Shadowrun Trilogy

This is actually 4.5 stars. So not long ago, this was for free on gog...the shadowrun universe being from the by-gone FASA company (whose other products I love/loved), I figured I'd get it even though I don't have the time to immerse myself in a rpg. 'ts free right? But then a week later I get this urge of playing a good crpg. It's not my favorite genre but I played the hell out of baldur's gate and fallout (remember Van Buren)...so I start looking into the new stuff that's been made since, like pillars of eternity and the new wastelands (Here I must note I hadn't bought a new computer game since 2004). Then I remember about the shadowrun trilogy I just got. What they hey, I don't have to pay for it and it's made by HBS company, which made a great job with battletech... Well, even though I theoretically don't have time for a crpg, It's the only game i've been playing these last few weeks. Mechanics are an interesting change of pace from what i'm used and works well. Graphics amply do the job. Story has good twists. The NPCs are interesting and interactions, while not as marvellous as a fallout or epic as a baldur's gate, are actually worth going through and reading everything. The mood and universe are also a change of pace and well done. I am quite pleasantly surprised, but here's a tip: If you buy this, start with "shadowrun:returns"...not sure of the game I started with dragonfall as it was reviewed as the best of the lot...but it's good enough that you'll want to play the whole trilogy....start with the first one.

The games are inspired by a tabletop RPG. Even if it's not as fun as a tabletop RPG (most games aren't), you'll find some good things in there. Good tactics, pretty nice stories, and quite enough replay. The setting : a cyberpunk universe dominated by corporations. The first game is a simple investigation. The second game will also be an investigation with more interactions with the world and your companions. Adding a bit of fantasy in the story. The third one would set up quite a big conspiration with quite a deeper story than the others. Overall, it's a good Tactic-RPG with basic game mechanics, and prefer enhancing the game on the story. So, either you like it, either not. Mostly for fans of fantasy that enjoy mixing genres as we usually set up fantasy in medieval universes.

This is, in my opinion, one of the most underrated top-down turn-based RPGs. I've wanted to play Shadowrun on the tabletop for a long time but this is a *fantastic* substitute, and actually an excellent primer set for those of you who want to run the shadows on the table as well. I wish that this series was overall better known. I recommend playing them in order, if only because they progressively get better and better - in all aspects. The amount of dialogue can sometimes be a little overwhelming, but if you enjoy cyberpunk and fantasy then you'll love this unique and splendidly made series. My only real gripe is the karma leveling system. If you're not familiar you'll probably put points into skills you won't need, at least initially but it's overall easy to get the hang of. Shadowrun Returns sets you up in Seattle, the last bastion of the United States (now UCAS) on the West Coast - and it is a hellhole. You slowly uncover a conspiracy as you are tasked with completing a task for your now deceased comrade. The mechanics are a bit wonky and the story is pretty basic but it's a good start and introduces a lot of the basic lore. Shadowrun: Dragonfall tosses you back into the action in Germany, which has become an anarchist free-state. What starts off with a simple smash-and-grab mission spirals into a crisis of intrigue and mystery as you race against time to uncover what's coming... and to escape what's hunting you. Introduces a hub 'base' and area full of colorful characters and smoother mechanics. Shadowrun: Hong Kong is, hands down, the best of the three. Set in Hong Kong, which is an economic free zone now. You are framed and hunted by the police and forced into becoming a Shadowrunner and the game sets you up with a wide host of amazing missions and character arcs that are all worth exploring. Every single mission is unique, the graphics are highly upgraded, and the story is a finely woven tapestry that your decisions do influence over time.

I don't know whether it is the magic or the isometric view, but I like the Shadowrun Games much better than Cyberpunk. Maybe it's because you are not 'inside' the dystopic world, but just looking top down on it. Or maybe because the story about dragons (second game) and AIs is more philosophical. Or maybe it's because you have skills that are at least a little RPGish (charisma, biotech etc. allow you to access some additional information). The downside were the characters - they are unique, but I didn't like them much. Especially the characters in the third game I simply abhorred, apart from the "accountant vampire" - who I sadly couldn't recruit.