System Shock Analysis – Bittersweet Return to the Citadel

How are the machines? The first of all

Those of you who played the original 1994 game will already know very well what the main plot of System shock, but for those who don’t know, I explain it below. Note first of all that one of the first new features of this remake is its new prologue, in addition to being able to play with a female protagonist.

We are in the year 2072. In this dystopian future, we will put ourselves in the shoes of a hacker who was caught with all the equipment while trying to steal a precious cybernetic implant from the megacorporation. TriOptimum Company. As the only way out, we are offered a deal: deactivate the ethical protocols of an AI called SHODAN who took control of Citadel Space Station. In exchange, we will be rewarded with the loot we were trying to steal.

Unsurprisingly, the plan doesn’t pan out the way we imagined. We will eventually wake up in the medical factory of a space station transformed into a hell of cyborgs and mutants.

space mousetrap

The principle of the game does not have much mystery. We will have to explore every corner of the Citadel, killing the enemies that cross our path as best we can and destroying the SHODAN systems.

This all seems very simple until we find ourselves in a real metal maze. It’s not a linear title like a first-person shooter like the classic DOOM. Here we will not go from point A to point B, but rather We will have to explore a huge complex divided into 9 floors with different defense systems and devices to deactivate.

We won’t have any type of guide either. to know what goal we need to achieve. In this aspect, the title immerses us in the story, forcing us to read the audio notes or messages left by the old crew. Many leave clues or codes that are used to unlock doors and move forward. On the one hand, it’s a fantastic immersion resource, but on the other, it can be difficult, even frustrating, early in the game.

You will serve SHODAN well as a cyborg, little hacker

At a playable level, we are faced with a survival horror more or less like the old school ones. You know, with its small inventory that must be managed, its shortage of ammunition and its races to avoid enemies who outnumber us. The title also includes some RPG componentsbecause throughout the adventure we will find implants and improvements for our suit that will increase our physical capabilities.

Regarding the combat, this remake received improvements compared to the original, such as a notable fine-tune enemies’ artificial intelligence. They are now more persistent, attack in groups, and have a wider vision area. But When it comes to facing them, it feels like the game belongs to another era.

When we shoot a gun, there is no type of back which gives us satisfaction or encourages us to alternate between one and the other. They all end up feeling the same way. Something similar happens with melee weapons. Although visually they make us understand that we are committing a massacre, the sensation of hitting is as if we were hitting a bag. Furthermore, Enemies also don’t react to our impacts and we don’t know exactly when we were hit, other than because we see our life bar drop.

On the other hand, we will have another type of fight which will take place in the Cyberspace. This is a special level that we will enter to hack the key systems of the Citadel. For practical reasons, we are faced with a small ship mini game with vector graphics where you can move in all directions. We don’t really know what’s happening up there and what’s not. It’s a kind of bullet hell three-dimensional which, for me in particular, seemed a bit heavy.

When retro and modern go hand in hand

Concerning the technical part, Night diving studios created this remake of System Shock with the engine Unreal Engine 4. This is explained by Modernized graphics and a high-level lighting system. What’s curious is that the decision was made to mix the textures and pixel art style of the original game with modern lighting, shadows and special effects. This is undoubtedly a fairly risky bet and I applaud its originality. However, it all ends up giving the feeling that the game is stuck between two terrains. Personally I would have preferred that he opted for one of the two styles.

Audio-wise, it’s impressive how the music and sound manage to create an atmosphere of constant tension.. It reminded me of other titles like Dead space, where enemy noises force you to be vigilant all the time. Furthermore, there is a certain feeling of proximity in audio. A feature that scares you from time to time when you’re focused on solving a puzzle and a slimy mutant attacks you from behind.

Finally, it should also be noted excellent dubbing. The game is in English with subtitles and a Spanish interface. Most audio matches the recordings we listen to, but the big highlight is SHODAN’s monologues and threatening messages to try to stop us. His almost constant presence in the game, his megalomania and the effects of his voice, distorting the tone to suggest that it is a corrupt program, cause very bad vibrations.

Eventually

After playing for a few hours, The feeling that this version of System Shock left me with is that it is closer to a remaster than to a remake. While it is true that a new graphics engine has been used that significantly improves lighting and textures, on a playable level it still feels like a game from years ago. The oppressive horror atmosphere, intrigue and merciless SHODAN are still there. In fact, it’s the best thing about the game. But given the way the pacing, combat, and initial difficulty are planned, this return to the Citadel may be somewhat bittersweet for a lot.