But for those who want an experience that faithfully explains what made System Shock a hall of fame game, the remake should get the job done. Some players might be put off by game design that feels much more dated than the modern games that have built on it. That’s crucial to the original game, and I’m glad it remains true in the remake based on what I’ve played. The demo wasn’t about hitting a specific point in the game like most slices I played that week it was about crafting an individual story. I was confused for a moment, but it made perfect sense when I reflected on it later. Instead, my demoist thanked me for swinging by, and that was it. After all, this was a behind-closed-doors press demo that I had booked for a specific time.

As the death screen hit, I figured I’d be popped right back in and pick up where I left off. My demo ended in a similarly unpredictable fashion when I managed to blow myself up with a fragmentation grenade. Was that supposed to happen, or did he just wander over while I was walking around? The fact that I’m not sure speaks to how well the remake maintains that sense of surprise. In one scene, I open a locked door with a key code, only to get a quick scare as a mutant immediately appears on the other side. I could see a version of this remake that goes for a more cinematic approach, but the demo slice I played avoids that pitfall. What’s most important to an experience like this is to keep players feeling like the action is unfolding naturally, rather than feeling like scripted set pieces. The 1994 game was hailed for its approach to immersion, and details like that keep that idea intact without changing anything about the core experience. When I swing my pipe, my camera swings with it, letting me feel the weight and power of my swing.

That’s one area where you can really feel what animation upgrades bring to the experience.

The first weapon I grabbed was a lead pipe that I could use to bludgeon enemies. “It was about crafting an individual story.”įor me, that meant finding as many weapons as possible and taking down the mutants wandering the ship in as many ways as I could think of.

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