 1994 score are carried over subtly here. I guess my main criticism is the musical compositions themselves. ReShock director and Nightdive founder/CEO Stephen Kick has gone on record to say that Greg LoPiccolo's score for the original title betrayed its "horror" atmosphere, and while I disagree, I understand his sentiment on some level. Besides not being that musically captivating, to begin with (Peros needs to lay off the wailing ambient guitar), I'm unsure how horror-oriented ReShock's score is either. It feels the main draw is more of an aural fascination with space and Citadel Station itself rather than a particularly tense or anxiety-inducing mood. In fact, I'd argue it was fairly calming a lot of the time. I'm never going to call it an unsuccessful soundtrack because it complimented the atmosphere well, in its own right, but it doesn't have the highly memorable and catchy tunes that the original game had nor its dynamic complexity.
As a huge fan of the original System Shock and its sequel, Nightdive's System Shock remake does not disappoint. The combat and exploration have been heavily refined and presented nearly perfectly in a modern context while keeping the level design largely intact. ReShock feels great to play - the gameplay loop is addictive and satisfying and you'd be hard-pressed to find many games nowadays that are so dedicated to telling the player to "figure it out themselves". Despite that, it's never insurmountable and with enough effort, I think even confused players can figure it out. The game's worldbuilding has been expanded with plenty of new audio logs that fill in details the original never did. The art style is a beautiful mix of new and old, and for an independent title, the graphics are wonderfully executed. I'm not huge on the game's new score, but it works well enough for its context, it just isn't as tense as it should have been considering what was intended. For a franchise that often prides itself on bold innovation and industry influence, ReShock plays it surprisingly safe, and I can't say I think it'll have nearly the same impact its two predecessors had. Nonetheless, if the "worst" game in your series is as great as ReShock, I don't think you have much to worry about. Looking forward to the eventual System Shock 2 remake that Nightdive has expressed interest in.
The System Shock remake, then, is an interesting hybrid between old and new. While not entirely one-to-one, the level design is fairly similar to the 1994 original, down to the lack of explicit player guidance. This will still divide some players, but as a lover of the original, I'm glad this approach was taken. While on some level, this makes ReShock feel a little less "special", there's something refreshing about playing a game in the modern day so committed to letting the player figure things out on their own. In any case, much of the original has been completely overhauled. Gone is the "calculator interface" in favor of a far more modern user experience more in line with say, the modern Deus Ex games. It is far easier to use the game on a basic level than it was in the original, and while I find this system less addictive, it is certainly more user-friendly and that's going to be a plus for a lot of people. As for the gameplay mechanics, they're certainly far more in line with what you'd expect from a modern immersive sim. Gone are the floaty physics and shooting of the original, replaced by fairly grounded gunplay and combat which feels satisfying and rewarding to use. Enemies are tough and demand a decent bit from the player and even in the late game I was still occasionally caught off guard. All of the original's weapons have been overhauled to be a bit more distinct than they were in the original, and have even been given alternative fire modes and attachment upgrades in some cases. There's definitely more customization in terms of how you can handle encounters, which is what you'd expect from a modern game in this genre. On some level, it is difficult to praise Nightdive's design work on this remake, because while very different in ways both obvious and subtle, a lot of what makes it so successful can be traced back to Looking Glass's original design and concepts. Citadel Station's brilliant levels, the immersive gameplay, and the gear you acquire are all in the original and are mostly faithfully adapted here. What Nightdive has largely done is taken the gameplay mechanics and modernized them while still keeping the ideas intact, and while on some level I sort of wish they went further than they did, there's always something commendable about a remake dedicated to staying true to the source material. There are new elements for sure, the SK-27 Shotgun is a new weapon and it is incredibly satisfying to blow mutant heads open like watermelons with it. Enemy AI is as you'd expect completely reprogrammed and they are more nuanced in their behaviors (albeit not significantly more so). The only real complaint I have is that melee combat feels worse than in the original - while improved from the demo, it still doesn't have the satisfying THWACK of the original melee system and while still effective, just doesn't have the feedback I'd want. The boss fights are also sort of whatever - many of Edward Diego's encounters are cheesed easily through the dermal patches (to be fair, also true of the original, too), and a few of them, such as the second Cortex Reaver fight and the final Diego fight, might be too annoyingly fast-paced for ReShock's gameplay loop. The final boss fight against Shodan is appallingly awful, essentially being a waiting game that nearly put me to sleep. I completed the game before the big update that overhauled it, so as far as I know, it may have been improved since. Cyberspace was one of the more gimmicky aspects of the original, mostly existing just to wow mid-90s PC gamers but the added complexity it brings to the game was and still is quite impressive to this day. ReShock turns the original's floaty exploration into more of a Descent clone, with more nuanced movement mechanics and more satisfying cyber-combat. It's certainly an improvement in a few ways, but I think I ended up preferring the original version of the concept. Cyberspace in ReShock doesn't evolve or change as the game goes on and eventually, I found these setpieces grew a tad dull. This wasn't as big of a problem in the original because these sequences were more about exploration than combat. Not a major problem, but something I wish was elaborated on a bit more. It feels restrained as is.
One of System Shock's many claims to fame was its form of "post-incident storytelling" (not a real term) where the protagonist enters the narrative after the inciting incident and has to piece together what remains. Audio logs, often taken for granted as a trite form of storytelling, are part of what made System Shock stand out back in the day and were a brilliant way of overcoming technological limitations to convey a harrowing tale, the journies of off-screen characters, and worldbuilding. Naturally, the game keeps these, and while many are simply re-recorded and slightly rewritten, I was surprised by the amount of brand-new logs. They fit within the game pretty well and there's even some fascinating new worldbuilding (such as why Citadel is such a labyrinth even in areas people are supposed to regularly occupy). Something I found mildly annoying, however, is that the game seems to take itself somewhat non-seriously in ways that slightly rub me the wrong way. While embracing the cheese the original game had is fine, in some ways, it almost feels parodic, such as the serv-bots being welcoming and hospitable while also trying to slice you to pieces. This is never much of a problem, the game largely maintains a serious tone and is something that is definitely a silly nitpick on my part, but I found it notable enough to mention.
While the original System Shock can look garish to some nowadays, it's important to remember that for its time, it was quite demanding for PCs and was a real showcase for what top-of-the-line hardware could do. Although early promotional footage for the game as well as its initial Unity prototype showcased a greyer, relatively more realistic art direction, Nightdive has wisely gone in the opposite direction with an art style both densely detailed and low-fidelity. While at first glance, ReShock looks quite detailed, moving up close you'll find that everything is pixellated. This is a brilliant mix of retro sensibilities and modern Unreal Engine 4 rendering techniques to create a look that is highly unique nowadays. Embracing its roots as a mid-90s PC game, the color palette is rich and vibrant, while still maintaining a moody and dark atmosphere. ReShock's use of volumetric lighting is particularly stunning - the way light beams through the halls of Citadel, creating a smokey and misty atmosphere is downright jaw-dropping, especially in Research when the lighting is primarily red and orange. Lighting in general is the game's strong suit, and it looks especially evocative even in more "natural" conditions. Particle effects are also great, and I often would stop and take a close look at hover lifts just to stare at them for a moment. The environments are richly detailed too and despite the retro aesthetic look lived in and used. I especially loved the unique look of every level, such as the bumpy purple walls of Medical, the striking crimson of Research, and the oily red and grey pipes of Reactor. The only one that sort of falls flat is Maintenance, which is brightly lit instead of bathed in shadow, robbing the level of the infamous creepiness it had in the original. Cyberspace also looks great, with its environments quite literally pulsating with color and warping to give it a digital feel. It looks and runs great at maximum settings (pretty much exclusively hovering around 120 FPS for me with rare drops) and the game's implementation of DLSS 3.1 reconstructs very well without many visual artifacts at all. If I have any gripes, it's that I'm not huge on all of the monster redesigns. While some of them look great, such as the fresh takes on the iconic cyborg elite guards and assassins, others look a fair bit odd, such as the mutated cyborg and a particularly garish interpretation of Edward Diego's final form. I found their 1994 designs far more appealing, but I suppose in isolation they do not look bad.
I will say, if this remake has a "weak point", it's perhaps the score from Jonathan Peros, who had previously been involved with remastering the original game's soundtrack for the album in 2020. What Peros manages to accomplish here is certainly solid work, his ambient tracks complement the game's environments decently and the combat tracks are a highlight. It's fairly satisfying to hear Reactor's ambient theme devolve into a crunchy electronic "mess" with a thick bassline (ripped from the original Reactor theme!). The return of dynamic music, which was disappointingly missing from System Shock 2, is much appreciated. While not nearly as complex as the original game's innovative audio technology (at least, to my ears. There's probably some crazy complicated under-the-hood tech I just can't see in ReShock.), it still adds an appreciable amount of dynamism to the game's audio design. For example, the music doesn't dynamically change based on enemy positions, environmental hazards, or health like in the original, and the lack of that is disappointing, but I still have to admit it's an improvement over SS2. I also appreciate how melodies and motifs from the 1994 score are carried over subtly here. I guess my main criticism is the musical compositions themselves. ReShock director and Nightdive founder/CEO Stephen Kick has gone on record to say that Greg LoPiccolo's score for the original title betrayed its "horror" atmosphere, and while I disagree, I understand his sentiment on some level. Besides not being that musically captivating, to begin with (Peros needs to lay off the wailing ambient guitar), I'm unsure how horror-oriented ReShock's score is either. It feels the main draw is more of an aural fascination with space and Citadel Station itself rather than a particularly tense or anxiety-inducing mood. In fact, I'd argue it was fairly calming a lot of the time. I'm never going to call it an unsuccessful soundtrack because it complimented the atmosphere well, in its own right, but it doesn't have the highly memorable and catchy tunes that the original game had nor its dynamic complexity.
As a huge fan of the original System Shock and its sequel, Nightdive's System Shock remake does not disappoint. The combat and exploration have been heavily refined and presented nearly perfectly in a modern context while keeping the level design largely intact. ReShock feels great to play - the gameplay loop is addictive and satisfying and you'd be hard-pressed to find many games nowadays that are so dedicated to telling the player to "figure it out themselves". Despite that, it's never insurmountable and with enough effort, I think even confused players can figure it out. The game's worldbuilding has been expanded with plenty of new audio logs that fill in details the original never did. The art style is a beautiful mix of new and old, and for an independent title, the graphics are wonderfully executed. I'm not huge on the game's new score, but it works well enough for its context, it just isn't as tense as it should have been considering what was intended. For a franchise that often prides itself on bold innovation and industry influence, ReShock plays it surprisingly safe, and I can't say I think it'll have nearly the same impact its two predecessors had. Nonetheless, if the "worst" game in your series is as great as ReShock, I don't think you have much to worry about. Looking forward to the eventual System Shock 2 remake that Nightdive has expressed interest in.
Excelente remake e fiel ao jogo original em todos os aspectos, tanto bons quanto ruins. Talvez volte depois pra terminar, e recomendo pra quem tem interesse em conhecer a franquia
Great game. Remake made with love and passion.
However it was made in the unreal 4 engine. The Ai is very easy to exploit and the tougher more intimidating enemies at the end of the game are a cake walk to beat with the arsenal the game gives you, which is unfortunate. The game's most difficult moments are floor 3-4, which have some of the most frustrating enemies to fight.
However it was made in the unreal 4 engine. The Ai is very easy to exploit and the tougher more intimidating enemies at the end of the game are a cake walk to beat with the arsenal the game gives you, which is unfortunate. The game's most difficult moments are floor 3-4, which have some of the most frustrating enemies to fight.
Always heard I would enjoy this franchise but I was amazed what I stumbled upon during a hesitant Steam sale purchase.
Amazing immersive sim which I hear is a very loyal remake to the original game. Fully searched every level and has those Dark Soul moments of opening a door to find it is a shortcut to another part of the level. Only loses half a star due to the poison grove being the only time I started to regret my purchase.
Planning to play again in the future on 3/3/3
Amazing immersive sim which I hear is a very loyal remake to the original game. Fully searched every level and has those Dark Soul moments of opening a door to find it is a shortcut to another part of the level. Only loses half a star due to the poison grove being the only time I started to regret my purchase.
Planning to play again in the future on 3/3/3
this game is good as fuck it's also buggy as shit but it's hard to tell what is bugs and what is intentional game design so it's kinda awesome actually