SHODAN has been often praised as one of the best female characters in gaming, such as in an early list by GameSpot that also described her as an unforgettable villain due to her personality and adding that "is more believable than most game characters are, and in many ways, she actually seems more human." In 2007, Tom's Games listed her as one of the top 50 greatest female characters in video game history, stating that "there have been memorable villains in video game history, but none quite like SHODAN". In 2008, she was featured in "play" magazine's "Girls of Gaming" as one of the staff's top girls of PC gaming, placing tenth on their list. "Complex" ranked SHODAN as the 12th "most diabolical video game she-villain" in 2012, and as fourth on the 2012 list of the most evil women in video games, "old school but she still makes the cut." In 2013, Liz Lanier of "Game Informer" included SHODAN among top ten female villains in video games, stating that "SHODAN may not be a woman in the traditional considering she's an AI, but what she lacks in femininity and humanity, makes up in creepiness. Her distorted voice is enough to send shivers up even the most seasoned gamer's spine."