Summary
Nightdive Studios has revealed that the long-awaitedSystem Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remasterwill finally be releasing on June 26. The game studio was founded in 2012 for the precise goal of updating the originalSystem Shockfor distribution on modern platforms like GOG and Steam. This objective quickly expanded to includeSystem Shock 2and eventually led to the release of a complete remaster of the first game, with the same treatment for the sequel planned for the future.
The originalSystem Shock 2was released in 1999, and its action RPG style, sci-fi survival horror setting, and stellar reviews across the board immediately earned it a cult following. Co-developed by Irrational Games and Looking Glass Studios – known for theBioShockandThiefseries, respectively — the title and its predecessor served as aninspiration for Irrational’s flagship franchiseand other projects like Arkane’s 2017 first-person simPrey.
Since theremake ofSystem Shockwas released in 2023, fans of the series knew it was only a matter of time before the sequel’s remake saw the light of day, but it wasn’t clear exactly when. Now, Nightdive has revealed that the 25th anniversary remaster ofSystem Shock 2will be launching for PC and consoles on June 26. This announcement was accompanied by a new trailer, giving the community a glimpse of what they have to look forward to.
System Shock 2 Remastered Release Date Announced
It’s important to keep in mind that these new versions of theSystem Shockgames are remasters, not remakes. As such, the visuals are not drastically overhauled and there are not drastic changes to the story or gameplay. Rather, a remaster often uses the original source code to update graphics, textures, and lighting while keeping most story and gameplay elements, beat for beat, the same. Quality-of-life changes for the UI, controls, and accessibility are usually introduced, and combat, animations, and gameplay idiosyncracies are often tweaked to suit the tastes of modern gamers. A good example of this is2024’sTomb Raider 1-3 Remastered, which essentially presents the originial games in a prettier wrapping.
System Shock 2is considered one of the classics of its genre, and one of the best at that. It takes place decades after the events of the first game, and the company TriOptimum did not learn from its mistakes. On a starship’s maiden voyage into space, its crew unhappily discovers that therogue AI called SHODANhas once again made some questionable decisions that result in chaos, death, mutations, and horror.
