System Shock

This is an unpleasant review to write, but I did not find myself enjoying this game even though I wanted to. First off: I'm a great fan of System Shock 2 and 1 and played the latter a few years ago (although I never managed to finish it). The good part: This game keeps a lot of the same layouts and mechanics as the original version, the devs clearly knew what they were doing and they pulled off a really good remake. The bad: This game just wasn't fun. Not because I'm "too nostalgic" (for a game I've discovered and played 4 years ago), but because it might be too streamlined and feels lifeless. Back when I played the demo, I had the same feeling - it felt like an Unreal Engine demo, like there were still many things missing, but it looked promising. Weirdly enough, the current game is almost the same, and it just doesn't hold my attention like the old game. The original felt like a puzzle from start to finish, trying to figure out what the game wants, overcoming obstacles, discovering new places and enemies, unveiling the lore...but the remake is completely transparent. I know exactly what it wants, every design choice just appears extremely calculated, technical, and not interesting to explore at all. This lack of exploration, of awe and wonders is exacerbated by the fact that the new graphics, music and overall design lack any sort of urgency. The new style is very cold, slow, and the new OST feels incredibly boring and dull. I barely noticed that there was any music at all for over an hour. The combat also feels extremely unresponsive - it's like beating up a sponge. There's a red liquid, sure, there are sound effects, but it lacks any sort of impact. Every time I saw a grunt I wasn't surprised or in combat mode, but instead just sighed and wanted to get it over with. Which I think is ultimately what I felt throughout the game. I just wanted to get it over with. Cause it's not bad, but it's too methodic in its approach and feels more like a chore than a game.

0451 You're welcome

...but these days, well it's just not fun, that the game world is so unclear, basically you run around until stuff happens correctly by accident

As a huge System Shock 2 fan who found the original System Shock hard to get into, I was *really* looking forward to playing this so I could revisit the System Shock universe. I have three major complaints with this game: - The enemy animations are laughable. The death animations - and you need to understand I'm not joking or exaggerating - are literally just 'ragdoll + spark/blood animation', And they're not much better animated when they're alive. I don't care about graphics at all - unless they break immersion. And my word they do. - Many of the design choices are questionable. If you're going to update the graphics, why not the gameplay systems too? Why should they remain unevolved? For example, the lack of a meaningful quest log reeks of padding out the gameplay hours. Having to delve through tens of minutes of notes and audio logs for one single code is just painful. - The Cyberspace sections, some which can't be avoided, are just plain annoying. In Cyberspace you can move forward, backward, left, right, up, and down. You can also look in any direction and move forward. You get the full sphere of rotation to use. But you do it INCREDIBLY slowly, and you don't get a dodge move or anything similar (either that - or you're allowed to progress to the point where you need it before you've gotten it). Meanwhile your enemies is allowed to gang up on you AND spam their attacks, some of which cast a VERY wide net. Every single Cyberspace battle I've done has devolved into 'tank, heal, tank, heal' - all while my little pea shooter water pistol joke gun is plinking away at the frankly cruelly implemented enemies. This is genuinely some of the most mind-numbingly turgid 3D combat I've ever had the misfortune of being subject to. AND IT CAN'T BE AVOIDED. -------------------------------------- I was rooting for these guys, dammit. They got Shodan's old voice actor which is the only reason this travesty didn't get 2 stars.

Elecrical box puzzles are bugged