Builders at Nightdive Studios would be the first to inform you no two initiatives are alike. Nowhere is that this extra true than the soon-to-be-released remaster of System Shock 2. Introduced six years in the past as System Shock 2: Enhanced Version, Nightdive reannounced the venture below a brand new title — System Shock 2: twenty fifth Anniversary Remaster.
This title change provided eagle-eyed followers a clue as to the remaster’s launch window, which is just correct previous August 11 when System Shock 2 celebrates its twenty sixth birthday. Positive sufficient, throughout as we speak’s MIX Spring Showcase, Nightdive shared the thrilling information that System Shock 2: twenty fifth Anniversary Remaster will launch on June 26 for PS4 and PS5.
As thrilling because it’s been for System Shock followers to listen to they’ll quickly be capable of play Nightdive’s long-awaited System Shock 2 remaster, one key query stays: why did it take six years?
Good issues take time
Nightdive has been chipping away at its remaster of System Shock 2 within the years following its announcement, engaged on it at the side of different initiatives. Whereas many of those harbored their fair proportion of challenges, System Shock 2 was distinctive regarding the quantity and kind of complexities the workforce encountered.
One of many largest based on Nightdive developer Alex Lima was a scarcity of entry to the sport’s full supply code. To piece every little thing collectively, “intensive reverse engineering” was required.
“The codebase is a posh amalgamation of varied legacy libraries developed by Trying Glass, together with some more moderen contributions from each Irrational Video games and Trying Glass,” Lima explains. “There’s just about no constant coding normal. Because of this, we needed to rely extensively on debugging and breakpoints to grasp its performance.”
Working with System Shock 2’s authentic engine was additionally difficult, particularly when it got here to porting the sport to consoles.
“The sport engine that System Shock 2 makes use of is massive and complex,” notes Nightdive developer, Lexi Mayfield. “It was initially designed for PCs from the late Nineties with a mouse and keyboard, and was solely used for 3 video games. Because of this, porting the sport to PlayStation was a protracted and arduous course of, from each a coding and interface perspective.”
Normally, remastering a beloved basic like System Shock 2 naturally takes time and a spotlight to element to get proper, as highlighted by Larry Kuperman, VP of Enterprise Improvement at Nightdive.
“Whereas the sport stays a basic, the code and graphics wanted a substantial overhaul. The Darkish Engine, developed by Trying Glass Studios for System Shock 2 and the Thief video games, offered options method forward of its time, which is one motive these video games stay classics, however which additionally made the sport difficult to work with. To satisfy our imaginative and prescient, it required meticulous re-coding to be able to protect all of the points of the sport which can be vital to gamers. Our workforce labored very arduous over a protracted time period to perform that aim.”
Outdated sport, new tips
Not solely did the rigorous six-year remastering course of permit for simpler enhancements, it allowed the workforce to higher leverage trendy options on consoles.
“The porting course of allowed us to make enhancements alongside the way in which and reap the benefits of a number of the trendy options PlayStation affords, permitting us to run the sport with a degree of constancy and playability that was beforehand out of attain,” says Mayfield.
Followers could have no bother recognizing these enhancements on PlayStation. The sport’s graphics have obtained a big increase with the addition of superior shader assist, enabling beforehand unavailable graphical results and improved lip-sync animation. GPU-accelerated 3D transformations and excessive refresh charge assist additionally lend to smoother efficiency, notably on trendy shows.
System Shock 2 was initially a PC launch, however don’t fear, the twenty fifth Anniversary Remaster options full controller assist for DualShock 4 and DualSense controllers.
“For those who’ve performed FPS video games with a controller, you’ll really feel proper at dwelling enjoying System Shock 2,” confirms Mayfield. “Skills like leaning, quick-swapping between weapons and psi powers, and toggling weapon settings have been all streamlined for the DualSense. We additionally added a customizable quickbar, permitting gamers to shortly swap between particular person weapons and psi powers.”
Stock objects now provide a context menu to permit gamers to shortly study, equip, apply and cut up objects. “From there, it was a matter of going by each safety pc, each replicator, each entry keypad and weapon modification display screen guaranteeing the participant may work together with the world in each method they may in 1999 — besides now from the consolation of their DualSense.”
If there’s nonetheless doubt over whether or not System Shock 2: twenty fifth Anniversary Remaster lives as much as the period of time it’s taken to finish, Nightdive founder and CEO, Stephen Kick, assures:
“I’ve been carefully watching the event and have been notably shut with the artwork workforce to make sure the unique artwork course and designs are dropped at their horrifying conclusion. I can not wait to share what we’ve been engaged on and hope followers and newcomers get pleasure from their time aboard the Von Braun.”
Prepare, bugs… System Shock 2: twenty fifth Anniversary Remaster arrives June 26 for PS4 and PS5!
