Originally released in 1994, System Shock is best known through the games it inspired. Its blend of first-person shooting, sci-fi roleplay, and survival horror made it a touchstone for Deus Ex, BioShock, Dead Space and Prey. But it never enjoyed the success of its descendants; it lives in the shadow of its children. The greatest accomplishment a remake could achieve, then, would be to afford System Shock the credit it deserves. Nightdive Studios' remake does this, but not in ways you might expect.

S.H.O.D.A.N. (Sentient Hyper-Optimized Data Access Network), later referred to as SHODAN is an Artificial Intelligence and the main antagonist of the System Shock series. She is voiced by game writer and designer Terri Brosius. SHODAN was created on Earth to serve as the Artificial Intelligence of the TriOptimum Corporation's research and mining Citadel Station. The head of her programmers was Morris Brocail, who designed SHODAN as a semi-intelligent self-sufficient data network, which could carry out routine duties aboard space stations, guided by an intricate series of logic and moral programs, and a personality that would allow her to challenge station decisions that affected her functions. The guidance software had security platforms so that SHODAN's own programming protected her self-governing capabilities.