Shadowrun Returns

Reviewing before playing Hong Kong and Dragonfall. Overall I really enjoyed it. The writing was melodramatic in some places (particularly some of the main plot points), but in others (like the level load screens) it is sublime. Gameplay was up to my expectations but didn't wow me. There is a lot of build variety though. Going in I expected a light tactics game with most of the focus on environment and storytelling. In the first half of the game the combat is easy and you don't have that many skills / combat options so it wasn't terribly engaging. This is compensated for by the game keeping a brisk pace early on and sheparding you onward and upward through the strata of Seattle. The gameplay opens up in the second half of the game after you acquire more skills/items etc. The cover system feels worse than in games like xcom and I think character positioning is unsatisfying. This is also partly due to the lack of some quality of life features a lot of people expect by now; I found I wanted to rotate the camera view quite often and couldn't, and there are no indications before you move of whether you'll be able to see your intended target from your new position or not. The real highlight, the writing, is dripping in the style that we've come to expect from this genre, and Shadowrun properties in particular. My favorite pieces of writing are the level start/load screens; they do such a good job of getting you in the headspace of where you're about to go. I enjoyed the first part of the game (serial killer arc) the most. The plot in the second half of the game lost me a bit, but I still enjoyed the environments and characters. In the end, I was happy with what I got from Shadowrun Returns and felt that my expectations were met. I think replayability should be fairly high due to the impressive build variety on offer.

Cyberpunk noir with magic. A couple of negative points first. Yes, graphics are dated. On my 34 inch monitor, the dialogue windows too far to the right, so played in 1080P which made it more bearable. Another think I really wish they had got some voice actors -- which would have been improved this game by at least a couple of points. The reason is the story is so good. I don't know anything about this game prior to playing this - I'm just a guy trying to go through my 1000 games backlog before I drop dead. The game's start has to be one of the best - you're briefed by your now dead friend Sam who wants you to track down his killer. It's an exceptional start and the game maintains a surprisingly high level of intrigue. Tracking down the killer and finding out why kept me playing. I confess I rarely finish games nowadays because I just don't have that much time - but this game drove me to finish and I was satisfied. It took about 16 hours for me but I am a slow/methodical player. And the fact that it doesn't outstay its welcome is a positive in my book. If you enjoy narrative driven CRPG games, this might be something you'd like to try. I'm always amazed and blessed that I get to play these wonderful games. Now, let me start the next game in the series - Dragonfall

[h1]Shadowrun Returns: Nostalgia en Pixeles[/h1] [h2]Resumen[/h2] Prepárense, chicos y chicas de los dados y mazmorras, porque Shadowrun Returns nos sumerge nuevamente en ese oscuro y encantador universo de magia cibernética. ¿Te gusta Dungeons & Dragons? ¿Eras fan de los juegos de Rol de mesa? Pues, agárrate porque este juego es como revivir esos viejos tiempos pero sentado frente a tu PC. [h2]Aspectos importantes e interesantes[/h2] Shadowrun Returns es una delicia retro y moderna que mezcla la magia del rol clásico con una ambientación ciberpunk alucinante. Uno de sus puntos fuertes es sin duda alguna la historia, llena de giros, drama y un guion bien cocinado que te mantiene pegado a la pantalla. Además, la forma en que el juego mezcla elementos mágicos con tecnología es simplemente digna de elogio. ¿Acaso no es genial lanzar un hechizo y luego sacar una escopeta? ¡Por supuesto que sí! [h2]Aspectos por mejorar[/h2] Pero no todo es un camino de rosas en el mundo de Shadowrun Returns. El juego podría mejorar en variabilidad de voces e interacciones más dinámicas. A veces, se siente como leer un libro con algunos dibujos interactivos, lo que puede ser un punto muerto para quienes esperan más acción y menos lectura. Además, esa sensación de nostalgia no cubre por completo la necesidad de gráficos más pulidos. [h2]Calificaciones[/h2] [table] [tr][th]Aspecto[/th][th]Puntuación[/th][th]Comentarios[/th][/tr] [tr][td]Jugabilidad[/td][td]8[/td][td]Engancha como buen juego de rol, pero puede sentirse algo rígido.[/td][/tr] [tr][td]Dificultad / IA[/td][td]7[/td][td]Desafiante al principio, predecible con el tiempo.[/td][/tr] [tr][td]Contenido[/td][td]9[/td][td]Rico en historia y misiones secundarias que realmente valen la pena.[/td][/tr] [tr][td]Video / Gráficos[/td][td]6[/td][td]Estilo retro que encanta pero no a todos convence.[/td][/tr] [tr][td]Historia[/td][td]9[/td][td]Impecable, profunda y completamente inmersiva.[/td][/tr] [travel][td]Ambientación[/td][td]9[/td][td]Magistralmente creada, te sumerge de lleno en el mundo.[/td][/tr] [tr][td]Efectos[/td][td]7[/td][td]Cumplen su función pero sin alardes.[/td][/tr] [tr][td]Música[/td][td]8[/td][td]Acompaña muy bien, aunque a veces no es muy variada.[/td][/tr] [tr][td]Voces[/td][td]5[/td][td]El talón de Aquiles, necesita más variedad y emociones.[/td][/tr] [tr][td]Diversidad[/td][td]7[/td][td]Una buena mezcla de personajes y escenarios, con espacio para mejora.[/td][/tr] [tr][td]Total Puntuaciones[/td][td]75[/td][td][/td][/tr] [/table] [h2]Veredicto de Compra[/h2] [b]Compralo con descuento[/b] Mientras que Shadowrun Returns no es perfecto, tiene más que suficiente magia y tiros por turnos para mantener contentos a los fanáticos del género. Pero, tal vez espera a una venta, tu billetera y tu espíritu rolero te lo agradecerán.

Interesting world and story so far. I like the artstyle. Really fun experience.

good fun when you can't get a group together for a bit of tabletop gaming

This was a nice introduction to the Shadowrun series, I had fun with what I could do and while I didn't feel like there was a lot of depth to choices for the story the ones I did see were appreciated but sometimes felt a little too small compared to what I'd have liked. Build variety and building up a character is really fun, things snowball fast, and (can't stress enough how good this is) making a character for a new run is quick, once you know what your doing you can have fun with character building and not sitting through stuff you've already seen and waiting for the fun. The two big issues I had while playing were 1) charisma does not matter this isn't up for argument and 2) stats given by cybernetics work as phantom points and not actually a level in that stat

Shadowrun Returns is basically a tactical turn-based RPG novel. (And so is Dragonfall and HongKong from what I've played them). The story is pretty much linear with just a few side-runs you can take or not, but what is important, it's a world with characters that are believable, who have their own agendas, fears, dreams. A world as if taken out of a 90's cyberpunk movie, except in this one, you also have magic. It's a wonderful setting and it's quite easy to fall in love with it. The character customization options are a bit limited, seeing as you only develop your own character, and hire the rest of the team for every run. This actually gives you the proper "vibe" of the Shadowrun, where you compose a team of Shadowrunners required for a given run, and just as you, they also want to get paid. Your own character can be "maxed" in maybe two areas, if you play your karma well. So you can be a top pistol user with top drone operator skills. The second skill set will be topped maybe 3-4 missions before the end of the campaign. If you choose to develop more than two areas, you wont have enough karma to max them. Overall, I recommend this and the next parts. It's quite nice for a tactical turn-based game, and has a high-quality story.

Review for the basic campaign: So, I finally played the basic campaign (and only that). It's meh. Gameplay: Very simple, not so much in the difficulty but in the progression. I found it to be trivial, and towards the end, tiresome. Your skills give you access to better weapons (be it guns, mechs or magic spells). None of these I found to be super exciting. E.g. improve skill "guns" and you go from gun #1 to gun #2 which is like gun #1 but does more damage. That's it. There are some unlockable weapon skills, but nothing exciting. E.g. skill "full auto" means you shot 5 times with a minus -15% modifier. Been there, done that. Roleplay & story: you are railroaded down a corridor. No choices that matter. It's a linear, mission based game. You are going to do what you're supposed to. And that's the big problem with the story: your are dragged through it by the nose. Without wanting to sound too condescending, but I had more agency in some quests in the StarWars MMO, and that is an MMO, which are famously bad with the whole "story" thing. Towards the end I was skipping dialogue because none of it really mattered to my game. I finished the campaign after 13.6 hours. (I've got more because I already played the game before and dropped it. Now I remember why.) So what's left? Well, compared to other games on the market, unfortunately not much. Sure the art direction is ok - no more than that I'm afraid - but there is very little of it. And it is infuriating that you don't really interact with the surroundings. You might find a grenade here or a few bucks there, but even these measly rewards for exploration are few and far between. I'm not going to thumb it down, because it is a fully functioning game, with functioning mechanics and a story that has a beginning, a middle and an end. In the context of modern gaming, I'd score it a 4/10 because there are so many better alternatives. In the isometric RPG department, there are half a dozen phenomenal games you could buy - probably on discount - right now that are better in every regard. If you're looking for a cyberpunk fix, well, honestly Cyberpunk 2077 is not the perfect game, but it is lightyears better than this. And not just because of the visuals, action, first-person mode etc.. While it has all that, the most damning deficit of this Shadowrun campaign is that Cyberpunk 2077 is also a much, much better, more choice-driven and immersive RPG.