"It's pretty much beyond my wildest dreams," he says. We talked to Kick along with Larry Kuperman, director of business development at Night Dive, about the project, which we first caught a glimpse of last fall. While the revamped version of the original — with new graphics, an updated user interface and other tweaks — won't ship until sometime in 2017, the studio is eager to give a look at what it's been working on.

Along with the tonal changes and what the developer hopes will be more immersive gameplay, the user interface has been remade; Kuperman calls it far more user-friendly. But Night Dive is trying not to neglect the tried-and-true System Shock fans while updating the game to a contemporary audience. The studio has reached out to the thriving community at SystemShock.org, which still creates mods for the old PC games — both System Shock and its 1999 sequel, System Shock 2. "We've received a lot of feedback in terms of what they're looking for or hoping for with this," Kick says. "We've compiled that data and we're starting to kind of go through it and apply some of the better ideas and influences that we've had from them." Original artist Robb Waters is also on board to help bridge the gap between old and new. The team's goal is to maintain the feel of the original game but achieve an aesthetic that wasn't possible with the tech available back in the early '90s.

Some of those who have already given the project a vote of confidence include Microsoft, who is helping Night Dive bring the System Shock remake to Xbox One, although the pair neglected to get into the particulars of that relationship; it will be the studio's first console game. The studio is also weighing its options for publishers and funding, and is considering crowdfunding. There's also a System Shock 3 in the works, a completely new game that Night Dive is working with OtherSide Entertainment — Looking Glass Studios' founder Paul Neurath's company — to develop. But the System Shock reimagining project remains at the fore of Kick and Kuperman's minds. "The System Shock franchise is so storied and there are so many fans there," Kick says. "It we can get a little more attention and eyes focused on the brand, there's no telling what kinds of amazing things we're gonna see come from that."