In a recent episode of the Deep Dive Podcast by Nightdive Studios, artist Nate Wells shared intriguing stories from his time working on System Shock 2. One particularly surprising revelation involved the creation of the hellish doors used by the alien race known as The Many. Wells recounts, “This is a funny moment, I don’t know if it’s my proudest moment. When we were working on The Many, if you remember, it has this very biological vibe to it. It’s this fleshy mass that has taken over the Rickenbacker.”

To enhance the unique aesthetic of these doors, Wells found inspiration in an unexpected place. He stated, “We did these things called ‘sphincter doors,’ this sphincter that opens up. I was making the doors and doing the concept. I think I was searching through some gross biological images, like endoscopy sort of stuff. Josh Randall, who was a producer at Looking Glass, approached me and said he had a video of his colonoscopy.”

Not only did Randall share the video, but he also provided still images, from which Wells took a frozen frame of Randall’s large intestine, manipulated it in Photoshop, and used it as the basis for the texture of the sphincter doors. “You’re seeing Josh Randall’s colon—audio genius Josh Randall’s colon.”

This lighthearted yet bizarre tale has bounced through the System Shock 2 fan community for years, but it’s nice to finally get confirmation from the artist involved. In retrospect, Randall’s colonoscopy might qualify as one of the most artistically significant medical procedures ever documented, at least in terms of video game design. Although many players might approach this game with only a slight awareness of its behind-the-scenes origins, a little extra insight can deepen appreciation for the artistry involved in creating these iconic gaming moments.