System Shock 3, the long-awaited sequel to Irrational’s acclaimed first-person RPG, is still very much alive, the game’s developer has reiterated. First announced back in 2015, Boston-based studio OtherSide Entertainment confirmed that it had acquired licensing rights from IP holder Night Dive Studios to commence work on a follow-up, having provided but a handful of progress updates since.
With growing concern over ongoing radio silence leading many to reach the conclusion that the project had at some point been canned, it appears the reality couldn’t be more different. Despite being forced to make a number of layoffs in recent months, OtherSide’s Walter Somol says System Shock 3 is still very much alive and kicking, with a new concept for the ambitious title apparently “coming along nicely.”
The full statement, posted on OtherSide’s official forums, reads:
We’re still here. We’re all working remotely right now, probably like most of you. Our new concept is coming along nicely and we are really excited about it. We have cool and we think distinctive art style for it and we have that and gameplay coming together in UE4. I know it’s a tease, but I just can’t really say anything about it at this point.
I hope you all are staying safe and healthy in these unfortunate times. Maybe even gaming more than usual, I know I am.
A somewhat reassuring update, then, though Somol is clearly hesitant to make any promises or, for that matter, provide a specific update on when fans can expect to see actual gameplay, let alone an eventual full release.
Folks should brace themselves for a long wait ahead, then, though it’s not all bad news. Night Dive Studios’ remake of the original System Shock continues to receive regular status updates over on Kickstarter and all signs point to it meeting the latest revised release date of sometime in 2020.
