Developer: Bloober Team SA
Publisher: Aspyr
Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
Tested on: PS5
Observer: System Redux – Review
Back in 2017 and 2019 we took a closer look at Observer for the PC and Switch respectively. The game, with the legendary Rutger Hauer, proved to be a very interesting cyberpunk horror experience. While the PlayStation 5 version still remains very much the same, albeit, with some small improvements to be relevant for the new generation of consoles, it doesn’t bring that much new to the table for those who already own it. As we have already done two full reviews on the game, we will only discuss the current improvements, as well as some issues that arose during our playthrough. If you wish to check our original PC review, click here. For our Switch review, click here.
The System Redux version of Observer is the upgraded version of the original. You’ll basically get the same game, albeit with better visuals and some expanded story and gameplay elements. If you have played other games developed by Bloober Team, we’re pretty sure you’ll also like this one. While Blair Witch was a bit of a letdown for us, the Layers of Fear games have been amazing experiences, and Observer somewhat feels like the latter. You’ll have that feeling that something is always lurking about, but you can never put your finger on it. The game is very atmospheric in nature, and this is actually a lot better than just relying on jump-scares for a horror game. We have to note that Observer is somewhat less linear than Layers of Fear, as you can engage in a fair amount of side objectives, lengthening the experience a bit. The latter can be viewed as positive, but at times it’s also a bit unclear what you actually have to do. Even when getting multiple objectives, you sometimes have to clear one first, before the other one actually works. This actually happens quite early in the game, even with the aforementioned second objective already open and available.
The glitchy interface of the game has a nice vibe to it, but it can also irk certain players after a while, especially those who already have issues focusing on certain parts of the game. This makes the menus sometimes a bit illegible, making it hard to even read certain objectives. While most of the time you’ll manage just fine, it can be somewhat hard to process things after a long and hard day of work. Other than that, we noticed a fair amount of clipping issues and the overall game does not immediately scream ‘next generation’. Don’t get us wrong, the game looks very good, but it gets most of its appeal from the general atmosphere and the construction of its story.
It is claimed the game has been built from the ground up, and we do see a lot of improvements in how everything looks and can believe that a lot of work was put into this version, and it shows. Other than the normal content, you’ll also get some extended story portions, which are certainly a plus, especially if you have not played the game yet. If you have, it’s worth considering if this extended version will do that much for you, especially at full price.
Conclusion
Observer: System Redux is a great game if you have not played the original yet. If you have, there’s not that much to justify the current asking price of the game. Nonetheless, the System Redux version can easily be considered as the definitive version, and it will not get much better than this. We hope the developers present us with a second story in this universe, which will sadly have to happen without the recently deceased Rutger Hauer in the lead. If you have played the other versions before, either wait for a significant price drop, or skip it. If you have not played the game yet, get this version, as it is most definitely the best version out there.
Observer: System Redux - Review,
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[…] developer Bloober Team has announced that the physical version of their cyberpunk thriller title, Observer: System Redux will be delayed by one week. This pushes the official release to July 23rd. Bloober Team will […]
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