With Nightdive Studios' System Shock remake launching on May 21 on PS5 and PS4, it's a perfect opportunity to look back and celebrate the original PC game that changed everything.
The original System Shock was developed by Looking Glass Studios and released by Origin Systems for PC in 1994. It was a groundbreaking first-person adventure that has come to be considered one of the most influential games of all time. Modern classics like BioShock, Dishonored, Dead Space, the Deus Ex series and many others were inspired by his pioneering game.
All gameplay and screenshots featured in this article are from Nightdive's System Shock remake.
System Shock's distinctive features became the hallmark of what many now consider a genre called “immersive sims”: games with large, non-linear environments that give players a wide degree of freedom in overcoming challenges, either through combat, stealth or others. half.
To mark the occasion of Nightdive's System Shock remake coming to PS5 and PS4 next week, we reached out to some of the gaming industry's most acclaimed developers to highlight the influence of 1994's System Shock on the shooter genre. first person and trace its impact to the present day.
“System Shock pioneered the genre we now call 'immersive sims', combining gameplay elements from multiple genres to immerse players in a simulated experience where their choices matter and they have the flexibility to interact and unravel the game world.“
– Stephen kickCEO, Nightdive Studios
In addition to adding layers of complexity to gaming systems, System Shock left a lasting impact on video game narrative and storytelling.
“The biggest influence of the original System Shock on BioShock (and, of course, the sequel we made, System Shock 2) was the feeling of a world inhabited by normal people in abnormal situations. We also loved the wide range of tools the game gave the player and, of course, one of the best video game inventions of all time: audio logging. I still remember the thrill of hearing real human voices coming out of my computer conveying their incredible circumstances in a way that seemed so real and grounded. I've never done a first-person game without them and I'm not sure I ever will.“
– Ken LevinCreative Director, Ghost Story Games
System Shock also innovated by using physics to control the player's movement and interaction with the world. Players could look up and down, crouch, jump, and lean around corners—not groundbreaking by 2024 standards, but revolutionary in 1994.
“The depth of the combat system made even the most common encounters exercises in choice and consequence: the physics of mass and velocity controlled everything from weapon recoil to the arc of thrown objects and the effects of hits on the player character. Even the head movement when running and stopping was driven by physics. Due to the focus on physics and a systems-based approach to implementing functions rather than scripts, System Shock was one of the first games to deliver on the promise of emergent gameplay. As a result, no two players had the same gaming experience.“
– Warren Spector Creative Director of Otherside Entertainment. and Producer, System Shock (1994), Looking Glass Studios, Inc.
Now, 30 years later, Nightdive Studios is expanding the classic original game with a completely rebuilt PS5 and PS4 version that includes updated visuals, new music, and modern controls. The upcoming remake also features Terri Brosius, the original voice actress of the AI brain SHODAN, one of the most iconic video game villains of all time.
Discover (or rediscover) a gaming classic when Nightdive Studios' System Shock remake launches on May 21 on PS5 and PS4.
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