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cover-System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster

Monday, July 7, 2025 6:55:25 PM

System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster Review (chocolatekake)

I really would like to recommend this, but it's such a broken and ugly mess that I can't.
If you want to play this game, I would suggest playing the original version instead. Not only is it cheaper, but it also comes with its phenomenal predecessor, System Shock (both Enhanced Edition and Classic). System Shock 2 Classic also still works just fine right out of the box and is very easy to get set up with various QOL changes thanks to the long-standing community. It also has plenty of fully functioning mods to spruce things up even more if you feel the need to.
Ugly UI changes:
- AI upscaled stuff which is just lazy
- Some new item/MFD textures are bad, with errors like extra objects poking in from outside the frame
- For some reason, they removed the software icons on the TECH screen in the stats MFD
- They also changed the text strings labeling those software upgrades, so instead of Research being shortened to RSCH, it now shows as RSRH
- The original text for most of the UI is replaced, even when playing without any mods loaded, which results in a mishmash of high and low-res assets
- Related to the above point, the maps were left almost completely untouched so they're low-res, but the callouts on the map were updated with icons that are high-res and don't even match the style of the icons on the map key
Missing/broken textures and objects with no mods loaded:
- Nightdive appear to have rebuilt the intro level and deleted all the objects in the restaurant to place their own, but didn't use any original assets, so it's just empty
- Some detail textures are missing from the first level
- Explosion FX are broken and display a pink background and stretched pixels
Mod issues:
- The modinfo.json files found in mod archives have a space for author's names, but they do not display in the menu
- What changes did Nightdive actually make with sshock2ee.kpf? Who knows, because there's no description or version number
- What does patch_ext.kpf do? Who knows, because there's no modinfo.json, so there's no description, version number, author or even a title
- The Psi Amp's generic cast FX is missing unless you play without sshock2ee.kpf loaded
- Some old mods just don't work anymore due to changes in file structure or conflicts with other, default mods
- Very poor fan mission support, such as custom cutscenes not playing and incorrect audio files playing for seemingly no reason
Co-op is not fixed as advertised:
- It doesn't seem to work over LAN
- Playing online, if somebody crashes, the save file gets completely broken and you cannot continue
- Desync can occur, resulting in phantom enemies that can't be killed
- Achievements can't be earned
Other problems:
- Plenty of keybinds are missing from the options menu, like quick using Psi/Anti-toxin Hypos and displaying the compass
- Wacky graphical glitches like objects flickering and distorted texture scaling
- I experienced plenty of crashes, many of which came from just running the game with no mods loaded, some with mods that barely changed anything and some with just the default suite of mods
- The text for one of the information kiosks in the first level is wrong, and describes hacking even though the title says it's about ammo usage
- For some reason there's no updated textures for the piles of disgusting worms, so they look very out of place
I've only played a few hours (most of my tracked time was just from testing mods and other things), so there's probably more issues than the ones I brought up. Almost all of the positives I can give this are just because the game itself was really good to begin with, or are from community patches that Nightdive did not work on.