There’s some bad-ish news if you’ve been eagerly awaiting developer Nightdive’s System Shock 2 remaster on consoles. The studio has been forced to delay the remaster’s PlayStation 5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and Switch release, but – good-ish news time – only by a couple of weeks as it seeks to remedy undisclosed “issues”.
Nightdive announced it would be remastering BioShock developer Irrational Games’ critically acclaimed – and hugely influential – 1999 FPS/RPG sci-fi horror hybrid back in 2019, but it wasn’t until earlier this year that the project got a new name (it’s now officially known as the System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster) and a 26th June release date for all platforms.
However, the studio has now announced a short delay for the console versions in a statement on social media, saying it has “encountered issues that have prevented us from launching System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster on consoles… on 26th June as originally intended.” Nightdive adds that it’s “currently working to address these issues as quickly as possible”, but that the console release is now “targeting the first two weeks of July.”
As for the PC version, that’s managed to retain its 26th June release date and will launch for Steam, GOG, the Humble Store, and Epic on 26th June as originally announced. “We’ll update everyone as soon as we have a set launch date for consoles,” Nightdive’s statement concludes.
Nightdive’s System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster, which follows on from 2023’s extremely well-received System Shock 1 remake, promises enhancements to characters, weapon models, textures, cinematics, and animations. That’s alongside quality of life improvements, optimised controller support, updated co-op multiplayer, and achievements. PC players can also expect mod support, up to 144fps, and ultra-widescreen compatibility.
At its heart, though, it’s still the same acclaimed System Shock 2 released in the hazy days of 1999, taking players onboard the FTL ship Von Braun in the year 2114 for another battle of wits with rogue AI SHODAN. “Hybrid mutants and deadly robots roam the halls while the cries from the remaining crew reverberate through the cold hull of the ship,” Nightdive explains. “SHODAN… has taken over, and it’s up to you to stop her.”
As Eurogamer contributor Rick Lane wrote of System Shock 2 back in 2015 (beware spoilers!), “It’s the finest work that both Looking Glass and Irrational ever produced… and if that doesn’t give you a shout of being the best game in existence, I’m not sure what does.”