Shadowrun Returns – Review (PC)

Shadowrun Returns – Review (PC)

After a successful kick-starter campaign, Harebrained Schemes released Shadowrun Returns to the public in July, but does the game step out from the shadow of its namesake and heritage to make a mark on its own merits? We take a look.

This new ‘independent’ offering marks the return of the series in several respects. Not only is it the latest video game iteration of the popular pen-and-paper role playing system, but it marks a return for the series to the RPG-genre as a whole. The most recent video game to carry the name was a half-decent multiplayer third-person shooter, which from a gameplay perspective was far removed from previous Shadowrun titles.

The Shadowrun universe is best described as an amalgamation of high fantasy and steam punk; the aesthetic is reminiscent of Blade Runner (complete with noir undertones), with liberal dashes of Tolkien-esque swords and sorcery. Character creation harkens back to the computer RPGs of old in which you were not limited to a human player character; playable races include the likes of dwarves, orks, trolls and elves. The selection of skills available range from computer hacking to shamanistic monster summoning, and while the disparity between technology and magic is present within the mechanics of the game – cybernetic implants reduce a character’s essence, negatively affecting spell casting – there is no rigid class system. You are allowed to dabble in all disciplines if it tickles your fancy – want to play a Troll Technomage Samurai who wields an AK47? Then sure, go ahead. Although your character will probably be a weaker, jack of all trades and literal master of none, the options are there allowing you to create some interesting combinations.

The in-built campaign is very well written; it starts out as crime fiction and eventual moves into the territory of conspiracy and fantastical cults.
The in-built campaign is very well written; starting out as crime fiction it eventualy moves into the territory of conspiracy and fantastical cults.

The influence of the original Fallout games is undeniable. Although Returns’ combat system attempts to emulate the rules of the table-top game, it does borrow rather explicitly from the turn-based options available in Fallout 1, 2 and Tactics. Character’s make use of ‘Action Points’ (AP) to take actions during their turns, moving, shooting, casting and summoning all takes up varying amounts of AP. Firing off a clip of ammunition from an assault rifle naturally takes up more time than firing a single shot. The system is tried and tested by several CRPGs of the past, and it works perfectly here.

The gameplay is broken into moving about and interacting in hub worlds which are largely devoid of combat, and the missions or ‘runs’. Before you enter a run that has been given to you by an NPC, you hire additional Shadowrunners to fill out the other three slots in your team. This is where you can fill in the gaps with characters that provide important skills and abilities that your character might lack. However, it must be said that ‘utility’ characters are a waste of party slots until much later in the campaign; healers are all but non-existent, while the spell casters that buff the team are better off replaced with a bigger, louder gun-for-hire for the most part. One character I hired made use of a medical drone that fired smoke grenades that emitted healing vapours, unfortunately the game was bugged and I couldn’t actually make use of this interesting skill.

Visually, the game is full of nice little touches and detailed locales; however the animation system lets the game down, characters seem rigid and doll-like. On the topic of visual presentation, the user interface is simplistic at best. The character sheet and inventory screens all serve their function in a minimalistic respect and the whole game is played with only the use of the left mouse button. Right-clicking doesn’t even cancel a selected spell. I got the impression that the HUD, UI and controls were designed with tablets or touch-screen in mind, and a little bit of research (read:google) showed that this was the case.

The combat moves towards more interesting fare; from summoning spirits to controlling attack drones, the game presents some interesting combat scenarios.
The combat moves towards more interesting fare; from summoning spirits to controlling attack drones, the game presents some interesting combat scenarios.

The campaign that comes packaged with the game is of surprising length, taking me more than ten hours to finish. Initially taking the form of a murder mystery of sorts, it is solidly written, dripping with character and flavour that makes good use of the source material. Despite this praise, it did feel awfully linear, with only a handful of substantial side-quests available.  Exposition and plot development is presented almost exclusively through dialogue, complete with response trees as expected from a game drawing so heavily from its isometric CRPG roots. The campaign lacks any voiced dialogue whatsoever. This can be forgiven considering the independent nature of the production, and the fact that the product is geared towards fostering heavy community involvement with custom campaigns and content.

Reminiscent of the Neverwinter Nights franchise, Shadowrun Returns is aimed at allowing players to invest time and effort crafting their own gameplay experiences and stories through use of the included editor. This content has already begun to be shared with the community through the Steam Workshop, expanding the available campaigns and gameplay significantly. However, the comparisons to Neverwinter Nights as a similar product are awkward; Shadowrun features no multiplayer support, meaning campaigns are solitary experiences at all times. This fact sits at odds with Shadowrun Returns’ attempt to emulate the creative and story-telling aspects of table-top gaming; pen-and-paper RPs are usually communal and as much a product of the group of friends playing together as the budding ‘games-master’.

Despite Shadowrun Returns drawing heavy influence from the CRPG crowd, I find it hard to recommend it as an RPG of that stock. Although the in-built campaign is great, and well worth your time and money, it would be more accurate to describe it as (and subsequently recommend it as) a Tactical Turn Based Strategy game. There is character progression, using Karma points to level up particular skills and abilities, but the emphasis on narrative, character interaction and choice simply isn’t there. The dialogue trees feel superficial, with the option to be pleasant or rude having no effect on the NPCs you interact with. On rare occasions there are opportunities to use unique dialogue options afforded you by skills you have selected (charisma to persuade and enemy for instance) but these are few and far between, and ultimately play out like solutions to a puzzle that give alternatives to outright combat. Don’t get me wrong, the game is a lot of fun, however it is probably a more comparable experience to X-Com in its squad and turn based combat gameplay, than the RPG experiences of Arcanum, Planescape  or Baldur’s Gate II.

Verdict: A great strategy/RPG hybrid set in a rich and vibrant gameworld. The continuing support from Harebrained Schemes and the community insures that there is value for money to be had; reassuring in a landscape where paid-for DLC is a common business practice.

Pros:

–          Isometric nostalgia; harkens back to the CRPGs of old

–          Exciting and unique gameworld and lore

–          Good combat system, fun and engaging turn based strategy

–          Ongoing development process with the promise of more content from Harebrained Schemes

–          User made content, delivering more once you finish “Dead Man’s Switch”

Cons:

–          Not quite the return to isometric CRPGs I had expected

–          Complete lack of multiplayer support; contrary to the spirit of table-top role playing

–          Linear built-in campaign

–          Minor bugs do cause a nuisance

–          Bugs, as well as balancing issues and limited animation shows its indie development roots

Rating: 4 out of 5.
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