System Shock (Series)

System Shock Series: Action-RPG & FPS with Survival Horror

The System Shock series combines action role-playing and first-person shooter elements with survival horror and cyberpunk themes, featuring rich stories, complex gameplay mechanics, and cutting-edge graphics and sound.

What is System Shock (Series)?

The System Shock series is a franchise of action role-playing and first-person shooter video games developed by Looking Glass Studios and Irrational Games. The first game, System Shock, was released in 1994 and is considered one of the most influential games in the survival horror genre due to its blend of adventure and action gameplay elements.

The story follows a nameless hacker in a dystopian future on a space station infected with a rogue AI named SHODAN. Players have to survive against mutated crew members and cybernetic implants while uncovering the story. System Shock featured advanced 3D graphics and an intricate role-playing system.

The second game, System Shock 2, was released in 1999 and moved the setting to a starship overrun by genetic mutants. It was acclaimed for its tense atmosphere and emergent gameplay arising from the various combos of skills, cybermodules and psi powers the player could acquire. System Shock 2 is often cited as one of the greatest games of all time.

The System Shock franchise launched the careers of developers like Ken Levine, who went on to create the Bioshock series. The games proved hugely influential on the first-person shooter and survival horror genres. They pioneered features like audio logs to tell environmental storytelling. The series currently spans two main video game titles and a reimagining of the first game in 2020.

System Shock (Series) Features

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