It’s been a long while since we last heard about that Adventure Alpha test for Nightdive Studios’ remake of System Shock. That’s changed with the studio having shared footage of the game’s alpha test, which includes new textures and environments. The alpha test is currently invite-only, as well as available to those who pledged $750 during the game’s Kickstarter.
As explained way back when the Adventure Alpha was announced, this is essentially a slice of the game’s first level, and will be “reminiscent” of the original with its difficulty set to zero. Players are able to explore Citadel Station, listen to audio logs, and complete objectives without being pursued by hostile enemies. The textures found within the alpha test are the original versions that have been upscaled, and are meant to provide the team with a “blueprint” on how to approach updating them.
Nightdive states that the purpose of this alpha is to “rebuild all the levels 1:1 and be able to complete all the objectives necessary to finish the game”. And despite the video only showing around a minute of footage, things do look pretty cool, even if some of the textures do look a bit out of place. It’s a shame that we won’t be seeing the completed game until 2020. But as Nightdive says, “There will be many more updates, please stay tuned.”