Horror Game Developer Used Real Colonoscopy Images for Textures

System Shock 2’s Grotesque Secret: Real Colonoscopy Footage Used in Iconic Horror Game

The chilling corridors of System Shock 2 have haunted players for 25 years, but a recent revelation proves truth can be stranger—and more disturbing—than sci-fi fiction. In a twist blending medical reality with virtual horror, a developer confirmed the game’s infamous “sphincter doors” were crafted from actual human colonoscopy footage.

How Did a Real Colonoscopy Inspire System Shock 2’s Creepiest Feature?

Former Irrational Games artist Nate Wells unveiled the biological nightmare’s origin on Nightdive Studios’ Deep Dive podcast (August 4, 2024). Seeking authentic organic textures for the game’s alien hive level “The Many,” Wells turned to an unlikely source: producer Josh Randall’s personal colonoscopy video.

“I was searching through gross biological endoscopy stuff when Josh approached me saying he had footage of his own colonoscopy,” Wells recounted. “I took a still frame, flattened it in Photoshop, and altered it. Those doors you see pulsating in The Many? That’s literally Josh’s colon.”

The repurposed medical imagery became the foundational texture for the game’s most unsettling architectural feature—fleshy, orifice-like barriers that players must navigate. This visceral design shift marked System Shock 2’s tonal pivot from sterile sci-fi to body horror, as the Von Braun starship becomes infected by the grotesque hive-mind entity known as The Many.

Why This Design Choice Cemented Gaming Horror History

Wells’ macabre ingenuity amplified the game’s psychological dread. By integrating real human biology—however uncomfortably sourced—the environments achieved an uncanny realism that synthetic textures couldn’t replicate. The colonoscopy-derived doors epitomized the game’s fusion of biological corruption and technological decay, forcing players to literally traverse bodily horrors.

This revelation contextualizes Wells’ later work on landmark titles like BioShock and The Last of Us, where organic decay and environmental storytelling became hallmarks. System Shock 2’s 1999 release pioneered immersive sim elements, but its use of authentic medical footage foreshadowed gaming’s pursuit of visceral authenticity. As Wells noted, “It wasn’t just designed to look organic. It was.”

Critics and players have long praised System Shock 2’s atmospheric dread, with PC Gamer ranking it among the “Top 100 PC Games of All Time” (2023). Yet this behind-the-scenes detail adds a new layer of grotesque brilliance to its legacy—proving that groundbreaking art sometimes emerges from the most unexpected places.

Decades after its release, System Shock 2 remains a masterclass in psychological horror, now forever redefined by its jarring blend of digital innovation and biological intimacy. For gamers revisiting the Von Braun’s nightmarish halls, the sphincter doors now carry an unsettling truth: humanity’s deepest fears are often reflections of ourselves. Listen to the full Deep Dive episode for more untold stories of gaming history.

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Must Know

Q: What part of System Shock 2 used real colonoscopy footage?
A: The infamous “sphincter doors” in the game’s late-game “The Many” section were textured using a still frame from producer Josh Randall’s colonoscopy video, altered digitally by artist Nate Wells.

Q: Who revealed this behind-the-scenes detail?
A: Former Irrational Games developer Nate Wells disclosed the information during an August 2024 episode of Nightdive Studios’ Deep Dive podcast.

Q: Why did developers use medical imagery in System Shock 2?
A: Artist Nate Wells sought authentic organic textures to heighten the horror of the biological hive level. The colonoscopy footage provided unnervingly real visual foundations for the game’s grotesque aesthetic.

Q: How did this design choice impact later games?
A: Wells’ fusion of medical realism and environmental storytelling influenced his subsequent work on genre-defining titles like BioShock and The Last of Us, which similarly blend bodily horror with immersive worlds.

Q: Is System Shock 2 still considered influential today?
A: Yes. The game is consistently ranked among history’s greatest PC titles for pioneering RPG-horror fusion and immersive sim design, with its 2023 Enhanced Edition introducing it to new audiences.