System Shock | |
---|---|
Genre(s) | First-person shooter |
Developer(s) |
|
Publisher(s) |
|
Composer(s) |
|
Platform(s) | |
First release | System Shock September 23, 1994 |
Latest release | System Shock May 30, 2023 |
System Shock is a science fiction video game series originally created by Looking Glass Technologies. It consists of System Shock , System Shock 2, and the 2023 System Shock remake. A third main entry, System Shock 3, has been announced.
The games undersold sales expectations but have become cult classics, and have inspired numerous games such as BioShock, Deus Ex, and Prey .
The series remained dormant until Nightdive Studios, [2] a game developer dedicated to re-releasing classic video games, acquired the rights to re-release both games in 2012. [3]
1994 | System Shock |
---|---|
1995 | |
1996 | |
1997 | |
1998 | |
1999 | System Shock 2 |
2000 | |
2001 | |
2002 | |
2003 | |
2004 | |
2005 | |
2006 | |
2007 | |
2008 | |
2009 | |
2010 | |
2011 | |
2012 | |
2013 | |
2014 | |
2015 | System Shock: Enhanced Edition |
2016 | |
2017 | |
2018 | |
2019 | |
2020 | |
2021 | |
2022 | |
2023 | System Shock (remake) |
TBA | System Shock 2: Enhanced Edition |
System Shock 3 |
System Shock was developed by Looking Glass Studios and published by Origin Systems for the MS-DOS, Mac OS, and PC-98. In it, the player controls a hacker who is caught attempting to steal files from the TriOptimum Corporation and is taken to Citadel Station, and cooperates with Edward Diego, an executive from the aforementioned company, to remove the station's AI, SHODAN's ethical constraints in exchange for a military-grade neural implant. For which the hacker is placed into a six month coma. The game starts as the hacker awakens from his slumber to discover that SHODAN has commandeered the ship.
System Shock 2 was co-developed by Looking Glass Studios and the newly founded Irrational Games for Windows, and later OS X and Linux. The game takes place in the starship of the Von Braun, where a hivemind known as the Many begins infecting the crew.
The game was critically acclaimed for its atmosphere, gameplay, and story. However, the game under-performed, and the series went on a hiatus. [4] [5]
Nightdive Studios acquired the rights to the series in 2012, and three years later, released an updated version of System Shock titled System Shock: Enhanced Edition. It includes features such as an updated mouselook and resolution. The engine was later updated to the KEX engine. [6]
Shortly after the release of System Shock: Enhanced Edition, Nightdive opened a Kickstarter campaign to fund a remake of the first game. The campaign's funding goal was $900,000; in the month-long campaign, they raised over $1.35 million, surpassing the original goal by over $450,000. The remake faced numerous development issues, and has switched engine from Unity to Unreal Engine 4. [7] [8] It released for Windows in May 2023, and will later release on consoles.
A port and remaster of System Shock 2 on the KEX engine is planned as a pre-order bonus alongside the System Shock remake. Multiple models from the remaster have been shown on Nightdive's Twitter account. [9]
System Shock 3 was announced in 2015. Multiple attempts of a sequel to System Shock 2 have failed. [10] However, OtherSide Entertainment has received the rights to create a new game. The game takes place in a TriOptimum Blacksite during 2089.
The game's status is unknown, as Warren Spector, the founder of OtherSide has stated that they haven't worked on the game since 2019, and since they approached Tencent for financing, it is up to them about what happens to System Shock 3. [11]
A live-action science fiction horror drama series was announced in 2021. The show will be available for Binge, a streaming service centered on video game-based projects. Allan Ungar, with Nightdive's Larry Kuperman and Stephen Kick producing. By 2022 Greg Russo was attached to direct the series in his directorial debut. [12]
System Shock is a 1994 first-person action-adventure video game developed by LookingGlass Technologies and published by Origin Systems. It was directed by Doug Church with Warren Spector serving as producer. The game is set aboard a space station in a cyberpunk vision of the year 2072. Assuming the role of a nameless security hacker, the player attempts to hinder the plans of a malevolent artificial intelligence called SHODAN.
A video game remake is a video game closely adapted from an earlier title, usually for the purpose of modernizing a game with updated graphics for newer hardware and gameplay for contemporary audiences. Typically, a remake of such game software shares essentially the same title, fundamental gameplay concepts, and core story elements of the original game, although some aspects of the original game may have been changed for the remake.
SHODAN is a fictional artificial intelligence and the main antagonist of the cyberpunk-horror themed video games System Shock, System Shock 2, and System Shock 2023.
Cyan, Inc., also known as Cyan Worlds, Inc., is an American video game developer and publisher based in Mead, Washington. Founded as Cyan Productions by brothers Rand and Robyn Miller in 1987, the company created the Myst series.
System Shock 2 is a 1999 action role-playing survival horror video game designed by Ken Levine and co-developed by Irrational Games and Looking Glass Studios. Originally intended to be a standalone title, its story was changed during production into a sequel to the 1994 game System Shock. The alterations were made when Electronic Arts—who owned the System Shock franchise rights—signed on as publisher.
Unreal Engine (UE) is a series of 3D computer graphics game engines developed by Epic Games, first showcased in the 1998 first-person shooter video game Unreal. Initially developed for PC first-person shooters, it has since been used in a variety of genres of games and has seen adopted by other industries, most notably the film and television industry. Unreal Engine is written in C++ and features a high degree of portability, supporting a wide range of desktop, mobile, console, and virtual reality platforms.
Unreal Tournament 2004 is a first-person arena shooter video game developed by Epic Games and Digital Extremes. Part of the Unreal franchise, it is the third game in the Unreal Tournament series and the updated version of Unreal Tournament 2003.
A source port is a software project based on the source code of a game engine that allows the game to be played on operating systems or computing platforms with which the game was not originally compatible.
Terri Brosius is an American musician, voice actress, and game designer, best known in gaming circles as the voice of SHODAN in the System Shock series.
BioShock is a 2007 first-person shooter game developed by 2K Boston and 2K Australia, and published by 2K. The first game in the BioShock series, it was released for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 platforms in August 2007; a PlayStation 3 port by Irrational, 2K Marin, 2K Australia and Digital Extremes was released in October 2008. The game is set in 1960, and follows Jack, who discovers the underwater city of Rapture, built by business magnate Andrew Ryan to be an isolated utopia. The discovery of ADAM, a genetic material which grants superhuman powers, initiated the city's turbulent decline. Jack attempts to escape, fighting ADAM-obsessed enemies and Big Daddies, while engaging with the few sane humans that remain and learning of Rapture's past. The player, as Jack, can defeat foes in several ways by using weapons, utilizing plasmids that give unique powers, and by turning Rapture's defenses against them.
Virtuos is a global video game development company headquartered in Singapore with studios across Asia, Europe, and North America. Virtuos specializes in game development and art production for AAA consoles, PC, and mobile titles – working as an external developer for other companies.
Night Dive Studios, Inc. is an American video game developer based in Vancouver, Washington. The company is known for obtaining rights to abandonware video games, updating them for compatibility with modern platforms, and re-releasing them via digital distribution services, supporting preservation of older games.
OtherSide Entertainment, Inc. is an American video game developer based in Boston, Massachusetts, founded in 2013 by Looking Glass Studios co-founder Paul Neurath. In June 2016, the company opened a second studio in Austin, Texas, led by Warren Spector. OtherSide developed Underworld Ascendant (2018), a spiritual successor to Looking Glass's Ultima Underworld series, and is developing a new intellectual property.
System Shock is a 2023 action-adventure game developed by Nightdive Studios and published by Prime Matter. It is a remake of the 1994 game System Shock by Looking Glass Studios. The game is set aboard a space station in a cyberpunk vision of the year 2072. Assuming the role of a nameless security hacker, the player attempts to hinder the plans of a malevolent artificial intelligence called SHODAN.
Perception is a first-person horror-themed adventure video game developed by The Deep End Games and published by The Deep End Games and Feardemic. It was released for Microsoft Windows on May 30, 2017, followed by the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions on June 6, and by the Nintendo Switch version on October 31. The story follows Cassie Thornton, a blind woman who perceives the world using echolocation. The player assumes the role of Cassie and must use her unique skill to explore a large mansion in Gloucester, Massachusetts and uncover its secrets.
The Retro Engine, Also known as the Retro Software Development Kit, is a multiplatform game engine developed by Australian programmer Christian Whitehead, best known for its use in Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog series.
An immersive sim (simulation) is a video game genre that emphasizes player choice. Its core, defining trait is the use of simulated systems that respond to a variety of player actions which, combined with a comparatively broad array of player abilities, allow the game to support varied and creative solutions to problems, as well as emergent gameplay beyond what has been explicitly designed by the developer. This definition is not to be confused with game systems which allow player choice in a confined sense or systems which allow players to easily escape consequences of their choices.
Mass Effect Legendary Edition is a compilation of the video games in the Mass Effect trilogy: Mass Effect (2007), Mass Effect 2 (2010), and Mass Effect 3 (2012). It was developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts. All three games were remastered, with visual enhancements, technical improvements, and gameplay adjustments. Mass Effect, the first game of the trilogy, received more extensive upgrades than its counterparts, specifically with regard to graphics, combat mechanics, vehicle handling, and loading times.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is an upcoming first-person shooter survival horror video game developed and published by Ukrainian game developer GSC Game World. It will be the fourth game released in the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. video game series, the first game in the series released on consoles, as well as the first S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game in 15 years since the release of Call of Pripyat in 2009.
Resident Evil 4 HD Project is a mod for the Steam version of the survival horror video game Resident Evil 4. Created by a duo of modders, Albert Marin and Cris Morales, its purpose is to update the original remaster to the most thorough level possible and provide a "definitive graphical experience". While in the planning stages since 2008, its development started shortly after the game's PC release in 2014 and continued for the next seven years. It was fully released on February 2, 2022. The mod received unanimous positive reception from critics due to its extreme accuracy and attention to detail.