System Shock
In 2016 , Nightdive Studios launched a successful Kickstarter fundraiser to remake the originalSystem Shockwith thinning - edge graphics and modernized gameplay .
BeforePrey(2017 ) , beforetheBioshockfranchise , before evenSystem Shock 2 , there was the original " shock":System seismic disturbance , a optical fusion of sci - fi action and cyberpunk revulsion released by Looking Glass Studios in 1994 . eschew that epoch ’s trend of action - packed first - person shooter games , System Shockinnovated by prioritize story development and exploration . A presentiment mystery permeates each form of address in the " impact " line of descent and the iconic bit in theBioshockandPreyfranchises can be traced back to this plot serial publication .
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Nightdive ’s rage and deep sympathy of these games ( first illustrate when the studio apartment producedSystem Shock : Enhanced Edition ) has bring in them full creative rights to the franchise . Here ’s a look at the current status of theSystem Shockremakeand how its developers whelm product issues and quandaries of creative visual sensation to get the secret plan back on track for a Fall 2020 release .
The previous demonstration for theSystem Shockremake , privately released for backers in December 2019 , illustrates Nightdive Studio ’s commitment to giving the originalSystem Shocka modern touch . Pipe in bridge player , the participant character creeps through the Granville Stanley Hall of Citadel Station ’s medical deck , sneaking past mutants and uncongenial robots . The glitching voice of SHODAN , the station ’s deranged AI , taunts the instrumentalist from every sieve , and her security cameras swivel to follow their every move before being smash into junk . The level excogitation is strange by modern standard . The space station ’s halls are cramp and cube-shaped , the enemies slightly cartoonish in proportions . It feel like the original 1994System Shockliberated from its pixellated graphics and bunglesome controls , which was the original invention goal of Nightdive Studios back when they first launched their Kickstarter .
Nightdive Studios has a long chronicle with theSystem Shockseries . Their first freeing was anupdated re - let go ofSystem Shock 2 , another critically acclaimed sci - fi repulsion game that had come to the roadside after the closure of expect Glass Studios . Nightdive shortly build its report porting former games to lam on modern systems . AfterSystem Shock : Enhanced Edition , Nightdive launch a Kickstarter fundraiser toremakeSystem Shockin the advanced Unity Enginewhile make the controls , HUD , and pose more visceral for modern players .
After raising over $ 1.3 million , the developer at Nightdive Studios built up their originalSystem shock absorber remake demonstration , adding more enemy , rooms , and iconic weapons . As yield go forward , the developer ’s aspiration grew : first , to switch from the Unity Engine to the more diagrammatically capable Unreal Engine . Next , they aimed to tot up Modern foeman , weapons , gameplay machinist , and minor environmental detail that would make the floor of Citadel Station come alive .
A Much-Needed “Shock to the System”
The developer of theSystem Shockremake had stumble into " scope creep " , a common Kickstarter job where originative visions expand beyond budget allowance . After promising too many fresh thing to both backer and rooter of the franchise , Nightdive took a respite to rethink their creative direction . For a time , fans were disturbed that the projection would fall apart entirely , but in April 2018 , Stephen Kick , chief operating officer of Nightdive Studios , released an update excuse his fellowship ’s new direction : to return to their original goal of creating a modernizedSystem Shock . Despite scale back their originative vision , Stephen assured backers that the exploitation team would still be able-bodied to " re - use the absolute majority of work we ’ve done over the preceding year " , applying the assets developed in the Unreal Engine to make an updatedSystem Shockexperience .
TheSystem Shockremake live on this troubled stage of production in the main due to the forthrightness of its developers . Throughout the process , they ’ve been open with their fans and backers , sharing System Shock concept nontextual matter , designs , and using regular backer survey to gauge their fanbase ’s interests . While the much - hypedSystem Shock 3sequelhas dissolved , Nightdive Studio ’s commitment to transparentness and their core goal not only saved theSystem Shockremake but seems to be propelling this remastered biz swiftly towards the destination line .
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generator : Vice , The System Shock Remake Kickstarter