Shadowrun Returns

It manages to be more bleak than I can think even the RPG every could convey, so much so that I would not recommend it to children. Its beautiful, with decent fights and great story, but oh those load times.

I really enjoyed the game. The story is engaging, the character options are unique and interesting and the turn-based combat style is simple but interesting nevertheless. I haven't had so much fun with a game for a while. I am just about to start the sequel Shadowrun Dragonfall now. Enjoy this game!

I was always intrigued by the table top version of Shadowrun as a kid but never got a chance to play it. This seemed like a great opportunity to delve into that world without the need for friends or the ability and patience to understand a whole bunch of rules. It looks ok and there’s lots Lore which I guess is to be expected with a game with this heritage but it’s really let down by the very linear game play, you’ve got this cool world you want to explore but you can’t. The mechanics of the game are also really dull, I’m by no means an aficionado of the genre having only played the new X-Com and Dead West which are comparable but both those games beat this one hands down for game play. There doesn’t seem to be enough depth to the game to have any particular combat tactics but fortunately the game is so easy it doesn’t matter so the whole experience is just a chore. I only played on the default medium difficulty, maybe if you made it harder then there’d be need for more tactics and you’d discover a game mechanic I totally missed but I found no way of varying the combat at all, just shoot things more than they shoot you, win. Overall a very disappointing experience for something which for me had so much childhood wonder.

Somewhat minimalistic, but very well crafted game. Game uses its basic but effective presentation to quickly immerse and engage the player, and doesn't overstay its welcome. Story and atmosphere are strongest part of the game, and though the plot starts taking crazy pills towards the ending, I was ultimately satisfied after finishing it. Writing is good, just right amount of text and the text ends before become annoying, one of the finest book-reading experiences in video games. The combat part is copy of Firaxis XCom 2012, and it's kinda mediocre. I usually play warriors for first playthrough in RPGs, but since it's cyberpunk game, I decided playing as mage would make sense. Rather quickly I discovered a spell which blinded enemy for 2 turns and had 3 turns cooldown. If you played HoMM3, you know what happens next. Well, towards the end of the game I had 3 of these spells, completely trivializing every encounter. There are many different classes but they all perform rather similarly. Also game is really linear, there is probably only one short sidequest which was optional. Game ships with editor to create user content, and I must warn you that most of that content is locked to Steam Workshop. Overall game has drawbacks, but I don't do 4s or 3s, it's either 1 if it's not worth my time or 5 if it is. So it's 5. If you are an indie developer, this game is great example of how limited tools can be put to use to create immersive experience.

I had never played a Computer RPG before, and after finishing this game i think this is the perfect entry point for noobs like me. While this series in general is a good entry point, this particular entry is sometimes criticized for streamlining a little too much, since you only get to personalize and upgrade your main character, any other character that you use is just a recurring one or one that you contract for a mission, but you can't upgrade them or change them. Still, for a complete noob like me this game was very good, i got the chance to understand the different systems and mechanics of the series, and now i'm excited to move to Dragonfall so i can use multiple characters. The story is also very competent and engaging, at first it was a little slow but after a while it grabs your attention and motivates you to finish the game. If you know nothing about CRPG's but are somewhat interested, this is a good place to start. Otherwise, you can check out the sequel Dragonfall or another series.