System Shock

System Shock deftly returns a classic immersive shooter to its place on top of the heap, updated for nearly anyone to enjoy.

A remake that closely follows the original classic, with a slightly different overall effect.

It might be a little conservative, but this is a smart, faithful remake and easily the de facto way to play System Shock in the modern era.

It’s easy to understand why people played this game and then became obsessed with it, why you can trace some people’s careers through the game.

An oddly pitched remake that has its moments but adds very little to the original beyond a visual upgrade

Lovingly remade, this game is no longer the trailblazer it once was, but there is an enduring majesty to the design of its space-station setting

While its refusal to let you cheat the exam will prove too punishing for some, the new System Shock is a breathtakingly beautiful and astonishingly faithful remake that proves the enduring power of Looking Glass design.

Nightdive Studios may have taken seven years, but it's finally managed to do the impossible and thread the unlikely line between reboot and remake.

A hallmark of excellence. There may be flaws, but they are negligible and won't cause massive damage.

At the end of the day, System Shock is the faithful remake of a 30-year-old game, and you can feel that age in every facet of its being. In some ways, this is a tantalising look back at the game that started an entire genre, and if you've got the enthusiasm or nostalgia for immersive sims like it, then it's worth checking out for that alone. However, if you lack that nostalgic connection, then System Shock is more a showcase of how far the genre has come, rather than a spotlight on how well it's held up. System Shock may have walked so others in the genre could run, but for us, that walk is just a little too slow.