Playing System Shock today is a bit like going back in time. The legacy of this franchise cannot be overemphasized. It revolutionized the action genre. It’s clear that many games, like BioShock, Prey, and Singularity, would never have looked or worked the way they do without System Shock. The question is whether System Shock has anything to say in 2023. Given the current discussion about artificial intelligence, you’d think of course there should be a place for it.
It all starts more than 50 years into the future. You are a hacker who was caught trying to steal from the Trioptimum Corporation. You are arrested and taken to Castle Station, where you are asked to lift the moral restrictions on the station’s artificial intelligence “Shodan”. Edward Diego asks you to do it at gunpoint, he promises you a deal, and then a guard knocks you unconscious. The darkness embraces you, and after a while, you wake up, alone, abandoned in an incubator at the station. It soon becomes clear that things happen when you have a cold.
I don’t feel any immediate nostalgia here, but I’m already experiencing the charm of the games I grew up with in my stumbling first steps. You’ll be given simple instructions to pick up some equipment, and then get some easier tasks. There is no clear marking or explanation of how to do what you need to do. You are free to do whatever you like, really. It’s a bit reminiscent of 2017’s Prey. You have a backpack with limited space and limited resources to keep track of. Every shot you fire counts, and you really have to limit your use of everything you find in order to survive. It is quickly revealed that the evil artificial intelligence Shodan has something to do with the mutation of the enemy, as it wants you and everyone else dead. Unfortunately, as intimidating as Shodan is, it looks like the AI in the System Shock remake could use some tweaking. Enemies are difficult to navigate the environment and are easy prey most of the time.
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I think the graphics and design are really good. It looks very retro modern and I love it. Most of the squareness of the environment, which seems to be assembled from cardboard, has been preserved. It looked good, it sounded good, and I was swept away by the vibe in no time. Shodan’s voice actors do a great job of making the AI sound scary, just like in the original. It was very satisfying to hear Terri Brosius, who voiced the character in the original, return for the remake. My biggest problem with the original and the remake is the combat. They never felt better, not even in the 1990s. In this version, it feels a bit like reaction lag and attacks lack power. When you hit an enemy with an iron pipe, not much happens. Considering that this aspect of the game still feels very stuck in the 1990s, it feels rather disappointing.
I’m a bit tolerant of the fights, even if they’re not great, because much of the focus revolves around exploring and building your character. You put things on your characters very early on. Kind of like dressing up a knight in an RPG, you place items in a menu that give you abilities. In addition to these implants, you can also find a large number of voice messages and information. As in “We Go Back,” “Watch,” “Tacoma,” and “Prey,” there are puzzles to figure out. One of them sent me into a computer world of synthesizer music. I really like what I see there. Without spoiling too much, it reminded me of older 3D space games.
There’s more to it than combat, which makes some flaws less obvious. With the help of objects and clues from the environment, you can travel through otherwise impossible places. Initially, when faced with these obstacles, I felt lost, which I loved. However, I can understand that many people don’t like this. You’ll need to save often, move around the environment, and accept that backtracking is part of the experience. It’s about vacuuming up the environment, navigating the space station bit by bit, while defeating the enemies you face. In some cases, you can use the environment to illustrate, thanks to traps, in others, you just need your trusty weapon. I love that you need to check a map to plan your route, but I know a lot of people hate getting lost and get frustrated because of it. At the end of the day, it’s personal preference.
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If you haven’t played the original System Shock, here’s your look at an all-important but mostly forgotten action RPG with an emphasis on horror. You have a memorable villain who makes their presence felt in just the right way. This artificial intelligence is not as tangible and present as Grados in Portal, but is psychotic and murderous in a completely different way. There’s a cold logic behind everything Shodan does, and you carry the knowledge to get her off the moral reins. In all of this, perhaps there is an analogy or metaphor that can be connected to the development of artificial intelligence in our real life. System Shock remake is perfect now. It allows us to dissect a classic with a new look, and a theme that happens to be relevant to the story.
However, it’s clear that even with some changes here, it’s a ’90s game at its core. The UI is clunky, the combat is imprecise, and the story doesn’t really dig deep. However, I had a great time. It’s dark, lonely, and atmospheric. Gaming historians and nostalgics will get the most out of it, but I don’t think what we have here is going to win many new fans. The new graphics, increased number of settings, and other things say it’s up to par with what’s acceptable for today’s games. At the same time, the basic structure is old-fashioned, which will scare some people away. The environment is the same, it is easy to get lost. This can confuse you for the first few moments. Then add deadly enemies and you have something that won’t appeal to everyone. Which is a bit of a shame, because it’s a decent game.
While time has not been kind to the original, the remake manages to iron out several of the issues I had with 1994’s System Shock. It might not revolutionize our gaming world, but it could spark exciting discussions around artificial intelligence. It might not introduce many new fans, but it’s still a declaration of love for the original players. I’m happy with what I play. The whole trumps individual issues. On the other hand, I don’t have any real nostalgia to look back on because I’m a little too young to fully appreciate the original game. However, I can say that despite the many criticisms, it is innovative. It was ahead of its time and did a lot of storytelling work in the action genre. I think if you like the series, you’ll have a good time because I did. I hope the second gets this treatment before the third comes out.
