System Shock Remake Guide – Every Weapon And Where to Find Them

The System Shock Remake has redesigned a number of weapons from the original 1994 title, while cutting some out entirely, and introducing completely new weapons to the game as well. This System Shock Remake guide will outline what weapons made it into the final cut and where you might find them during the course of the game.

Lead Pipe

The very first weapon you will pick up in the System Shock Remake, you will find this right at the start after your awakening on the Medical Deck. It is lying in plain sight in an open crate. The Lead Pipe is ideally used against melee enemies in order to preserve ammunition for your more powerful ranged weapons, at least initially.

Monkey Wrench

New to the System Shock Remake, the Monkey Wrench is found on the Medical Deck in the grip of a corpse. Only a little different mechanically from the Lead Pipe, with a somewhat reduced range, the Monkey Wrench is also a two-handed weapon.

DG-04 Laser Rapier

This unusual weapon is the top of the line in melee weapons in System Shock Remake. Exceptionally powerful versus Cyborgs and late game enemies. Initially found on the Maintenance Deck in blue, a second can be found on the Executive Deck as well, in a color that matches the HUD. A good tactic combines the use of the Rapier following an opening attack with an EMP grenade, specifically when in combat with EMP-susceptible enemies.

KE-41 Minipistol

The Minipistol is found on the Medical Deck, and is your basic starting ranged ballistic weapon. Mods will improve it later in the game, but it is relatively weak overall. Ideally reserved for weak enemies and security cameras. The mods will double the magazine capacity, change fire modes, and increase damage. 9mm ammunition is plentiful, though the Teflon variant may be somewhat less so.

Magnum 2100 Pistol

A step up from the KE-41 Minipistol, the Magnum 2100 Pistol is located on the Maintenance Deck, though another is also secreted on the Medical Deck of Citadel Station. Two mods for it add 50% ammunition to the magazine, as well as barrel and laser sight attachments to boost damage and auto-lock functionality. Ammunition is scarce, and use of the firearm should be confined to mid to high level enemies.

KF-18 Skorpion Machine Gun

This kinetic weapon uses a high rate of fire and 9mm ammunition to suppress enemies. Burst fire is recommended to control the heavy recoil. Restrict targets to close range, for maximum damage. The KF-18 Skorpion is on the Warehouse Deck of CItadel Station and on some of the higher decks as well. The large magazine can make it invaluable in tight quarters, where you can unload a lot of rounds for quick takedowns of multiple enemies.

Dusk III Assault Rifle

Found on Citadel Station’s Flight Deck, the Dusk III Assault Rifle is a ballistic short-barrel firearm with a burst fire mode and incendiary rounds by default. Alternative ammunition can be used to penetrate armor. Magazine capacity can be increased by 25% with a mod. This particular weapon never loses its utility for the duration of the game.

SK-27 Shotgun

A shotgun just like in any other game, the new to the System Shock Remake SK-27 fires both kinetic and incendiary slugs. It can be found on the Research Deck. The rare Dragon’s Breath incendiary rounds should be reserved for organics, especially since the fire damage persists for some time. Somewhat wasted on armored foes, mods do not improve it much either, and only really serve to counter recoil and raise damage.

TB-05 Sparqbeam Sidearm

The Sparqbeam Sidearm will be your earliest available energy weapon, a counterpart to the KE-41 Minipistol. As a rechargeable firearm, this weapon takes off some of the pressure of contending with ammunition availability for your ballistic weapons. The three power settings determine damage and armor penetration, while taking a corresponding toll on energy capacity. A human corpse on the Medical Deck can be looted for it on the Medical Deck itself, and the weapon remains relevant throughout the game. Mods improve cooling rate (Research Deck) thus lowering energy consumption, and increasing damage and armor penetration (Flight Deck) while raising energy consumption back again. Exceeding the maximum permissible heat rating can shut the weapon down. The Overload fire setting will do this on purpose but the resulting blast from the business end of the firearm will melt organics and robotics alike.

JW-76 Mag-Pulse Rifle

Another firearm that can be had very early in the game, the JW-76 Mag-Pulse Rifle is on the Medical Deck, in the armory. The ultra-specific Magnetic-Pulse Cartridge ammunition required is non-existent on the lower levels except for the dispenser in the very same room. An excellent weapon for robotic foes, the ammunition rarity makes it a waste on organics. The projectiles are parabolic rather than linear, and highly explosive. Damage is done over a short span of time, rather than all at once. Additionally the alternate fire of two charges in a single shot significantly increases damage dealt. In the Executive Deck’s Beta Grove is a mod kit that will further improve damage, but also energy consumption.

LG-XX Plasma Rifle

This energy weapon will drain your battery like no other weapon does. The LG-XX Plasma Rifle is in a single location on Citadel Station–the Security Deck. The mod can lower the energy draw, but not by much. Two fire settings allow for some tactical decision making, though it is advised you reserve energy charge and batteries to make use of the Plasma Core setting versus crowds of high-level enemies, where the purple orb will bounce around like chain lightning between enemies. If you are favoring this weapon, it is recommended that you locate and memorize energy charge stations.

RW-45 Ion Rifle

In the Executive Deck’s Alpha Grove, a briefcase lying on the ground to the north of the dome holds the RW-45 Ion Rifle. The Engineering Deck has a mod that will improve the astronomical energy demands of this firearm, making it less of a chore to keep viable without having to visit a charging station. Bring lots of batteries, especially if you appreciate the ability to ricochet shots while melting enemies into goo.

MK-84 Accelerator Railgun

A single round magazine with a long charge time makes this weapon somewhat of a chore to use. It more than makes up for those downsides by being exceptionally destructive against targets, one-shotting high level enemies on the upper decks of Citadel Station. The weapon itself can be found up there on the Executive Deck. Two more can be discovered on the Security Deck, one in a room with a single loaded round, and the other empty on the upper floor. 

Fragmentation Grenade

Your bog-standard grenade, the Fragmentation Grenade can be made to explode both on a timer, and on impact using the percussion trigger. Shrapnel from the explosion poses a danger to you, just as much as it does to enemies caught in the blast zone. Find your first Fragmentation Grenade on the Medical Deck.

EMP Grenade

Another grenade initially found on the Medical Deck, the EMP Grenade does exactly what it says on the box–causes an electromagnetic pulse blast that disables anything electrical, electronic, or mechanized.

Gas Grenade

Also found on the Medical Deck, the Gas Grenade is the anti-organic counterpart to the EMP Grenade, making quick work of both biological and cyborg targets. Robotic foes are invulnerable as expected, so do not waste it on them. The Gas Grenade is also best reserved for crowd control, or especially deadly single enemies.

Smoke Grenade

Less of an offensive weapon and more of a support tool, the Smoke Grenade is a tactical item to be used in dicey situations requiring a quick escape under cover of smoke.

Proximity Mine

Once deployed, the Proximity Mine will detonate based on whatever it detects using its proximity sensor, including you yourself. While it can be tossed at enemies to detonate on impact, it would be ideally used as a trap that enemies are lured into. Beware Cyborg Assassins that may use it against you as both a throwable and a trap. Find your first Proximity Mine on the Medical Deck.

EM-83 Grenade Launcher

All of the grenades can be fired using the EM-83 Grenade Launcher, a new addition in System Shock Remake. Detonation criteria defaults to on-impact, but range and accuracy are greatly improved, and timing no longer becomes an issue with which to contend. Agile opponents will not be able to dodge your grenades like they would if they were hand-thrown. The mod kit on the Flight Deck will improve the velocity of fired rounds, maximizing your grenade-launching prowess.

That is all the weapons available to you in the new System Shock Remake.

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