They just don’t make them like they used to, do they? 30 years after its PC release, the holy grail of immersive sims, System Shock, comes to PS4 and PS5 with this sleek remake. This is the first chance we PlayStation gamers have had to try the game that inspired the likes of PREY, Deus Ex and BioShock, and as such, piecing together its labyrinthine space station is a fun history lesson. But despite its new visual sheen, System Shock is really starting to show its age.
The original System Shock was released in 1994 and shaped the entire genre. Against the evil AI SHODAN, the nameless hacker must fight his way through the maze-like space station and gradually unlock more areas. Released in 2023 on PC, this remake from Nightdive Studios gives this classic a modernized coat of paint with a visual and gameplay overhaul that should appeal to both new and returning players.
We want to start by saying that visually, System Shock on PS5 is a real treat. It uses this fascinating mixed art style of modern and retro aesthetics that perfectly embodies the original – as if Nightdive is trying to evoke what you. think the game looked like it used to. Despite this harsh metallic design in many rooms and corridors, there are refreshing bursts of vibrant color that keep each of the gaming floors fresh and unique. It’s topped off with rock-solid performance on the PS5, meaning you can glide from maintenance to higher floors without a single stumble.
The first thing you’ll notice about System Shock is that it’s not there to help you – at all. This is a hard game, both through so-so combat and grueling space station puzzles. There’s both good and bad about this remake, as it’s invigorating to play a game that really forces you to sift through text and audio. Something as simple as figuring out the code might require you to visit several areas on different levels of the station and have to physically write down the code because the game won’t save it for you. Playing a game with a notepad at your side is a fairly niche aspect of a bygone gaming era, but you’ll no doubt be sitting a bit when System Shock challenges you in this way.
Finally coming up with a long-sought code or turning on the power that allows you to access a whole new level of the station is extremely gratifying. This is also a game that feeds off your curiosity, where you can follow the stories of the hapless characters and slowly piece together the station’s AI puzzles. Very rarely does System Shock explain this to you, so unless you’re interested in wading through reams of text, then you’ll probably find its setup very superficial. You certainly won’t find the kind of environmental storytelling you’d find in Dishonored, for example, and System Shock does very little to establish history before SHODAN’s current takeover.
However, this is the seed of our frustration with System Shock. With so much of the station’s context lying in text and audio, there’s very little reason to explore its various corridors and offices before leveling up. Every now and then you’ll find a new weapon or modkit station to upgrade your arsenal, but mostly you’ll be wandering around in circles wondering what to do and where to go, and more than a few times I’ll spend over 20 minutes trying to gain access to a room that has very little reward. System Shock is littered with dead ends, which is fine in itself, but with next audio log is often a great reward, it’s hard not to feel excited at times.
Exploration can also seem mundane thanks to its recycling system, where you collect loads of junk, vaporize it all to negate inventory issues, and then drive it to a recycling station to earn a few vitcoins. It’s nice to see what is clearly the beginning of a recycling system in PREY, but it doesn’t have quite the same satisfying loop. Here again, it’s glaringly clear that the game isn’t meant to be played with a controller. Inventory management is incredibly tedious and lacks the speed or ease of use you’ll find with a mouse and keyboard.
The frustration carries over into combat, which, to be honest, just isn’t great. To give credit where credit is due, System Shock tries to keep things fresh with the most random set of enemies we’ve ever seen. From cyborgs to floating bacteria, there’s always an aspect of surprise when you encounter new types of enemies, and things definitely get better when you discover better weapons. The problem, though, is that the combat never really has the weight or dynamism you’d get in more modern versions. Melee weapons lack impact, weapons are missing a twistand with almost no cover, you’re basically trading bullets with an enemy who practically never misses – and the same is true in the cyberspace parts of the game.
The respawn system doesn’t help matters either. Since any damage you’ve dealt or enemies you’ve killed carries over when you respawn, there’s very rarely a sense of tension in combat. Once you unlock that floor’s respawn area, you can be back in action within 30 seconds. You then have the choice of either using your healing stock a few inches forward or hoarding it for boss fights, which means you’re constantly regenerating, leading to some slow progress. There’s an in-depth difficulty setting to prevent this if things prove to be too hard, but strangely there’s no way to change this mid-game, so you either have to stay or restart with a new save.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, System Shock is a faithful remake of a 30-year-old game, and you can feel that age in every aspect of its being. In some ways, it’s an exciting look back at the game that started the genre, and if you have a passion or nostalgia for immersive sims like this, then this alone is worth a look. However, if you miss that nostalgic connection, then System Shock is more a showcase of how far the genre has come than a spotlight on how well it’s holding up. System Shock may have walked so others in the genre could run, but for us the walking is a little too slow.