System Shock

92%
Game Brain Score Based on 6,088 reviews
  • graphics
  • story
  • gameplay
System Shock Game Cover
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Discover System Shock on the official PlayStation website. Find out everything you need on this remake of the 1994 classic, with gameplay info, screenshots, trailers, purchase options and more.

  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Cloud
  • NVIDIA GeForce NOW
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

92%
Audience ScoreBased on 6,088 reviews
graphics394 positive mentions
grinding136 negative mentions
  • Incredible graphics and atmosphere that pay homage to the original while modernizing the experience.
  • Engaging gameplay that encourages exploration and critical thinking, with no hand-holding or objective markers.
  • Faithful to the original System Shock, with updated controls and mechanics that enhance the overall experience.
  • Confusing level design that can lead to excessive backtracking and frustration, especially for new players.
  • Cyberspace segments are tedious and not well-received, often breaking the flow of the game.
  • The final boss fight is underwhelming and lacks the excitement expected from a climactic encounter.
  • graphics1,079 mentions

    The graphics of the System Shock remake have received mixed reviews, with many praising the blend of modern and retro aesthetics. Players appreciate the detailed pixelated textures and atmospheric lighting that evoke nostalgia while enhancing the original's visual style. However, some critics feel that the graphics, while improved, still fall short of contemporary standards, with certain textures appearing low-resolution and the overall visual design sometimes leading to confusion in gameplay.

    • “The graphics are incredible while still paying homage to the original by keeping pixel graphics as a part of its identity, though they are highly detailed now instead of the classic simple sprite style.”
    • “The updated graphics breathe new life into the iconic environments and characters, while maintaining the retro-futuristic aesthetic that defined the original game.”
    • “The graphics are a lovely mix of modern and retro with shader effects, creating a unique visual experience that captures the essence of the original.”
    • “The graphics aren't up to modern standards but the gameplay makes up for it.”
    • “The graphics feel... weird.”
    • “The graphics are very stylish and detailed and with the audio together create a creepy atmosphere.”
  • story1,010 mentions

    The story of the "System Shock" remake is a faithful retelling of the original, centered around a rogue AI named Shodan and the player's quest to thwart its plans. While the narrative is engaging and atmospheric, it relies heavily on environmental storytelling and audio logs, with no quest markers or logs to guide players, which can lead to confusion and backtracking. Overall, the game successfully immerses players in its sci-fi horror setting, but newcomers may find the lack of direction challenging.

    • “The story and design are flawless.”
    • “The story is much less interesting than System Shock 2.”
    • “The story pushes you forward and Shodan is one of the best antagonists out there.”
    • “The story and characters are underwhelming, barely having any impact and just feeling like another generic sci-fi horror story with a spooky AI that wants to kill all humans, something I've seen so many times I'm convinced there isn't an original spin to be put on the idea anymore.”
    • “The game doesn't explicitly tell you that you have to progress in the story to access them, so you could end up wasting time seeing if you missed something only to realize that there's nothing you can do for now.”
    • “The story is nothing to write home about.”
  • gameplay998 mentions

    The gameplay of the System Shock remake has been praised for its faithful recreation of the original's mechanics while incorporating modern enhancements, resulting in a blend of nostalgic and contemporary experiences. Players appreciate the engaging exploration, resource management, and puzzle-solving elements, although some find certain mechanics, like the recycling system and inventory management, tedious and outdated. Overall, the game offers a challenging and immersive experience, appealing to both fans of the original and newcomers to the genre.

    • “Unlike games that rely on frustrating mechanics, System Shock keeps you on your toes, testing you in a way that feels reminiscent of classic titles while maintaining modern fidelity and gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay itself is a delicate balance of exploration, combat, and puzzle-solving, all woven together seamlessly to create a narrative-driven experience that grips you from beginning to end.”
    • “The gameplay is fun, the shooting, the exploring, the story, etc. but the game progress and world design... 'suck'.”
    • “I'm torn apart here, as I've closed this game way too many times in frustration because of its horribly outdated mechanics from 30 years ago which just aren't fun.”
    • “Great game totally ruined by the cyberspace impossible challenges - why produce an otherwise brilliant game and then make it impossible to proceed by this complete stupidity of gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay is simple enough, find weapons that are littering the station and fighting through mutated human monsters and robots to get to each goal.”
  • music595 mentions

    The music in the System Shock remake has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its atmospheric qualities but lamenting the absence of the original's iconic soundtrack. While some praise the new score for enhancing immersion and fitting the game's tone, others find it too subdued or lacking in memorable tracks, particularly during exploration. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a downgrade compared to the original, with calls for options to toggle between the new and classic music.

    • “I love the atmosphere and feel instantly immersed; the puzzles are okay, but the environment and music perfectly set the tone.”
    • “The soundtrack is a banger, flipping between haunting ambiance to classic System Shock electro music in combat.”
    • “The music is fantastic, the weapons feel significantly better in the final release than the demos I played, it's a really good time.”
    • “The only shortcoming is the lack of the original sounds/soundtrack.”
    • “The music went from distinct and unique to generic horror ambient.”
    • “The soundtrack is a departure from the iconic original, but it's also an achievement of its own that works in service of a more immersive and horror-driven experience.”
  • atmosphere491 mentions

    The atmosphere in the game is widely praised for its immersive and tense qualities, effectively capturing the essence of the original while enhancing it with modern graphics and sound design. Players appreciate the haunting environments, detailed audio, and the sense of isolation and dread that permeates the experience, making exploration both engaging and nerve-wracking. Despite some criticisms regarding certain gameplay elements, the overall atmosphere is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.

    • “I love the atmosphere and feel instantly immersed; the puzzles are okay, but the environment and music perfectly set the tone.”
    • “The developers have painstakingly recreated the immense and oppressive atmosphere of the original, ensuring that every flickering light and distant sound adds to the sense of isolation and impending danger.”
    • “The atmosphere is thick, the graphics are unique, the gunplay is good, although the AI could easily be defeated by popping around corners, but when caught off-guard they are menacing on the hardest difficulty.”
    • “The atmosphere in this game is oppressive and it almost never lets up.”
    • “The atmosphere created is haunting and was genuinely terrifying at times.”
    • “The atmosphere is appropriately scary as any enemy can kill you if given the chance to jump you.”
  • optimization148 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed feedback from players. While many praise its smooth performance and ability to run well on lower-end hardware, some report issues such as stuttering, crashes, and frame drops, particularly in specific areas or under certain conditions. Despite these inconsistencies, the game is generally regarded as well-optimized for its size and visual fidelity, with several players noting it as a standout example of good optimization in modern gaming.

    • “The use of Unreal Engine and great optimization make this game a smooth-running experience.”
    • “This faithful and loving recreation of a near 30-year-old game is visually stunning, extremely well optimized (the game is only 8GB in total), and more than worth the money.”
    • “Nightdive did an amazing job releasing a game that's optimized - rare in 2023 - and keeps the spirit of the original alive.”
    • “Well, the performance of this remake is *horribly* optimized.”
    • “The optimization is just poor, which is really disappointing for Night Dive.”
    • “One thing that unfortunately no reviewers are talking about however is compilation stutter and uneven frame times at points, like the first time you swing, see a certain enemy etc. also generally poor performance with all settings turned down except for the cyberspace area.”
  • grinding141 mentions

    The reviews highlight a pervasive sense of tedium associated with grinding in the game, particularly due to convoluted objectives, excessive backtracking, and tedious inventory management. Players frequently express frustration with the repetitive nature of combat, resource recycling, and cyberspace mini-games, which detract from overall enjoyment and immersion. While some appreciate the nostalgic elements, many find the gameplay mechanics outdated and unnecessarily grindy, leading to a lack of engagement and satisfaction.

    • “I felt like it wasn't too tedious and actually took a few tries to complete them and they actually made you think.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “Grindy (60 - 100 hours)”
    • “I feel like most of the positive reviews are due to nostalgia, so if you're like me and never played the original, you'll just end up disappointed with lackluster combat and a tedious level of exploration.”
    • “If any of this sounds tedious or annoying to you, you're probably gonna wanna skip this game because chances are you are gonna get lost, you're gonna be wandering areas you've already explored for that specific item you need, you're gonna have to look up a guide or walkthrough to figure out what to do and that's just how the game is.”
    • “The recycling system is bad in ways so obvious it's embarrassing, the process of making items convert to scrap is tedious and garbage (tiny dropdown menu for every single scrap of garbage) literally multiple people asking for literally an alternate button to pick up an item automatically as scrap.”
  • stability100 mentions

    The game's stability is a mixed bag, with many players reporting a range of bugs and glitches, particularly with ragdoll physics and UI elements. While some users experienced little to no issues and praised the game's performance and fast loading times, others noted significant bugs that could disrupt gameplay, including game-breaking glitches and audio issues. Overall, the game runs well for many, but it still suffers from a lack of polish and occasional instability.

    • “Solid code, fast loads, no glitches.”
    • “Overall the game is really polished, looks good and runs great.”
    • “Runs great, on my 3060ti I've experienced a solid frame rate with zero stutters, drops, or weird issues.”
    • “The game is pretty buggy at times; the soundtrack is nonexistent, there are an unbelievable number of unskippable cutscenes and animations, and there are an abundance of archaic systems that have no real place and serve no purpose other than to be clunky and maybe pad the game.”
    • “What a buggy bloody mess this is: from returning to your game and finding out that major events you needed to complete are reset and you can no longer progress as you can't interact with them, to not being able to continue the game at all as the game doesn't remember where it saves anything.”
    • “It's also quite buggy, sometimes game-breakingly so.”
  • replayability40 mentions

    Overall, the game offers a mixed bag in terms of replayability. While many players appreciate the various ways to approach challenges and the inclusion of difficulty sliders, some express disappointment over the lack of new game plus modes and alternate endings, which could enhance replay value. Despite these criticisms, the game is generally regarded as enjoyable enough to warrant multiple playthroughs, especially for those who appreciate its modernized take on the original.

    • “And of course - there's a lot of ways to beat the game, so it has a pretty big replay value.”
    • “The length of the game will be very long your first playthrough, but once you know where to go and learn where important upgrades are, with satisfying combat where you can learn how to beat an enemy, you can breeze through the objectives leading to satisfying replayability experiences.”
    • “The sense of progression and personalization adds depth to the gameplay and encourages players to experiment with different playstyles, enhancing replayability.”
    • “If I have to say something negative about this game, it's that the credits cannot be skipped and its replayability is not that good.”
    • “Moreover, the lack of RPG elements lowers replayability by a lot.”
    • “Replayability is limited, as there is no new game plus or other modes, and there also aren't many challenge achievements to pursue.”
  • humor31 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by a blend of dark, twisted comedy and absurdity, primarily embodied by the villain Shodan, whose god complex and taunting remarks create a chilling yet amusing atmosphere. Players find humor in the game's quirky mechanics, such as hilarious ragdoll physics and unexpected glitches, which add a layer of levity to the otherwise tense survival horror experience. Overall, the game successfully balances horror and humor, making for a uniquely entertaining experience.

    • “Shodan is also a very unnerving and interesting villain whose god complex is both terrifying and funny to watch as you thwart her plans.”
    • “The atmosphere is great; Shodan is mostly terrifying but also hilarious at times, mostly just with the ways she tries to kill you.”
    • “It's funny that I say horror considering how bright, colorful, and retrofuturistic the art style of this game is, and it has plenty of goofy stuff going on in it.”
  • emotional26 mentions

    Players express a deep emotional connection to the game, often feeling nostalgic and reminiscent of their childhood experiences with gaming. The remake successfully evokes strong feelings, ranging from joy and satisfaction to frustration and dread, particularly through its immersive atmosphere and challenging gameplay. Many reviewers highlight the emotional weight of certain moments, with some even describing the game as an emotional rollercoaster that elicits tears and a sense of vulnerability.

    • “I cried almost my whole playthrough.”
    • “I haven't finished it because it requires me to have a certain emotional 'readiness' to return to it.”
    • “The purity on display is honestly heartwarming as a gamer.”
  • monetization15 mentions

    The monetization model of the game is praised for its absence of microtransactions, subscriptions, and DLC, offering a straightforward purchase price of $40. Reviewers appreciate the game's respect for its source material and the lack of exploitative practices common in many AAA titles, highlighting it as a refreshing alternative in a market often criticized for cash grabs. Overall, the game is seen as a well-crafted remake that provides value without the burden of aggressive monetization strategies.

    • “In that overabundance of big game releases this year, I decided to play this instead of the numerous empty, microtransaction-filled, and somewhat brainless AAA projects... and I'm just glad I did.”
    • “It's 40 bucks with no awful monetization; this one's a no-brainer if you want to get into System Shock.”
    • “No microtransactions.”
    • “They did not care that they were currently advertising a feature that did not work.”
    • “The only thing it's missing, for me, is a $15 a month subscription and in-game purchases.”
    • “In the wake of AAA games being absolutely broken cash grabs, this game is a breath of fresh air.”
  • character development2 mentions

    While the game features exceptional level design, character design, music, and voice acting, it falls short in character development, particularly due to the silent nature of the hacker character, which leads to missed opportunities for deeper storytelling.

    • “The level design, character design, music, and voice acting are phenomenal.”
    • “There were so many opportunities for character development that were missed because the hacker literally says nothing the entire game.”
    • “The characters feel one-dimensional and lack any meaningful growth throughout the story.”
    • “I expected more depth from the characters, but their arcs are predictable and uninspired.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

14hMedian play time
16hAverage play time
5-25hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 35 analyzed playthroughs

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