System Shock 2: Enhanced Edition achieves a fully reproducible virtual reality mode

System Shock 2: Enhanced Edition is getting a fully playable VR mode. IGN can exclusively reveal that Nightdive Studios is working in full VR mode complete with its own VR-focused development team. It all started when Nightdive Studios posted a tweet in January showing Nightdive Studios CEO Stephen Kick using a VR controller to play System Shock 2. The tweet served as a hint about what Nightdive Studios was already looking for for its enhanced version of sequence, which was whether VR could work for System Shock 2 or not.

“During the process of reverse engineering the missing libraries for System Shock 2, we had the opportunity to toy with the idea of ​​creating a standalone VR version,” said Kick in an interview with IGN. “And then we brought a [VR] specialist to look at the cod and give us a brief idea of ​​what kind of things we could do. “

With this project, Nightdive discovered that there was a solid enough foundation in System Shock 2 to start developing a full version of virtual reality. Kick says the System Shock 2 Enhanced Edition will be fully playable in VR along with the game’s multiplayer mode. Therefore, co-op can be played in VR on a cross platform, where one player can be in VR and another can play on a standard PC.

Have you ever played System Shock 2?

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Kick also made it clear that VR is not just an added extra, but a fully developed feature. Nightdive is working on an outline on how to create a “truly remarkable VR experience, built from the ground up”.

Nightdive cites the immersive potential of VR as one of the main reasons to pursue this dedicated mode for System Shock 2: Enhanced Edition. “When you’re in virtual reality, you’re the one really swinging your weapons, you’re reloading [the guns] alone, you’re not just pressing a button and having the character automatically reload the weapon. “

Our notifications: “Is System Shock 2 EE still a thing?”

We: pic.twitter.com/nYgX0xnVBa

– Nightdive Studios (@NightdiveStudio) January 10, 2021

The team has been studying other VR games and a title that has set an immersive standard is Half-Life: Alyx, which Nightdive says is a great inspiration. “[Half-Life: Alyx has] it just became essential to create that feeling that you’re there … Things like being able to pick up items at a distance is something that was really important in Half-Life: Alyx, and it’s something that you’ll be able to do in System Shock VR too. “

System Shock 2 VR is currently in the prototype stage, so the VR version will not be released alongside System Shock 2: Enhanced Edition, which is planned to be released along with the complete remake of Night Shock’s System Shock.

Matt TM Kim is news editor for IGN.