Someone tell me if this is any good. I'm on the fence.
I loved the original back in the 90s. But hooboy, playing it now feels rough. Mouse look hadn't been invented yet (or at least, not popularized) and UI experimentation was still a thing. Remember, the OG System Shock released only a year after Doom (in which moving the mouse "up" moved your character forward.)
I love this reboot. It keeps so much of what made the original great and sands off a lot of the rough edges. I wish they'd made inventory management a little less clunky (it's a little too true to the original there), but that's really my only complaint.
If you like immersive sim games like Deus Ex or Dishonored, I highly recommend it.
I just finished it, and loved it.
But you need to know what you're getting. The game looks fresh, and has some relatively minor QoL done with interactions and shooting and all (and the replaced Cyberspace), but it is a nearly 30 years old game.
And the remake fundamentally still is. A very good game that in many regards is still unmatched, but also one tremendously outdated in plenty other regards.
I'm going to play it eventually. Already bought it, just waiting to be in the mood to get started. I am curious though... how hard is it just to figure out where you're going? That is often my biggest hurdle in these older games, even though I grew up on this kind of stuff haha.
I never played the original but I really enjoyed the remake. The art style is beautiful and the gameplay holds up well. The only thing I didn't like were the hacking sequences, they look nice but are overall pretty boring.
As a fan of Prey and immersive sims you can really see the inspiration Prey took from System Shock at every corner. I still prefer Prey but System Shock is a lot of fun as well and it's cool to see where many of the ideas came from.
The visuals are really good but there are times when the game leaves no apparent clues as to where to go next. The path forward may be on a different floor, even if already visited and fully explored.
There's also a point near the end when you see the door, but the interface to open it is hidden on the big location, again with no hints to where it is. In the original, the areas are comparably minimalistic, making it easier to notice.
It's more than good, it's awesome!
In a year filled with great games, this is still my favorite game so far, somehow. Combat can feel clunky at times, but honestly the level design and the exploration is impeccable, plus SHODAN is such an unsettling villain.
I was quite surprised when I saw the reviews settling at mid-70s on average. Don't let that scare you away, but bear in mind no hand-holding in this one.
