Remaking a game like the original System Shock must be equal parts creatively thrilling and a bit overwhelming. There's all the obvious changes and improvements to be made to freshen the game up for modern players (streamlining the UI and inventory, making certain things like objectives and important items more clear [not in the braindead map marker way ideally], etc.), but those are almost givens. What really matters is everything else, but for the sake of a concise review, we'll narrow it down to two points:
1. Does the game stand on its own? (TL;DR answer: fuck yeah, this game rules. it plays like System Shock 1, if it was perfectly remade in a slightly altered version System Shock 2 [i.e. the Dark Engine])
2. How the hell do you remake System Shock, while making sure it still feels like System Shock? How loyal to the original should you be?
That second point is the most interesting one to me, since the original System Shock's atmosphere and in-game setting (level design, graphics, etc.) were almost a bit cartoonish at times, and undeniably restricted by technology at the time (lots of cubic design, to put it simply). It's very easy for me to imagine a modern triple-A dev team adding a bunch of frivolous bullshit to each area in an attempt to make it more "realistic" and to really drive home how their remake is bigger, better, and more impressive(?) than the archaic original. Nightdive Studios, however, remained loyal to a tee, while still enhancing and grounding the world in a way that ends up being shockingly immersive. Citadel Station feels far more coherent, logically interconnected, and like a real place that exists in this game's world, rather than just connected semi-levels, if that makes any more sense. It feels less utilitarian and more immersive, basically. This is particularly impressive, considering the basically 1-to-1 designs for each area in the remake.
What stood out the most to me was just how this remake felt like a melding of the best classic and modern immersive sims. The atmosphere and ambient soundtrack constantly reminded me of Prey (2017), but it always felt/played like... well, System Shock.
I don't know where I'm going with any of this. It's 3:26 AM and all I want to do is replay System Shock 2. I guess the bottom line here is this: System Shock (2023) is the best remake that the original game could realistically get, which is pretty damn great
1. Does the game stand on its own? (TL;DR answer: fuck yeah, this game rules. it plays like System Shock 1, if it was perfectly remade in a slightly altered version System Shock 2 [i.e. the Dark Engine])
2. How the hell do you remake System Shock, while making sure it still feels like System Shock? How loyal to the original should you be?
That second point is the most interesting one to me, since the original System Shock's atmosphere and in-game setting (level design, graphics, etc.) were almost a bit cartoonish at times, and undeniably restricted by technology at the time (lots of cubic design, to put it simply). It's very easy for me to imagine a modern triple-A dev team adding a bunch of frivolous bullshit to each area in an attempt to make it more "realistic" and to really drive home how their remake is bigger, better, and more impressive(?) than the archaic original. Nightdive Studios, however, remained loyal to a tee, while still enhancing and grounding the world in a way that ends up being shockingly immersive. Citadel Station feels far more coherent, logically interconnected, and like a real place that exists in this game's world, rather than just connected semi-levels, if that makes any more sense. It feels less utilitarian and more immersive, basically. This is particularly impressive, considering the basically 1-to-1 designs for each area in the remake.
What stood out the most to me was just how this remake felt like a melding of the best classic and modern immersive sims. The atmosphere and ambient soundtrack constantly reminded me of Prey (2017), but it always felt/played like... well, System Shock.
I don't know where I'm going with any of this. It's 3:26 AM and all I want to do is replay System Shock 2. I guess the bottom line here is this: System Shock (2023) is the best remake that the original game could realistically get, which is pretty damn great