System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster review - A terrifying immersive sim that's ambitious even today

Originally released in 1999, System Shock 2 has garnered a reputation for paving the way for modern immersive sims as an evolution of the 1994 predecessor game. As such, it is often hailed as one of the greatest games of all time, and now with an all-new remaster, System Shock 2 has been revitalized for modern platforms.

Does this claim hold even 25 years after its launch, or is it a dated relic that is best left forgotten? Let's explore that in our full review of System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster.

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System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster is still a memorable relic of ImmSim and horror design

Before the journey begins (Image via Nightdive Studios

For the uninitiated, System Shock 2 is a sci-fi first-person action RPG with immersive sim and survival horror elements. The premise sees players step into the boots of a soldier who finds themselves aboard the Von Braun, a starship in the year 2114, after completing their training.

After receiving a distress signal from the nearby planet, Tau Ceti V, things go awry, as the ship is overrun by an alien hive mind known as "The Many", which has spread across the vessel and either killed or mutated its residents into violent husks. As if that wasn't bad enough, the malicious AI Shodan from the previous game returns as well.

After waking up from cryo-stasis, the player must now contend with both problems while finding a way out of this mess. This makes for an interesting, albeit fairly straightforward, and sometimes predictable narrative. Still, the gameplay is king here, which is why the game has been so popular for so long. Before diving into gameplay details, let's look at some interesting backstory about the game.

Danger lurks aboard the Von Braum (Image via Nightdive Studios)

System Shock 2 was a joint development project between two development studios: Looking Glass Studios, known for Ultima, Thief, and Deus Ex, as well as the original System Shock, and Irrational Games, which would later go on to create a spiritual successor to System Shock 2 — none other than the BioShock series under publisher 2K.

As such, elements across most of the aforementioned games can be seen and felt in System Shock 2. The first and most significant one is the game's steep challenge and zero hand-holding, outside of the brief intro tutorial, which I highly recommend everyone sit through — otherwise, players are bound to be utterly and thoroughly lost.

This is because, after waking up in the Med Bay upon selection of the class of choice (between Marine, Navy, and O.S.A.), players will be left to their own devices. Minus the brief story beats giving players a hint to the next checkpoint, they must figure everything out for themselves — from what to do and how to proceed.

Explore every inch of the ship carefully (Image via Nightdive Studios)

This involves carefully reading every info screen and audio/text log, clicking on everything interactive, and checking out every nook and cranny to gain every possible advantage against the nefarious aliens and SHODAN, the latter of which will taunt the player at every turn once unveiled shortly into the story.

This is where the survival horror elements kick in; ammo is scarce, enemies lurk around nearly every corner, and a feeling of oppressive dread and isolation that is hard to shake off follows the player everywhere. For a game that isn't explicitly a horror game, it does a remarkable job of inducing the fear of the unknown.

The eerie beep-bops and hisses of the machinery around the station, coupled with the deranged moans and groans of the organic and robotic foes, also drive that point home further. Nothing was more terrifying during the early game than being spotted by a turret, which sent a horde of zombies towards me. Exercising caution at every step is key, as System Shock 2 does not pull any punches.

Items will often be hidden away in hard-to-reach places like this; use Psionic telekinesis to grab them or get to the location via an overhead vent (Image via Nightdive Studios)

Most of the players' time will be spent navigating the labyrinthine ship's interiors to gather resources and find ways to progress — and perhaps find any survivors. This is also where System Shock 2 shines, as players can approach problem-solving as they see fit.

From breaking glass to enter obstructions rooms to hacking terminals to disable the ship's security, players will be a busy little bee trying to platform across areas, recharge batteries to open new locations, and track down key codes. In that sense, System Shock 2 is more or less a Metroidvania-lite game, replete with environmental storytelling that can be easy to miss.

Those who find the firearms and melee combat too generic for their tastes will want to pick up the Psionic Amplifier, a portable neural link device that not only acts like a peashooter but also allows using psychic abilities — like telekinesis, invisibility, and more. Of course, the increasing cost of upgrades will make a "sci-fi mage" build challenging, but that is part of the charm.

At the end of the day, however, all kinds of playstyles are viable, albeit at a minor cost.

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A world of horror and jank

The user interface can be a pain to get used to at first (Image via Nightdive Studios)

Given the game's age, System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster is an understandably janky game despite the improvements. Thankfully, it does not take long to adjust to the clunky movement, shooting, and mechanics, but the same cannot be said for its progression balancing.

While players will assign stats throughout the story by spending Cyber Modules, they are permanent, with no way to refund changes. Players who do not have a specific build in mind may find themselves struggling later on if they spread themselves too thin.

Combat, while simple, is also frustrating at times (Image via Nightdive Studios)

As such, the safest way is to just bonk everything that can be feasibly taken down with melee; these do not degrade like normal firearms do, and the enemy AI is easy to kite around for swatting at even though the hitboxes are bad. For the harder foes, like the turrets and robots and pesky ones like cameras and spiders, saving up ammo via energy weapons or the standard pistol is key.

Using the Psi abilities can be cumbersome, too, since players must manually switch between a pop-up menu to use different powers, and the same is true for the generic inventory system. Still, those who manage to stick through the jank will be met with a delightful experience that is equal parts unsettling and superbly ambitious, given its two-decade-old roots.

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Graphics, performance, and sound

The presentation stays true to the original's vision (Image via Nightdive Studios)

System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster, true to its name, is fundamentally the same game from 1999, just polished and up-resed for modern platforms. Developer Nightdive Studios has brought this classic into their own in-house Kex Engine that they have used for remasters of other older classic re-releases, like Quake 1 & 2, Turok 3 Remastered, The Thing Remastered, and more.

As such, fans expecting a major visual overhaul, like the studio's previous effort, System Shock remake, will be disappointed. Still, although the game looks visually dated, the presentation is crisp and clean with high-resolution textures, updated assets, and animations authentic to the original visual presentation. This means performance is rock solid across the board at the highest graphics settings.

I did notice some visual bugs during my playthrough, such as flickering textures that sometimes jut out at odd angles. There is also a full-fledged co-op for four players, allowing those who find the adventure daunting or overwhelming to tackle it with a friend. While I did not get to test it myself, some netizens reported major issues in co-op, like corrupted saves after crashing and invincible foes, so be wary.

The graphics settings are also lackluster for a remaster. On the flip side, however, the sound is excellent, featuring a cleaned-up melody of ambient and electronic tunes that are welcome earworms even today. If there is one thing System Shock 2 excels at with flying colors, it is the atmosphere, and the soundtrack helps elevate this to a new level. Lastly, mod support is also included for those interested in further tweaking the experience as they see fit.

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In conclusion

Despite lacking some quality-of-life adjustments, this System Shock 2 remaster is a decent effort (Image via Nightdive Studios)

Those who were not impressed by the original will not have their minds changed by the System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster in the slightest, as it is the same tough, janky, and technical RPG it was before. Developer Nightdive Studios' latest effort is certainly not their most ambitious, as they have gone above and beyond in the past with the System Shock Remake.

However, it is a successful step forward in highlighting an important relic in the history of gaming as a testament to ambitious game design and creepy atmosphere, which impresses despite its age and holds up well even today. Outside of true successors like Prey (2017), there's quite nothing like it out there, making System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster worth a try at least once.

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System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster

Our final verdict (Image via Sportskeeda/Nightdive Studios)

Reviewed on: PC (Code provided by Nightdive Studios)

Platform(s): PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch

Developer(s): Nightdive Studios, Looking Glass Studios, Irrational Games

Publisher(s): Nightdive Studios

Release Date: June 26, 2025