KickStarter System Shock 1 Remake by Nightdive Studios

[Ash]

Thought it was popular opinion that the SS1 soundtrack is amazing.

As far as 90s video game soundtracks go? It has to compare to the greats of the goddamn golden decade of video game music (and video games in general). The music is great but not amazing in my opinion. SS2 is better. Take Executive for example. It fits rather well, is unique, even a little catchy, but three minutes is quite short (each track is quite short relative to the time it takes to explore a deck) and I wouldn't listen to the track outside the game. Medical is similar: unique, cool, catchy, but I wouldn't jam to it in my own time and it also sounds like a 90s toy at times. It is also a mere two minutes long, which leads to a lot of repetition. Another thing to note is tracks are recycled on some decks. Understandable to recycle in games like doom where there is 30 levels... but what is System shock's excuse where there is 8? The total length of the entire soundtrack is what, 30 minutes? Edit: yep This is simply not enough. Relative to the many, many greats of the 90s it simply isn't up to par, but comes close and is still awesome. I know it is a major improvement over Ultima Underworld in this regard but that was just way too repetitive even if also catchy.

8/10 sounds fair, if even a little generous. SS2 knocks it out of the park on the other hand.

 

[Morenatsu.]

Thought it was popular opinion that the SS1 soundtrack is amazing.

As far as 90s video game soundtracks go? It has to compare to the greats of the goddamn golden decade of video game music (and video games in general). The music is great but not amazing in my opinion. SS2 is better. Take Executive for example. It fits rather well, is unique, even a little catchy, but three minutes is quite short (each track is quite short relative to the time it takes to explore a deck) and I wouldn't listen to the track outside the game. Medical is similar: unique, cool, catchy, but I wouldn't jam to it in my own time and it also sounds like a 90s toy at times. It is also a mere two minutes long, which leads to a lot of repetition. Another thing to note is tracks are recycled on some decks. Understandable to recycle in games like doom where there is 30 levels... but what is System shock's excuse where there is 8? The total length of the entire soundtrack is what, 30 minutes? Edit: yep This is simply not enough. Relative to the many, many greats of the 90s it simply isn't up to par, but comes close and is still awesome. I know it is a major improvement over Ultima Underworld in this regard but that was just way too repetitive even if also catchy.

8/10 sounds fair, if even a little generous. SS2 knocks it out of the park on the other hand.

System Shock has dynamic music, therefore your opinion is invalid.

 

[Trithne]

Yeah, System Shock was designed with dynamic music, where it added instruments when it considered you to be in danger.

They didn't do this for SS2 because they felt it went unnoticed in SS1, so it wasn't worth the effort.

 

[Nano]

Yeah, System Shock was designed with dynamic music, where it added instruments when it considered you to be in danger.

They didn't do this for SS2 because they felt it went unnoticed in SS1, so it wasn't worth the effort.

SS2 was also a proper horror game, unlike SS1. Having the music tell you when monsters are around isn't exactly a good thing in horror games.

 

[Morenatsu.]

Who said SS1 was a horror game? SS2 isn't that great of a ‘horror’ game either, anyway.

 

[ciox]

Yeah, System Shock was designed with dynamic music, where it added instruments when it considered you to be in danger.

They didn't do this for SS2 because they felt it went unnoticed in SS1, so it wasn't worth the effort.

SS2 doesn't add instruments but it uses different pieces of music at different times, in the end it doesn't feel that different from how SS1 does it. There's some static tracks too but the hubs of Medsci, Engineering, Hydroponics have dynamic music, as well as some parts of OPS and Command.

 

[Denim Destroyer]

Removing SS1's music is a crime against humanity and I await Nightdive's trial at the Hague!

 

[schru]

Thought it was popular opinion that the SS1 soundtrack is amazing.

As far as 90s video game soundtracks go? It has to compare to the greats of the goddamn golden decade of video game music (and video games in general). The music is great but not amazing in my opinion. SS2 is better. Take Executive for example. It fits rather well, is unique, even a little catchy, but three minutes is quite short (each track is quite short relative to the time it takes to explore a deck) and I wouldn't listen to the track outside the game. Medical is similar: unique, cool, catchy, but I wouldn't jam to it in my own time and it also sounds like a 90s toy at times. It is also a mere two minutes long, which leads to a lot of repetition. Another thing to note is tracks are recycled on some decks. Understandable to recycle in games like doom where there is 30 levels... but what is System shock's excuse where there is 8? The total length of the entire soundtrack is what, 30 minutes? Edit: yep This is simply not enough. Relative to the many, many greats of the 90s it simply isn't up to par, but comes close and is still awesome. I know it is a major improvement over Ultima Underworld in this regard but that was just way too repetitive even if also catchy.

8/10 sounds fair, if even a little generous. SS2 knocks it out of the park on the other hand.

I agree about the problem with recycling, especially for the final deck and confrontation with Shodan, but that video contains Chicajo's remixes. The in-game music with segments for various levels and special areas, variations, death themes, and such seem to add up to forty minutes, and that's without much repetition that would be normal in a pre-recorded track.

The modular and dynamic music system which SS has is also pretty impressive, even by today's standards. It doesn't just have a basic division into exploration and combat states, but intermediate states, various flourishes and different keys, some of which might be related to specific areas or enemies, but I'm not sure. Then there are also the themes for those hazard and ‘spooky’ zones.

Stylistically, I think it leaves a lasting impression. The use of pan-pipe and square waves in the opening theme somehow fits the cyberpunk theme extremely well. Then there are those strange mechanical and computer-like noises worked into the various tracks that blend with the environments in a way that's rarely seen in games. Morasky's dynamic music in Portal 2 has a similar feeling, and come to think of it, that's not the only thing the two series have in common. The cyberspace themes also have a very uniquely cyberpunk charm to them. Then the reactor level's theme really evokes the feeling of some heavy machinery working in the background. And let's not forget the eerie industrial ambience from the maintenance level, which was perhaps the first case of utilizing such musical style in 3-D games. Generally, the game has rather memorable tunes.

SS2's Med Sci action track makes a very striking first impression and the other action and ambient tracks are nice and well done too, but it doesn't feel like they stand out as much individually. Nevertheless, it's definitely one of the greats.

 

[Maggot]

Terra Nova's OST was a great midway point between SS1 and SS2, there's even a couple tracks in Terra Nova's cutscenes that get extended into a full song in SS2.

Spoiler

turns into

 

[ciox]

Terra Nova's OST was a great midway point between SS1 and SS2, there's even a couple tracks in Terra Nova's cutscenes that get extended into a full song in SS2.

Spoiler

turns into

Josh Randall shared some of the original mixes and other stuff on his soundcloud, the track you're talking about was originally a song for a small band called Institute of Technology.
Apparently the song was made in 1993 or 1994, which means the SS2 Command theme was already out there while SS1 was still in development.

https://soundcloud.com/robotkid/institute-of-technology-d-tox

 

[randir14]

Say goodbye to the supposed late summer release. Look at his face around 26:48 when he says "we're going to address that soon." That's the face of someone who knows the game is nowhere near finished.

 

[ironmask]

We may as well officially label this as vaporware. Maybe the development would be farther ahead if they didn't fuck around, trying to make a completely different game instead of the one they promised.

 

[Manjuice Nutella]

Iono, I just replayed System Shock 2, and the music is even more awesome this time.

Med/Sci where just after narrowly escaping shit blowing up, you frantically run into hybrids like a headless chicken; suspenseful Ops where you play cat and mouse with red cyborg assassins, the creepy garden in Recreation or epic battle theme like Command Cargo Bays. In general the game holds just as well as, uhm, Thief 2, duh, or even better thanks to the type of environment in use.

 

[Morenatsu.]

But Thief 2 doesn't actually hold up that well and SS2 is much better.

Edit: Well, I mean, it does ‘hold up’, but was never that great to begin with trololololo

 

[Wunderbar]

 

[Ash]

You didn't play SS2 if you turned off the music. Get out of here with that bullshit.

The soundtrack itself is catchy, but completely inadequate for the game. Can't hear the fucking hybrids approaching when there's a techno beat droning.

This isn't even true, because you absolutely can. The footsteps are loud and enemies always announce their presence anyway. And I play with the music slider cranked to max, which is another point: even if it were a problem, you could just turn the music slider down a bit.

You're playing the game wrong.

 

[Morgoth]

Soundscape > Music.

You're playing it wrong, mate.

 

[LESS T_T]

Also they've got a writer in July: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickmazwriter/

Contract Writer for System Shock remake

Company Name Nightdive Studios (Contract)
Dates Employed Jul 2020 – Present
Employment Duration 3 mos

He doesn't have a long list of video game works (interestingly he previously worked on Steam Bandits, the indie game by Jason Fader), mostly did content/copy writing. Probably not a lot of things to write for this game anyway since it became a faithful remake.

From his resume:

Nightdive Studios / Contract Writer/Narrative Designer
JUNE 2020 - PRESENT, REMOTE

● Addressed timeline and continuity issues present in the original title to ensure that System Shock’s world felt seamless and real
● Wrote clear and conscious dialogue that communicates both the game’s story and informs players how to proceed forward in the campaign as there is no quest log to tell players where to go
● Updated dialogue from the original System Shock to meet the current level of writing that a modern gaming audience has come to expect from a highly anticipated title
● Wrote new lines for new characters and System Shock’s main villain, SHODAN, to give players some insight into the creation of her consciousness while also filling in plot holes in the original title’s story
● Worked inside Unreal engine
● Wrote all NPC dialogue lines that were not present in the original title and were themed to each unique monster the player finds in-game
● Wrote the descriptions for all of the items in the game

 

[Wunderbar]

● Updated dialogue from the original System Shock to meet the current level of writing that a modern gaming audience has come to expect from a highly anticipated title

 

[Morenatsu.]

Soundscape > Music.

You're playing it wrong, mate.

But SS2 isn't a horror game, it's an action-horror game. Therefore it requires awsum musicks.

 

[Ash]

Soundscape > Music.

You're playing it wrong, mate.

Nope.

1. The music isn't playing at all times (it is dynamic). When it is silent it is in places where the ambience has more focus. Deliberately.
2. Even when playing, the music doesn't override the soundscape. All the sounds don't suddenly disappear.
3. Music > Ambience, though both are important.
4. What is wrong with you man? The soundtrack amplifies the experience considerably. Both Brosius' horror pieces and Randall's exceptional DnB.

 

[Curratum]

I'm so torn - I want to shit all over Nightdive because of the hilariously gross mishandling of the SS1 project, but at the same time, Blood Fresh Supply, Forsaken, now the Quake facelist.

I feel like the primary reason Stephen Kick is still in business is called Samuel Villarreal.

 

[prengle]

4. What is wrong with you man? The soundtrack amplifies the experience considerably. Both Brosius' horror pieces and Randall's exceptional DnB.

because i can't resist correcting people online - brosius didn't compose a single track for ss2 to my knowledge, he was just the lead sound director/mixer. ramin djawadi (aka the game of thrones guy) made the droning ambient horror tracks while josh randall/robotkid wrote all of the fast dark synthy dnb stuff. in case you needed proof:

http://joshrandall.robotkid.com/Video-Game-Music
https://www.ttlg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=113469&page=5

While I was at Looking Glass I was still doing electronic music at home, doing remixes for various bands. I offered to help Eric if he ever needed a "techno consultant." When we started working on Shock 2, we knew we wanted a driving electronic soundtrack. The soundtrack to Shock 1 by Greg LoPiccolo was pretty iconic, but we wanted to go darker. Another sound guy there, Ramin Djawadi, was really good at creepy atmospheric stuff, so he starting making a few tracks. (He now works in Hollywood scoring huge films!) Eric asked me if I'd be interested in making some tracks for the game. I said yes and spent a few weeks banging out some sketch mixes. These mixes, which I considered just temp demos, eventually wound up in the game after some heavy tweaking/processing/remixing by Eric.

SS2 soundtrack correction
Hi, this is Eric Brosius. Wow, this is cool...a blast from the past.

I want to correct something though: Josh Randall and Ramin Djawadi wrote most of the music for SS2. I did a bunch of editing and remixing and such, but those two fine fellows were the real SS2 composers.

Josh Randall, aka Robotkid and all-around good guy, wrote the cool techo-flavored pieces. We work together now at Harmonix Music.

Ramin Djawadi wrote most of the more moody orchestral-style pieces. Shortly after his stint at LG, he moved to Hollywood and is making a name for himself as a TV & film composer.

Thanks very much, and I'm glad to see that TTLG is still going strong after so many years.

Cheers,
Eric

this has always annoyed the everliving hell out of me, seeing how people still credit brosius for making the entire soundtrack to this day - even the fucking flac copy that gog bundles with ss2 lists him as the sole composer (and i suspect that this compilation is related to the ttlg thread i linked). despite being funny as shit i blame ss2's credits for causing this confusion in the first place, djawadi is listed as an audio technician and randall is credited as a "producer" but no one is actually credited as a composer. eric, terri and greg lopiccolo came from an altrock background too, so while i'm more than certain eric knew his way around a synthesizer back then i don't really think heavy dnb would've been his forte:

 

[Semiurge]

They also have placeholders for the various Bloodlines 2 editions...

 

[Tweed]

SS2 was also a proper horror game, unlike SS1. Having the music tell you when monsters are around isn't exactly a good thing in horror games.

Doesn't play when they're around, it plays when you take damage or hit an enemy. It also has a klaxon track for when you're low on health.