Shadowrun: Hong Kong

 PC
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 259 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 185 out of 259
  2. Mixed: 44 out of 259
  3. Negative: 30 out of 259

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. Raskolnikoc
    Jan 14, 2023
    0
    So I create a decker that also has drone control. I get to the Lotus Den, and can't open the door because I don't have a deck. This seems like a bug because you can create a decker with guns and get a gun and a deck. Why would you not get a drone and a deck if you put points in those two things? Reminds me so much of Shadowrun Dragonfall where I couldn't play the last mission because of aSo I create a decker that also has drone control. I get to the Lotus Den, and can't open the door because I don't have a deck. This seems like a bug because you can create a decker with guns and get a gun and a deck. Why would you not get a drone and a deck if you put points in those two things? Reminds me so much of Shadowrun Dragonfall where I couldn't play the last mission because of a bug.

    I start over and create a decker with guns instead, and get a deck. I really wanted drones, but I guess I can't have that and a deck to start with for some idiotic reason. Whatever.

    Then I get to the second fight and realize I can only turn drones off with the decking skill. Turning them against the enemies requires drone control.

    FTSIO. Uninstall. 0/10.    … Expand
  2. hileger
    Dec 11, 2022
    6
    тут графомания сплошная, чувствуется общая затянутость игры геймплей тот же что и в прошлых частях только на 20 - 30 часов что и заруинило игру
  3. Wrathzo
    Mar 27, 2022
    6
    Shadowrun: Hong Kong is a turn-based tactical role-playing video game set in the Shadowrun universe. It was developed and published by Harebrained Schemes. It includes a new single-player campaign and also shipped with a level editor that lets players create their own Shadowrun campaigns and share them with other players.
  4. bancandrei
    Mar 26, 2021
    7
    Does a good job of introducing concepts from the world. Definitely recommend this over as an entry point to the shadowrun universe. Could have done a better job in all departments, but is still pretty enjoyable.
  5. garygreen
    Sep 4, 2020
    10
    The best part of Shadowrun and the best RPG game i think also the best written and the best soundtrack
  6. Lamp
    May 5, 2020
    10
    The Shadowrun Returns trilogy (Dead Man's Switch, Dragonfall, and this game aka Hong Kong) are some of the best tactical RPGs I've ever played. I admit I'm a huge fanboy of Harebrained Schemes for both this series and Battletech; can't wait for their next games. Been a while since I played any of them but,

    Pros: -Atmosphere, including music, visual art direction, and pacing    The Shadowrun Returns trilogy (Dead Man's Switch, Dragonfall, and this game aka Hong Kong) are some of the best tactical RPGs I've ever played. I admit I'm a huge fanboy of Harebrained Schemes for both this series and Battletech; can't wait for their next games. Been a while since I played any of them but,

    Pros:
    -Atmosphere, including music, visual art direction, and pacing
    -Satisfying combat
    -Specialization and unit customization / upgrades
    -Amazing dialog and dialog choices
    -All missions unique and worthwhile
    -Well designed overworld, perfect for chilling in between missions

    Cons:
    -Some technical issues and lack of user friendliness, such as figuring out whether gear can be equipped on your fellow shadowrunners    … Expand
  7. Tomicsavo
    Feb 17, 2020
    2
    Huge disappointment after shadowrun returns and dragonfall. Disgusting mini-bugs, exaggerated dialogues. Every innovation has only made the game worse. Matrix fights are crappier, karma tree crappier ... HongKong itself looks terrible. I can't recommend,it's damn annoying.
  8. SilverOrlov
    Oct 10, 2019
    8
    The double feeling of passing this game. On the one hand, this is an improved graphics, designed in a decent style of this "Shadowrun triple". Nice atmosphere and interesting plot.
    But on the other hand, after the middle of the game, the game itself and the undying wild and dumb random system make the passage tiring. And on the last mission, it becomes completely unbearable - I entered    The double feeling of passing this game. On the one hand, this is an improved graphics, designed in a decent style of this "Shadowrun triple". Nice atmosphere and interesting plot.
    But on the other hand, after the middle of the game, the game itself and the undying wild and dumb random system make the passage tiring. And on the last mission, it becomes completely unbearable - I entered the game three times in one evening and made pauses to finish it because of this "emotional pressure".    … Expand
  9. ComandanteCobra
    Aug 27, 2019
    8
    Good game but worst that SR Dragonfall and SR Returns.
    The bad:
    1)Matrix system in this game has been revamped and turned in some real time stealth minigame ... not much in tone with old school turn based game. 2)Few combat 3)Walls of text to read...not all of them interesting to read..it isn't baldur's gate 2. 4)Some companions are less interesting than in the previous games..but    Good game but worst that SR Dragonfall and SR Returns.
    The bad:
    1)Matrix system in this game has been revamped and turned in some real time stealth minigame ... not much in tone with old school turn based game.
    2)Few combat
    3)Walls of text to read...not all of them interesting to read..it isn't baldur's gate 2.
    4)Some companions are less interesting than in the previous games..but it's a personal opinion
    5)Un-interesting side quest that you can finish just talking to npc (with very few dialogue options)
    6) I buy it in 2019 ..years after his release..and some minor bug still isn't been fixed.
    The Good:
    1) More "supernatural element" than the first two games
    2)Cheap
    3)Offer more re playability that the first two games..like avoidable runs, many achievement, different endings, some runs can be played in more than one way.
    4) Etiquettes have a real in -game impact
    5)interesting free bonus mini campaign in the extended version of the game that you can play after the main campaign.
    6)There are many user created add-on ...downloadable for free on Steam for example.... that are well made and offer mods, runs or a new campaign .
    Hope for a fourth games in this Shadowrun universe....maybe with a different matrix system than this one.    … Expand
  10. Chilliast
    Mar 22, 2019
    8
    Excellent story from Harebrained Schemes. Perhaps not so good as Dragonfall, but it compensates for the slightly better systems.

    Recommended if you enjoyed the previous Shadowrun games, even if you did not and when to play cRPG in a quirky setting with a deep storyline, this could be for you.
  11. Ragmar
    May 25, 2018
    7
    i had fun, it was great, but I can't say it is an upgrade from Dragonfall on any field, i can actually say i liked SHDF much better. Still recomend it tho, a couple of great moments awaits you there.
  12. Angelou
    Nov 23, 2017
    9
    It's a good game if you're a fanactic of Cyberpunk style and atmosphere, especially if you are having a hard time searching for a decent one, because so am I (Please, CD Projeckt RED...)

    Compared to the previous one, it's more of the same... I don't think it's a bad deal, but I won't be able to play another game of the serie without a minimun improvement, especially concerning to menus    It's a good game if you're a fanactic of Cyberpunk style and atmosphere, especially if you are having a hard time searching for a decent one, because so am I (Please, CD Projeckt RED...)

    Compared to the previous one, it's more of the same... I don't think it's a bad deal, but I won't be able to play another game of the serie without a minimun improvement, especially concerning to menus and character design.    … Expand
  13. ShawnD
    Nov 9, 2017
    9
    Very good. 9/10
    Inventory management has improved since Shadowrun Dragonfall, and it's now possible to trade items between characters. The combat is the same as Dragonfall, so that's still good. My only major complaint with this game is that it's way too wordy. Dragonfall would give me a few pieces of story followed by long segments of gameplay and combat, which reminds me of classic    Very good. 9/10
    Inventory management has improved since Shadowrun Dragonfall, and it's now possible to trade items between characters. The combat is the same as Dragonfall, so that's still good. My only major complaint with this game is that it's way too wordy. Dragonfall would give me a few pieces of story followed by long segments of gameplay and combat, which reminds me of classic games like Chrono Trigger. Shadowrun Hong Kong has less gameplay but 10x as much story. I have a very long attention span, but I find myself thinking "Get to the damn point already!" The lady who sells magic is a good example of this. She has a very long back story about her mother's research on the walled city. The game builds a story about how bad the walled city is and how it's cursed, but the conversations about this are so long that I stop caring.

    I haven't finished the game yet, but I think this game probably has a lot of replay value because one already knows the story and can skip most of the talking.    … Expand
  14. crayno66
    Mar 3, 2017
    0
    I was enjoying this....until I ran into the new matrix, this totally ruined the game for me.
    I'm done with shadowrun unless they fix the fast action/reaction part that screwed this for me
  15. Magnethead
    Sep 25, 2016
    7
    SRHK is the best written game in the series so far; unfortunately, the mechanics and balance aren't as solid. I recommend this game because of the storyline, the feel of the Shadowrun universe, not for its ability to challenge a turn-based strategy enthusiast.

    The story is altogether well done; several layers, good NPCs, enough space to define your own character through dialogues and    SRHK is the best written game in the series so far; unfortunately, the mechanics and balance aren't as solid. I recommend this game because of the storyline, the feel of the Shadowrun universe, not for its ability to challenge a turn-based strategy enthusiast.

    The story is altogether well done; several layers, good NPCs, enough space to define your own character through dialogues and actions. It takes it time, offers background information if you're interested, and if you paid attention to what's been said, it even has a real influence on the ending of the game. That part of the game is a clear 10/10.

    The problem is the game mechanics balance; new (or altered) mechanics fail and the game ends up being a roflstomp fest for the player as it nears the end (or it should at least). Some newly introduced mechanics, like the bionic arm that throws all grenades back at the attacker, are completely unbalanced and much too strong. The devs attempted to make decking/the matrix more stealthy too, and while that is an admirable idea, I don't think they succeeded. The player runs between sniffers and if you get caught by one, the trick is to take it down fast. It means you can almost completely bypass decking skills and still succeed in the Matrix which is a bit of a shame. I'm not sure how the Matrix should be represented visually or how it should work through game mechanics but I'm pretty sure this wasn't the answer. Matrix program summoning still doesn't really matter and there still isn't the feel that you're actually hacking anything - it still feels mostly like a mini-game that is eerily similar to a simplified version of regular combat.

    The most predominant problems is, however, that the AI seems broken at times. It handles melee combat units terribly - the enemy units often simply move around between cover and never attack anything, and if you get a melee unit close to one of the AI units, they often spend their entire turn just running around, never attacking anything either. Actually, as you near the end of the game, the AI will surprisingly often spend its turn doing absolutely nothing. Needless to say, that makes winning a combat encounter relatively easy.

    One feature that worked (and I'm not completely sure it's new but I think it is) is that you can now choose to enter turn-based combat mode if you see an enemy on screen, even if combat isn't initialized. This allows you to move into position and plan your attack if you have the element of surprise. That's a nice feature that I'd like to see used more in the future.

    In the end, this game isn't bad. It's got nice ambiance, good storytelling and great characters. You just can't have a top quality game if your basic mechanics don't function.    … Expand
  16. Mandulum
    Jul 26, 2016
    7
    Five Word Review: New story/characters, same gameplay.
    Favorite Thing: A decent story and combat I still enjoy.
    Least Favorite Thing: Too much running around and talking at times, some play sessions were nothing but. And the matrix, I still hate that place. Playtime: ~ 25h (Including the bonus campaign) Enjoyment: 7/10 Recommendation: If you liked the previous iterations or are a    Five Word Review: New story/characters, same gameplay.
    Favorite Thing: A decent story and combat I still enjoy.
    Least Favorite Thing: Too much running around and talking at times, some play sessions were nothing but. And the matrix, I still hate that place.

    Playtime: ~ 25h (Including the bonus campaign)
    Enjoyment: 7/10
    Recommendation: If you liked the previous iterations or are a fan of sRPG.    … Expand
  17. wookie
    Jan 28, 2016
    2
    Ruined game. I bought, played and loves all the SR games. But I hate this latest one. The stealth part of the decker game ruined it completely for me. A bad platform game with terrible controls does not improve the SR experience at all. Absolute disappointment.
  18. Parthians
    Jan 20, 2016
    7
    well,to be honest,before the game be released i expected less long boring dialogues to be seen and instead of that we would have clips(like in deadlight) or real-time voiced characters but it seems not big changes were made but only just improving both strong and weak points.
    i hoped to see more physically flexible and charismatic characters in the game,to make us sure that we won't    well,to be honest,before the game be released i expected less long boring dialogues to be seen and instead of that we would have clips(like in deadlight) or real-time voiced characters but it seems not big changes were made but only just improving both strong and weak points.
    i hoped to see more physically flexible and charismatic characters in the game,to make us sure that we won't experience a true one-linear open world which puts you in a huge jail and claim to gave you freedom.
    I can't understand the characters.All these end to an action-thrilling game not a RPG one.
    but can be recommended to those who love this game and want a "shank"-like game not a "limbo" one.    … Expand
  19. Thilus
    Jan 8, 2016
    8
    I must say I actually enjoyed this one. The previous installment, Dragonfall, was okay in terms of the story, but it felt a little too repetitive at times when it came to actual shadowrunning. In Hong Kong the story is a little less complicated, but the runs feel more polished and diverse. Also, guys at Harebrained Schemes completely revamped the matrix which feels much more like... matrixI must say I actually enjoyed this one. The previous installment, Dragonfall, was okay in terms of the story, but it felt a little too repetitive at times when it came to actual shadowrunning. In Hong Kong the story is a little less complicated, but the runs feel more polished and diverse. Also, guys at Harebrained Schemes completely revamped the matrix which feels much more like... matrix right now. At last my decker had an opportunity to operate as a true hacker and not some dude wandering through empty halls filled with digital monsters. Some technical aspects of the game have also been polished, which all-in-all makes this probably the best Shadowrun game to date.… Expand
  20. LD9000
    Dec 12, 2015
    6
    Mediocre. A lot of time has passed since the first shadowrun game, this is like the 3rd installment, and it's really sad to see the same issues that plagued the first game exist here.

    The runs are short, there's very limited options on how to accomplish tasks. Still strength + charisma + some biotech options, very few conjuring, astral or willpower options in dialogues. Few interactive    Mediocre. A lot of time has passed since the first shadowrun game, this is like the 3rd installment, and it's really sad to see the same issues that plagued the first game exist here.

    The runs are short, there's very limited options on how to accomplish tasks. Still strength + charisma + some biotech options, very few conjuring, astral or willpower options in dialogues. Few interactive objects on levels. If something is glowing, you pretty much have to click on it.

    Corporate and Security etiquette are still the best

    AI is still retarded, does not know how to use cover and runs around like a chicken with a head cut off. Running around means it cant use multi AP special abilities.

    New cyberware implant, the one that you can get at the start of the game is very overpowered, makes all weapons    … Expand
  21. TheLewdOne
    Dec 4, 2015
    9
    Characters alone would make this game for me, I pretty much love them all. Especially Richter, crazy Russian Bastard.

    9/10, I embraced the Glorious Evolution and never looked back.
  22. ZeroWaitState
    Oct 24, 2015
    8
    This is the Shadowrun you want to play (or Dragonfall). They've got the genre and the scenario design figured out at this point. I enjoyed this more than other turn based games which got better press (Pillars of Eternity, Divinity). There's been some complaining that this game has a story that isn't quite as interesting as Dragonfall. The worst of the two has a better story than 90% ofThis is the Shadowrun you want to play (or Dragonfall). They've got the genre and the scenario design figured out at this point. I enjoyed this more than other turn based games which got better press (Pillars of Eternity, Divinity). There's been some complaining that this game has a story that isn't quite as interesting as Dragonfall. The worst of the two has a better story than 90% of field right now. With a bigger staff and budget this would have been AAA; no doubt about it. Since Shadowrun is kind of niche you won't get that, but it's still the next best thing.… Expand
  23. c3p
    Oct 16, 2015
    8
    - If you liked the previous two shadow run games, you will like this as well
    if you like turnbased RPGs you will probably like it
    if you like RPGs with strong storys you might like it otherwise get it cheap on sale. I really really love the game and my only nitpick (beside the graphic) is the long animation time of my conjured helper in the matrix. Personally i think this is a 9.5,    - If you liked the previous two shadow run games, you will like this as well
    if you like turnbased RPGs you will probably like it
    if you like RPGs with strong storys you might like it
    otherwise get it cheap on sale.

    I really really love the game and my only nitpick (beside the graphic) is the long animation time of my conjured helper in the matrix. Personally i think this is a 9.5, but let's be honest graphic and some mechanics really need an overhaul!    … Expand
  24. Erikku
    Oct 9, 2015
    1
    What were the developers thinking? I was enjoying the game until the first venture into cyberspace. Then flashback machine to Frogger. Yes, you will be looking for patterns and carefully timing your runs. Then a weird time based memory game. From the review it sounds like some players enjoyed switching genres, but maybe they like Frogger and memory games. I don't and why should I be forcedWhat were the developers thinking? I was enjoying the game until the first venture into cyberspace. Then flashback machine to Frogger. Yes, you will be looking for patterns and carefully timing your runs. Then a weird time based memory game. From the review it sounds like some players enjoyed switching genres, but maybe they like Frogger and memory games. I don't and why should I be forced to play it in order to move along with the story rich RPG that I bought it for in the first place. Uninstalling. A shame, since I wanted to know how the story evolved.… Expand
  25. aidan0
    Oct 9, 2015
    7
    The additions and add improvements are good and from a technical aspect this games is a step forward in the right direction. The core game is still great, but the story/dialogue could have been executed better.

    I'm only giving it a 7 because I find the story and dialogue kind of confusing at times. There is so much dialogue (good thing), that the dialogue system gets messy.(bad) So I've    The additions and add improvements are good and from a technical aspect this games is a step forward in the right direction. The core game is still great, but the story/dialogue could have been executed better.

    I'm only giving it a 7 because I find the story and dialogue kind of confusing at times. There is so much dialogue (good thing), that the dialogue system gets messy.(bad) So I've started skipping text, which is a shame.

    They should also clean up the shop system, it's gets too messy with all the items for sale.    … Expand
  26. Axlegear
    Sep 27, 2015
    2
    Interesting and inspired, with a dark colored world you'd expect from Shadowrun. However, it is somewhat buggy, and the game is painfully short and lacking. You can easily complete this fully within two hours. This makes it a very expensive and brief distraction that I simply cannot reccomend. The gameplay is painfully linear as well, and the story extremely straightforward and predictible.
  27. chenj
    Sep 23, 2015
    9
    It's pretty satisfying to play the first time around, as there is so much to explore and story line for your teammates and NPC around town are quite immersing, but if you have short attention span or hate reading, you probably won't appreciate the game as much, especially if you just want to dialog to end.

    As combat goes, Hongkong does feels a kit smoother then Dragonfall which could be    It's pretty satisfying to play the first time around, as there is so much to explore and story line for your teammates and NPC around town are quite immersing, but if you have short attention span or hate reading, you probably won't appreciate the game as much, especially if you just want to dialog to end.

    As combat goes, Hongkong does feels a kit smoother then Dragonfall which could be translated to game play being easier, so vets who have played the previous series could probably start the setting to hard. Compared to Dragonfall they have added a few cool thing for the main character customization, I especially like the new cybernetic weapon implants, talisman, and passive abilities items in the store as further customization is always a plus in RPG games.

    If there's one thing I'd like them to revert to Dragonfall, it is to not reward karma point (stats points) for avoiding fights in missions. It kind of conflicts the min/max in me when I want to build my main character to fight in battles but the entire mission rewards you for being more diplomatic. So it feels like there's less combat involved in each missions when I made my character stronger. Having choices that reward less credit is fine, but there shouldn't really be a reward less karma points route.

    All in all, it's a great addition to the shadow run series, I'm quite happy with the game and would recommend it to people who like in-depth characters in RPG games. Already I want the next series to come out.    … Expand
  28. gloriouspotato
    Sep 22, 2015
    8
    Shadowrun: Hong Kong is mechanically very similar to Dragonfall. I think it's safe to say that if you enjoyed Dragonfall, you'll also find Hong Kong to be a pleasant experience. They're both pretty close in terms of quality, but I have to give a slight edge to Dragonfall.

    I enjoyed the more supernatural aspects of the story in Hong Kong, though the narrative structure and pacing was    Shadowrun: Hong Kong is mechanically very similar to Dragonfall. I think it's safe to say that if you enjoyed Dragonfall, you'll also find Hong Kong to be a pleasant experience. They're both pretty close in terms of quality, but I have to give a slight edge to Dragonfall.

    I enjoyed the more supernatural aspects of the story in Hong Kong, though the narrative structure and pacing was formulaic and very similar to previous Shadowrun games. The matrix is improved altogether, giving the option of both stealth and combat. Characters were mostly well-written and I love the soundtrack.

    Overall rating - 8.0/10    … Expand
  29. swampah
    Sep 16, 2015
    9
    For new would be players - Shadowrun: Hong Kong is a turn-based (the fights), story driven, RPG.

    This is a very good game, with some drawbacks. To begin with, there is no open world (like in all Shadowrun series). The game is pretty linear. There are dialog choices and the order in which you can take missions. This reminds me about the last third of Planescape: Torment, where you    For new would be players - Shadowrun: Hong Kong is a turn-based (the fights), story driven, RPG.

    This is a very good game, with some drawbacks.
    To begin with, there is no open world (like in all Shadowrun series). The game is pretty linear. There are dialog choices and the order in which you can take missions. This reminds me about the last third of Planescape: Torment, where you travel through big worlds, but still follow a path. Is it a bad path to follow? No! It’s a beautiful path – story, mood, music, characters, graphics - I enjoyed them a lot. Some say there is too much to read. Well, there is much to read but it is a joy. Witcher 3 was a PAIN to read, just to compare.
    Another gripe would be that there is very little money in this game. You can buy about half of what you want to buy. And you can’t go out and raid some bad guys for loot, this is not open world. Was I able to beat the boss? Yes, with the first attempt, without healing! But I would enjoy the game even more if I could buy some other weapons/items/magic, etc. Games should be all about fun, are not they? The devs could have given more money, but tougher enemies to compensate.
    Regarding replay value - I am not sure if I want to replay it. The easiest and most logical character choice is street samurai, and then you invest karma in quickness and ranged. Quickness gives you both offence AND defense. If you go for melee, you have to improve both quickness and strength, but you may not have enough karma to improve both. Also, you can get into your team a special character – a melee expert mutant, who can regenerate by chewing on enemies, big fun -) Maybe I should try a mage because there was no good mage in the team.

    Some similar old turn-based games to compare with? Here you go:
    - Planescape: Torment gives you a better story. Also it gives you more freedom where you can go in the first 2/3rds of the game.
    - Fallout 1 and 2 – better story, with treachery, laughter and tears (treachery and tears only in Torment). Real open world.
    - Jagged Alliance 2 – pretty standard story (free a country from a dictator), not much to read, no moving music… but tactics (fights) in this game are a masterpiece yet to be beaten. Every bullet counts. If you can’t send bullets full auto in the head of a bad guy by the end of the game, you suck sir, and should stay in the easy difficulty (finished it in hard yes!). This game is also open world and has a uge replay value.
    Well, Hong Kong will lose to the above games in some aspects, but those games are serious 10/10 items.
    In my opinion, it is a solid 8/10 or 9/10 game provided the player likes turn-based action, worth buying.

    PS Sorry for the possible mistakes, I am not a native English speaker.    … Expand
  30. StaticSpine
    Sep 10, 2015
    9
    More of the same actually, no major improvements over Dragonfall formula. The reworked Matrix can't be considered one. It's just the new City, new characters, new story, new runs over the same gameplay basis. It worked for me. Consider buying if you liked previous SR games by HBS.
prev
Page:

Awards & Rankings

46
#46 Best PC Game of 2015
66
#66 Most Discussed PC Game of 2015
85
#85 Most Shared PC Game of 2015

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 28 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 28
  3. Negative: 0 out of 28
  1. PCWorld
    Jan 19, 2016
    80
    Shadowrun: Hong Kong isn't the best RPG Harebrained Schemes has put out, but it's still a great game in its own right.
    Read full review
  2. RPGamer
    Dec 22, 2015
    90
    Shadowrun: Hong Kong offers a steady evolution of Harebrained Schemes' Shadowrun experience. It's such an enjoyable game that a director's cut wouldn't need to do much to boost it from an excellent, tactically engaging family conspiracy to a must-have.
    Read full review
  3. CD-Action
    Nov 14, 2015
    80
    The game grew in scale since the previous Shadowrun – locations are a bit larger and story lasts for over 20 hours. The visuals and the interface were improved a bit. The third trip to The Sixth World is worth every penny, but the game mechanics could really use a facelift. [11/2015, p.54]
See all critic reviews »