In a recent interview on Nightdive Studios’ Deep Dive podcast, Marc LeBlanc, a former programmer at Looking Glass Studios, discussed the positive reception of the System Shock Remake as a signal that there’s an audience for games that require critical thinking and innovation from players. LeBlanc expressed that many new gamers discovering this classic title seem to appreciate a game that challenges them more than modern titles with simpler mechanisms.

“One of the things that we’re seeing with the [System Shock] remake is a new generation of folks discovering the game that demands more from them. This is a game without a real quest log.”

He elaborated that previous games encouraged players to make their own notes and interpret the story themselves, a trend he hopes will see a resurgence in the industry. LeBlanc emphasized the value of designing challenges that require players to engage deeply rather than relying on modern conveniences like quest markers.

He quoted a notable design moment from System Shock:

“[Looking Glass designer Tim Stellmach] and I were driving home at four in the morning, and we had the epiphany that there should be a retinal scanner that you need to use a severed head on.”

This creativity exemplifies the type of immersive problem-solving that made older games memorable, contrasting with the more straightforward design seen in many contemporary titles.