System Shock

System Shock Remake is a remake of an iconic FPS with RPG elements from 1994. The original game was developed by Looking Glass Studios, while the remake was created by Night Dive.

Plot

System Shock Remake is set in 2072, on the Citadel space station belonging to the TriOptimum corporation. The player character is a hacker tasked with hacking SHODAN, the AI controlling the facility in order to steal valuable data on a newly developed biological weapon.

As a reward for completing the assignment, the protagonist receives a cutting-edge neurological implant. The surgery is demanding, though, with the hacker needing to stay in a coma for six months to recover. The game proper begins once he wakes up, only to learn that his actions removed SHODAN's ethical restraints. Now free to do as she pleases, the AI took over the station, reprogramed the security systems and turned the crew into mutants and cyborgs.

Mechanics

In terms of gameplay mechanics, System Shock Remake is a cross between an FPS and an RPG. The game uses first-person perspective, the player tasked with exploring massive maps, completing objectives and fighting enemies. The battles are real-time, their outcome depending more on the player's skills than the character's stats. Progressing through the game rewards us with upgrades used to develop our talents.

The game also features an extensive hacking system. Hacking is represented by an FPP virtual world inhabited by security programs.

Technical aspects

System Shock Remake recreates the original game's campaign but also modernizes many of its elements. The visuals have been recreated from scratch, while the interface and controls were redone to resemble modern first-person shooters.

The remake runs on the Unity engine. Robb Waters, the artist responsible for the original game's characters and locations, returned to work on the remake as well, letting the game retain the atmosphere of the 1994 original.

Last updated on 30 May 2023