System Shock 2: The Humble Beginnings of Irrational Games

Irrational Games, now a renowned developer behind the critically acclaimed BioShock series, had humble beginnings in the late 1990s. Founded by Ken Levine, Rob Fermier, and Jonathan Chey, the studio's first project was System Shock 2, a sci-fi horror adventure game that would lay the foundation for their future successes.

The development process of System Shock 2 was far from easy, with the team facing numerous challenges. 'We were just trying to stay afloat and come up with good ideas,' Chey recalls in an interview. The team consisted of a small number of staff members, using the Dark engine that was still under development for Thief at the time, and a meager budget of $700,000. Despite these limitations, the game received critical acclaim upon its release.

System Shock 2 did not quite light up the charts, but it made Irrational Games' name and laid the groundwork for their future projects, including SWAT 4, Freedom Force, and, of course, BioShock. Over 20 years later, Chey reflects on the experience, saying that his strongest motivation was not wanting to look like a fool, given that they had never undertaken a project of this scope before.

The pressure was immense, with Chey admitting it was probably the most pressure he had ever felt in his life. However, the gamble paid off, and System Shock 2 proved that Irrational Games could deliver a game that matched the caliber of Looking Glass, the developer of the original System Shock, Thief, and other PC classics.

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System shock 3 tied into bioshock