System Shock Remake: Everything We Know

To say the 1994 video game System Shock is an incredible game is an understatement. It is more than that. In fact, it paved the way for modern action RPG titles to rise. Many of System Shock's features are de rigueur in today's sci-fi shooters. This is especially true since the game is a spiritual predecessor to Thief, Dead Space, and Theo. 

In an attempt to pay homage to the classic first-person shooter, Nightdive Studios is releasing a remake under the same name. The remake would have come sooner if it wasn't for the hurdle the studio experienced with crowdfunding. But with that out of the way now, fans can re-experience the quintessential classic in a modern and revamped way. If you want to learn more, here's everything we could gather on the upcoming System Shock Remake.

What is System Shock Remake?

Systems Shock is a soon-to-be-released first-person action-adventure game by Nightdive Studios. The game is a reboot of the classic System Shock, developed in 1994 by Looking Glass Studios. The journey to the remake has been challenging, with its Kickstarter campaign starting in June 2016. The development hit a snag in 2018 and was put on hold. The massive setback is a testament to the risks of crowdfunding and how unpredictable game development can be. But we are glad that it is water under the bridge now. Moreover, things definitely look promising after Nightdive Studios released the game's demo in February 2021.

Story

As a reboot of the original, we expect the game will closely follow the initial storyline detailed in the 1994 classic. However, the game's director cites that the game will not be a direct recreation but a faithful reboot incorporating modern design techniques. Here's a refresher on the initial System Shock storyline.

Set in a futuristic year, an unnamed hacker lands in hot soup after attempting to hack files on the Citadel Station. The space station is under the ownership of the highly influential TriOptimum Corporation. 

In a twist of events, instead of getting detained for his actions, an executive at the corporation opts to strike an illegal deal with the hacker. The dea l- hack and steal an experimental mutagenic virus that the corrupt official intends to sell on the black market. In exchange, the hacker gets his freedom and a neural implant that sweetens the deal. 

Soon after the hack, things go awry. The artificial intelligence controlling the ship goes berserk and reprograms all the robots aboard for hostility. Part of the crew has been mutilated, while others transformed into cyborgs. Now the hacker has to engineer his way out of the ship alive. This is where the adventure begins. 

In the new title, players will have the task of saving Earth from looming doom. All this will happen aboard the Citadel Station. 

Gameplay

System Shock Remake is an action-adventure that features RPG elements. The game is played from the first-person perspective, where you take control of a hacker aboard the Citadel Station. The game's storyline is non-linear, giving players the freedom to progress in the game however they wish. 

Your actions in the game will directly impact its outcome. This gives room for creative problem-solving in the wake of a crisis that threatens the future of planet Earth. Moreover, combat is imminent, with players having the option of ranged and melee weapons. You may also use the environment to your advantage. However, this largely depends on the skills your character possesses. 

It's unclear whether character customization will be available, but we certainly hope that Dermal Patches will return. In the original title, the patches grant additional skills to the character, such as increased melee attack and regeneration.

Development

After the closure of Looking Glass Studios, the mastermind behind the original title, Nightdive Studios, acquired rights to the game's sequel in 2012. This gave the studio leeway to produce digital game versions compatible with modern consoles. Later on, the studio acquired the rights to the whole System Shock franchise.

In 2015, the studio announced the remake's development using the Unity engine, but later changed to Unreal Engine 4. The team opted to retain the game's title. As the CEO Stephen Kick cites, the reason for this is that “we felt that the amount of passion and resources that we are putting into this game elevated it beyond the expectations that someone would have for a remaster. This is a full-fledged reboot of a classic game into something new.”

A year later, the studio started a Kickstarter campaign to raise $900,000. It only took a month for the studio to meet this goal and exceed it by raising a total of $1.35 million. With enough funds to get things going, Nightdive hit a major hurdle caused by the switch from Unity engine to Unreal Engine 4. Chris Avellone's exit also contributed to the snag, forcing the team to return to the drawing board.

The studio experienced a series of announced release dates that were later missed, and the game's release was pushed forward. However, it now seems development is on track, and the game is set for release soon.

Trailers

Nightdive Studios showcased the first trailer, which highlighted the prototype's gameplay. However, a year later, following the switch in engines, the developer released a subsequent pre-alpha trailer that captured the initial content much better than the previous trailer.

The most recent trailer was showcased during the Gamescom awards 2022, which gives more insight into what you should expect once the game drops. The trailer starts with the voice of SHODAN and also showcases gameplay, cutscenes, and the great visual difference between the remake and the original game. 

Release Date, Platforms & Editions

System Shock Remake will launch on PC on May 30, 2023, through Epic Games Store and Steam. The game will also be available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X, but the developers are yet to give a date for release on the console platforms. 

For more information on the System Shock Remake launch, you can follow the official social feed here. If anything interesting pops up between now and its release, we'll be sure to fill you in on all the details right here on gaming.net.

So, what's your take? Will you be picking up a copy of System Shock Remake when it drops? Let us know your thoughts over on socials here.