Shadowrun: Hong Kong represents a small improvement over the past two Shadowrun games by HBS (both of which I enjoyed greatly). There are some minor improvements over the previous games, along with a pretty large revamp of the Matrix system, which I like a lot but may not be for everyone. Pros: There are multiple ways to accomplish pretty much every single mission in the game. I'd say about 80% of the combat is avoidable if you'd prefer stealth/hacking/disguise. Inventory system has been improved a bit to make it easier to equip your squadmates before every mission - though it's still clunky when buying items for them. The writing is excellent, on par with, or exceeding, the narratives of the previous games in many ways. Graphics slightly improved, music is excellent. Pro or Con: The new Matrix system represents a significant improvement IMO, but I could see some people not enjoying it. In the previous two games the combat in the Matrix was essentially the same as it was in the rest of the game, except with different graphics. Now it's become a kind of stealth minigame, with patrolling programs, and you being able to plan a path and avoid them to get to the node you want to hack. Once you reach the node, you have a (timed) Simon Says style minigame to hack it. Once you get the hang of these mechanics they are quite fun and not too difficult, but I can see how they may be annoying for people who don't like stealth or the hacking. For them, you can go through the Matrix with the normal turn based combat and blast through everything, but you'll need pretty high level decking to do that or you'll be mobbed. Con: Some framerate issues on occasion when opening up menus, but nothing game-breaking. Static NPC's: Seeing the same NPC's standing in the same exact spot in your hub area for the entire game is a bit dull. Have them move a bit at least. Overall, another great Shadowrun game. Not a huge leap forward, which is why I docked a star, but still great.
