They don’t make them like they used to, huh? 30 years after its launch on PC, the holy grail of immersive simulations, System Shock, makes its way to PS4 and PS5 with this clever remake. This is the first opportunity we PlayStation gamers have had to experience the game that inspired PREY, Deus Ex, and BioShock, and as such, piecing together its labyrinthine space station is like an entertaining history lesson. But despite its newfound visual brilliance, System Shock is really starting to show its age.
The original System Shock launched in 1994 and shaped an entire genre. Against the evil AI SHODAN, an anonymous hacker must make his way through the maze-like space station, gradually unlocking more areas in the process. Released in 2023 on PC, this remake from Nightdive Studios adds a modernized paintjob to this classic, with a visual and gameplay overhaul that should please new and returning players alike.
We want to start by saying that visually, System Shock is a real treat on PS5. It sports this fascinating art style blending modern and retro aesthetics that perfectly embodies the original – as if Nightdive is trying to evoke what you think the game looked like it did back in the day. Despite this sharp-edged metal design throughout its many rooms and hallways, there are refreshing pops of bright colors that make each of the game’s floors feel fresh and unique. It’s complemented by rock-solid performance on PS5, meaning you can go from maintenance to executive floors without a single stutter.
The first thing you’ll notice about System Shock is that it’s not there to help you at all. It’s a difficult game, both through its mediocre combat and through its grueling space station puzzles. That’s both the good and the bad of this remake, as it’s invigorating to play a game that really makes you sift through text and audio logs. Something as simple as finding a code may require you to visit multiple areas on different levels of the station, and you’ll need to physically write down the code as the game won’t store it for you. Playing a game with a notepad at your side is a rather niche aspect of a bygone era of gaming, but you’ll no doubt sit on your seat a bit as System Shock challenges you in this way.
Finally finding a long-sought code or turning on the power that grants you access to a whole new level of the station is extremely rewarding. It’s also a game that feeds on your curiosity, in which you can follow the plots of hapless characters and slowly piece together the puzzle of taking over the station’s AI. Very rarely will System Shock explain it to you, so if you don’t like going through tons of text, then its setting will probably come across as very superficial level. You certainly won’t find any environmental storytelling here like in Dishonored for example, and System Shock does very little to establish a story predating SHODAN’s current takeover.
This, however, is the seed of our frustrations with System Shock. Since much of the station’s context resides in text and audio recordings, there’s very little reason to explore its various corridors and offices beyond the need to advance to the next level. Every once in a while you’ll find a new weapon or modkit station to upgrade your arsenal, but most of the time you’ll be running around in circles wondering what to do and where to go, and more than once you’ll pass over 20 minutes trying to access a room that has very few rewards. System Shock is fraught with dead ends, which in itself is good, but with another with the audio diary often being the big reward, it’s sometimes hard not to feel half-hearted.
Exploring can also seem mundane thanks to its crummy recycling system, in which you accumulate masses of trash, vaporize it to avoid inventory issues, then haul it to a recycling station to earn a few vitcoins. It’s nice to see what’s clearly the start of the recycling system in PREY, but it doesn’t have quite the same satisfying loop. This is also where it becomes clear that the game is not meant to be played with a controller. Inventory management is incredibly tedious and doesn’t have the speed or ease of use that you’ll find with a mouse and keyboard.
The frustrations also carry over into combat, which, if we’re honest, just isn’t great. To give credit where credit is due, System Shock tries to keep things fresh with the most random collection of enemies we’ve ever seen. From cyborgs to free-floating bacteria, there’s always an aspect of surprise when you encounter new enemy types, and things certainly improve as you discover better weapons. However, the problem is that the combat never really has the weight or dynamism that one would get in more modern versions. Melee weapons lack impact, weapons lack punchand with almost no cover, you’re essentially trading fire with an enemy who almost never misses – and this is the same in the cyberspace portions of the game as well.
The respawn system doesn’t help either. Since damage you’ve dealt or enemies you’ve killed carry over when you respawn, there’s very rarely a feeling of tension in combat. Once you unlock this floor’s spawn area, you can return to the action within 30 seconds. You then have the choice of either using your healing supplies to advance or hoarding them for boss fights, meaning you continually respawn, leading to stilted progression. There’s an in-depth difficulty setting to counter this if things prove too difficult, but oddly there’s no option to change this mid-game, so you either have to stick with it or restart with a fresh save .
Conclusion
Ultimately, System Shock is a faithful remake of a 30-year-old game, and you can feel that age in every facet of its being. In some ways, it’s a tantalizing throwback to the game that launched an entire genre, and if you have the enthusiasm or nostalgia for immersive simulations like this, then it’s worth your time to take a look at it. However, if you’re missing that nostalgic connection, then System Shock is more of a showcase of how far the genre has come, rather than a spotlight on its staying power. System Shock may have walked for others in the genre to run, but for us, that walk is just a little too slow.
News Source : www.pushsquare.com
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