System Shock 2 returns after 14-year hiatus

[Shawn Knight]

Are you a gamer that doesn’t have a date for Valentine’s Day this year? Looking to rekindle an old flame? Does nostalgia have a special place in your heart? If you answered “yes” to these questions, then you might be happy to learn that one of the most requested classic sci-fi role-playing games is now available as a DRM-free download.

System Shock 2 was co-developed by Irrational Games and Looking Glass Studios. It launched in August of 1999 as a sequel to the original 1994 PC title. It was initially supposed to be a stand-alone game but that changed during development when Electronic Arts signed on as publisher.

The title may have been re-released much earlier if not for a legal dispute between Electronic Arts and Looking Glass Studios. A company called Night Drive Studios has since acquired the necessary rights to the title and worked with Good Old Games to re-release it as a digital exclusive.

As CNET notes, what is especially interesting is that the game’s original designer, Ken Levine, later went on to create BioShock which is considered to be a spiritual successor to the System Shock series. For what it’s worth, the third title in the BioShock series is slated for release on March 26.

System Shock 2 is available for download right now from Good Old Games. Expect to pay $9.99 for the right to download the 363 MB file and experience (or re-experience) what’s been described as one of the scariest games of all time.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/51648-system-shock-2-returns-after-14-year-hiatus.html

 

[TomSEA]

Cool...I've never played this but have heard about it for years. Ten bucks is worth taking a shot at this one.

 

[dikbozo]

I still have the original and its box. Creepy freaking thing. I have heard those sounds in my nightmares ever since.

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

It was a good game & I really enjoyed it but it had it's time in the sun and times have moved on. If you really want to play it (ancient graphics notwithstanding) I don't suppose 10 bucks is too much.

 

[Guest]

Still got the game and box, install it every couple years.
Still the scarriest game in history, took me 2 years to beat it the first time. I crawled literally the entire game because I didn't want to make any footsteps or be seen through the glass......
Turn it on
Turn off the lights
Good luck (good bye)

 

[Guest]

First time I heard the robot nurses I almost wet myself

 

[TS-56336]

I remember trying to play System Shock 2 co-op back in the day. It actually made it scarier as the connection was so bad my friends kept disappearing and then reappearing somewhere else.

Also times when my friends could see me but I couldn't see them and they couldn't affect the world in any way, like Randell and Hopkirk deceased relocated to a terrifying space ship.

Amazing game none the less.

 

[TitoBXNY]

I never finished it for one reason or another. I just purchased it and re installed, this time I will finish it for sure. it was one scary game at the time.