Shadowrun: Dragonfall

 PC
User Score
8.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 268 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 214 out of 268
  2. Mixed: 34 out of 268
  3. Negative: 20 out of 268

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  1. rodericrinehart
    Feb 8, 2015
    10
    SCORE: 10/10 ( and I am picky about my reviews and will often give amazing games around 9.0-9.5 due to minor issues). This game just transcends even otherwise stellar games due to it's flawless combination of turn-based strategy and RPG elements in a world that is gritty, believable, and engaging.

    If X-COM and Fire Emblem had a baby in the Matrix, this would be it. Shadowrun Dragonfall    SCORE: 10/10 ( and I am picky about my reviews and will often give amazing games around 9.0-9.5 due to minor issues). This game just transcends even otherwise stellar games due to it's flawless combination of turn-based strategy and RPG elements in a world that is gritty, believable, and engaging.

    If X-COM and Fire Emblem had a baby in the Matrix, this would be it. Shadowrun Dragonfall is even better than Shadowrun Returns, both of which are just a breath of fresh air in the RPG and turn-based strategy worlds.

    This has all the turn-based goodness of X-COM and FIre Emblem, but all the RPG mastery of Divinity Original Sin and the best of Dragon Age.

    The story is truly exciting. But the WRITING ITSELF IS PHENOMENAL. It is as good as the best sci-fi novel, with details and scene setting that takes your mind to details that the already superb graphics don't.

    I have already backed Shadowrun: Hong Kong and look forward to whatever this studio tries to do. But they have pretty much combined my two favorite genres into a perfect game. Just make sure to get the Director's Cut.    … Expand
  2. seuche
    Mar 23, 2014
    10
    the game has improved a lot since the main campaign! the story is much better, the characters are more developed, the choices are much more interesting, there is finally a save option during missions and the missions offer a lot of interesting sidequest/submissions and choices. reminds me bit of the old baldurs gate. but the difficulty could be a bit tougher.
  3. Kronos362
    Mar 11, 2014
    10
    Great game, very engaging and a massive step up from the first version. The story is a big step up from the first game and character development and realism is far improved. Well done, and a nice reminder of the what a good rpg game should be, not just flashy graphics, but a fun game.
  4. opifer
    Mar 8, 2014
    10
    Whether you liked the original Shadowrun Returns Dead Man's Switch campaign or not, you owe it to yourself to try out this new expansion set in Berlin. With this DLC, the folks at HBS have upped the ante and provided a full RPG engine with everything you could possibly want. Kick in a few bucks and check out the magic. After you're done with Dragonfall, there's plenty more easy to accessWhether you liked the original Shadowrun Returns Dead Man's Switch campaign or not, you owe it to yourself to try out this new expansion set in Berlin. With this DLC, the folks at HBS have upped the ante and provided a full RPG engine with everything you could possibly want. Kick in a few bucks and check out the magic. After you're done with Dragonfall, there's plenty more easy to access content from the player community too!… Expand
  5. nnnnn
    Mar 8, 2014
    10
    Dragonfall is improved over the original in virtually every way. The combat is improved and its great to have a persistent team. The real strength of the game is the story and writing which are excellent.
  6. UGEplex
    Mar 4, 2014
    10
    I loved Shadowrun Returns for the writing, atmospheric art, being fun, and being Shadowrun. Now in Dragonfall, I love, hate and care about the deeply flawed characters on top of everything else. This is the best indie game experience I've had since, ever. Despite the bugs that are already being fixed in updates, Dragonfall is AWESOME. I want more expansions like Dragonfall. So very manyI loved Shadowrun Returns for the writing, atmospheric art, being fun, and being Shadowrun. Now in Dragonfall, I love, hate and care about the deeply flawed characters on top of everything else. This is the best indie game experience I've had since, ever. Despite the bugs that are already being fixed in updates, Dragonfall is AWESOME. I want more expansions like Dragonfall. So very many more. ~sips a soykaf, while eying some real coffee on the shelf~

    ...and now back to Dragonfall...    … Expand
  7. jseph1234
    Dec 20, 2020
    10
    ABSOLUTELY one of the most-riveting and well-written RPG video games I have ever played! While shorter than Deus Ex the quality of the writing and the gameplay is in the same league and a pure joy to play. Deserving of the 10/10 rating I gave it.
  8. Mortmal
    Mar 8, 2014
    10
    This is what i expected shadowrun to be at release. There's more of everything, multiple dialogue choices according your skills and teamates as well . Level design is way better, and finally a save system was implemented.
    I cant wait for the next campaign now .
  9. trent81
    Mar 6, 2014
    10
    Awesome new campaign. Trere are some technical issues, but the epic, amazing story and memorable characters more then make up for that. This is the fist game in a long time that I am replaying and still having a blast. For any true RPG fan, this is a must.
    I really hope that Harebrained Schemes continue the stories.
  10. pavel1
    Mar 7, 2014
    10
    Awesome story, great characters. It improves the original in every single way. I hope the developers continue to make such great campaigns. There are some bugs, but nothing a patch wont fix.
  11. DocWeird
    May 28, 2014
    10
    The best cyberpunk / fantasy game just got better.

    I'm not a great fan of downloadable content but I have to admit I enjoyed Dragonfall - even more than I enjoyed the original Shadowrun Returns campaign. The storytelling is better, mission choices more varied, and there are TONS more interaction and story behind your crew, etc. You could say it's what Shadowrun Returns should have    The best cyberpunk / fantasy game just got better.

    I'm not a great fan of downloadable content but I have to admit I enjoyed Dragonfall - even more than I enjoyed the original Shadowrun Returns campaign.

    The storytelling is better, mission choices more varied, and there are TONS more interaction and story behind your crew, etc. You could say it's what Shadowrun Returns should have been from the beginning, but then we wouldn't have the (still excellent) original campaign.    … Expand
  12. Frosty1979
    Jun 10, 2015
    10
    Surprise hit for me. Played this while waiting for Witcher 3 and actually kept on playing when WItcher 3 was already relased, since the story and the characters you met got me so engaged.

    Never finished playing the first story campaign, but this one was pure quality and I actually hope now that CDProjekt will take a look at this game to learn something for their future Cyberpunk game.    Surprise hit for me. Played this while waiting for Witcher 3 and actually kept on playing when WItcher 3 was already relased, since the story and the characters you met got me so engaged.

    Never finished playing the first story campaign, but this one was pure quality and I actually hope now that CDProjekt will take a look at this game to learn something for their future Cyberpunk game.

    Sure graphic wise that game has not much to offer though, but quest wise this game is up with the best in the genre. Seldom mattered decisions you made in a game more than in this Shadowrun campaign.    … Expand
  13. ComandanteCobra
    Oct 6, 2016
    10
    It is a wiz simsense chip choomba!!!!
    Very good indie game
    Cheap, good difficulty level, great character, very good runs, faithful to pen & paper Shadowrun rpg, lots of turn based fight and dialogues.
  14. Epitome22
    Mar 4, 2014
    9
    A much better campaign than the first, which I also enjoyed. The weapons, skills and side missions have all grown in number, the story is top class with enjoyable characters and a very interesting and satisfying conclusion. Decking is much more pervasive, being key to several sections of the game, plenty of flavor text and interesting characters to meet in the game. If you liked the engineA much better campaign than the first, which I also enjoyed. The weapons, skills and side missions have all grown in number, the story is top class with enjoyable characters and a very interesting and satisfying conclusion. Decking is much more pervasive, being key to several sections of the game, plenty of flavor text and interesting characters to meet in the game. If you liked the engine for the original campaign but felt it needed more polish and a better narrative then look no further, definitely worth the money.… Expand
  15. Cauthon
    Jun 15, 2014
    9
    The campaign is great, the characters are deep (meaning compared to other CRPG games) and the game is a lot of fun. I especially like that the game puts value in story and rewards for objectives as opposed to mindless shooting and endless looting and keeps a good amount of spells and weapons without beeing excessive. [no "lightning-ares predator IV-of doom with ExEx ammo +4 or otherThe campaign is great, the characters are deep (meaning compared to other CRPG games) and the game is a lot of fun. I especially like that the game puts value in story and rewards for objectives as opposed to mindless shooting and endless looting and keeps a good amount of spells and weapons without beeing excessive. [no "lightning-ares predator IV-of doom with ExEx ammo +4 or other ridiculous stuff that litters most other games] Easy to learn gameplay that remains interesting. Only slighty negative point in this is the comparatively dull matrix-combat.

    The editor however is frustrating. After working myself through the wiki and tutorial videos, planning a little campaign and gettign started...and trying again...trying again ...trying to find mistakes step-by-step and finding the whole thing unexplainably not working after dozens of backup copies that in retrospect also didn´t work anymore...wasting around 2 weeks of valuable time I gave up. If you don´t plan on using the editor which is fine the game is great, if you are highly interested in making your own runs...you could learn a programming language instead or...any language actually with the same amount of time involved...play Dragonfall and make a bachelors degree on the side and leave the editor to people who are working in the gaming industry anyways.    … Expand
  16. StaticSpine
    Mar 9, 2014
    9
    I say this: if you liked the original SRR go buy this, if you didn't like it, but you like CRPGs with good writing, nice quests, choice and consequences and memorable characters - go buy this! A huge improvement over "Dead Mans Switch". Bravo to HarebrainedShemes!
  17. Kafziel
    Mar 10, 2014
    9
    Much deeper campaign over the original. The characters, story, and gameplay have had a number of tweaks that add up to significant improvements overall. Several builds are still quite underpowered though, despite buffs (mainly physical adepts), so if they come out with another expansion, further balancing would be great.
  18. carusoII
    Mar 3, 2014
    9
    Solid game with a great story. Multiple side quests make it an improvement over the Origins episode released a few months ago. Game was also a good length and well worth the money
  19. Pr8Dator
    Feb 28, 2014
    9
    Better character design, more weapons and powers, more choices and better story structure. This is definitely an improvement upon the main game and hey, Glory became one of my most fav video game character ever... those claws are so badass! :)
  20. echolalia
    Mar 1, 2014
    9
    One of the best written RPG's in recent history. Great story, memorable characters and smart dialogue. Scenarios are interesting and varied, if a bit limited by the old school framework. The campaign creator is simple to use and pretty flexible, hopefully a large community forms for it so that we can see it pushed to its limit.
  21. Radutron
    Mar 3, 2014
    9
    A team of characters with depth that's comparable to Mass Effect. The game feels more open, and free to explore. Overall: Much better than the "Dead Man Switch" campaign. Pick this up, RPG fans!
  22. Grimmblut
    Mar 12, 2014
    9
    A worthy and long expected expansion to the already impressive core-game Shadowrun:Returns. Although the story line is still somewhat linear, the game still manages in a wonderful way to bring the Shadows of the Sixth World to life. The characters have edges and may change their attitude towards you based on the way you treat them. More than in the core-campaign, Dead Man's Switch, youA worthy and long expected expansion to the already impressive core-game Shadowrun:Returns. Although the story line is still somewhat linear, the game still manages in a wonderful way to bring the Shadows of the Sixth World to life. The characters have edges and may change their attitude towards you based on the way you treat them. More than in the core-campaign, Dead Man's Switch, you will now have to protect your decker while he's engaging in Matrix-combat, while the rest of your team is fighting with the bad boys in the real world...or the good boys? Depends on your decisions and point of view...… Expand
  23. Ragnarok
    Mar 30, 2014
    9
    Great game overall, its not far from a ten pointer. However there is a few things that could have been improved or added. like for example it wouldnt hurt to make the questline a little longer. feels like you tweak up your main character to your liking the game is over. Also i would like the character build to be more specific for 1 type of character. for example if your going for a deckerGreat game overall, its not far from a ten pointer. However there is a few things that could have been improved or added. like for example it wouldnt hurt to make the questline a little longer. feels like you tweak up your main character to your liking the game is over. Also i would like the character build to be more specific for 1 type of character. for example if your going for a decker the deckers got their own skill tree and the street samurai their own. but thats just my opinion. All and all the game is the most fun game ive owned in a long time… Expand
  24. ddarcy
    May 31, 2014
    9
    For anyone who trades virtual currencies; has read Cryptonomicon; knows what the hidden wiki is; and wonders what a hyper-technological anarchistic society might look like. This is the game for you. Between the beautiful settings and the first-rate story, there is a lot to like. It is a rare game that manages to capture the essence of a genre, but Dragonfall pulls off cyberpunk flawlessly.For anyone who trades virtual currencies; has read Cryptonomicon; knows what the hidden wiki is; and wonders what a hyper-technological anarchistic society might look like. This is the game for you. Between the beautiful settings and the first-rate story, there is a lot to like. It is a rare game that manages to capture the essence of a genre, but Dragonfall pulls off cyberpunk flawlessly. Highly recommend.… Expand
  25. Vanaran
    Oct 8, 2014
    9
    As a real fan of the paper rpg, this game fits well the world of Shadowrun especially in the dialogues. The story is everything you need when you play a shadowrun game, and this one, like the first opus, works good. Minor bugs, but nothing to hold the pleasure.
  26. Fuz
    Mar 13, 2014
    8
    While Dragonfall is just a more of the same of the original game, it improves it in every single way. You can now save everywhere and can upgrade cybernetic implants, for example.
    The story is also good (not many twists on it tho), but I liked the original one better.
    On the "con" side, the keybinds aren't redefinable, which is something really dumb for a 2014 game, but it's not a big    While Dragonfall is just a more of the same of the original game, it improves it in every single way. You can now save everywhere and can upgrade cybernetic implants, for example.
    The story is also good (not many twists on it tho), but I liked the original one better.
    On the "con" side, the keybinds aren't redefinable, which is something really dumb for a 2014 game, but it's not a big deal in this game.
    Definitely a very good expansion if you liked Shadowrun.    … Expand
  27. moseao
    Jun 1, 2014
    8
    Outstanding storyline and characters. Good gameplay. I felt like it could have been a little longer, with a few more side missions, and maybe more diverse items, but this is still a solid entry.
  28. LD9000
    Mar 11, 2014
    8
    A lot of people mention that the game has improved over it's predecessor, I have NOT noticed that. It seems, the game offers very little novelty over the original. It's still a good game, but not a great one.

    The gameplay consists of a set of several runs (less than 10) in different locations, most of which are very linear and really do not require any creative thought to solve. You go    A lot of people mention that the game has improved over it's predecessor, I have NOT noticed that. It seems, the game offers very little novelty over the original. It's still a good game, but not a great one.

    The gameplay consists of a set of several runs (less than 10) in different locations, most of which are very linear and really do not require any creative thought to solve. You go through a location, click on white thingies which are either always visible, or are highlighted with ALT. For each one of these interactive points, there can be some "special" option, most likely decking, biology or strength. Corporate and security etiquettes got me through most of the game, haven't really seen the need for others.

    All the fights I've encountered on "Hard" difficulty were much easier than the first game, and the AI to put it bluntly is retarded. AI does not know how to use directional cover, and wastes half (1 out of 2) AP each turn on pointless moving around. This literally halves it's effectiveness, as I can heal the most recent wound easily, and there's little need for medkits. The only really hard fight was a side mission involving ghouls.

    In terms of decking, there appears to be more simultaneous "fight while your decker hacks" encounters, but I found decking to be totally lackluster. Playing as a non-decker, all decking was done for me by an party member who was always high enough to pass all skill checks. Within the matrix, he won every single fight easily, using the same set of 4 skills. Most of the encounters in the matrix involve 3ICs guarding a node. I think the original game had more challenging and diverse decking scenarios with black ICs and more varied special ICs.

    Story was decent, and the amount of dialogue is more than in a typical RPG nowadays, although a lot of this dialogue was predictable and exists only to outline the set and setting. 10 minutes on the shadowrun wiki and you already know most of the things that NPCs will try to tell you about:.

    Overall, a good game, worth 15$, but not much more.    … Expand
  29. Magnethead
    Jan 1, 2015
    8
    This is a step up from the good but not quite polished Shadow Run Returns. The story is better, the gameplay feels more balanced and the atmosphere of Berlin is well done. I like the darkness of the story and the feel of being a shadowrunner and not a traditional hero, it's excellent. In the end, the game mechanics don't offer enough variation as the story proceeds, I think, to make theThis is a step up from the good but not quite polished Shadow Run Returns. The story is better, the gameplay feels more balanced and the atmosphere of Berlin is well done. I like the darkness of the story and the feel of being a shadowrunner and not a traditional hero, it's excellent. In the end, the game mechanics don't offer enough variation as the story proceeds, I think, to make the game epic but it's very very good. If you played Shadowrun, you'll likely like this game a lot and if you're into RPG and punk sci-fi, you should look this up.… Expand
  30. Trypsinogen
    Apr 1, 2014
    8
    Preface: I haven't played any custom campaigns, which might (probably?) be a huge part of the entire game's package.

    Good about the game in main story: I love the cyberpunk twist on high fantasy themes, the mood and environment is really enjoyable, and the writing is good (which is vital since a LOT of the game is reading dialogue). The bad: Having just finished playing the recent    Preface: I haven't played any custom campaigns, which might (probably?) be a huge part of the entire game's package.

    Good about the game in main story: I love the cyberpunk twist on high fantasy themes, the mood and environment is really enjoyable, and the writing is good (which is vital since a LOT of the game is reading dialogue).

    The bad: Having just finished playing the recent XCOM, the battle mechanics are very lacking. Trying to guess how the line of sight works in any given situation is awful. The controls are super clunky and on top of that you aren't even told the key binds in game, making matters a lot worse if you don't look them up. The battles picked up in how interesting they were towards the end of the game when you earn an extra action point. The problem there is that the game ends shortly afterwards! Also, there are NO new spells. It's the same old from the base game in that regard.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

59
#59 Best PC Game of 2014
96
#96 Most Discussed PC Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 24 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 24
  3. Negative: 0 out of 24
  1. Thunderbolt
    Sep 25, 2014
    80
    Although it’s DLC, Dragonfall is an improvement on the base game, Shadowrun Returns, in every aspect. The campaign is superior, the narrative more engaging, the characters well fleshed out and the quests more compelling.
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  2. CD-Action
    Jul 23, 2014
    85
    Guys from Harebrained Schemes simply outdid themselves with Dragonfall. It’s one of those games that make loving Kickstarter easy. [06/2014, p.60]
  3. DarkStation
    Jul 17, 2014
    80
    For the most part, the Shadowrun reboot has been a success, but not a resounding one. If you played the old SNES or Genesis game and wanting that same experience, you will be pleased by what Shadowrun: Dragonfall has to offer.
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