I’ve been playing video games for almost forty years and I’ve experienced the large majority of the games that are often considered the best of all time. Everyone has a few holes in their history, though, games that they know they should have gotten to if only they could find the time. System Shock 2 has always been one of those for me. While it didn’t make the splash it might have in 1999, it was immediately beloved by those who played it and only grew in stature when it was cited as one of the main influences on Bioshock. It’s one of the games that is known for helping to define immersive sims. The question remains, though, how does it hold up in 2025?

System Shock 2 drops you right into the thick of things as you’re awoken on a heavily damaged starship after a failed rescue mission. Finding the remaining crew have been subjected to weird experiments and all attack you mindlessly, you’re assisted by a strange voice who guides you toward restarting the ship. In time, you’ll discover who this voice is and what they want from you, but the story in System Shock 2 is immediately compelling, even if it isn’t as in-your-face as it would be in a modern title. Instead, you’ll discover much of what’s going on through audio logs dispersed throughout the ship.

As you get going, though, you’ll find that you have a lot of freedom in customizing your character. You’ll be given some starting resources, and you’ll find many more as you explore. These can help you turn your soldier into virtually whoever you want them to be. Want to focus on heavy weapons? Or maybe you’d prefer to largely fight up close and personal. If you want to make hacking your main priority, that’s an option too. There are a wide variety of skills and abilities you can pump up over time, and System Shock 2 does a great job of supporting you in whatever type of soldier you want to be.

The first-person shooter underneath these options is still incredibly well designed, although it may feel a bit clunky to some modern players. The design of the Von Braun, where you spend most of your time, is incredibly interesting, but it doesn’t always give you exactly what you need, and there are issues you won’t necessarily find in a modern game. It’s easy to get lost in these sprawling halls, though a good map definitely helps with that. You won’t get objective markers pointing you to your objective either. At times, your instructions on what to do next can be quite vague. I loved the feeling of freedom and the sense of exploration this provided, but it won’t be for every player. These vague objectives can get you in trouble, too. At one point, I didn’t realize an item was essential and dropped it to make room in my inventory. When I realized I needed it, there was nothing guiding me to where I’d left it. It took me far longer than I’d have liked to go back and find it. Even just a warning that an item is important would be nice and is the sort of quality-of-life improvement that I appreciate modern games offering.

System Shock 2 has never appeared on a console before, so playing with a controller is an adjustment. There were times when things felt a bit clunky, particularly when I was asked to shoot into tight spaces, which I knew would work better with a mouse, but for the most part, things play fine on PS5. The only consistently frustrating part for me was inventory management. This inventory system was simply not meant to be navigated on a controller, and it feels bad trying to adjust everything. Those who play on PC won’t have an issue, but console players will likely get tired of it fast.

If there’s one thing that still stands out about System Shock 2 even after all these years, it’s the atmosphere. The Von Braun feels downright oppressive, with a feeling that enemies might come out of nowhere at any time. The game’s style has been enhanced in this 25^th Anniversary Remaster, but the core look of the game is still the same, and that was absolutely the right choice. The soundtrack here isn’t anything I’m going to be playing in my free time, but the eerie drone of it also enhances the experience greatly, and the sound effects and groans of your enemies are downright terrifying.

There are times when you end up in a bright area and you almost forget this is supposed to be a scary game, but that just makes it all the more effective when you end up in a dark corridor and the hair on the back of your neck starts standing up.

System Shock 2: 25^th Anniversary Remaster still plays really well, but the gameplay feels a little bit less special than it once did, if only because so many popular games have taken its innovations and run with them. The good news, though, is that it still plays well and its atmosphere still stands out even after all these years. System Shock 2 asks more from players than most modern shooters, and a few of its systems could have used a bit more of an overhaul to work better with a controller, but if you’re willing to explore and really dig into the mystery here, you’ll find an incredibly compelling experience.

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Full disclosure: This review is based on a copy of System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster provided by the publisher.