System Shock (HQ Remake) - End
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Released September 23, 1994, System Shock is an immersive cyberpunk FPS Action RPG title that was developed by LookingGlass Technologies and published Origin Systems. The game was Directed by Doug Church (Ultima Underworld 1+2, Thief, Deus Ex, CS:GO) and Produced by Warren Spector (Ultima VI, Wing Commander Series, Thief, Deus Ex, Epic Mickey).
The year is 2072. You take on the role of a famous unnamed hacker who awakens from a coma after a job gone wrong on a space station called the Citadel (owned by the TriOptimum Corporation) to find that everything has been turned upside down. You must battle robots, cyborgs, and mutants on this massive multi-level space station who defend a ruthless AI known as SHODAN.
System Shock's core gameplay loop revolves around exploring the Citadel and making your way past obstacles put in place by SHODAN, solving puzzles, and battle enemies various projectile weapons such as energy weapons, a tranquilizer dart gun, landmines, and concussion grenades. You gather up various pieces of hardware that you can slot onto your character which aid you in your quest, such as a flashlight or energy shield. Another key gameplay feature is hacking your way through cyberspace, taking down SHODAN's security in a vector graphic "3D" environment and gathering data which has an impact on the real world.
System Shock's pioneering emergent gameplay has likely helped cement what are now staples of FPS adventure titles like Dishonored, Half-Life, Deus Ex, Metal Gear Solid, Bioshock, Prey, and Resident Evil. The game was ported to MS-DOS, Mac OS, PC-98, and Microsoft Windows.
System Shock stands tall in the annals of video game history, and in multiple Halls of Fame as a breakthrough in immersive and emergent gameplay. It was very successful with over 170,000 copies sold at the time, and to sparkling reviews/ratings, but it somehow still managed to lose money. A sequel, System Shock 2 was made and was also very successful, receiving very high ratings. A third title was announced, but it became vaporware. An enhanced edition of the first System Shock was released by Night Dive Studios and it made many quality-of-life improvements to the title without ruining it. More recently, a new re-imagining has been announced entitled simply "System Shock", to be released late May 2023. There is also talk of a forthcoming System Shock TV series for Binge by Greg Russo, screenwriter of Mortal Kombat (2021).
Sadly, even on the back of successful game series like Ultima Underworld, System Shock and Thief, poor handling of the company led to the shuttering of LookingGlass in 2000. Night Dive Studios, a developer known for acquiring rights to abandonware video games (Turok, Forsaken, Doom64, Quake, Shadow Man, Bladerunner, SiN, Rise of the Triad), hopes to revive the franchise for future generations. If their work with the System Shock Enhanced Edition is any indication, the series appears to be in good hands.
You can purchase System Shock Enhanced Edition on GOG.com on Steam.
Original score by Greg LoPiccolo and Tim Ries
©1994 LookingGlass Technologies.
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