To build a ruined space station, you have to start with a fresh one. This new selection of concept art from Nightdive Studios' reboot of System Shock presents Citadel Station in the midst of its hostile takeover by rogue AI SHODAN. It's not quite the scuffed and broken station the player will see when they wake up from their coma, but by starting with concepts for a functional space station, Nightdive's artists know where to put the rubble.
"I kind of got this from working on Fallout: New Vegas," says game director Jason Fader. "Start with how things looked pre-war, as far as Fallout context goes, and then after we understand how things started, mess it up."
Of course, System Shock already has levels, but this reboot isn't an exact replica of the Warren Spector-led 1994 shooter which inspired so many immersive sims that came after it, most recently Prey. The spirit of the original's space station remains, but the decks are being rebuilt built for the Unreal Engine with modern design ideas.
"Our level philosophy is essentially to take the original levels and the decks of Shock 1, and assess what still works and what may be too frustrating for players," says Fader, "and basically chisel away or overhaul certain sections so that it basically aligns with player expectations for a modern game today. I mean, we're still going to have labyrinthine and mazelike areas."
