A Deep-Dive Through the SYSTEM SHOCK Series
3,916GOD IN THE MACHINE: A JOURNEY THROUGH THE SYSTEM SHOCK SERIES
Nightdive Studios just released their excellent 25th Anniversary of one of the greatest video games of all time: System Shock 2.
What a perfect opportunity to take a deep dive through this incredibly formative and influential series, the grand-daddy of the Immersive sim and uncover its roots with Origin Systems, Looking Glass Studios and Ultima Underworld, and take a close look at every entry in the series up until today (2025)
We’ll be talking about where it all started, and where it all went, from Ultima Underworld, over System Shock (1994), System Shock 2 (1999), System Shock Enhanced Edition (2015), Nightdive’s 2023 System Shock Remake and the most recent addition to the canon: System Shock 2 - 25th Anniversary Remaster.
The System Shock series on GOG.com:
System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster
https://af.gog.com/game/system_shockr_2_25th_anniversary_remaster?as=1628879817
System Shock (2023)
https://af.gog.com/game/system_shock?as=1628879817
System Shock Enhanced Edition
https://af.gog.com/game/system_shock_enhanced_edition?as=1628879817
Ultima Underworld 1+2
https://af.gog.com/game/ultima_underworld_1_2?as=1628879817
*Support the Channel*
http://patreon.com/RagnarRoxShow
RagnarRox Bonus Video Archive
https://ragnarrox.carrd.co/
Follow me on Bluesky
ragnarrox.bsky.social
My GOG Partner Recommendations list (continuously updated):
https://af.gog.com/partner/ragnarrox?as=1628879817
External footage credits for this video:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_Tvx5nhhrgd6PP8mozcawaplP1IBtumAAN2zl6le5Hs/edit?usp=sharing
Time Codes
00:00:00 Part I: A Shock to the System (Intro)
00:06:41 Part II: Origin Stories (Ultima Underworld)
00:16:24 Part III: Look at You, Hackerman! (System Shock)
00:40:27 Part 3.5: System Update (Enhanced Edition)
00:44:39 Part IV: A Remake to Surpass the RE-Make (System Shock 2023)
00:53:11 Part V: Return of the Queen (System Shock 2)
01:23:10 Part VI: Faster, Better, Harder, Stronger (25th Anniversary Remaster)
01:30:19 Epilogue: The Legacy of System Shock
01:34:30 Credits and Backer Thanks
__
Script: Michael Saba
Captions (en): Mira Cox
Digital Foundry: System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster - Another Nightdive Studios Triumph
(Featuring lots of Co-Op footage)
• System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster ...
This video was produced in collaboration with Nightdive Studios and GOG.com.