The newest of the oldest “shooters”. Who will benefit from a remake of the legendary System Shock?

I’m a big fan of PC games, I’ve played hundreds of games in my life, but for various reasons I haven’t been able to include all the ones that are considered cult or classic. Hardware problems, limited availability, addictive news and a general lack of time have led, for example, to the fact that I turned on the first Gothic only in 2022.

During this catch-up, I noticed with regret that many productions that were once considered brilliant should not now provide the same pleasure. This is especially true for games with three-dimensional graphics. While those who work in 2D or isometric view age well, some hits from the early 3D era can burn your eyes.

First shock

So, you can imagine my face when System Shock Remake greeted me with massive pixelation. I did not follow the announcements in detail and did not expect that the game developers would go towards a retro shooter. I was expecting something like new Dooms, but got old school graphics. First surprise.

The second surprise was that I liked this approach. Although the fashion for boomer shooters somehow bypassed me, because in shooters I still prefer “realistic” graphics, in System Shock such an artistic approach did not bother me. I also checked on YouTube how the game looks on the highest settings. I see pixels at home, but in others, graphic fireworks can completely change the face of this game and give it a phenomenal look.

The title was lying. this is not a shooter

The old-school approach is seen here not only in the graphics, but above all in the mechanics of the game. It’s hard, and the creators don’t make it easy for us. If we don’t use the card, don’t read the clues, and our screen is too dark to find an access card thrown in some room, we’re likely to be stuck for long minutes. At some point, I even said that this game is not an FPS, but a space maze simulator. And, ironically, it turned out to be an advantage for me.

I have already used terms such as “shooter” or “shooter” several times in this text, because almost from the very beginning to the end we are holding a gun in our hands and following the action from the first person. However, it would be more correct to call this game an immersive simulator (thanks to my friends who patiently explained this to me), or even a survival horror.

This first shortcut comes from various ways to avoid obstacles. The second is because if we don’t lower the difficulty level at the start, we simply won’t shoot ourselves. On the one proposed by the developers, we will run out of ammunition after a few hours of playing and there will be no way to make up for these shortcomings. For new players, I recommend lowering the difficulty level to the lowest at the beginning. Or count every bullet and kill weaker opponents with a huge wrench.

Is the System Shock remake too close to the original?

While the above examples of the old school approach can be attributed to the advantages of the game, some equipment decisions are not very suitable for defense. The need to click on each item separately in order to convert it into resources is definitely superfluous and stupidly lengthens the game. Doing the same with a single mouse button would in no way break the “spirit of the game” and would solve the tedious sorting of a too small backpack.

It looks like the developers could also tweak the enemy AI a bit. Their performance leaves a lot to be desired, especially after three decades of fighting ever smarter adversaries. Some enemies are even lost by simply running around them with a piece of pipe and hitting them at close range. It could have been fun in 1994, but now it spoils the immersion and the impression that SHODAN is actually a dangerous opponent.

However, for the most part, I’m pleased that System Shock is reproduced very accurately. I like corridors, enemies, weapons. When I have something to shoot from, it’s fun to shoot. I also like logic puzzles, even though sometimes I solve them almost blindly. I also really enjoyed it when I first went online. This is an unforgettable experience, although each subsequent one may be shorter, because these levels get boring over time.

Who is the new System Shock for?

Sounds and music are difficult to match, even if there is some untapped potential here. The emphasis was on minimalism, which is an understandable, safe approach. The voice acting is also good, and a nice touch for Polish players should be the fact that the subtitles are fully translated on the day of release. No important information will escape anyone due to lack of location.

Of course, I will not reveal the detailed history of the fight against artificial intelligence on the space station. It is enough to know that we get scraps of information by reading logs and listening to recordings of dead crew members. We know this from Dead Space, Soma or BioShock. The theme, although familiar, is certainly still attractive, which the players are not tired of.

The Shock Remaster system gives the impression of a game that can appeal to a wide audience. Although I did not play it thirty years ago, I think it will win the hearts of fans of the original. Reliable reproduction of many aspects, polished graphics and, of course, a bit of nostalgia should be enough in this case.

In my opinion, the new-old System Shock has a chance to charm younger players, even as a curiosity. They just don’t make games like this anymore, and a product that stands out always has a chance in a crowd of soulless clones. The level of difficulty shouldn’t scare anyone away - after all, survival horror games or even the Dark Souls series show that there are still people who love challenges and don’t want to be led by the hand from the first to the last minute.

A few extra compliments

But what should I say to a friend who thinks System Shock is the best game of all time? This question still haunts me, because he is a person who will not be satisfied with a few compliments. I must admit that the remaster was a success and allows you to understand why, over the years, people have fallen in love with the story of Citadel Station and the recalcitrant artificial intelligence.

I had a great time until I used up all my ammunition and, contrary to my habit, did not get stuck in any of the many labyrinths for a long time. I understand what made this game “cult” and how much games like Dead Space, Soma, BioShock, Deus Ex or indie games like MO: Astray took from it. Perhaps if I started my adventure with this type of game from System Shock, I would also admire it and recommend it to everyone blindly.

However, this did not happen and I played the 1994 classic for the first time only in 2023. I’m glad I had the opportunity and was mobilized to be introduced to such an important (and still playable) title for gaming history. Just don’t tell your friend that I haven’t unlocked all the endings. And that I inadvertently discovered the worst possible… Let it be our secret.