The SHODAN must go on
System Shock makes its lavish PS4 debut
If you were to poll a selection of pre-eminent designers to find the most influential game of all time, 1994 PC hit System Shock would likely appear high on the list. This first-person blend of action, horror and immersive storytelling inspired an enviable selection of stone-cold classics including Deus Ex, Dead Space and Bioshock, as well as countless others. That’s why we’re thrilled to hear this oftoverlooked masterpiece is heading to PlayStation 4 in remake form.
The original game cast players as a nimble-fingered hacker on a mission to disable a murderous A.I., and pioneered the use of in-game audio logs and environmental storytelling to relate the grisly history of the Citadel Space Station. Now, thanks to the runaway success of a recent crowdfunding campaign, the retro specialists at Nightdive Studios are rebuilding Citadel from scratch, replacing the flat textures and jagged edges of the 1994 original with pristine visuals befitting Sony’s PlayStation powerhouse.
“PS4 was always something on our minds, but with the overwhelming demand from our backers to officially support the platform, we prioritised talks with Sony to make it official as soon as possible,” explains Nightdive CEO Stephen Kick. “And thanks to the performance and visual fidelity possible with PS4, we won’t have to sacrifice visual quality, and can bring the best possible System Shock experience to PS4 gamers.”
Even though the resulting quest to pull the plug on AI super-villain SHODAN will look thoroughly modern, Nightdive is working extra hard to preserve the atmosphere, gameplay and demanding difficulty of the legendary original. So settle your nerves and be prepared to limber up that trigger finger for an old school serving of peerless cerebral horror. System Shock will be shocking PlayStation systems in early 2018.