Observer: System Redux Review

Observer: System Redux is set in 2084 and tells the story of Daniel Lazarski, an elite investigator of the future who can hack into the minds of suspects thanks to his Dream Eater device. It will allow Lazarski to extract clues and evidence as anything they felt, thought, or remembered can be used to solve the case.

In this dystopian future, our protagonist Daniel Lazarski has a handful of nifty gadgets at his disposal that will help him find the one responsible for the killings in the apartment building along with finding his son. Lazarski has a few tools that would make even Batman jealous. With his EM vision, he can analyze electronic equipment, and Bio Vision will help him identify biological materials like blood. Night Vision will obviously allow him to see better in the dark and finally, technology allows him to plug into a chip in dead people’s brains to explore their memories.

Given the developer behind this, Bloober Team, Observer: System Redux is a narrative-focused gaming experience that moves at a really slow pace. But on the flip side, it will make you use your nogging and think as it’s filled with puzzles and requires exploration to help you progress through the story. Once you arrive on a crime scene, much like the Caped Crusader, you’ll need to make use of all your gadgets to find clues and solve the mystery.

A nifty mechanic that gives the game an added twist is that our protagonist is prone to anxiety and needs to control his breathing and thinking in order to think straight, so he needs to take medications to keep things under control. But these medications have added side effects that cause him to hallucinate causing players to doubt if what the character is seeing is real or a simple hallucination.

As expected from Bloober Team, Observer: System Redux moves at a snail’s pace and will definitely not be for everyone and can lead to frustration. This also means if you’re an impatient gamer, you’ll definitely need a walkthrough. While there aren’t many issues with the game, a game’s pace often makes or breaks for a lot of players. The other thing is until you get to “know” your tools, crime scenes are more often than not trial and error scenarios as you swap out tools figuring out which one to use and when.

One of the game’s strongest aspects is definitely its presentation. The game looks great; Bloober Team managed to craft a wonderfully creepy cyberpunk atmospheric setting. The environments are dark, drab, and uneasy to navigate through because you’re always expecting something to jump out of somewhere. The audio side of things is also top-notch here as it’s perfectly immersive, especially with headphones. The Voiceover work is also well done.

Unfortunately, Observer: System Redux targets only a small audience of gamers because of its slow pace and its reliance of puzzle-solving. The atmosphere is great, both visually and auditorily, but that’s not what is going to convert gamers who prefer a more action-oriented gaming experience. If you enjoy games like Sherlock Holmes or are a fan of Bloober Team in general, you’ll enjoy this HD re-release of Observer. But if you’re a fan of Call of Duty or Devil May Cry games, this is an easy pass.