System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster

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System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster is a single player and multiplayer role playing game. It was developed by Nightdive Studios and was released on June 26, 2025. It received positive reviews from players.

System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster is a modernized FPS/RPG classic where you awaken on the derelict ship Von Braun with no memory and a rogue AI, SHODAN, threatening humanity. Navigate through eerie corridors filled with mutants and robots, unraveling the ship’s dark mysteries. Enjoy cross-play co-op multiplayer, multiple factions, and extensive mod support.

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88%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,454 reviews

graphics49 positive mentions

stability30 negative mentions

Faithful remaster that enhances the original game's graphics and performance while preserving its core gameplay.
Incorporates popular community mods and quality-of-life improvements, making it more accessible for new players.
Maintains the game's iconic atmosphere and storytelling, with SHODAN remaining a standout character.

Multiplayer mode is plagued with bugs, including save corruption and connection issues, making it unreliable.
Some players feel the remaster doesn't justify its price, as many enhancements are available through community mods for the original game.
Certain gameplay mechanics and UI elements remain clunky and outdated, detracting from the overall experience.

graphics
201 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
74%
2%
The graphics of the remastered version of System Shock 2 have received a subtle yet respectful upgrade, enhancing textures and models while maintaining the original art style and atmosphere. While some players appreciate the improved visuals and modern performance optimizations, others feel the changes are modest and comparable to existing mods. Overall, the remaster successfully balances nostalgia with modern enhancements, making it a suitable experience for both new players and returning fans.
- “The updated graphics and animations are slick and crisp; the improvement in sound quality for all the music, sound effects, and voice acting is top-notch, and I love how this has revitalized the love of this incredible series of games.”
- “Nightdive did a phenomenal job of updating the visuals and some gameplay tweaks while keeping the core of System Shock 2 intact.”
- “The graphical uplift is subtle and respectful — higher-poly models, tasteful shaders, ambient occlusion, and fully remade cutscenes that preserve the iconic look without overwriting it.”
- “If you're looking for detailed modern 3D graphics, this isn’t the place.”
- “The remaster’s improvements barely affected the graphics.”
- “Even with the remastered graphics, the game looks extremely dated compared to modern games.”
gameplay
139 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
74%
2%
The gameplay of the remastered System Shock 2 retains the core mechanics of the original, offering a mix of exploration, resource management, and character customization that still feels engaging and immersive. While some players note that certain aspects feel dated and could benefit from modern quality-of-life improvements, the overall experience is praised for its depth, atmosphere, and the nostalgic charm of its RPG elements. The remaster enhances visuals and performance without altering the fundamental gameplay, making it a worthwhile experience for both newcomers and returning fans.
- “Great 11 and a half hours of intense and engaging gameplay, especially fun in coop!”
- “The gameplay is brilliantly nonlinear, with maze-like levels, complex nested objectives, and frequent needs to go back and forth between different sections of the ship.”
- “The core gameplay loop of exploration, looting, hacking, combat, upgrading your character, and piecing together the events preceding your awakening through the scattered audio logs of the late crew members satisfies and never grows tiring.”
- “The gameplay still feels dated, not just graphically, but gameplay-wise too (no hand-holding whatsoever).”
- “The enemy variety is quite limited, down to where it essentially creates 'variants' of already well-established creature/enemy NPCs in a really bland attempt at refreshing the gameplay.”
- “Despite all the polish, the original gameplay is still kept mostly intact, which means there is a guaranteed jank.”
story
120 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
58%
3%
The story of the game is widely praised for its depth, suspense, and immersive storytelling, primarily conveyed through environmental details and audio logs. Players appreciate the complex narrative involving memorable characters and antagonists, particularly the iconic villain SHODAN, which enhances the overall atmosphere and engagement. While some critiques mention dated mission structures and occasional clarity issues, the compelling plot and rich lore make it a standout experience in the horror/cyberpunk genre.
- “The suspense through it all, not knowing who they really are, their plans, backstory, finding it all through the logs, slowly unraveling the mysteries; overall, an insanely well put together story, voice acting, and characters.”
- “The story is full of mystery and exploration into intriguing topics, with many ways to approach combat and a sense of thinking long-term for your survival.”
- “The story weaves her will through your actions, forcing you to confront the futility of resistance against a superior intelligence.”
- “The story is a bit camp, reaching towards lawn-mower man depictions of cyberspace and so on.”
- “The story was also a bit disappointing.”
- “The voice over in the audio logs are horrendous with voices that sound like members of staff kept back late after work to record audio beyond their will; it just doesn't hit the feels.”
atmosphere
67 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
36%
4%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised as immersive, creepy, and engaging, effectively blending horror elements with a rich sci-fi setting. Players appreciate the remastered visuals and sound design, which enhance the original's dense ambiance and storytelling, making it one of the most atmospheric titles in the FPS-RPG genre. Despite some critiques regarding level design and lighting, the overall experience remains captivating and unsettling, drawing players into its eerie world.
- “This is among the most atmospheric, immersive, and engaging FPS-RPG titles ever made.”
- “The atmosphere is creepy, Shodan roasts you nonstop, and every hallway feels like it definitely has something waiting to ruin your day.”
- “The atmosphere remains the same, if not better when modded, so you basically only lose out on a bit of the graphics.”
- “The player is caught between two malignant entities - SHODAN and the Many - which create an eerie and foreboding atmosphere few games outside the horror genre have managed to recreate.”
- “The oppressive atmosphere of Citadel Station was just so well done; moving through and visually seeing how the station was transformed into this technological nightmare was just missing from the Von Braun.”
- “The combination of psychological pressure, scarce resources, unsettling enemies, and a thoroughly oppressive atmosphere made it the scariest title I had encountered up to that point.”
music
61 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
62%
5%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its atmospheric qualities and iconic tracks that enhance the overall experience. While some players find the soundtrack to be a perfect fit for the game's creepy ambiance, others feel that certain upbeat tracks detract from the intended mood. Technical issues, such as music not playing in specific areas or being poorly mixed, have also been noted, impacting the overall enjoyment of the audio experience.
- “The mechanisms, the UI, the music, the sound design - all coalesce and support the very essence of its atmosphere.”
- “The updated graphics and animations are slick and crisp; the improvement in sound quality for all the music, sound effects, and voice acting is top notch; and I love how this has revitalized the love of this incredible series of games.”
- “The music is great and it knows when to be silent to let the background ambience creep in.”
- “I know some consider it to be blasphemy, but I'd suggest turning the music either off or right down, as I prefer a spooky mood and some of the upbeat tracks take me out of it.”
- “Some music plays significantly delayed or never at all, some play in backwards order (areas where the music isn't supposed to play are the only areas where it does play), and overall it harms the experience a lot for me.”
- “There are some disappointments though - I really wish Night Dive had fully re-dubbed the audio logs with more consistent voice acting and completely redone the soundtrack (I've never really liked the tacky techno beats - I'd recommend just putting on some Nine Inch Nails as it captures the intended tone better).”
stability
39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
2%
77%
The stability of the remaster has received mixed feedback, with many users reporting significant bugs and glitches, particularly in multiplayer mode, which detracts from the overall experience. While some players have had smooth gameplay with minimal issues, others have encountered game-breaking bugs and frustrating visual glitches. Overall, the remaster shows promise but is currently considered unstable and in need of further patches to address these issues.
- “Runs great on a modern system and still a blast to play.”
- “Absolutely no glitches in my 6.4 hour playthrough.”
- “First off on Steam Deck OLED, this runs great and even on the built-in controls is playable.”
- “Buggy mess.”
- “The biggest problem right now is that it is a bit buggy.”
- “Games is currently buggy as fuck and can no longer play since it takes 20+ mins to load a bunker hatch or elevator; every patch breaks the game more. Avoid for a few months till the game is stable or waste your money.”
optimization
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
50%
14%
Overall, the game's optimization is praised for its smooth performance, with most players reporting no crashes, bugs, or significant issues during gameplay. The remaster enhances graphics and sound while maintaining the original's gameplay integrity, and quality of life improvements have been well-received. However, some users have experienced performance problems, particularly with specific hardware configurations and multiplayer functionality.
- “The game runs smoothly, with no crashes, no autoexec/config tweaks, just install and play.”
- “Not only does it run smoothly on modern rigs and modern-ish resolutions, it retains the very much untouched gameplay, features upscaled graphics, remastered sounds, etc., but it also retains the more obscure functionalities of the original, such as running mods.”
- “I had zero performance issues, no crashes, no stutters; it runs perfectly.”
- “Terrible performance, coop isn't working, invisible enemies, randomization of progression points upon loading a save, etc. I had literally none of the issues during my 14 hour playthrough, by the way.”
- “Poor performance (on an RTX 3090 (!), lagging and sometimes stuttering, especially when a piece of music sets in), and”
- “This positive review is mainly for people experiencing graphical glitching, screen jitters, performance issues or issues with VSync not working.”
humor
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as both absurd and entertaining, often enhancing the cooperative experience with friends, leading to intense yet hilarious moments. Players appreciate the goofy nature of the game, particularly in its abrupt and funny endings, though some find certain mechanics, like invincible enemies, amusing at first but ultimately frustrating. Overall, the humor is a significant aspect that resonates with players, creating memorable and cherished experiences.
- “Playing this game with friends turns it into one of the most intense yet hilarious experiences you'll ever have.”
- “It's kind of hilarious.”
- “Finished in coop and it was very funny!”
replayability
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
33%
25%
The game offers significant replayability, enhanced by the addition of co-op gameplay and a diverse upgrade system that encourages multiple playthroughs. While the remaster improves upon the original, it retains the nostalgic elements that contribute to its enduring appeal. Overall, players find it enjoyable and worth revisiting, with many noting its polished updates and engaging content.
- “Ss2 is an effortless blend of FPS and RPG, with janky but manageable movement, decent shooting, and an incredibly diverse upgrade system worthy of endless replay value.”
- “The abilities and weapons available to you in the skill tree are all fun and make this incredibly replayable.”
- “While the campaign remains primarily a solo journey in terms of tone and pacing, the option for co-op adds replayability and an extra layer of challenge for those willing to coordinate under pressure.”
- “It’s a gussied up version of the classic System Shock 2 (SS2) with some work done to make the multiplayer more playable (still not bug free, but they do seem to be working on improving that).”
- “Nostalgia aside, it's got a solid story, decent gameplay, and replayability with the different class starts.”
monetization
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game has been heavily criticized, with many users labeling it a "cash grab" due to its lack of significant improvements and polish. While some argue that it is a thoughtful re-release of a classic, the overwhelming sentiment reflects disappointment in the perceived cynicism and carelessness of the remaster, particularly regarding its advertising and quality assurance.
- “It is literally just an HD reskin cash grab with nothing else of significant change.”
- “Right now, it feels like a cynical, careless cash grab — and we’re absolutely offended by the lack of QA, polish, and respect for the players.”
- “This remaster is a lazy cash grab that hasn't really fixed anything.”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Reviews indicate that grinding in the game can be a mixed experience; while some players find the exploration and puzzle-solving rewarding, others describe it as tedious, particularly due to the lack of guidance and the need to revisit areas for key items. Although progression is less cumbersome than in previous titles, certain tasks, like extensive searching and hacking, can still feel repetitive and time-consuming. Overall, the grinding aspect may appeal to those who enjoy exploration but can frustrate players seeking a more streamlined experience.
- “The entire environment is one big puzzle, but does so in a way that is not tedious.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “It can also be really easy to miss key items, forcing you to revisit certain sections again, which is very tedious.”
- “Then there's the complete lack of guidance and knowing where to go next. You get a general idea of where you are thanks to a very rudimentary map, but the only way to really get anywhere is by exploring and checking out the environmental signs. Maybe this is a rewarding thing for some people, but for me, frankly, it got rather tedious after a while.”
- “Some parts of the game could be considered tedious by today's standards, such as running around the enormous Von Braun in search of various McGuffins. If it were released today, I could imagine the studio editing out a lot of content.”
emotional
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a deep emotional connection to the remaster, highlighting feelings of nostalgia and gratitude for its preservation of the original experience. Many report powerful emotional reactions, including tears of joy, as the remaster evokes cherished memories from the past. Overall, the remaster successfully resonates with the community, reinforcing its significance in their gaming history.
- “But this remaster... man this remaster... has made me feel powerfully nostalgic.”
- “Made me feel like it was 1999 again.”
- “I cried the first time I booted the game.”

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System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster
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7h Median play time

7h Average play time

3-11h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 5 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster is a role playing game.

System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster is available on PC and Windows.

On average players spend around 7 hours playing System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster.

System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster was released on June 26, 2025.

System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster was developed by Nightdive Studios.

System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster has received positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its graphics but disliked it for its stability.

System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include System Shock, System Shock® 2 (1999), System Shock 2, Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster, Tomb Raider I-III Remastered and others.

System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster

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