Uploaded May 2023 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
The System Shock Remake actually exists. It's Really good.
• PATREON: patreon.com/boulderpunch
• ONE-TIME DONATIONS: ko-fi.com/boulderpunch
• DISCORD: discord.gg/2AfRXbM2hg
• Get The System Shock Remake on GOG (affiliate): bit.ly/bouldergogshockremake
• Get the OG System Shock Enhanced edition on GOG (affiliate):
bit.ly/gogbouldersystemshock
The System Shock Remake is finally here. Yes, it's real. The full game is here. I finished it. I was suspicious at first with the game's small install size - just under 9 GB. I was expecting to open the elevator to research and have the game cut to Skyrim. There seemed to be more iterations of the medical-level demo than editions of Skyrim. It was a running joke about how the game was keep getting pushed back.
Nightdive Studios did themselves no favors with handling the Kickstarter and communicating delays. Don't worry, I"'ll touch on that at the end of the video.
How is the System Shock Remake? Really good, if underwhelming in places. It's faithful to the mazelike map design of the original. It keeps the dungeon-crawler feel. It doesn't hold your hand and requires you to pay attention - at least on the default difficulty. Something that flies in the face of modern games. Its changes to the cyberspace sections are a welcome one, for the most part.
On the visual front, it's more mixed. The enemy designs are well done. I found the pixelated look on surfaces to be an interesting choice. Some level environments look great, while some areas suffer from the shiny Unreal Engine look. The lighting was better than I was expecting. There are issues with visual clarity.
There are key areas where the game underwhelms. The weight of combat, which has long been a complaint, still lacks weight. Some due to feedback, but also due to sound design. Looking Glass Studios were masters in sound design. Here? It's lacking. Audio queues from enemies are so quiet I had to strain to hear them. The music tracks are well composed but lack that uptempo energy the series is known for. While more of an ambient feel, it's still far too quiet in the mix, even when maxed out.
Overall I'm very positive about the System Shock Remake, but it's held back by issues I was hoping would've received addressing by now.
Thanks to UberStrategist for providing a review key.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Prelude
03:01 - Game Intro
04:45 - Level Design
05:56 - Visuals
09:56 - Gameplay
14:31 - Sound
21:09 - Short Spoiler Bit
22:43 - On The Kickstarter & Communication of Delays
24:25 - In Conclusion
Additional Footage:
• Skyrim
• System Shock (1994)
• System Shock 2
#systemshock #systemshockremake #boulderpunch #systemshockseries #shodan #immersivesims #immersivesim #nightdivestudios #lookingglass #remake #systemshock2
The System Shock Remake actually exists. It's Really good.
• PATREON: patreon.com/boulderpunch
• ONE-TIME DONATIONS: ko-fi.com/boulderpunch
• DISCORD: discord.gg/2AfRXbM2hg
• Get The System Shock Remake on GOG (affiliate): bit.ly/bouldergogshockremake
• Get the OG System Shock Enhanced edition on GOG (affiliate):
bit.ly/gogbouldersystemshock
The System Shock Remake is finally here. Yes, it's real. The full game is here. I finished it. I was suspicious at first with the game's small install size - just under 9 GB. I was expecting to open the elevator to research and have the game cut to Skyrim. There seemed to be more iterations of the medical-level demo than editions of Skyrim. It was a running joke about how the game was keep getting pushed back.
Nightdive Studios did themselves no favors with handling the Kickstarter and communicating delays. Don't worry, I"'ll touch on that at the end of the video.
How is the System Shock Remake? Really good, if underwhelming in places. It's faithful to the mazelike map design of the original. It keeps the dungeon-crawler feel. It doesn't hold your hand and requires you to pay attention - at least on the default difficulty. Something that flies in the face of modern games. Its changes to the cyberspace sections are a welcome one, for the most part.
On the visual front, it's more mixed. The enemy designs are well done. I found the pixelated look on surfaces to be an interesting choice. Some level environments look great, while some areas suffer from the shiny Unreal Engine look. The lighting was better than I was expecting. There are issues with visual clarity.
There are key areas where the game underwhelms. The weight of combat, which has long been a complaint, still lacks weight. Some due to feedback, but also due to sound design. Looking Glass Studios were masters in sound design. Here? It's lacking. Audio queues from enemies are so quiet I had to strain to hear them. The music tracks are well composed but lack that uptempo energy the series is known for. While more of an ambient feel, it's still far too quiet in the mix, even when maxed out.
Overall I'm very positive about the System Shock Remake, but it's held back by issues I was hoping would've received addressing by now.
Thanks to UberStrategist for providing a review key.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Prelude
03:01 - Game Intro
04:45 - Level Design
05:56 - Visuals
09:56 - Gameplay
14:31 - Sound
21:09 - Short Spoiler Bit
22:43 - On The Kickstarter & Communication of Delays
24:25 - In Conclusion
Additional Footage:
• Skyrim
• System Shock (1994)
• System Shock 2
#systemshock #systemshockremake #boulderpunch #systemshockseries #shodan #immersivesims #immersivesim #nightdivestudios #lookingglass #remake #systemshock2
