For those who have been waiting to see what the upcoming Enhanced Edition of the legendary System Shock 2 looks like, a recent trailer shows off the work that's been put into this improved version, which boasts overall better quality visuals. While it didn't make a massive impact in terms of sales, the sequel to 1994's System Shock has gone down as a sci-fi game that was well ahead of its time with its haunting and oppressive world combined with environmental storytelling.
Both games introduced the world to one of the most iconic AI characters in all of gaming in the guise of Shodan, long before Portal's GLaDOS or Halo's Cortana came along. The original System Shock and its sequel were not successful as far as the market was concerned, but they left an impact on the industry in a way that's still being felt today. In fact, many consider the first BioShock entry to be a spiritual follow-up to the cult science fiction series, with the former being spearheaded by Ken Levine's Irrational Games outfit, which served as a co-developer on System Shock 2 along with the now-defunct Looking Glass Studios.
Given this legacy, it's not surprising that many fans of the 1999 release will be looking forward to checking out the Enhanced Edition of System Shock 2, and the first gameplay footage from this version has recently emerged. In a clip lasting just under two and a half minutes, the opening to the game is shown, with the cut scene from the original sequel displayed in a picture-in-picture for comparison. The results speak for themselves, with the new and improved version giving a bit of a boost to the aging game. Of course, this is not a remake, so it still retains the classic look of the cult hit, but it's obvious to see there have been some tweaks, especially when it comes to character models.
Alongside this, a lot of fans are anticipating the official remake of the original System Shock, which recently confirmed its release date. Now set to launch on May 30, this reimagining of the first game in the series will aim to bring it back into the fore, perhaps allowing it another chance to make a significant impact on FPS gaming overall.
As such, it's hardly surprising that the remake and the improved version of System Shock 2 are two sci-fi games that so many are looking forward to. No doubt plenty of older gamers will be keen to see what Nightdive Studios has done to the original to bring it into the modern era, so hopefully the wait will have been worth it.
System Shock will be released May 30 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
