System Shock Reviews
Check out System Shock Review Scores from trusted Critics below. With 16 reviews on CriticDB, System Shock has a score of:
Exploring the dissonance between man and machine is not a new theme, but 29 years on from the original System Shock manages to offer a story that's fresh and engaging, nonetheless.
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System Shock returns in 2024 as a premiere FPS narrative experience that shocks the player with each step. An easy recommendation for First-Person fans.
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They just don’t make ‘em like they used to, huh? 30 years since its launch on PC, the holy grail of immersive sims, System Shock, has made its way to PS4 and PS5 with this slick remake. This is the first opportunity us PlayStation players have had to check out the game that inspired the likes of PREY, Deus Ex, and BioShock, and as such, piecing together its labyrinthine space station is like an entertaining history lesson. But despite its new visual glow-up, System Shock is really starting to show its age.
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System Shock is a remake years in the making, and Nightdive Studios masterfully reimagines the critically acclaimed classic. From the challenging puzzles, dangerous combat, cyberpunk aesthetic, and the tragic story that serves as the backbone for it all, there’s a lot to love about this game. System Shock’s legacy will live on in this brilliant modern take.
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While still firmly entrenched in '90s gameplay cliches, System Shock brings an old classic to life with a stunning new presentation.
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System Shock is a beautiful recreation of the 1994 classic that, even with faults, holds up today in its gameplay and performance on Steam Deck!
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The original System Shock was a classic but also a niche game that never achieved commercial success; this remake highlights the niche aspect but will forgo the classic label. It may entice players who want to see how this updated version looks and plays, and while there’s some considerable tension to be had while going down narrow and dim lit corridors, the fun of being lost in maze after maze wears out quickly, especially when you’re doing the umpteenth scan through the map looking for whatever card or switch you have missed. At this rate, SHODAN is likely going to...
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Nightdive has done an excellent job modernising the original game, although it might have stuck a little too faithfully to its formula.
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While its refusal to let you cheat the exam will prove too punishing for some, the new System Shock is a breathtakingly beautiful and astonishingly faithful remake that proves the enduring power of Looking Glass design.
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Nightdive Studios may have taken seven years, but it's finally managed to do the impossible and thread the unlikely line between reboot and remake.
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An oddly pitched remake that has its moments but adds very little to the original beyond a visual upgrade
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A remake that closely follows the original classic, with a slightly different overall effect.
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The original System Shock was foundational to so many games that would come after it, but it aged like milk in its gameplay and visuals. Nightdive’s System Shock remake keeps much of its successful elements intact while doing away with a lot of its archaic issues that would drag down a modern game. It doesn’t do this perfectly. There are still a few pain points that I feel could have been addressed, but this is an incredible first-person adventure. I would go as far as to call it a solid survival horror game. Citadel is an amazing and ominous environment...
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Despite a few shortcomings, System Shock still remains an engaging game. It might not click immediately, but if you allow yourself to match its flow you’ll come away feeling satisfied. Aspects of System Shock that were ground-breaking back in 1994 feel primitive now, such as emergent gameplay or reliance on audio logs, but this remake gives a long-overdue polish to one of gaming's most revered titles. Its respect of the original material combined with an impressive visual refurbishment will undoubtedly delight core fans, but new players might need a bit of perseverance. If you can look past the awkward combat...
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Without System Shock, the immersive sim genre wouldn’t be here today. Great games like Dishonored and Prey wouldn’t have possibly existed. It’s a genre that puts player exploration and experimentation at the forefront. A genre that puts you into an immersive world that reacts in realistic ways coupled strong environmental storytelling. It’s also a game I am ashamed to say I’ve never actually played through the entirety of the original, and only recently have played its excellent seq...
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Before Deus Ex, Bioshock, or Prey (2017), there was the grandaddy of the sci-fi FPS immersive sim, System Shock. First released in 1994, the game is renowned for its massive influence on PC gaming. That said, even the most nostalgic of gamers can acknowledge that the original has not especially aged well in the visuals or gameplay departments. Fortunately, Nightdive shares that sentiment, and has come out with a remake funded by Kickstarter that gives System Shock a much-needed update in many...
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