System Shock

Item: System Shock
Rating: 80
Author: VaporLens

Last updated: 2025-08-04

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Summary

Faithful and improved remake of a classic
Exceptional atmosphere and art direction
High difficulty with minimal guidance
Dated design and quality of life issues
Rewarding exploration and puzzles
Outdated and clunky combat

Emotions

Satisfaction29%Frustration18%Disappointment10%Admiration6%Excitement5%

Reviews (sample size): 1987
Helpful reviews: 73%
Unhelpful reviews: 27%
Protest reviews: 1%

80%
Helpful reviews with positive sentiment
20%
Helpful reviews with negative sentiment

Positive points: 5284
Negative points: 3451
Gameplay points: 2119
Perf. points: 127
Rec. points: 1077
Misc points: 758

Point	Description	Importance
Faithful & Improved Remake Description The remake is highly praised for its faithful recreation of the original game, preserving its core essence, story, and level design while significantly improving controls, UI, and overall accessibility for modern players. It's considered a gold standard for how classic games should be updated. Importance 99%	The remake is highly praised for its faithful recreation of the original game, preserving its core essence, story, and level design while significantly improving controls, UI, and overall accessibility for modern players. It's considered a gold standard for how classic games should be updated.	99%
Exceptional Atmosphere & Art Description Players consistently highlight the game's exceptional atmosphere, immersive world-building, and stunning visual and audio design. The unique retro-futuristic art style, detailed environments, and effective soundscapes contribute significantly to the overall experience. Importance 37%	Players consistently highlight the game's exceptional atmosphere, immersive world-building, and stunning visual and audio design. The unique retro-futuristic art style, detailed environments, and effective soundscapes contribute significantly to the overall experience.	37%
Rewarding Exploration & Puzzles Description The game is lauded for its immersive sim design, which encourages deep exploration, critical thinking, and problem-solving without hand-holding. Players appreciate the rewarding sense of discovery and accomplishment derived from navigating complex levels and figuring things out independently. Importance 25%	The game is lauded for its immersive sim design, which encourages deep exploration, critical thinking, and problem-solving without hand-holding. Players appreciate the rewarding sense of discovery and accomplishment derived from navigating complex levels and figuring things out independently.	25%
Deep Immersive Sim Gameplay Description The game is recognized as a pioneering and excellent immersive sim, blending FPS, RPG, and survival horror elements. Its varied enemy types, satisfying combat, and diverse weapon arsenal offer tactical depth and replayability, drawing comparisons to titles like Bioshock and Prey. Importance 19%	The game is recognized as a pioneering and excellent immersive sim, blending FPS, RPG, and survival horror elements. Its varied enemy types, satisfying combat, and diverse weapon arsenal offer tactical depth and replayability, drawing comparisons to titles like Bioshock and Prey.	19%
SHODAN: Iconic Antagonist Description SHODAN, the main antagonist, is consistently praised as a charismatic, terrifying, and memorable villain. Her unsettling voice acting and omnipresent taunts significantly enhance the game's atmosphere and drive the narrative. Importance 15%	SHODAN, the main antagonist, is consistently praised as a charismatic, terrifying, and memorable villain. Her unsettling voice acting and omnipresent taunts significantly enhance the game's atmosphere and drive the narrative.	15%
Improved Cyberspace Sections Description The Cyberspace sections, a notable feature of the original, are significantly improved in the remake. They are now generally considered fun, visually stylish, and a welcome break from the main gameplay, addressing previous frustrations. Importance 7%	The Cyberspace sections, a notable feature of the original, are significantly improved in the remake. They are now generally considered fun, visually stylish, and a welcome break from the main gameplay, addressing previous frustrations.	7%
Effective Audio Log Storytelling Description The game's narrative delivery through audio and text logs is highly effective, providing crucial information for objectives and deepening the lore. Players enjoy piecing together the story and finding clues through careful listening and reading. Importance 7%	The game's narrative delivery through audio and text logs is highly effective, providing crucial information for objectives and deepening the lore. Players enjoy piecing together the story and finding clues through careful listening and reading.	7%

System Shock

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