System Shock remake demo launched

Nightdive Studios has announced the release of a new demo of its remake of cult classic System Shock. The demo is available on GOG.com and Steam.

The remake is a return to the 2072 cyberpunk world originally created by LookingGlass Technologies back in 1994. Nightdive said that they have added a new look and feel to the game, but kept all the classic stylings, story, and gameplay of the original.

In an interview on Shacknews, Nightdive said that they have also added random elements to the game. Enemies now drop random loot and can respawn. They are also working on randomising the puzzles that appear in the game.

Nightdive Studios acquired the rights to System Shock and its sequel, System Shock 2, in 2012.

It re-released the original version of System Shock 2, patched to run on modern computers, in February 2013.

Irrational Games, the studio that developed System Shock 2, went on to create the BioShock franchise as a "spiritual successor". Ken Levine, who was the designer on System Shock 2, was the creative lead on BioShock.