videogamescritic
← all games
Observer: System Redux

Observer: System Redux

Bloober Team, Anshar Studios · released Nov 10, 2020

AdventureIndie

A first‑person cyberpunk horror detective story set in a decaying, neon‑scarred future. As an Observer who invades minds to hunt for clues, you will sift through corrupted memories to track down a mysterious killer and confront your own dark past.

78
VGC Score
Declininghigh confidence
82%
At launch
85%
Steam all-time
80%
Press
74%
Recent sentiment

Screenshots & trailers

Review sentiment over time

Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.

How this score was computed

The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.

ComponentPositiveQuality (0-100)Weight (pseudo-reviews)
Press reviews (OpenCritic)8051
All-time Steam reviews85%781000
Metacritic user ratings0
Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted)74%7012
Calibration prior (typical game)7250

Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 34 reviews sampled · 29 total reviews in window · weighted 17.2 up / 6.2 down · computed 1h ago · full methodology →

Press & Creators reviews (74)

Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.

  • 60
    trust 79Nov 24, 2020

    If you like police procedurals or walking sims, Observer: System Redux is essentially a collaborative wired hybrid of the two. Tying both these genres together, Redux’s augmented bulk is held in place by a murder mystery that consumes the bulk of this 6-8 hour game. If that sounds like your jam, Observer: System Redux is definitely worth a play - and it's incredibly pretty too. For everyone else on the fence, Redux's gameplay leaves a lot to be desired and is probably a better option to rent than outright buy.

    read full review ↗
  • 60
    trust 78Nov 24, 2020

    If you ignore all the needless meddling with graphic options in the console versions of the game, you can call Observer: System Redux a pretty good remaster, with some great visuals and a portion of a completely new content. But at the same time System Redux carries on every single problem the original release had, basically being yet another walking sim. It's quite likely that Observer: System Redux will take its place among some other games, that no one will ever remember a year from now.

    read full review ↗
  • 90
    trust 78Dec 27, 2020

    Observer: System Redux is a perfect game for you if you are searching for a strong story and a world that lives its own life with many secrets left for you to uncover. Puzzles are difficult just enough and scary sections are also worth it, although sometimes they won't scare you that much.

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    trust 76Sep 4, 2021

    Observer: System Redux from Polish studio Bloober Team is undoubtedly a great psychological horror game from the future. It offers you a good story, nice visuals and a nerve-wracking dark atmosphere, which may not quite reach the more experienced horror gamers. Despite the overall quality, we have to mention a few flaws, which include the same old gameplay, repetitive quests and various overdone effects that may not impress some players. All in all, however, we can definitely recommend Observer: System Redux!

    read full review ↗
  • 90
    trust 76Jun 16, 2026

    Observer: System Redux is an excellent sci-fi murder mystery that packs a lot of detail into a tight narrative package, bursting with reverence for the genre but adding a dark horror twist that offers a compelling exploration of well-trodden themes.

    read full review ↗
  • 70
    trust 72Dec 2, 2020

    The story is engaging and filled with noir goodness, the gameplay added to the feeling I was a memory hacking detective, and the visuals felt straight out of one of my favorite 80s movies. But the absolutely relentless and aggressive lights and patterns that invade the game a few hours in made it a hard game to finish. Because of this I still recommend it, but with a large and bold asterisk.

    read full review ↗
  • 73
    trust 70Jun 17, 2026

    While this is absolutely a far superior version of the game to play versus its original Switch port, in the gameplay department it’s still an acquired taste

    read full review ↗
  • 70
    trust 70Mar 8, 2021

    Overall, Observer: System Redux is a great pickup for those looking to see just exactly how well their shiny new consoles can perform, as well as having an interesting experience to boot (you know, like a computer). Environments are beautiful in a truly depressing, atmospheric manner, and lead Rutger Hauer really makes the effort to portray a downtrodden detective tired of the new cybernetic world order. This is a clear pick up for fans of psychological horror drama, looking for a few jump scares and… uncomfortable-ness over a few hours. For the rest, however, it's an interesting experiment that perhaps could benefitted from less of the shocks and more of the Detective chops.

    read full review ↗
  • 70
    trust 69Nov 25, 2020

    Observer: System Redux is a legitimately impressive overhaul. At long last, the PS5 has allowed Bloober Team's ambitions with this title to be properly realized. New quests slot into the experience wonderfully, Rutger Hauer's performance remains impeccable, and the game just generally has a lot more to offer this time out. While an overreliance on jump scares and a plot desperately in need of some trimming hold the experience back from true greatness, Observer's fancy new PS5 incarnation at long last feels like the title it was originally intended to be.

    read full review ↗
  • 65
    trust 69Nov 29, 2020

    A solid pick for walking simulator fans, but others will find a shallow game hidden behind the excellent audio/visual presentation.

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    trust 68Dec 3, 2020

    Observer is still a fascinating game with a compelling story and some really interesting set pieces that both confuse, scare, and bring out emotion. Fans of the adventure genre, especially ones that include investigation and a great cyberpunk coat of paint on it, should pick this one up. Players that already own the original version of Observer may want to think twice if they’re looking for a high-profile visual upgrade. While it’s no slouch in the graphics department, I don’t know if it’s worth double dipping for that.

    read full review ↗
  • 85
    trust 67Nov 23, 2020

    Observer: System Redux is a welcome update. At first I questioned why we were getting it so soon after the initial game’s release only a few years ago, but those concerns abated rather quickly. Small quality of life improvements to the gameplay make the experience less frustrating this time around, the additional missions are well-done and welcome additions and enough cannot be said about how much better the visuals look this time around. As someone who enjoyed the game when it first released, I did not regret my second time with it here. If you missed Observer three years ago and dig cyberpunk themes, you really do need to check this title out.

    read full review ↗

…and 62 more tracked reviews.

Patch history