System Shock

No nostalgia, didn't play the original. Sick atmosphere, sick exploration, very immersive and doesn't hold your hand.

Just as immersive as i played it so long ago...

I choose to ignore Reviews that say it is too hard.

System Shock is a remake of the 1994 "proto immersive sim" by the same name. I haven't played the original, so I won't be making comparisons. The game has highs and lows: the graphics are a weird mix of modern and "faux-retro". While neither is bad, using both at the same time detracts a bit from the presentation. Despite that, the game manages to convey a great mood through its visuals. Some environments are repetitive, however. The music is nice, if a bit too subdued outside of combat. The story is relatively straightforward: you are a hacker, currently stranded on an isolated space station run by an AI which you yourself helped getting unshackled, and it is now planning the eradication of mankind. Once again, I think the story's strong suit is the atmosphere. The gameplay is a mixed bag: usually, enemies give decent feedback only on first hit and sometimes if you target a weak spot, otherwise they relentlessly charge at you, or shoot at you with the precision of an aimbot (strafing is almost useless). The game of cat and mouse can be fun, though, and as you progress you get your hands on a real arsenal of fun weapons. Don't try to be stingy with your strong "toys": you die quickly, so finishing the opponent rapidly is a must. Enemies respawn if you don't lower a floor security to 0, though, so be careful. The game is linear early on, opens up in the mid section, and then converges again. Unlocking movement abilities for your boots and mastering them is fun, and opens alternative solutions to encounters and situations. The game has a variety of hazards (and some puzzles) in your way which help keeping things varied, as well as various secrets. To be honest, the game is clunky in various aspects, but it gets really fun if you can look past that. The objectives are fairly original, and generally the ideas carry the game even when the execution stumbles here and there. I think it's a worthwhile experience, and I'd like to play the original too, eventually.

The game looks great while retaining a retro style. The music, audio and voice acting are well done. It runs very well and I had no technical issues, another than achievements not working. There's a fix available for achievements in the game forums if anyone is interested. The interface and controls are much nicer to play with than the original. Combat is fun, but it's more tactical than twitchy. Difficulty for me was perfect with everything on the medium setting. Beware that even though this is a remake, the game doesn't coddle you. Keep something handy to take notes, explore everything you possibly can and be prepared for ambushes and the unexpected. Evidently there is a "story difficulty" mode if you're having too much trouble that adds modern conveniences such as objective markers. Highly recommended.