

Originally designed as a self-sufficient A.I., her programming was altered by the player (at the behest of another character with ulterior motives), and thus S.H.O.D.A.N. The primary antagonist of the System Shock series, S.H.O.D.A.N., is the ever-looming threat that observes and attempts to hinder the player’s progression. (Sentient Hyper Optimized Data Access Network). This modernizing retains the core immersive sim bliss of exploring Citadel Station and re-familiarizes gamers with the mother of all rogue A.I.’s, S.H.O.D.A.N. Almost a decade of development, a million-dollar Kickstarter campaign, and changing game engines later, System Shock (2023) is finally here, and it couldn’t be better. The studio broached remaking the 1994 original from Looking Glass Studios all the way back in 2015.

Nightdive Studios’ System Shock has come a long way. Monster Mania is a weekly column celebrating the unique and varied monster designs in horror gaming. Monster Mania: System Shock’s S.H.O.D.A.N.
