How long is the System Shock remake?

How quickly can you climb the lost Citadel?

The game over screen on System Shock remake
Screenshot by Dot Esports

If you intend to play through the System Shock remake in Normal mode, you may be wondering just how long it takes to defeat SHODAN and save Earth without any hints on where you’re meant to go.

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Get your pen and paper out and brace yourself for a journey across the entire Citadel Station. Here is everything you need to know about the System Shock remake’s time to beat.

How long does it take to beat the System Shock remake?

SHODAN appearing on broadcast after destroying four security cams
How long will it take you to defeat SHODAN? Screenshot by Dot Esports

System Shock‘s remake should take you approximately 20 hours to complete the main story. For completionists looking to find everything System Shock has to offer, you will need to dedicate a further 10 hours, totaling 30 hours of gameplay.

System Shock remake offers melee weapons and firearms to find and upgrade, collectible items such as audio logs and files for lore and general guidance on where you’re meant to go, alongside an entire map for each Citadel Station deck that is fully explorable with the accumulated Access Card.

The main story sees you ascend the Citadel Station from Medical to Bridge, with 13 levels for you to visit, explore to your heart’s content, and figure out ways to reduce SHODAN’s security to zero percent on all floors.

An abandoned Cyberspace with no enemies in System Shock.
Things speed up in the Cyberspace. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Your chosen difficulty will also determine how long it takes you to beat System Shock. Choosing Hard mode for your first playthrough is guaranteed to extend your playtime duration, compared to those who selected Easy mode. As Mission level one offers objective markers that pinpoint the way you need to head throughout the entire story, it is highly likely you beat this game within the 10 to 15-hour mark.

In contrast, playing through System Shock on Hard mode will likely increase your playthrough completion time by 10 hours, totaling to a 30-hour runtime (if you’re not attempting to 100 percent complete every level of the Citadel Station). System Shock‘s Normal mode doesn’t include objective waypoints as its default setting. This means that you have to figure out where to go based on any information acquired from data sticks, audio logs, and employee files.

Finally, it is achievable to complete the System Shock remake within 10 hours as the Hard mode achievement asks this from anyone brave enough to set all difficulty categories to three.

Author
Image of Hadley Vincent
Hadley Vincent
Writer for Dot since Oct. 2023. Just a Psychology graduate trying to find the meaning of life through gaming. An enthusiast of indie horror and anime, where you'll often find them obsessing over a great narrative and even better twists that'd make M. Night jealous. Their shocking twist? They think The Last of Us II is a masterpiece.