Some titles always seem to be involved in the discussion of what games should be enshrined in a proverbial “Video Game Hall of Fame” even if they didn’t have the most commercially friendly releases. Titles like Half Life, Thief, and Deus Ex are some that come to mind. The System Shock duology was another that seemed to be on the lips of everyone following the sensation that was its spiritual successor Bioshock, but console players missed out on those games for the longest time. Following on from Nightdive‘s from-the-ground-up remake of System Shock, we can now see Nightdive using their remastering expertise on the sequel in System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster, offering a release on both PC and modern consoles.
“It’s Like Bioshock In Space”
System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster (sometimes referred to simply as System Shock 2 Remastered) follows the events of System Shock in which “The Hacker” took on the god complex-riddled AI Shodan in The Citadel. System Shock 2 Remastered sees you as another nameless character, amusingly dubbed by the community as “Goggles” due to his eyewear, enlisting in the UNN. They’ve completed three “tours of duty” (backstory decided by the player) before embarking on their fourth and most eventful yet, which makes up the game’s story.
Waking early from cryosleep aboard the Von Braun, chaos ensues as the ship is falling apart. You’re contacted by the only other survivor who tells you that things aren’t quite as it seems, as the ship is infested with mutants talking about a hive mind called The Many. Chimps that have been experimented on roam the halls, and as luck would have it we have another rogue AI called XERXES to deal with; this comes as quite a shock to the system.
As you roam the halls of the Von Braun, you’ll find plenty of voice recordings and files detailing the events leading to this sudden bout of madness. Collect them to discover what happened to the series’ corrupt company TriOptimum, and the effect the events of System Shock 1 had on the galaxy.
The story is a lot deeper than it initially appears, which shouldn’t shock anyone considering that it was originally written by Ken Levine, writer and director of such titles as Thief: The Dark Project and the spiritual successor to this very game, Bioshock. You can really see the roots of Bioshock here as the story takes quite a few surprising twists, draws you in with some deep writing, and isn’t afraid to challenge players with some tough subjects.
System Shock 2 Remastered, unlike System Shock’s 2023 remake, doesn’t add much to smooth out the pacing of the story or flesh out the moment-to-moment narrative. It is still very much a product of its time and genre; it’s a horror immersive sim and requires you to scour for notes and listen to every message left to get the most out of the tale. Those who do will be rewarded with an amazing time. If you gloss over stuff, you only get half of the experience, and while it’s still a good time, you’ll likely be left wondering why this game is so beloved. I would highly suggest playing the first System Shock (either the remake or the original) before you set foot on the Von Braun.
Party Like It’s 1999
The gameplay in System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster follows on from the groundwork laid in the original game. It’s a slow-paced, immersive simulation game that rewards inquisitive minds and outside-the-box thinking. It’s almost like a sci-fi sandbox where many puzzles have a few ways that can be tackled. For example, you can get by a certain door either by finding a code or hacking your way through and skipping a dangerous skirmish across the blood-laden halls if you happen to have invested the skill points to make this happen.
The general flow of the game involves you following somewhat vague objectives throughout the ship as guided by the only other survivor. There are several floors to the ship which act as different biomes and are designed in such a way that it would be a believable setting. Areas such as the med bay or the recreation floor are designed well and show how strong the bones of this game are.
System Shock 2 Remastered has a strong RPG system. At the start you choose what backstory missions your character goes on and this starts your base stats, be it a Marine, Scientist or mix of both. As you progress through the game you’ll be rewarded with skill points too, which you’ll be using to decide if you want to go full on guns blazing, use Psionic powers such as psi blasts and telekinesis, or go the Hacker route and use the many machines around the ship to help give you an advantage.
The combat in the game is frankly still extremely rough. I went for a Marine class for my playthrough, and even towards the end the gunplay and melee combat, while serviceable, are still quite awkward and unrewarding. Melee combat is especially cumbersome and comes off quite quirky. The combat as a whole is akin to a survival horror where fighting directly is an option, but usually there are better options up until there isn’t.
You’ll have access to several weapons ranging from guns, wrenches, and plasma swords as well as your Psionic powers. You can also collect different ammo for the guns that work better on different foes. Weapons also have durability, so you’ll often find yourself scrambling to find items to repair them, making them more effective. Nothing quite brings dread like having a mutant thunder down the hall right as your shotgun breaks on you.
There are other systems at play in the game as well. You can search items you find to give you damage improvements, or use more “Alien” technology to try and give you a much-needed advantage over the dangers of space. This is all handled by needing to find various chemicals to aid your research. Survival is a major part of System Shock 2 Remastered, and scavenging is a big part of it as resources for everything are low. I never found myself in a position where I was soft locked due to a lack of resources, but several times I was much lower on ammo and healing than I would have liked.
Going To Need A Change Of Spacesuit
The difficulty of System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster is also heavily front-loaded. Your first few hours are going to be hell. Security cameras constantly spawn enemies on your position when triggered, weapons have poor durability, and a lack of skill points means your options are limited till around the halfway point of the game. Once that hits, you’ll probably have clicked with how the game works, been given and found enough skill points, and have a healthy enough inventory. Then things swing much further in your favor to the point that the end-game hours are almost laughably easy and stripped of tension. Speaking of the end-game, there are a few sections towards the very end of the game that absolutely reek of padding, including a rather irritating “pixel hunt” item gathering section across a massive area that drags on far too long.
System Shock 2 Remastered is still a fantastic experience despite a rather damp end section. The hours that precede it are still unmatched to this day, and make for a fantastic (if unforgiving) playthrough. It is still a product of its time though, so there is a little jank in terms of movement and combat. While Nightdive has done some work in terms of quality-of-life, if you’re coming into this as a modern gamer expecting a true “Bioshock in space” experience, just understand that Bioshock’s controls and combat are a lot more player-friendly and designed with consoles in mind, unlike this. System Shock 2 Remastered has something of an adjustment period, which in my opinion is well worth getting over.
Something Old and Something New
As expected of Nightdive Studios, they have taken System Shock 2 and put their talent into making it as functional and fun to play as they can without stripping any of the soul of the game away. System Shock 2 Remastered features a streamlined system for combat, inventory, and even using items. In the original game, you had to be in different stances to do any of these or even interact with the world. Nightdive Studios have managed to almost seamlessly put these together in a more traditional playstyle. That said, it still has some quirks, such as the camera locking or players potentially losing their cursor in the many menus that litter the UI.
The main bulk of the work has been in making the game playable on consoles with controllers, changing the weapon swap system, and combining the various stances. And having gone through the game in several multi-hour sessions, I can confidently say they did a fantastic job of melding the original game with enough tweaks to deem it more accessible for more modern gamers.
Online co-op multiplayer is also available, and while functional, it isn’t something I felt suited the game. Having companions around strips away the horror and isolated feeling of walking the halls of the Von Braun, but it is nice to have the option. It’s even cross-play.
The Air Is Thick With The Smell of Blood
System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster has such an oppressive and terrifying atmosphere, and this is done with a 2-hit combo of the brilliantly designed setting and the audio; each on its own would be fine, but here it just feels like something truly special, and even 20 years on, it manages to terrify with ease.
The Von Braun is a horribly claustrophobic ship despite its size, and with cosmic horrors walking the halls, a rogue AI that constantly taunts you, and every piece of machinery trying to strip you apart. I don’t think anyone would judge you for creeping around, eyes darting to spot shadows in the lighting, and praying you can stop that security camera before it sets off an alarm and brings hell to your position.
The game just nails the sci-fi horror look, reminiscent of titles like Doom 3 or the film Event Horizon. It’s just you being lost in the isolation of space with the odds truly stacked against you, and the way the levels are designed gives the impression that it was an inhabitable space with real function.
The monster designs, while grotesque, are somewhat muted by today’s standards, especially in a post-Doom: The Dark Ages world. But for its time, there is enough body horror here to get the ol’ brain playing tricks on you. Gore is done tastefully, usually indicating there’s a danger waiting ahead rather than just pouring gallons of the red stuff all over for shock value.
Another section of the game where you can feel that distinctive Nightdive touch is in the graphics. While the game still retains the eerie look it had on original release, all the textures have received a HD upgrade. The models are still very distinctly of their era, yet it makes the game easier on the eye and the lighting now really pops. Just don’t expect something quite like the System Shock Remake, which was a from-the-ground-up remake of the game; this is more along the lines of previous Nightdive remasters such as Turok 3 or Killing Time.
Be it ambient sound, the footsteps in the distance or the horrors piercing your eyes, System Shock 2 Remastered absolutely nails the atmosphere of sci-fi horror. It’s easy to see why it constantly comes up in discussions alongside names like Silent Hill and Resident Evil among the classics of horror. Even 20 years on, this old timer can hang with the new crowd with ease, and Nightdive have given it the tools to inflict its cosmic horror on a much wider scale from PC gamers to all console gamers.
The audio has also been cleaned up, which helps the atmosphere sink its claws into you. Each footstep of The Many can be clearly heard, so headphones or surround sound are advised, especially in the early hours when you’re creeping around. Those bumps in the night will catch you off guard, I promise. The voice acting isn’t exactly AAA groundbreaking, but it still does a fantastic job at conveying the events that brought Goggles his biggest challenge yet.
Verdict
Sometimes it feels like I am banging the same drum when it comes to these Nightdive remasters. They almost always take great titles and make them even better. Seeing Nightdive take on System Shock 2 as a remaster after the fantastic remake of 1 might feel like a step back, but they have done enough to make a great experience a phenomenal one. And isn’t quality why we are drawn to this kind of work?
If you love immersion, horror, and sci-fi, System Shock 2 is still one of the greatest to ever do it, and System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster is a great way to experience it nowadays. Now it’s much more palatable by modern standards, and playable with a controller. Or in my experience, on the Switch 2 with the convenience of portability. Grab yourself a headset, turn the lights off, and step out of your cryopod, because the Von Braun and The Many await.
SYSTEM SHOCK 2: 25th ANNIVERSARY REMASTER IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
If you are looking for another horror-shooter game, check out our review of The Thing: Remastered.
Many thanks go to Nightdive Studios for a Nintendo Switch (played on Nintendo Switch 2) review code for System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster.
Pride of utopia & greatest thing ever, I found the One Piece, Collected the Dragon Balls & won the Mortal Kombat Tournament in one night, it was quiet for me that night! Follow me on Twitter @powahdunk
