Should I care about Solarix? Yes and no. I really love what Solarix tries to achieve—a new game in the mold of the original Deus Ex or System Shock 2—but it lacks their spirit, their soul.

There are few games with more loyal followings than System Shock 2, Ken Levine's classic sci-fi horror game. System Shock Infinite, an ambitious fan mod, kicks into gear as the game ends.

"It's chess meets Hamlet. Okay, maybe not Hamlet. But it's a start." Ken Levine, of BioShock and System Shock 2 fame, wrote an interesting review of Shadow of Mordor this week in which he praises its novel ability to tell stories that players "build for themselves simply by playing the game." Read it over at Matter.

There's a horrifying scene PC gamers of a certain generation will never forget. It takes place midway through System Shock 2, the predecessor to BioShock and, to many who played it, the scariest game ever made. One fan has been hard at work recreating the game's iconic plot-twist, and it looks scarier than ever.

Before there was BioShock, there was System Shock 2. The first full title produced by Irrational Games when it was still a tiny spin-off from Looking Glass Studios, this terrifying hybrid of a first person shooter and RPG first came out 15 years ago today. Let's all remember in turn just how scared we were when we…

Playing System Shock 2 is a frightening experience, and no moment is quite as shocking as seeing the face of the villain SHODAN for the first time. Now, one modeler is taking the time to render that scene in all its glory (Spoilers ahead).

Who would've guessed that this is what the Little Sisters in BioShock started out as? Eurogamer just published a thorough report on the origins of the seminal first person shooter that's worth a close read.

Back in January of last year, Irrational Games announced that BioShock Infinite would have a hardcore 1999 Mode, which would make players pick a specialization that locks them into a set framework of powers and skills. There'd be no going back on those choices and death would be permanent. Back then, Irrational said…

Surprise! Out of almost thin air, a pair of unofficial patches have been released for PC classics System Shock 2 and Thief 2 that not only allow the games to be safely played on modern hardware (and operating systems), but look great while they're doing it.

Today's gamers crave choice. Choice in how they progress through a game; choice on how they develop their character. The gamers of 13 years ago needed not these things, which is why Irrational Games is including the punishing 1999 Mode in BioShock Infinite.

Some of gaming's most cunning foes have been computers. Think GlaDOS from Portal, or Shodan from System Shock 2. At least part of what makes them so memorable is that their artificial intelligence is brought to life by a cold, calculating, female voice.

Irrational Games, creators of BioShock, uncovered a long-lost treasure the other day: a sketchbook, full of concept art for the game that got the studio rolling, System Shock 2.

Totally subjective question, of course, but movie mag Empire decided to try and answer anyway, its writers nutting out who they thought were the greatest video game characters of all time. The winner? It wasn't Mario.

Widely acclaimed when it released in 1999, System Shock 2's cinematic conclusion nonetheless disappointed Irrational Games creative chief Ken Levine. The reason: The video that was shot wasn't anything like what he had scripted.

BioShock was a big hit. But, the way lead programmer Chris Kline sees it, the game should've been a MISERABLE FAILURE. BioShock was first planned in early 2002 when its developer, the then Irrational Games, decided it needed a big AAA title. The idea was to make a System Shock 2 clone, but development on the game…