Bioshock is the first game that comes to mind when everybody thinks of System Shock in 2024. Why is this? While System Shock is the progenitor of a genre of rich narrative storytelling donning a first-person perspective, Bioshock not only evolved the formula System Shock nailed down, but outright swallowed it whole, much like the descendent that has completely outshone its parent. Hiding no more and coming to an Xbox Series S/X near you, System Shock has returned to remind us of who came first. Is System Shock a shocking good time or is it shockingly awful?
Much like the calamitous beginnings of Bioshock, System Shock involves you discovering the havoc that’s been wreaked due to a change in leadership and conditions which have turned a normal-functioning ecosystem into a treacherous and hostile one. In the case of System Shock, the rogue SHODAN A.I has corrupted the Citadel Space Station, mutating or killing off the machines inside, and it would appear to have been the hacker (your) fault. You were tasked with fiddling with A.I programming in the hopes of getting the serious charged levied against you dropped. Ahh well, it wouldn’t be a videogame if everything was cheeriness, tulips and everlasting friendships. Now it’s time to dismantle the SHODAN A.I before it decides to lay waste to the cities of earth and leaving calamity in its wake.
If you’re thirsty for more intrigue, audio logs are found scattered around The Citadel, which will allow you to learn more about the characters, the perilous situation you’re embroiled in, and the great A.I SHODAN himself. Taking in all this narrative juiciness will give you a true sense of the innermost turmoil and upheaval that has flooded this once-peaceful space station.
If you’re a seasoned Bioshock veteran, you’ll identify the threads that stream through System Shock like strands of circuitry hooked up to a mainframe. System Shock should still be appreciated for the strides it made by telling a more complex story in a medium that was still finding its feet in the mid-90’s, but today there’s not much here besides SHODAN to get invested in.
System Shock is in the unenviable predicament of being compared to the game that came afterwards, rather than towering above it as a standard bearer. Sadly, after playing System Shock you’ll likely feel like you’ve stepped foot into a time machine, but not of the Back To The Future sort, more like the type of time machine that sends you back to the 90’s with no internet, no mobile phones, and no authority over the TV remote.
One of the most obvious disadvantages System Shock has its storytelling shortcomings. There’s no sense of dread or mystique, a horror show isn’t sprawled out in front of you, and you’re merely subjected to tight control rooms with a myriad of items you can add to your inventory along the way, and TRON-like zones where you engage in laser battles against hostile nodes. Generally, The Citadel space station isn’t teeming with spectacular sights, rather it’s filled with all kinds of mechanic and alien-like fiends who need to be vaporized ASAP.
Combat isn’t particularly enjoyable because the way enemies react and behave are beyond basic, and you barely feel any satisfying feedback from the melee and ranged weapons available. Smashing up a fiend with a pipe should feel exacting and hefty, but when that fiend you just whacked upside the head only shows a flicker of a reaction, you know that you’ll be battering them over and over until they eventually flop to the ground, which will likely elicit a sigh of boredom if nothing else.
Firearms include a magnum-type weapon, various assortments of assault rifle that dolls out satisfying penetrative damage, several explosive options that deal concussive damage that’ll do in a pinch when you’re under heavy fire from the machines, and some unique esoteric options like the laser rapier and the Rivet Gun, the latter of which isn’t featured in the original version of System Shock, and is thus exclusive to the remake.
The Laser Rapier is the coolest weapon in System Shock for its lashing capability. The uniqueness of the Rapier makes it stand out and its effectiveness during encounters makes it ideal for a jolt of joyous carnage whenever you have it to hand.
The arsenal is generally satisfying to use overall, with a pleasant variety and cool remake-only exclusives, even though the melee weapons don’t pack the punch they really should and their feedback is lackluster.
On the subject of lackluster, environmental design doesn’t lead much to the imagination. If you fancy corridor walking and shooting up numbskull enemies, then System Shock Remake has you covered. There is a map on the HUD, but even with the map navigation can be irritable as you tread back and forth trying to find out where you need to go. The Citadel is like its very own puzzle, and while it’s admirable for some, it’s awkward and laborious to explore.
Sadly, System Shock suffers from a lot of tedium and unengaging design choices, and the overarching sense that while this remake has done a passable job of updating the System Shock experience for a contemporary audience, it nonetheless feels like a remake that’d be best situated in 2009 than 2024.
Of course credit needs to be given where it’s due, and System Shock does look as nice as you can expect from a modern-day remake, and the controls and general presentation are lifted up to contemporary standards, but when videogames keep on evolving and System Shock is just trying to play catch-up, you’ll see it’s leagues behind not only games on this generation of consoles, but the past couple of generations as well.
On a technical level, System Shock isn’t without a few kinks. One annoying bug involves the hacker’s legs not moving as though his legs have been welled up with cement. There’s a smooth and enjoyable experience to be had otherwise, especially if oddball kinks don’t perturb you.
Conclusion
If you are fond of classics from 30 years ago getting modern updates, System Shock will be a commendable trip to take. Plenty has been done to make System Shock an appetizing choice for the curious, and those who wonder where Bioshock‘s influences came from. However, the frustrations of exploration, the monochrome environments and the lack of interesting enemies smushes this remake’s momentum. Your enjoyment of this System Shock Remake will likely hinge on whether you can tolerate the rigidity of this classic’s design and how much you enjoy the story and the intrigue that exists within. Lamentably though, this remake sells itself on regression, meaning you’ll need to erase all the strides the genre has made in 30 years in order to fully appreciate it. Try this remake then if you’re curious, you might enjoy it, but although this remake is commendable, it’s still too disappointingly archaic to fully recommend.
This game was reviewed based on Xbox S|X review code, using an Xbox S|X console. All of the opinions and insights here are subject to that version. Game provided by publisher.
