After many trials and tribulations, the System Shock remake now has a rough release date and a publisher to boot.
The remake of the 1994 classic has been in the works for a number of years now, with the Kickstarter launching all the way back in 2016. Two years later, development went on hiatus due to apparent production issues. The Kickstarter remained active throughout with monthly updates giving backers a window into the team’s progress. It also allowed the team to assure backers a clear path to bringing the game to life eventually was in place. And finally, today, this very day, another update was posted to the Kickstarter page.
First reported by PC Gamer, the System Shock remake will be arriving on current- and next-gen consoles in 2022. Developer Nightdive Studios has formed a partnership with indie publisher Prime Matter to get the game out the door. Prime Matter is a division of Koch Media unveiled at E3 2021. Nightdive says that the partnership with allow a simultaneous release on Playstation 4 and 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. A beta build of the game is planned for release to backers “in early 2022”. Fresh in-game screenshots (also via PC Gamer) accompanied the announcement.
The original System Shock is an immersive sim set in the year 2072, and sees a rogue AI terrorising the player aboard a cramped space station. Its success lead to a beloved 1999 sequel in System Shock 2. The series is regarded as iconic in the gaming world for its innovative design, and lasting influence. Spiritual successors 2000’s Deus Ex and 2007’s Bioshock. A third entry in the series, System Shock 3, is underway at Otherside Entertainment, with support from Tencent.
To say that expectations are high for this one is to undersell the situation. With the backing of a publisher help with the bills and the launch window, Nightdive finally has everything it needs to launch a remake that stays true to the gloomy cyberspace of the original. With reports saying that the original development team have been working closely with Nightdive to get the remake going, as well as the return of voice actors such as Terri Brosius as Shodan, it’s looking like the System Shock remake is on the right track.
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