The upcoming releases of Atomic Heart and the System Shock remake show how a new trend may be evolving for the subgenre of FPS games dubbed "Shock-likes." As this subgenre continues to grow with the arrival of these two highly-anticipated dystopian sci-fi shooters, they're likely to spark a renewed interest in these types of games. If successful, Atomic Heart and System Shock could be the catalysts for a wave of new games inspired by these and other popular titles from the genre.
Other subgenres have developed around particular games from which their names draw inspiration, such as "Souls-like" deriving its name from the Dark Souls series. The Shock-like subgenre gets its name from the original System Shock released in 1994 for PC. While the game has spawned a sequel as well as a variety of similar titles such as the BioShock series and 2017's Prey, the resurgence of the genre in 2023 with releases like Atomic Heart and the remake of System Shock demonstrates there is still an audience for these games, and it could be expanding in the near future.
Atomic Heart Looks to Put Its Own Spin on the Genre
Developer Mundfish seems to be giving the Shock-like genre a surrealist take with Atomic Heart's bizarre world of killer Soviet robots. Set in an alternate 1950s Soviet Union, Atomic Heart looks to play upon the trope of utopia becoming dystopia that games like BioShock are known for by showing what can go wrong when advanced technology is corrupted. The pursuit of automation of everyday life has led the world of Atomic Heart to rely on robots to make the utopian dream of reality, but the clash of science versus humanity as a major theme of the game seems to demonstrate the price that must be paid for technological progress.
While the game appears to draw as much inspiration from the Far Cry series as it does from BioShock, the heart of its gameplay, world design, and story fall right in line with what makes a Shock-like its own unique subgenre. The "man versus machine" trope is common to dystopian sci-fi settings like this one, as made popular in the FPS genre by games like System Shock. Light RPG and puzzle-solving elements are another common feature of the subgenre that look to be another part of Atomic Heart's Shock-like identity.
The System Shock Remake Could Introduce a New Generation to the Beloved Classic
In addition to a brand-new take on the genre, 2023 also sees the revival of the title that started it all with the remake of System Shock set to launch in March. Developer Nightdive Studios is adapting this classic for a modern audience that looks to preserve what made the original such a beloved title, while drawing upon the features of the games the original inspired to revitalize its core gameplay. Coming full circle in this manner sets System Shock up to both add accessibility for new players experiencing this classic for the first time, and pave the way for future titles to draw inspiration from.
Both of these releases could be setting the stage for Shock-likes to have a big presence in 2023 and beyond as they will likely draw new fans into the genre and remind old fans how much they've missed these types of games. Similarly to how Souls-likes exploded in popularity, Shock-likes could see a similar rise in both indie and AAA attention. With future titles from the subgenre like Judas currently in development, it's clear 2023 is just the beginning for this new wave of love for Shock-likes.
Atomic Heart releases on February 21 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
