Like Bloober Team was trying to fit as many trippy effects and detail at once. While System Redux brings in some fantastic visuals to a game that already looked pretty great, a lot of what’s on screen in Observer feels overdone and cramped. Screenshot: Observer: System Redux (Captured on PC) Some games really get these types of sequences right, but I’m not a fan of Bloober Team’s attempts, and it’s no different in Observer: System Redux. These are done in the typical modern horror cat and mouse style, and while they can be tense it’s mostly out of frustration than enjoyment. And as with most modern horror games, you don’t really have the ability to fight: there really isn’t combat, though there are sections where you have to avoid enemies. It’s a bit like a point and click adventure in that-a highly stylized, horror-themed adventure. Observer is at its best when it has you solving puzzles and investigating. I had to turn on the closed captions to understand a lot of the dialogue. I wish I could say that the late Rutger Hauer really carries Observer, but his performance is mostly subdued, and mumbled. Most of the game consists of walking around the maze-like tenement building, looking for clues, interacting with tenants, and solving puzzles. You search for him in a rundown apartment building (where most of the game takes place) and must use your investigative powers-both in the real world, and in the cyber world-to discover the fate of your son. Not much is known about Daniel besides what kicks off the story: his son, Adam, has gone missing. Rutger Hauer’s Daniel Lazarski is the vehicle for the story, and it’s through his eyes you see the world. And those people live in abject poverty and fear in a world overcome with horrible body modifications and nightmare inducing neural implants. Taking place in the year 2084, Observer features a particularly dark cyberpunk future where a techno virus killed thousands, and an ensuing war ensured that corporations held the most power over the people. If that sounds dark, that’s only the tip of the dystopian iceberg. You play as an Observer-a specialized police officer with the ability to hack into people’s minds as a sort of advanced interrogation. Observer: System Redux is an adventure game with a heavy psychological horror aspect. (See our coverage for Observer: System Redux here) but it’s only now that System Redux has made its way to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One-and it’s just now that I’m finally getting around to playing it. Late last year the System Redux version released with new gameplay, including new quests, new secrets, new interactions, added mechanics, etc. It had a great dark cyberpunk direction, and even had the great Rutger Hauer lend his voice and image as the game’s lead. Releasing back in 2017 as a follow-up to developer Bloober Team’s acclaimed Layers of Fear, Observer felt like a heavy hitter. Observer (sometimes >observer_) has had an interesting journey.
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