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Fan-made 'System Shock' mod awakens a new terror
Once unleashed, the power of fandom is a force that can't be stopped. Just ask Joey Lansing, the creator of a mod for 1994 action-adventure System Shock. He spent four months whipping up an entire single-player campaign that creeps into the same hellish recesses as the original game.
'System Shock' remake is now live on Kickstarter with free demo
Welcome back to Citadel station. We hope your somnolent healing stage went well. We also hope you've ventured over to the official Kickstarter for Nightdive Studios' reboot of the seminal FPS/RPG hybrid System Shock, because it looks like one hell of a ride.
Warren Spector is in charge of 'System Shock 3'
Word broke late last year that the legendary System Shock franchise would get a modern sequel, but no details about what the game will look like were forthcoming. We still don't know much about the game itself, but we do know it's in good hands: System Shock co-creator Warren Spector is rejoining Otherside Entertainment in a full-time capacity to lead development of System Shock 3. He's been a "creative advisor" to the studio for years, but he'll now be a full-time studio director working on both Underworld Ascendant as well as the System Shock sequel.
Cyberpunk PC classic 'System Shock' is getting a proper remake
While System Shock might have only just received a facelift when it launched on GOG.com earlier this year, an entire remake of the legendary PC game is now in the works — and perhaps even System Shock 3. And if you've never heard of System Shock? You should have: both the creators of BioShock and Deus Ex were involved in the game, which is a 1994 classic in its own right. Night Dive, the same company that was tasked with this year's digital renovation, will handle the remake. It's picked up full rights to the franchise.
Classic cyberpunk shooter 'System Shock' gets revamped on GOG.com
Twenty-one years after its launch on PCs, System Shock is back and revamped for modern systems. System Shock: Enhanced Edition is available on GOG.com and it's currently just $8 in a launch sale running through September 29th. System Shock is a cyberpunk, first-person shooter and role-playing game, and it was the first of its kind back in 1994. Both Warren Spector (the creator of Deus Ex) and Ken Levine (the creator of BioShock) had a hand in the series. The Enhanced Edition ups resolution support from 640x480 to 1024x768, with a native widescreen mode of 854x480, plus it adds remappable keys, bug fixes and mouselook mode. For all of the purists out there, the classic System Shock is included with the Enhanced Edition on GOG.
Metareview -- BioShock (Xbox 360, PC)
It would be an understatement to suggest interest in BioShock is hitting critical mass. We've personally lost a few writers on staff who took advantage of the Toys R Us deal earlier this week to the city of Rapture. Furthermore, we'd have lost our own editor Mr. Grant if his Xbox 360 hadn't gone belly-up ... he's seething. The reviews for BioShock are flowing in and they've been overwhelmingly positive. It's going to be an early holiday season for Irrational Games 2K Boston. Now the game just needs to sell well. Game Informer (100/100): "Even if you play games strictly for the difficulty that they bring, BioShock is a title that needs to be played, simply because you will never look at an FPS the same way again. Of the 15 to 20 hours of gameplay that it delivers, there isn't a second wasted. Once you finish the game, there's little chance that you'll take it out before playing it again to see the second ending." IGN (97/100): "To call this game simply a first-person shooter, a game that successfully fuses gameplay and narrative, is really doing it a disservice. This game is a beacon. It's one of those monumental experiences you'll never forget, and the benchmark against which games for years to come will, and indeed must, be measured." 1UP (100/100): "The sounds of the vending machines, the demented rants of a housewife who has long lost her sanity, the ability to craft your own ammunition, the level design based on some beloved touchstones of horror (medical experimentation, a garden of evil, the performing arts), the optional photography research, the color palette, the scratchy rendition of "Beyond the Sea," the fire and lighting and water effects...everything is in its right place." And just for something numerically different... Xbox World 360 Magazine UK (94/100): "Criticisms? There are a few. The non-replenishable nature of Bioshock's many resources mean that poor players are often punished by the game becoming even harder. And the weird way that enemy health doesn't reset after you die means that if you're blessed with the kind of robo-endurance usually required for Boxing Day family get-togethers, you could hypothetically kill a Big Daddy with your wrench, if you had the time." %Gallery-3725%
2K Games forbids BioShock dev to talk about System Shock
In what is most certainly a misunderstanding spawned from the ignorance of gaming executives, 2K Games has forbade Irrational Games' co-founder and lead designer Ken Levine from talking about his former System Shock games while on a press tour for the upcoming BioShock. The bizarre incident came to light after 1UP's Jeremy Parish tried to interview Levine about his old franchise for an upcoming Retronauts feature. Parish, understandably peeved, explained the situation in his 1UP blog.We would understand if one publisher wishes that their pseudo-employees (2K Irrational Games' publisher) not promote titles owned competitors (in this case, Electronic Arts). However, the System Shock games are well over a decade old, out of print and -- if you could not guess from the cleverly-disguised new title -- directly related to BioShock. It's, in Parish's words, "precisely this kind of insular, close-minded nonsense that makes the games industry look so utterly juvenile next to other media." We are reminded of Epic Games' recent bout of ridiculousness when they issued a cease-and-desist to a fan who made a Gears of War doll as a Christmas present for a cousin.2K's lawyers are probably on autopilot, issuing this dare we say irrational order without thinking. After all, they've got much more severe problems to worry over; parent company Take Two's shareholder massacre meeting is tomorrow. Then again, if 2K Games were to take a more active role in the titles they publish, maybe that would coincide with a corporate philosophy more pleasing to their financial backers.In other news, both Sega and Nintendo have forbidden their employees from talking about half of their upcoming Olympic Games title, respectively, due to its relation to the other company. We're just kidding, but wouldn't that be absolutely ridiculous?
NYC: Wanna play BioShock and get paid for it? [update 1]
[Update: 2K just let us know they've retracted the offer. We'll let you know if and when they reinstate it!]What a ridiculous question. Of course you do. In fact, many gamers would be willing to play BioShock without any sort of compensation whatsoever, finding reward in the moist surroundings of an underwater city and the the thrill of encountering terrifying scuba-men. 2K Games has sent out the call for playtesters in New York City, luring them with promises of payment and the opportunity to refine System Shock's spiritual successor (of sorts). If you can make it to SoHo and have 3 hours to spare each day from this Wednesday to Friday, answer the questionnaire (placed after the break) and send it to the indicated e-mail address. If chosen, you'll earn the princely sum of $10 per hour, along with nine wonderful (probably) hours with BioShock. The Xbox 360 game is currently slated for a June release.
Splinter Cell, BioShock, GTA IV episodes exclusive for Xbox 360
Both BioShock and Splinter Cell Conviction (the suspected title for the post-Double Agent iteration) will be console-exclusive to the Xbox 360; BioShock will still be coming to the PC, while Splinter Cell can still be released for the PC and various portable console (DS, PSP). BioShock publisher Take-Two will also be providing "exclusive access to two downloadable, epic episodes of Grand Theft Auto IV via Xbox Live, each with hours of entirely new gameplay ." Ubisoft's Splinter Cell Conviction is the title found during their "accidental" leak earlier this month. The exclusivity of BioShock was predicted by GameSpot back in January after developer Irrational was bought by Take Two. The GTA IV episodes are a "complete exclusive," according to Scott Henson, Director of the Game Development Group at Microsoft, and will not showing up on the PlayStation 3 download service. The episodes will be available a few months after the release of Grand Theft Auto IV on October 17 and 19 in US and Europe, respectively. Microsoft hinted at exclusive GTA IV content as early as July. While BioShock may not affect the mass audience, the loss of Splinter Cell and some exclusive GTA IV content could hurt the PlayStation 3's image in North America and Europe. Then again, Sony does have Metal Gear Solid 4 to satiate its consumers, but what are the long-term ramifications of Microsoft's exclusive deals?
Fresh Bioshock Images
Xboxyde has posted some lovely pics of System Shock's spiritual sequel, Bioshock. The pic above is particularly disturbing. I call it "Joan Rivers, with hooks." So, is this game out yet, or what? We wants it.
EA does give a sh-t about System Shock 3, says PC Gamer UK
On one shore, PC Gamer magazine interviewed Irrational Games' Ken Levine who said, "One of the reasons I wasn't interested [in System Shock 3] is EA just didn't give a sh-t about that game." O RLY? Well, as part of their newfound desire to not make us hate them so much, Electronic Arts is returning to the critically (if not financially) successful franchise without Irrational (who're busy working on System Shock's spiritual successor Bioshock for their new corporate overlords at Take 2).At least that is according to PC Gamer's UK variant, who suggest in their September issue that the title will be developed by the team responsible for The Godfather. It's not a really bold guess (EA renewed their trademark earlier this year), but the addition of a developer lends some credence to the claim. Our thoughts: Uh, YAY! System Shock is a classic series that never got the attention it deserves. Let's hope The Godfather team can manage to get this one completed before the next console generation. We're going to get TWO new additions (as it were) to System Shock 2? Very yes. [Thanks for the image, Jakkar]
Developer spotting: Warren Spector
I tend not to notice the many faces flying by when I'm rushing to and from various booths in the LA Convention Center, but the aura of genius emanating from the man responsible for System Shock, Deus Ex and Thief: Deadly Shadows (amongst others) was simply too great to ignore. I managed to snap a picture of Mr. Warren Spector before he had to rush off to a super top secret meeting."I look forward to your next game, Mr. Spector.""Yeah, me too."
10 franchises that need to return
Racketboy.com recently offered up this list of 'Classic Franchises That Actually NEED a Resurrection'... Darkstalkers Shining Force Battletoads Strider Killer Instinct Vectorman Starcraft System Shock Road Rash PowerStone Runners-up: Clayfighter, Story of Thor/Oasis, Lost Vikings, Rocket Knight Adventures, Jetman, and Jet Set Radio
Top 10 most memorable villains
IGN has posted a list that is sure to generate some grumbling. But that's what's to be expected anytime you try to cram the baddest evildoers into a list of ten. Here goes: #10 - Bowser (Super Mario) #9 - Dr. Robotnik (Sonic) #8 - Dracula (Castlevania) #7 - Evil Otto (Berzerk) #6 - Psycho Mantis (MGS) #5 - Kerrigan (Starcraft) #4 - SHODAN (System Shock) #3 - Wesker (Resident Evil) #2 - Sephiroth (FFVII) #1 - The Nazis ("too many games to count") What?! No Ganondorf? Blasphemy. So how does your list compare?
