System Shock review

PC; Prime Matter/Nightdive StudiosLovingly remade, this game is no longer the trailblazer it once was, but there is an enduring majesty to the design of its space-station setting

Originally released in 1994, System Shock is best known through the games it inspired. Its blend of first-person shooting, sci-fi roleplay, and survival horror made it a touchstone for Deus Ex, BioShock, Dead Space and Prey. But it never enjoyed the success of its descendants; it lives in the shadow of its children.

The greatest accomplishment a remake could achieve, then, would be to afford System Shock the credit it deserves. Nightdive Studios’ remake does this, but not in ways you might expect. The things that made System Shock so radical back in 1994 are not necessarily what make it great to play today, and for everything the remake improves, its smartest decisions are found in what it doesn't change.

System Shock pits you against a renegade AI, Shodan, transformed into a megalomaniacal monster after you, a nameless hacker, are coerced into removing her ethical constraints. Shodan transforms her Citadel space station into a floating petri-dish, turning the crew into pliant cyborgs and breeding a mutagenic virus in the station's botanical groves. Your goal is simple: stop Shodan before she can do the same to Earth.

It's a straightforward disaster story, but one rendered chillingly believable through its delivery. As you explore, audio logs you pluck from the environment construct a grim timeline of events, with the crew variously discussing the mundane operation of the station, breathlessly devising strategies to defeat Shodan in the wake of the disaster and tearfully saying goodbye to loved ones as the cyborgs close in for the kill. You’ll also hear the stuttering, phase-shifting voice of the AI herself, as she taunts and belittles you over the station's voice-comms. Nightdive has done fine work re-recording (and, in certain areas, rewriting) the original script, and Shodan's original voice actor, Terri Brosius, makes a delightfully menacing return.

Visually, the original System Shock mixed 3D environments with pixelly 2D characters; the screen was mostly taken up by the game's menu, with only a small viewport in the middle afforded to the player's perspective. Nightdive's remake elegantly modernises all this, paring back the HUD and rebuilding Citadel Station in true 3D. Within this are some lovely embellishments. Unlocking a door or injecting yourself with medicine are accompanied by characterful first-person animations, while the game's expansive array of weapons have been redesigned into a weighty, purposeful arsenal. The laser-rapier, little more than a suggestive blue oblong in the original, is now a whiplike metal blade that glows with deadly potential. There are laser rifles, incendiary shotguns and the mag-pulse, which blasts powerful balls of energy that leave behind glowing indentations on your foes.

Within this modern makeover are constant references to the past. Look closely at System Shock's textures, and you’ll see the pixels within them. Meanwhile, the side-effects of one ability enhancement deploys the original enemy designs to great effect. The remake also retains much of the original's unusually colourful aesthetic, with vividly painted walls and brightly lit environments. Nightdive's vision of Citadel Station feels more oppressive than Looking Glass's, but this isn't a virtual haunted house filled with animatronic scares. Rather, it's a place of scientific endeavour where something has gone terribly wrong.

System Shock's age is more evident in its systems. While Nightdive has imbued ancient weapons with fun feedback, by modern standards it is an unremarkable shooter. Most enemies are defeated by peeking furtively around corners and unleashing a brief spray of bullets. It works well enough in the game's horror context, but even with Nightdive's many enhancements, combat is static and piecemeal, lacking the flow of more focused shooters.

Similarly, players who understand System Shock through games like Deus Ex and Prey should temper their expectations, as it lacks their creative toolsets and stealth potential. You can occasionally sneak up on enemies on Citadel Station, but most are defeated with guns or grenades. Moreover, although there are layers to Shock's combat, including multiple ammo types for most weapons, and a smattering of abilities like an energy shield and anti-gravity boots, the potential for outfoxing enemies is much more limited.

As such, the mechanical innovations that once made System Shock feel so radical no longer have the same effect. Where System Shock's age does it credit, however, is in the overarching design of Citadel Station. Each floor is a knotty maze of corridors that must be slowly unpicked as you track down keycards to access new areas, solve logic puzzles framed as junction boxes to open locked doors and occasionally venture into cyberspace, where the game briefly transforms into an abstract, six-degrees-of-freedom shooter in the style of Descent. Objectives are never pinpointed on the map and rarely communicated directly. Instead, you must decipher them from the recordings you collect, memorising the step-by-step processes through which you slowly defuse Shodan.

Essentially, Citadel Station is one gigantic puzzle that you solve from the inside, and figuring out that puzzle as you fight for your life is always engrossing. The lessons System Shock can teach may be different now than 30 years ago, but thanks to Nightdive's restoration, there's still plenty to be learned from Looking Glass’ cerebral sci-fi horror.

System Shock is released 30 May; £34.99