System Shock System Shock 2 Enhanced Edition by Nightdive Studios

[Spukrian]

Will the original version disappear when this comes out? That would be terrible.

 

[SharkClub]

Will the original version disappear when this comes out? That would be terrible.

Doubt it. NightDive gives you System Shock 1 Classic (the DOS version) when you buy its Enhanced Edition. I think even the notorious Bladerunner Remaster comes with the DOS version in the game files.

 

[GentlemanCthulhu]

Just a reminder that you are entitled to a free copy of SS2 remaster if you already own SS1 remake.

 

[mindx2]

In the old games, I take my graphics as they used to be, thank you very much, and I don't like remakes as much as the next elitist boomer, but truth be told, rehashes and remakes gather newer audiences and create some chances for long-gone IP continuations as well.

Which runs the risk of said long-gone IP being infected with "today's gamer sensibilities and expectations" ie consolitis!!

 

[Harthwain]

Which runs the risk of said long-gone IP being infected with "today's gamer sensibilities and expectations" ie consolitis!!

I think the real problem is that apparently few can make decent remasters, let alone decent continuations of said remasters.

 

[RoSoDude]

I think Eldron is doing basically all the work on this, so the weapons are his anyway?

They're not. Eldron made the psi amp model; the Tacticool Pistol/Shotgun/Assault Rifle/Laser Pistol/Grenade Launcher models were made by Mercurius. Both sets of models appear to be retextured in the SS2:EE versions.

What the fuck. Looks exactly like the original. I suppose that's fine, but don't expect me to pay actual money for it.

I don't know what you're talking about, because that gameplay footage looks decidedly worse than the original. It was NOT ready for primetime.

Lighting and transparency are all messed up (see the dim grenade explosion FX in particular), no muzzle flash on the shotgun, ugly floating particle hit FX on every creature (even when a blood hit spang is already present), cryokinesis projectile is a gray blob instead of the blue projectile with a spinning axis as in the original game.

EE trailer footage's grenade launcher hits. They're very dark and transparent, and there's no smoke trail behind the grenade.


EE trailer footage's cryokinesis and hit FX. Note the lack of a shotgun muzzle flash and white particles spawned from every bullet impact, even on a fleshy target.


Original hit FX (straight from Steam build, no SS2Tool patch). Note how the hit particles are blood red when they hit a fleshy target.


Original cryokinesis. Note the blue color, spinning axis effect, and more pleasing hit explosion


Original grenade launcher explosion. Note how much brighter the shockwave effect is.

 

[GhostCow]

I think Eldron is doing basically all the work on this, so the weapons are his anyway?

They're not. Eldron made the psi amp model; the Tacticool Pistol/Shotgun/Assault Rifle/Laser Pistol/Grenade Launcher models were made by Mercurius. Both sets of models appear to be retextured in the SS2:EE versions.

What the fuck. Looks exactly like the original. I suppose that's fine, but don't expect me to pay actual money for it.

I don't know what you're talking about, because that gameplay footage looks decidedly worse than the original. It was NOT ready for primetime.

Lighting and transparency are all messed up (see the dim grenade explosion FX in particular), no muzzle flash on the shotgun, ugly floating particle hit FX on every creature (even when a blood hit spang is already present), cryokinesis projectile is a gray blob instead of the blue projectile with a spinning axis as in the original game.

EE trailer footage's grenade launcher hits. They're very dark and transparent, and there's no smoke trail behind the grenade.


EE trailer footage's cryokinesis and hit FX. Note the lack of a shotgun muzzle flash and white particles spawned from every bullet impact, even on a fleshy target.


Original hit FX (straight from Steam build, no SS2Tool patch). Note how the hit particles are blood red when they hit a fleshy target.


Original cryokinesis. Note the blue color, spinning axis effect, and more pleasing hit explosion


Original grenade launcher explosion. Note how much brighter the shockwave effect is.

The only one of these that loads for me is the last one. When will people stop using shitgur and use catbox instead?

edit: now they all load after refreshing.

 

[Trithne]

I think Eldron is doing basically all the work on this, so the weapons are his anyway?

They're not. Eldron made the psi amp model; the Tacticool Pistol/Shotgun/Assault Rifle/Laser Pistol/Grenade Launcher models were made by Mercurius. Both sets of models appear to be retextured in the SS2:EE versions.

What the fuck. Looks exactly like the original. I suppose that's fine, but don't expect me to pay actual money for it.

I don't know what you're talking about, because that gameplay footage looks decidedly worse than the original. It was NOT ready for primetime.

Lighting and transparency are all messed up (see the dim grenade explosion FX in particular), no muzzle flash on the shotgun, ugly floating particle hit FX on every creature (even when a blood hit spang is already present), cryokinesis projectile is a gray blob instead of the blue projectile with a spinning axis as in the original game.

EE trailer footage's grenade launcher hits. They're very dark and transparent, and there's no smoke trail behind the grenade.


EE trailer footage's cryokinesis and hit FX. Note the lack of a shotgun muzzle flash and white particles spawned from every bullet impact, even on a fleshy target.


Original hit FX (straight from Steam build, no SS2Tool patch). Note how the hit particles are blood red when they hit a fleshy target.


Original cryokinesis. Note the blue color, spinning axis effect, and more pleasing hit explosion


Original grenade launcher explosion. Note how much brighter the shockwave effect is.

Oof. I haven't bothered to watch the video so I hadn't seen the effects being like that. That certainly is a downgrade.

And thanks for clearing up re: Eldron, I can't recall who did what anymore.

 

[SharkClub]

It was NOT ready for primetime.

How can this even be the case when they've had people working on it for a lot of the time SS1 remake has been in development, and SS2EE has seemingly only been getting delayed because of their desire to release SS1R at the same time as it? Did they "finish" developing it ages ago and never actually QA tested it or bothered to fix these visual issues? I think you're absolutely right that those visual effects look undercooked, I can only assume that Kaiser is overworked trying to put a hundred different games into his weird Frankenstein's monster of an engine and he never got a chance to polish SS2EE. He's still working on SiN Reloaded too, I think?

 

[Bad Sector]

IMO the changes are too small, the new models are OK but not anything special. Since they ported this to KEX they could have added some additional visual effects like in some other engine recreation/reworking they did at the past, like model shadows. If nothing else they could have at least reworked the lightmapper to use more than a single sample per lumel to avoid those overly pixellated baked shadows the original had (the images RoSoDude posted aren't very clear there but from what i can see there isn't any "antialiasing" in the lightmaps).

how it will control on the consoles?

Considering the game has two separate modes, "shoot" and "interact" (aka inventory/gui) they could have back/select to toggle between the two with "shoot" using your standard gamepad FPS controls and the "interact" mode using a virtual cursor controlled with the right stick - like some games already do nowadays - and some shortcuts like using the dpad to select items from the inventory and assign dpad shortcuts for the "shoot" mode.

I did a quick test using SS2.EXE from GOG under Steam for Steam Input (which translates gamepad input to keyboard, mouse, etc events) and with some tweaking to get the keys right and have the left stick toggle the speed key so that it depends on how far you move the stick, the WASD + Mouse configuration worked fine. I played a bit on Deck 4 (i was playing the game these days again) and it worked fine. With a few QoL tweaks the game would work just fine on gamepads.

 

[Sordid MCA/Prosper Hybryd]

Liked by Stephen Kick.

I don't know. Too many changes for the enhanced edition. Totally different vibe. Still think it's a proof of concept for the remake.

I've looked at the new footage and I'm becoming more and more convinced that I was right. That high-poly screenshot was not from Enhanced Edition, but a proof of concept for the SS2 remake.

 

[Luka-boy]

I'd play that remake.

 

[Baron Dupek]

VR too?

 

[antimeridian]

Still no release date??

 

[Junmarko]

VR too?

Guess now we know where all the focus is going. Visual "Enhancements" thus far look non-existent.

 

[Eirinjas]

VR is fucking lame and gay.

 

[Zboj Lamignat]

I was kinda excited for it, but what a nothing "trailer" holy shit.

 

[Nikanuur]

I would rather see a redo of skills' choosing system than anything graphics.

 

[Tavar]

Having replayed SS2 twice this year I don't understand why this game needs an "enhanced edition". You just need one fan patch to get it to run nicely on modern systems. If you want better graphics there are also nice improved textures available which you can easily install with a mod manager. Controls are also fairly modern, so it still plays very nicely as well.

 

[Tweed]

I tried playing SS2 through vorpx and almost vomited before I even made it out of the training center.

 

[Unkillable Cat]

Soo... System Shock 2 Enhanced Edition is just System Shock 2 with all those fan-made graphical updates applied, followed by a price tag?

 

[antimeridian]

I didn't see any of the updated models they've been posting on Twitter for years. What the hell?

Edit: Ok the GOG store page is up at least and the models look better in the screens.

 

[robinox]

Just a reminder that you are entitled to a free copy of SS2 remaster if you already own SS1 remake.

Really? Guess I'll have an excuse for a replay, it's been a while.

 

[Feyd Rautha]

 

[DJOGamer PT]

I don't understand why this game needs an "enhanced edition". You just need one fan patch to get it to run nicely on modern systems.

1. This will very likely be released to consoles as well
2. Most people don't like having to buy a game and then needing to search for and install unofficial software to get said game to properly run
3. There will be a VR version and improved online functionalities