Here's how Nightdive "brought the horror back to System Shock" in its remake of the sci-fi FPS classic

GamesFPSSystem ShockHere’s how Nightdive “brought the horror back to System Shock” in its remake of the sci-fi FPS classicWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. GamesFPSSystem ShockHere’s how Nightdive “brought the horror back to System Shock” in its remake of the sci-fi FPS classicWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Prime Matter) Nightdive is a studio on a noble mission: sourcing the rights to forgotten retro games, reformatting them to be playable on modern hardware, and bringing them to new and old audiences alike in turn. But for co-founder and director Stephen Kick, this journey started not far from where it’s currently at. Nightdive’sSystem Shockremake is proof of that, having launched on consoles earlier this week following a PC release back in 2023. The game provides a scarier, gorier, altogether enhanced FPS experience compared to Looking Glass Studios' 1994 original, and according to Kick, leaning into the horror elements was paramount to its success. Techno freaks (Image credit: Nightdive Studios) There’s more to spooks than blood and guts, but Kick found that a great place to start. “One of the things that I expressed to the team was there’s got to be a lot of gore,” he says of the design and ambient changes Nightdive strives for in its System Shock remake. “Even in the original, there’s bodies on the floor. They’re pixelated sprites, but there’s still blood, you find severed heads, you find skulls, you find bones. I [said that I] want to see viscera, I want to see Dead Space levels of carnage, and we really push that to the extreme.” The point of this is down to one thing: “atmosphere, that horrific feeling of waking up on board a space station, completely isolated and alone, with the only company being the corpses of the crewmates either lying on the floor in pieces, or shambling around as vengeful cyborgs hunting you down,” says Kick. “We brought the horror back to System Shock, specifically, and that was [down to] a combination of the lighting and the ambience and the music probably more so than anything.” Cyberscares(Image credit: We Have Always Lived In The Forest)darkwebSTREAMER is a “narrative roguelike” that interrogates the voyeuristic horror fan in us all Cyberscares (Image credit: We Have Always Lived In The Forest)darkwebSTREAMER is a “narrative roguelike” that interrogates the voyeuristic horror fan in us all (Image credit: We Have Always Lived In The Forest) darkwebSTREAMER is a “narrative roguelike” that interrogates the voyeuristic horror fan in us all Musically, it’s a far cry from the original. Looking Glass evoked a sense of futuristic sci-fi adventure more so than the horrors of its protagonist’s entrapment, with Kick describing the 1994 game’s musical score as “upbeat,” and “almost like an early kind of techno soundtrack. And the soundtrack that we brought in is definitely more rooted in the ambience, an orchestral horror kind of music that you would be used to [hearing] in a movie or a contemporary game like Resident Evil or Silent Hill.” Imagine all this paired with echoing tunnels of sheeted metal, stretching on and on as the rumblings of machinery mask the sound ofsomethingjust around the corner. “The horror was definitely something that we wanted to push - something happened on board the station that was truly horrific. We wanted to put you in the shoes of the people that had to experience that. And I think that, you know, given the technological advantages that we had to work with and the tools that we had, I think we pushed it to that limit.” Gameplay-wise, though, the System Shock remake never veers too far off course. It’s still a first-person shooter-meets-survival horror in space, though with tank controls blessedly swapped out for mouse-look and more audio files added to flesh out and tighten up its storytelling. Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more Splat to the future (Image credit: Nightdive Studios) With the concept of horror being an ever-changing beast, flexing and contorting to reflect societal fears back at the masses at any given point in time, you might expect Nightdive to have tweaked 30-year-old System Shock’s themes at least a little. But aside from this tighter focus on body horror, gore, and atmospheric tension, the game bears down on its thematic fears to show they’re still relevant to this day. “I think that our decision to remake System Shock came at a really timely moment in history too,” says Kick. “The other side of the horror coin here is the existential dread. It’s the presence of artificial intelligence in our lives.” Kick takes a moment to assess his words, though I don’t disagree with his first instinct. “It’s… I don’t want to use the word ‘infected’, but it’s become a part of everyday life,” he says, using the sophisticated nature of AI-generated art as an example of worrying recent tech developments. “The story of System Shock revolves around an artificial intelligence that has its ethical constraints removed. Which is, again, a very real issue that we have to think about and we have to talk about, because if an artificial intelligence just has its way and can do whatever it wants, what is it going to do? What’s in its power? How is it going to see the human race? Is it going to see us as a threat? Is it going to see us as an essential part of its existence? Is it going to see us as, like in System Shock, a bunch of insects and monkeys that are just kind of banging around on tools, there for the enjoyment of its experimentation?” At the end of the day, System Shock is a stark reminder that contemporary fears are largely unchanged. “There’s a lot of unknowns in our future, and this is a potential future that we could be looking at.” (Image credit: Nightdive Studios) “One of the things that I expressed to the team was there’s got to be a lot of gore.“Stephen Kick (Nightdive Studios) “One of the things that I expressed to the team was there’s got to be a lot of gore.” On the subject of the future, I had to ask Kick if he sees Nightdive branching out with an original IP of its own someday, amid the litany of excellent remakes – something horror-shaped, perhaps, given all the biomechanical art and Alien memorabilia he’s sitting among in his office? “But when we first started putting out games and people saw this, the first thing that came back to me was, ‘Oh, you should make a game about this. Like, you’ve got this mood and this ambience, and this music that would be perfect for something like that.’ And so it’s just been in the back of my mind, probably for like the last 11 years.” He finally says the words I’ve been waiting to hear. “If we did an original IP it would no doubt be a horror game. Probably somewhere, you know, beneath the sea, having to do with ancient things sleeping. Not dead, but dreaming.” A Lovecraftian IP in the works from Nightdive? We, too, can but dream. Check out thebest survival horror gamesthat will keep you on your toes, from Alan Wake to Silent Hill 2 CATEGORIESPC GamingPS5Xbox Series XPlatformsPlayStationXbox CATEGORIES More about fpsMaster Chief’s absence from Halo Wars wasn’t Bungie’s fault, it was a move to make players “care about everybody else” in the RTSA year on, The Finals is still the most exciting new FPS out there - here’s why More about fps Master Chief’s absence from Halo Wars wasn’t Bungie’s fault, it was a move to make players “care about everybody else” in the RTSA year on, The Finals is still the most exciting new FPS out there - here’s why Master Chief’s absence from Halo Wars wasn’t Bungie’s fault, it was a move to make players “care about everybody else” in the RTS Master Chief’s absence from Halo Wars wasn’t Bungie’s fault, it was a move to make players “care about everybody else” in the RTS A year on, The Finals is still the most exciting new FPS out there - here’s why A year on, The Finals is still the most exciting new FPS out there - here’s why Latest See more latest► Most PopularPatton Oswalt and Jordan Blum explain why comics are still the perfect medium for superhero stories - “Visuals that will never be achieved in TV or movies can be achieved in comics"Team Asobi’s gigantic 2024 proves it’s time to free Astro Bot from PlayStation’s pastWarhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 was the favorite shooter of the year, and it also made me fall even harder for my fiancé17 years on, Sam Barlow reflects on Silent Hill: Origins: “To pull it out of the bag with a seven-out-of-ten game was incredibly rewarding"Here’s our Black Ops 6 multiplayer playlist to keep you and your pals connected over ChristmasSpy x Family season 3: Everything we know so farOne of 2024’s best anime shows subverts all expectations, but that’s its biggest strengthHow Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth represents the best of Final Fantasy’s past while charting a course for the futureI’m proclaiming 2024 to be the year of outstanding indie puzzle gamesThe Inside Out 2 panic attack scene is one of the best depictions of anxiety ever – and something Pixar director Kelsey Mann is incredibly proud of: “I couldn’t be happier"Marvel Rivals has what it takes to shake up the PvP shooter genre if it can maintain its hero fantasy while also making balance changes Most PopularPatton Oswalt and Jordan Blum explain why comics are still the perfect medium for superhero stories - “Visuals that will never be achieved in TV or movies can be achieved in comics"Team Asobi’s gigantic 2024 proves it’s time to free Astro Bot from PlayStation’s pastWarhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 was the favorite shooter of the year, and it also made me fall even harder for my fiancé17 years on, Sam Barlow reflects on Silent Hill: Origins: “To pull it out of the bag with a seven-out-of-ten game was incredibly rewarding"Here’s our Black Ops 6 multiplayer playlist to keep you and your pals connected over ChristmasSpy x Family season 3: Everything we know so farOne of 2024’s best anime shows subverts all expectations, but that’s its biggest strengthHow Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth represents the best of Final Fantasy’s past while charting a course for the futureI’m proclaiming 2024 to be the year of outstanding indie puzzle gamesThe Inside Out 2 panic attack scene is one of the best depictions of anxiety ever – and something Pixar director Kelsey Mann is incredibly proud of: “I couldn’t be happier"Marvel Rivals has what it takes to shake up the PvP shooter genre if it can maintain its hero fantasy while also making balance changes Most PopularPatton Oswalt and Jordan Blum explain why comics are still the perfect medium for superhero stories - “Visuals that will never be achieved in TV or movies can be achieved in comics"Team Asobi’s gigantic 2024 proves it’s time to free Astro Bot from PlayStation’s pastWarhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 was the favorite shooter of the year, and it also made me fall even harder for my fiancé17 years on, Sam Barlow reflects on Silent Hill: Origins: “To pull it out of the bag with a seven-out-of-ten game was incredibly rewarding"Here’s our Black Ops 6 multiplayer playlist to keep you and your pals connected over ChristmasSpy x Family season 3: Everything we know so farOne of 2024’s best anime shows subverts all expectations, but that’s its biggest strengthHow Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth represents the best of Final Fantasy’s past while charting a course for the futureI’m proclaiming 2024 to be the year of outstanding indie puzzle gamesThe Inside Out 2 panic attack scene is one of the best depictions of anxiety ever – and something Pixar director Kelsey Mann is incredibly proud of: “I couldn’t be happier"Marvel Rivals has what it takes to shake up the PvP shooter genre if it can maintain its hero fantasy while also making balance changes Most Popular Patton Oswalt and Jordan Blum explain why comics are still the perfect medium for superhero stories - “Visuals that will never be achieved in TV or movies can be achieved in comics” Team Asobi’s gigantic 2024 proves it’s time to free Astro Bot from PlayStation’s past Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 was the favorite shooter of the year, and it also made me fall even harder for my fiancé 17 years on, Sam Barlow reflects on Silent Hill: Origins: “To pull it out of the bag with a seven-out-of-ten game was incredibly rewarding” Here’s our Black Ops 6 multiplayer playlist to keep you and your pals connected over Christmas Spy x Family season 3: Everything we know so far One of 2024’s best anime shows subverts all expectations, but that’s its biggest strength How Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth represents the best of Final Fantasy’s past while charting a course for the future I’m proclaiming 2024 to be the year of outstanding indie puzzle games The Inside Out 2 panic attack scene is one of the best depictions of anxiety ever – and something Pixar director Kelsey Mann is incredibly proud of: “I couldn’t be happier” Marvel Rivals has what it takes to shake up the PvP shooter genre if it can maintain its hero fantasy while also making balance changes GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS 1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 1 Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 2 Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 3 Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4 Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5 Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1 Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2 Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3 Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4 The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5 Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 1 Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 2 Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 3 Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 4 Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” 5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” 5 Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”