Shadowrun Returns

Without the film part. From the very start of the game it brought memories of film noir movies from the 40s +. The setting is as you might know a mix of sci-fi, fantasy and steampunk. In the end though what stays with you is that you are a private dick, without being one. You find yourself going for one main storyline which while it never stops being true, becomes almost secondary in your search. Plenty of dialogue, but not too much, just enough to lure you in. Turn based battle with an action point system which is just enough. Not as good or complicated as the original UFO Defense, nor as dumbed down as in the xcom reboot series. Your main character can be developed in a few different ways, magic inclined, combat (ranged or melee), tech heavy (cracker). If you pick one, stick with it and focus on improving that. Spread out and you will suffer. No matter what you decide, you will have options for allies to join you who can do the parts that you are not ready to deal with, so don't worry too much that if you go one way, you will have problem with the game later on. The story is good, the game is dark and serious. It doesn't go to the novel level of lines of text, yet it managed to drag you in just fine. I played with the music off so I can't comment on that, but the sound effects were good, with the guns in particular being delightful. The game is linear, so don't expect to do much exploration. You might detect a certain item here and there, or side mission, if you explore, but they are not really part of the experience. If you haven't played a proper RPG in a long time and want to come back, but not with anything that requires a lot of investment in time and mental involvement, this is a very good choice. Good game.

This is a nice throwback to old school Shadowrun. The campaign is based on the old Universal Brotherhood adventure, which I still have somewhere. I doubt there are a lot of us out there, but for those who loved Shadowrun back in the late 1980s and early 1990s, this is a real treat. Newcomers might find the game a bit daunting at first, but I think it does a good job of introducing its absurd but fun premise. The campaign is very linear and a bit short. However, for a tactical RPG, the writing is quite good. You get some opportunities to roleplay, and you can mess around with quite a few different builds, some more optimal than others. The combat is where it shines, though, and any time that you're outside of combat, you'll likely be reminded that this is a tactical RPG first and foremost. That means there isn't a whole lot of sneaking around in shadows, and even though the NPCs are fun, you're not going to feel sad when the adventure ends. if you've been dying for a turn-based cyberpunk game where you can hack terminals and spray submachine gunfire at bad guys, this is totally your game. If you go in knowing that it's a crowdfunded indie game and set your expectations appropriately, it's very fun. Plus, it's moddable.

Many times I hear about a game that it's linear. Like Half-life is linear or Tomb Raider is linear… When people say that, they try to define the genre of these games. There are fine "linear" RPGs out there. This game isn't just a linear RPG. In this game the gameplay itself is linear. Allegedly you're supposed to be investigating a crime. Which means you just click through every interactable icon you see. Because you can't interact with anything, only things that are important to the quest. And the dialogues: you just click through everything until you click the last line and then you get to advance in the story. I'm not playing, I'm clicking through a visual novel, except sometimes there are extremely easy fights. Now, the fights control very similar to the XCOM reboot, but have no tactical depth. You choose a character from your party and shoot the bad guys. One time I got scared, because I ran out of covers, and it turned out I didn't need to be in cover to win. I just lost a couple of HPs and won easily. And the "moral dilemmas" are ridiculously signposted. You basically make no real decisions. And the shopkeeps? I just went one by one and bought the one best item from each of them I wanted, and I had just enough money to do that. It's almost like I didn't even have to worry about money, just click through the next option. And you can see that they are in love with the prose in the dialogue. Now, as I understand there is one big merit of this game: people can make new adventures for it. And its engine might be used for way better adventures, which are less linear, where a player could interact with more stuff, where there is more in-depth strategy in buying equipment, etc. That might be fun.

Who said linear RPGs can't be good? The good: - Writing: It has some of the funniest dialog I've seen in games. The game is worth it just for that. - Turn-based combat system: Has its flaws, but overall I liked it a lot. - Scratches the RPG itch: If you're into D&D and boardgames in general, chances are you'll like Shadowrun Returns. - The atmosphere is great! This is of course a matter of personal taste but I really dig the artwork and overall atmosphere of the game. The bad: - Like I said previously, the combat system has its flaws. Doesn't ruin the experience but RNG can get you some strange situations every now and then. - It's not SUPER long. I finished the whole thing in less than 15 hours I believe but I kinda want to do a re-run with a different character at some point. Overall I feel like I've got way more than my money's worth out of this game.

This game is a romp, no two ways about it. Yes, it's a linear campaign, but it's a fun, well-told and occasionally tongue-in-cheek story with a great atmosphere. Combat (of which there is lots) is absorbing and fast-moving for a turn-based game. The checkpoint-save thing is no longer an issue: an update has given us quicksave/load keys, which should stop you gnawing your arm off in frustration. And there is a certain satisfaction that comes from playing as a lightning-hurling, mainframe-bothering dwarf in combat gear.