It’s been a while since we’d heard of the upcoming System Shock 3 by Nightdive Studios and OtherSide Entertainment. The long-awaited sequel to one of the godfathers of science fiction horror video games is still in its pre-alpha stage, but recent gameplay footage (above) shows a promising sight.
While what we see here is still a work-in-progress, but it shows just how faithful Nightdive is keeping the atmosphere and tone of the Kickstarter-funded System Shock 3 to its predecessors from over 20 years ago.
The space station is dank and dark, with the cold, dimly-lit corridors evoking a sense of claustrophobia as the protagonist walks about. SHODAN’s cyborgs look absolutely creepy when approaching them from behind, though their AI and animation can be a little goofy when facing them head-on. It’s still forgivable given how great the game looks visually.
If the System Shock 3 already looks this good during pre-alpha, imagine just how incredible it’d be at launch.
Visuals are just a part of the equation here, as the sound is also really evocative and immersive. The sounds of generators whirring and clicking, reverberating through the (relatively) empty corridors. SHODAN’s constantly modulating voice is still, by and large, the most disturbing element of System Shock (which is a good thing in this case), interrupting the player every now and then.
So far, so good for the folks at Nightdive Studios. Now, all we need is for them to announce a proper release date, and we’re all set. For now, you can pre-order System Shock 3 at the official BackerKit site for US$45.
Marion has a serious RPG addiction. Sometimes it bleeds into real life; he forgets to sleep because he thinks he has a Witcher’s body clock. Forgive him in advance if he suddenly blurts out terms such as “Mind Flayer” and “Magic Missile”, because never once does he stop thinking about his next Dungeons & Dragons game.
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