System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster Receives Glowing Reviews
After 2023’s very successful remaster of the original System Shock, System Shock 2 has received its very own remaster treatment. The 1999 action RPG survival horror is a cult classic set in a cyberpunk world. It was originally praised for its unique world; first person combats and innovative immersive sim elements that set it apart from other survival games at the time. If you’re unfamiliar with System Shock, you may instead know ‘Bioshock’, which was released as a spiritual successor to the series.
Image by EA
Thankfully, it seems that the remaster of System Shock 2 is a hit in all the right ways. Its currently sitting at an 86 on Opencritic with 88% of critics recommending it. Although it smoothens out some of the more charming aspects of the original, it still holds much of its charm while bringing the gameplay sections into the 21st century. Its only a light remaster so it still faithfully represents the original- making it the perfect choice for a first playthrough.
One review site, TechRaptor, were especially impressed by this remaster. They said the following in their perfect 10/10 score:
“System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster is engrossing, deep, and atmospheric. It's a game that has aged marvelously, but even so, Nightdive's efforts in remastering this classic make it more accessible than ever before.”
Image by EA
The game has also done quite well for itself on Steam with a score of 88% very positive. The light touch-ups to what many already consider to be a classic are appreciated by fans. It hasn’t improved all of the frustrating elements of the original but it has managed to make it widely more accessible for newer or returning players. Negative reviews don’t point to the game itself but rather the connection issues with the game’s multiplayer mode- worth looking into if this is something you can see yourself using.
If you’re a console player, you’ll have to wait just a bit longer to play this one since it won’t be hitting console storefronts until some time in the first half of July. This is due to the studio’s difficulty in getting the game running on consoles compared to PC. If the critic and fan reviews are anything to go by, however, it’ll surely be worth the wait. Until then, you can pick up both the original System Shock and System Shock 2 Remastered on PC.
