Long-awaited ‘System Shock’ remake confirms 2023 release

3 January, 2023

System Shock

The remake of System Shock has announced a 2023 release window, nearly seven years after the project was first announced with a Kickstarter campaign.

Nightdive’s original campaign to create a ground-up remake of the original 1994 System Shock launched on June 28, 2016, with an initial target of $900,000 (£677,000). Currently, over 21,000 backers have raised $1,350,700 (£1,132,886).

At the time, System Shock had an estimated delivery date of December 2017 but suffered several delays during the development process.

However, in a new Kickstarter update, Nightdive has confirmed a launch window of “March 2023” for System Shock. The Steam page has also been updated with this new release date.

“As some of you have already pointed out this is not our first time announcing a tentative launch window, but over the past few years much has changed,” continued the Kickstarter update.

“The scope and scale of the project has evolved dramatically and with Prime Matter joining the project it’s enabled us to focus on quality-of-life improvements, bug fixing, and localisation support – the last major steps towards releasing a game we’re all incredibly proud of. This has also given us time to go back and polish various aspects of the game that needed that extra shine.”

Nightdive then went on to say it’s “created some Enemy Variants to provide new challenges to the player in later levels,” and “updated effects for the weapons, like the Plasma Rifle, [to] provide a final level of polish.”

Last February, the developer confirmed that “the game can essentially be finished from beginning to end” but the team wanted to spend more time polishing the project.

Talking about the original version of the game, Nightdive said: “System Shock was one of the first 3D games that took a methodical approach to exploration while revealing a story-driven narrative through audio logs and messages scattered throughout the game world. It was a revolutionary step forward for the medium in a time when developers first began experimenting with interactive story telling.

“System Shock offered an unparalleled experience that would solidify it as one of the greatest games of all time.”

After a 20-minute hands-on preview of System Shock last September, NME wrote: “All in all, it looks like Nightdive Studios is giving us an updated version of one of the PC’s most venerated titles, reimagining it for a modern audience…There’s a lot to be excited about here.”

In other news, acclaimed indie game World Of Horror is set to leave Early Access in 2023 after more than three years.

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