I am one of those people that has always been intrigued by the original System Shock, fascinated by what it has accomplished for games following it in 1994. It was so incredibly forward-thinking, but difficult to get into given it's control scheme, but I had a massive amount of respect for it. I'm well aware that this remake makes some design changes but it's all for the better, to a point where I think the original is genuinely obsolete compared to this remake and that's not something I say lightly. Compare something like Resident Evil 4 to it's remake, you can have an amazing time with the original still. The original System Shock seems like a novelty, a curiosity in comparison to this remake, but it's rather obtuse compared to playing a modern game, not to say it's impenetrable it's just difficult to get into.

Now, THIS remake, wow. The fact that it sticks so close to the level design and the mechanics while leaning harder into the horror aspect makes it so immersive given how much attention to detail was put into citadel station. It's funny that I say horror considering how bright, colorful and retrofuturistic the artstyle of this game is, and it has plenty of goofy stuff going on in it. It's a very tongue-in-cheek kind of game tone-wise while balancing tense moments with blatant videogamey design, but it carries everything with pride.

Even though it's been streamlined, this is still a difficult game compared modern games in general. I wouldn't recommend it unless you're specifically looking for an experience like this. For me, I crave more experiences like this. Hey, at least you can specifically tweak the difficulty of everything so it's to your preferences! I did everything 2/2/2/2, so on normal before writing this review. You need to be slow and methodical, you need to pay attention to what you're doing, which in turn draws you into the world further. You are not held by the hand whatsoever and are left to your own devices to figure things out on your own and it's extremely refreshing to play something like this. Frustrating at times, but those ah-ha moments are incredibly rewarding! I love how mechanically dense this game is. The journey through the first immersive sim in the polished up light of 2023 was extremely magical.

[h1] It was worth the wait, it is everything I could've wished for from this remake! Bravo, Nightdive Studios! [/h1] I am one of those people that has always been intrigued by the original System Shock, fascinated by what it has accomplished for games following it in 1994. It was so incredibly forward-thinking, but difficult to get into given it's control scheme, but I had a massive amount of respect for it. I'm well aware that this remake makes some design changes but it's all for the better, to a point where I think the original is genuinely obsolete compared to this remake and that's not something I say lightly. Compare something like Resident Evil 4 to it's remake, you can have an amazing time with the original still. The original System Shock seems like a novelty, a curiosity in comparison to this remake, but it's rather obtuse compared to playing a modern game, not to say it's impenetrable it's just difficult to get into. Now, THIS remake, wow. The fact that it sticks so close to the level design and the mechanics while leaning harder into the horror aspect makes it so immersive given how much attention to detail was put into citadel station. It's funny that I say horror considering how bright, colorful and retrofuturistic the artstyle of this game is, and it has plenty of goofy stuff going on in it. It's a very tongue-in-cheek kind of game tone-wise while balancing tense moments with blatant videogamey design, but it carries everything with pride. Even though it's been streamlined, this is still a difficult game compared modern games in general. I wouldn't recommend it unless you're specifically looking for an experience like this. For me, I crave more experiences like this. Hey, at least you can specifically tweak the difficulty of everything so it's to your preferences! I did everything 2/2/2/2, so on normal before writing this review. You need to be slow and methodical, you need to pay attention to what you're doing, which in turn draws you into the world further. You are not held by the hand whatsoever and are left to your own devices to figure things out on your own and it's extremely refreshing to play something like this. Frustrating at times, but those ah-ha moments are incredibly rewarding! I love how mechanically dense this game is. The journey through the first immersive sim in the polished up light of 2023 was extremely magical.