So the Shadowrun games are currently on sale, and I'm tempted to get one. I really enjoyed the new XCOM, and after watching some Let's Plays, due to their similarities, Shadowrun seems like my kind of game. From what I can tell, the consensus seems to be that Dragonfall is the better game. I was wondering why?

Can I skip the campaign of the base game, and still be okay to play Dragonfall?

Does Dragonfall have the same modding capability as Shadowrun: Returns?

What are the ups (and downs) of both games?

Should I still try out the base game?

Anything else I should know before making a purchase?

Thanks,
Nmorello11

I'd say both are good games, the only thing that i didn't like in Returns is that the story looks like is going to be really amazing but midway you already know who is the person that you're looking for and why, not to say that it's just dumb the last part, in terms of story and combat.
Dragonfall is more consistent and gives you a squad with personal missions for each one that will work on your relationship with them.

You can skip the first one story wise.

Don't know anything about mods, played the vanilla version.

Edit: To explain a bit better the problem with the first one, you will be given a mission for the game, that mission and the person that gave you the mission is really original and it will make you want to play until you find out what happened, it's like this cyberpunk noir detective story. The problem, like i said, is that you find out what happened and then it goes all bananas, if you played Fahrenheit/Indigo Prophecy then it's something similar to that.

Hahaha, the Fahrenheit comment puts some context on it (though I did enjoy that game).

That's a really good solution actually. +1. I was just browsing Nexus, but I can't find it. Know where I can?

I think there's a confusion here, i know that you can copy some files from the first one (if you have it) and put it on the Dragonfall folder so that you can play it with the new improvements but a mod that adds the story from Dead Mans switch? I don't think that the developers would even allow that.

Edit: The best answer that i can give you is that if you have the money and time buy both, if not, then buy Dragonfall.

I feel the comparison to Fahrenheit is a little bit unfair - yes, where the Shadowrun Returns story is heading in the end is a bit "out there", but that's true for the whole Shadowrun world, it's a fantasy setting after all. By contrast, Fahrenheit ostensibly takes place in the world as we know it, before it goes all wacky. (At least as far as I can tell from what I've read - haven't played it personally.)

In any case, what's happening in Shadowrun Returns wasn't created specifically for the game, it was already part of the Shadowrun canon (not the specific events of the game, but the broad storyline). I didn't know about the Shadowrun universe before, so it made no difference to me, but my impression is that that storyline isn't considered particularly crazy by those with prior knowledge of the setting.

That being said, as nearly all the reviews here on GOG also point out, the story of Shadowrun Returns plays out in very linear fashion, so you're not really free to find your own path through it to any great degree. If you're okay with a game that boils down to a set of separate missions where the role-playing elements only play out in the background, it's still a fine game. But yeah, it's not Dragonfall. Yeah, that's pretty much it, I would say.

Well, yeah, but it's hard to explain without going into spoilers that's why i used Fahrenheit, while i do agree that the stuff happening on Shadowrun is more plausible since the game universe involves magic, realms, etc, i think the both situations are similar in the sense that you're taking the story seriously and out of nowhere it goes downhill, i was really into the whole investigation thing but the "last part" with the new enemies was just unappealing.