Shadowrun returns

Shadowrun is a science fantasy pen and paper role-playing game set in a near-  future fictional universe in which cybernetics, magic and fantasy creatures co-  exist. Actually I played quite a lot with the different versions of this game with my  friends. So when in 2013 Harebrained Schemes Games created a turn based tactical video  game about this universe I bought it.   And especially because one of the designer of Harebrained Schemes is Jason Weisman who actually created ShadowRun the pen&paper RPG in 1989!

The game

ShadowRun Returns is a graphically 2D turn-based single player game with deep  story interaction (Dead man’s switch campaign), a character development, and  tactical combat. There is also a level editor that allows players to create their own content. The game is to be set in Seattle and is to implement character types from the role-  playing game, including Street Samurai, Combat Mage, Hacker/Decker, Shaman,  Rigger and Adept. You can only create and use one character, but you can hire additional help for runs during the campaign.

Dead man’s switch campaign

This campaign takes place in Seattle in 2054. Your character receives a pre-recorded message from one of his old shadow runner partner which was triggered by a dead man’s switch(*) embedded within his body. Then you will investigate what happened to him.. (*)A dead man’s switch is a switch that is automatically operated if the human operator becomes incapacitated.

So did I like it?

To be honest the game is extremely linear, so linear that you are not allowed to do some free exploration of the city or areas you already visited. More annoying is the absence of manual save option. You have to reach some new areas to save the game. So long if your character dies or you need to shut off the game immediately because your favourite episode of Almost Human just began! Remember that the game had a Kickstarter-limited budget so you won’t hear a single line of voiced dialogue in Shadowrun Returns also. ShadowRun returns was not the great game I expected maybe because I’m a little too nostalgic of the RPG and dreamt too big for a solid RPG video game? What I really liked in this game was the good writing of the scenario and protagonists speeches, the solid characterisation and the good tactical combat mode and the well transcription of the Shadowrun universe! Recently I bought a DLC named DragonFall which is a new full-Length Campaign for Shadowrun with also game mechanics improvements. I didn’t play yet so wait for another test later ;p Did you play this game? What did you think about it? Please feel free to comment and post on this Shadowrun returns game review!