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.
Nightdive Studios has a full-fledged reboot in store for the classic game released in 1994, including members from the original game’s team and recruiting Chris Avellone (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II, Fallout 2) and other talented folks to bring it to life once more.
As the Kickstarter page attests, this isn’t the System Shock as it was, but “as you remember it.” It’s seeking to capture the spirit of the original game bring it to modern gamers today with re-imagined enemies, weapons and locations, a new musical score, and updated game mechanics. Most importantly, Terri Brosius will be reprising her role as SHODAN with new voiceover recordings to spice things up.
There are several backer tiers for those interested, including in-game rewards such as being added to the game itself with your own portrait, private parties, and even a custom Razer gaming laptop with unique System Shock artwork. The System Shock Big Box Collector’s Edition is especially gorgeous, featuring a slipcover box, what looks to be an art book and special figure, and more.
The Kickstarter aims to collect $900,000, and is currently well on its way to meeting that goal. If it all comes together it looks to be a juicy, delicious reinvention of a classic shooter that’s been in dire need of attention for quite some time.
You don’t have to wait for the project to get funded to get a taste of the action, though. There’s a free alpha demo up for grabs right now via the Kickstarter page. Get out there and get your System Shock on now.