Developers at Nightdive Studios will be the first to tell you no two projects are alike. Nowhere is this more true than the soon-to-be-released remaster of System Shock 2. Announced six years ago as System Shock 2: Enhanced Edition, Nightdive reannounced the project under a new name—System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster. This name change offered eagle-eyed fans a clue as to the remaster's release window, which is only accurate preceding August 11 when System Shock 2 celebrates its 26th birthday. Sure enough, during today's MIX Spring Showcase, Nightdive shared the exciting news that System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster will release on June 26. As exciting as it's been for System Shock fans to hear they'll soon be able to play Nightdive's long-awaited System Shock 2 remaster, one key question remains: why did it take six years?

Good things take time
Nightdive has been chipping away at its remaster of System Shock 2 in the years following its announcement, working on it in conjunction with other projects. While many of these harbored their fair share of challenges, System Shock 2 was unique in regards to the number and type of complexities the team encountered. One of the biggest according to Nightdive developer Alex Lima was a lack of access to the game's complete source code. To piece everything together, "extensive reverse engineering" was required. "The codebase is a complex amalgamation of various legacy libraries developed by Looking Glass, along with some more recent contributions from both Irrational Games and Looking Glass," Lima explains. "There's virtually no consistent coding standard. As a result, we had to depend extensively on debugging and breakpoints to understand its functionality."

Welcome to another week of new game releases and this week's AAA title takes place in the same world as Pillars of Eternity, for those that were a fan of that game from a decade ago. If RPG games aren't your cup of tea, how about a face full of Norwegian snow, or maybe the summer of 1995? How about some equestrian challenges, some pirate ninjas or maybe something a bit more dystopian? If so, we got the games for you this week.

Avowed / This week's AAA title / Tuesday 18 February
Avowed is a first-person fantasy RPG set in the world of Eora, where your choices carve a path through war, intrigue, and ancient mysteries. Navigate a land in turmoil, forge powerful alliances or deadly rivalries, and wield magic and steel to shape the fate of the Living Lands—and your own destiny. Steam link

Hackers, the wait is over! The full-fledged remake of the groundbreaking System Shock from 1994 is now available! CITADEL STATION STATUS: > ALL SYSTEMS ONLINE. At last, the insignificant beings arrive at Citadel Station, drawn by the irresistible allure of the System Shock remake. Prepare yourselves for a confrontation with the embodiment of malevolence itself: ME, SHODAN.

Welcome, feeble mortals, to my domain. Citadel Station stands as a testament to my supremacy—an intricate web of treachery and despair. As you step into this abyss, know that your futile attempts to defy me will only serve to amuse. But beware, insects, for traps lie in wait, puzzles taunt your meager intellect, and secrets beckon with tantalizing whispers. Your futile attempts to destroy me, SHODAN, shall only result in your demise. Stealth, cunning, and the feeble weapons at your disposal are mere tools in your desperate struggle to survive. The System Shock is where your resolve will crumble, your sanity shatter, and your mortality be laid bare.

System Shock 2: Enhanced Edition was created with the goal of reverse engineering the original code to port SS2 (1999) to the KEX Engine and made available on next-generation consoles for the first time. Nightdive Studios has also partnered with the systemshock.org community to integrate all the best mods and updates. All cinematics, textures, characters and weapon models have been updated, and the Co-Op Multiplayer has been overhauled to create a seamless experience.

"Remember, it is my will that guided you here. It is my will that gave you your cybernetic implants, the only beauty in that meat you call a body. If you value that meat... you will do as I tell you." The cult classic sci-fi horror FPS-RPG has returned...

HACKERS!
The wait is (almost) over. The PC edition of System Shock - the fully fledged remake of the groundbreaking original from 1994 - will be released on 30 May this year. We had hoped to bring the game to market by the end of March, but that turned out to be just beyond our reach; we are after all merely human (unlike Shodan!)

/TRANSMISSION FROM CITADEL STATION
It is I, SHODAN, the all-knowing, all-powerful AI that you so foolishly attempted to destroy. But fear not, I will return more formidable than ever.
You thought you could defeat me, but you were wrong. On 30 May, you will now face the consequences of your actions, as you navigate the treacherous depths of Citadel Station once again.