This year we’re putting together a list of 31 Retro Horror games. Games that have come from dead console generations, back to haunt us. Sadly, not all of these games will be available for you to play due to the complicated nature of video game preservation. However, we’re going to note if it’s possible to play them on modern hardware. We’ll be covering games from the Seventh Generation (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii) and earlier. So basically anything before 2006.
Day 6
System Shock 2
The System Shock remake made my 31 Days of Horror list last year for a good reason: it’s pretty darn scary. But I have to admit, the first time a video game every truly scared me was with System Shock 2. Before that, every in game fear I had was anxiety-based - wondering if I'd be able to beat a boss with low health and no lives–stuff like that. But System Shock 2 introduced me to what video game horror could be. And it also introduced me to one of video games’ scariest (and most underrated) villains ever: Shodan.
System Shock 2 is a first person shooter from a time when most first person shooters innovated only through different weapon types and enemies. Most of them were purely corridor shooters with the occasional secret or other reason to sidetrack. System Shock 2 bucked the norm by introducing RPG elements into the tried-and-true formula, much like its predecessor. This paved the way for other first person shooter x RPGs like the fantastic Deus Ex.
But System Shock 2 isn’t seminal just for its hybrid elements, it’s also a genuinely scary game. Part of the reason for that is its great atmosphere and world building. The other part is Shodan, the insane AI from the first game. Okay, mentioning Shodan is a bit of a spoiler, but I would be remiss not to mention her presence. And she’s reintroduced in a surreal but terrifying fashion that parallels Bioshock’s Atlas reveal in a few ways.
The sound design in System Shock 2 really helps sell the dread and terror. As you roam the halls looking for precious items and ammunition, the infected moan and taunt you to join them.
System Shock 2 is available to play on Steam, but according to some Steam reviews, its clunkiness doesn’t hold up to modern gameplay standards. If you want a similar experience, and to start from the beginning of the story, Night Dive Studio’s fantastic System Shock remake is available on Steam and modern consoles.
Hopefully Night Dive will get around to giving System Shock 2 the remake treatment, because this classic sci-fi horror game should be experienced by modern audiences.
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