The Many

Lore & Background

The game is set aboard a space station in a cyberpunk vision of the year 2072. The player assumes the role of a nameless security hacker who attempts to hinder the plans of a malevolent artificial intelligence called SHODAN. The plot involves the hacker being caught while accessing files about Citadel Station, then hacking SHODAN for an executive named Edward Diego, and later awakening from a coma to find SHODAN has taken over the station.

Reader's Guide

The player explores a large, multi-level space station from a first-person perspective, using a freely movable mouse cursor to aim weapons and interact with objects. The HUD includes posture controls and three multi-function displays. The player advances by acquiring log discs and e-mails, and can temporarily enter Cyberspace via specific computer terminals. The game features sixteen weapons, of which a maximum of seven may be carried at one time, along with items like dermal patches and attachable hardware.

Did You Know?

• System Shock was a moderate commercial success, with sales exceeding 170,000 copies, but Looking Glass ultimately lost money on the project.
• The game's 3D engine, physics simulation, and complex gameplay have been cited as both innovative and influential.
• A sequel, System Shock 2, was released by Looking Glass Studios and Irrational Games in 1999.
• The 2000 game Deus Ex, the 2007 game BioShock, and the 2017 game Prey are spiritual successors to the two games.
• A remake by Nightdive Studios was released on May 30, 2023.