Shadowrun Returns!
So back in April 2012 I went and backed my first Kickstarter. I backed for $30 Shadowrun Returns, which promised to be a sequel to the first computer RPG I ever played, Shadowrun for the SNES. I could go on about all the things right and wrong about that SNES title, but that's not what this post is about, so lets just say it was wonderfully atmospheric, somewhat grindy and totally sold me on the Shadowrun setting and computer RPGs in general.
Last Thursday at 6:25pm I downloaded on Steam Shadowrun Returns and added my kickstarter reward code (which got me a few extra in-game items, nothing major). I just completed the main campaign, which took about 15 hours according to Steam. That was $30 well spent.
Shadowrun Returns ships with the game engine, a main campaign (titled Dead Man's Switch) and a level editor so you can make your own campaigns and with which the main campaign was built. I'll do them in order:
The game engine is a good translation to computer screen of the Shadowrun pen and paper system. I've not played the XCOM reboot but I understand the turn-based combat with little shields representing cover values is similar, unlike the pen and paper system you get to see the odds to hit for all possible targets pretty much instantly, the stats and equipment are understandable, and all the old classics are there (I bought an Ares Predator and it made me smile)
The campaign is good, very atmospheric and takes you on a good tour of the environments of Shadowrun (slums, ruins, docks, corporate offices and creepy demonic sancta) The story was good, honest fare for an RPG, nothing special and if you know the Shadowrun setting you can probably guess where it's all going from about half-way through, but there were no real howling awful moments, which puts it above half the PCRPGs I've played recently. Fundamentally it's a Shadowrun campaign written by the guy who came up with the setting in the first place, it's a good tour of the setting.
The campaign editor is the most potentially exciting bit but also the part I haven't actually tried yet. The art assets from the main campaign are available for use (which makes the grand tour style more understandable) and people are adding a few more already. Hopefully what this means is that Shadowrun GMs from across the world now have a tool to translate their runs into a computer game and share them. Most will be bad, some will be good and a few will be outstanding. Not only am I looking forward to seeing what the general community can come up with, but I'm going to try my hand at a few myself, probably starting with a Stuffer Shack and moving on from there.
Conclusion: Shadowrun fanboy Edith likes the Shadowrun game a lot!
Last Thursday at 6:25pm I downloaded on Steam Shadowrun Returns and added my kickstarter reward code (which got me a few extra in-game items, nothing major). I just completed the main campaign, which took about 15 hours according to Steam. That was $30 well spent.
Shadowrun Returns ships with the game engine, a main campaign (titled Dead Man's Switch) and a level editor so you can make your own campaigns and with which the main campaign was built. I'll do them in order:
The game engine is a good translation to computer screen of the Shadowrun pen and paper system. I've not played the XCOM reboot but I understand the turn-based combat with little shields representing cover values is similar, unlike the pen and paper system you get to see the odds to hit for all possible targets pretty much instantly, the stats and equipment are understandable, and all the old classics are there (I bought an Ares Predator and it made me smile)
The campaign is good, very atmospheric and takes you on a good tour of the environments of Shadowrun (slums, ruins, docks, corporate offices and creepy demonic sancta) The story was good, honest fare for an RPG, nothing special and if you know the Shadowrun setting you can probably guess where it's all going from about half-way through, but there were no real howling awful moments, which puts it above half the PCRPGs I've played recently. Fundamentally it's a Shadowrun campaign written by the guy who came up with the setting in the first place, it's a good tour of the setting.
The campaign editor is the most potentially exciting bit but also the part I haven't actually tried yet. The art assets from the main campaign are available for use (which makes the grand tour style more understandable) and people are adding a few more already. Hopefully what this means is that Shadowrun GMs from across the world now have a tool to translate their runs into a computer game and share them. Most will be bad, some will be good and a few will be outstanding. Not only am I looking forward to seeing what the general community can come up with, but I'm going to try my hand at a few myself, probably starting with a Stuffer Shack and moving on from there.
Conclusion: Shadowrun fanboy Edith likes the Shadowrun game a lot!