The System Shock remake stays true to its ’90s roots

digitaltrends.com:

Even if you’ve never played System Shock, you’ve probably played something that was inspired by it. The 1994 classic has been hailed as an influential masterpiece that helped pave the way for emergent shooters like Bioshock. So, how do you go about remaking a game that’s been iterated on to the extent that this game has been? By staying true to the source.

I went hands-on with System Shock’s upcoming remake at Gamescom and was happy to see how developer Nightdive Studios is approaching the project. Rather than completely changing the original game by adding a lot of modern design sensibilities, the studio is creating a faithful remake that preserves the original experience while offering enough technical shine to make it feel brand new. It’s a fascinating fusion that feels like the right fit for such an important job.

In System Shock, players control a hacker who has to fight their way through a space vessel. It’s a maze-like 3D environment that calls back to level design that was popularized by games like Doom. What made the original game special was its emphasis on emergent gameplay, as players could move through the ship in a non-linear fashion. The story could be unearthed similarly, as players got bits and pieces through documents lying around the ship — something that would go on to become a staple of many big-budget games.

The remake keeps all of that intact. As soon as my demo began, I was tossed into the ship with no objective indicator. After getting a keycard to open the first door in my path (you know a shooter is from the ’90s when it makes heavy use of keycards), I was immediately free to wander. I had no indication of what I should do next, and that meant I could make my own adventure via gameplay.

“It was