Survival horror Horror shooters and action horror Sci-fi and space horror

System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster

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Wake alone on a starship where the crew have become something else.

Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch
Stores: Steam, GOG
Price: Paid
Rated: Very Positive on Steam (88% of 2,304 reviews); Metacritic 84 (PC)
Length: about 8 to 15 hours
Players: 1, or online co-op for up to 4
Controls: Mouse and keyboard or full controller support; on a pad, equipping and reloading go through the inventory menu, which reviewers found clunky.
Made by: Nightdive Studios
Released: 2025

On PlayStation: one of the PlayStation horror games.

No. 26 of the horror games about memory loss · No. 28 of the mutant horror games · No. 13 of the spaceship horror games · No. 15 of the robot horror games · No. 18 of the artificial intelligence horror games

Get it on Steam Steam Nightdive Studios PlayStation Store Xbox Nintendo eShop GOG

What frightens You wake from cryo sleep on the starship Von Braun with no memory, and the crew are gone or changed: hybrid mutants shamble through the halls muttering, robots patrol, the cries of survivors echo through the hull, and an AI called SHODAN watches everything you do.
Content: violence, gore, disturbing imagery, jumpscares, partial nudity, strong language, alcohol and tobacco.

System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster is Nightdive Studios' remaster of the 1999 sci-fi horror classic. Waking from cryo sleep on the starship Von Braun, you explore its decks deck by deck, fighting hybrid mutants and robots with scarce gear, while a rogue AI called SHODAN shapes what happens.

About System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster

System Shock 2 was made in 1999 by Irrational Games and Looking Glass Studios and is one of the founding games of first-person sci-fi horror. Nightdive Studios rebuilt it for this 25th Anniversary Remaster, released on PC in June 2025 and on PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X|S and Nintendo Switch in July 2025, with improved models and animations, controller support, mod support and cross-play co-op.

It is the year 2114. You wake from cryo sleep aboard the faster-than-light ship Von Braun, unable to remember who or where you are, and something has gone terribly wrong. Hybrid mutants and deadly robots roam the halls, the cries of the remaining crew echo through the cold hull, and SHODAN, a rogue AI bent on the destruction of mankind, has a stake in what you do next.

You choose a military branch, the Marines, Navy or the psionic O.S.A., and build your character as you go, spending upgrades on weapons skills, hacking or psionic powers. Ammunition and health are scarce, weapons degrade, and the inventory is small, so every deck is a careful push into the dark, reading logs and emails that tell the crew's fate.

Reviewers found the ship as lonely and frightening as ever, with a sparse score and enemies that stay a real threat, while noting that the menus are clunky on a controller and that co-op loses much of the atmosphere. There are four difficulty settings, and a Vault of extras holds concept art, the original manuals and pitch, and old magazine coverage. It suits players who love Dead Space or BioShock and want to see where that kind of horror came from.

How to play System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster

Choose a branch of the military and an early specialism for your character.
Explore the Von Braun deck by deck, reading logs and emails for codes and clues.
Fight mutants and robots with what you find, and keep weapons repaired and ammunition topped up.
Spend upgrade points on weapons, hacking, psionics or survival skills.
Save often; there is no autosave.

Screenshots

System Shock 2 remaster screenshot: two bloodied hybrid mutants, one with a shotgun and one with a pipe, close in on the player, who holds a grenade, in a storage room lined with lockers

System Shock 2 remaster screenshot: a mutated woman in a dark bodysuit stands by a large egg-like growth on a blue-lit deck near a security station

System Shock 2 remaster screenshot: a bulky blue security robot patrols a purple-lit deck of the starship

System Shock 2 remaster screenshot: a dark figure with red eyes stalks a dim corridor as the player raises a rifle

System Shock 2 remaster screenshot: a fleshy creature beside clusters of egg sacs in a red and purple organic passage, the player aiming a heavy gun

System Shock 2 remaster screenshot: the player fires a shotgun at a skeletal android among rows of robot pods

System Shock 2 remaster screenshot: a tan maintenance robot rolls down a corridor past plant beds under a Security Control Station sign

Tips

Save before every new area and every fight you are unsure of.
Listen to audio logs; many hold door codes.
Pick a focus for your skills rather than spreading points thin.
Turn off security cameras and alarms before they call in robots.
Hacking is a short node minigame; use it to open locked doors and shut down cameras.
Play alone the first time; reviewers found co-op fun but much less frightening.

Questions

Is System Shock 2 a horror game?

Yes. It is a first-person sci-fi shooter and RPG, but its dead ship, mutated crew and scarce resources make it one of the classic survival horror games.

What platforms is the remaster on?

PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch.

How long is System Shock 2?

Around 8 to 15 hours for a first play, depending on difficulty and how much you explore.

Can I play System Shock 2 in co-op?

Yes, the remaster adds cross-play online co-op, though most play it alone.

Is System Shock 2 very scary?

It is a slow, tense kind of fear: a dark, quiet ship, scarce ammunition and mutated crew who stay dangerous all game. It has some sudden scares, gore and disturbing imagery, and is rated M by the ESRB and 16 by PEGI.