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

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  1. 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
  2. trent81
    Aug 25, 2015
    10
    Rich story, interesting characters and missions. All in all it is everything I wished it to be. The game is crafted with much love and i full with cool references.
  3. curvul
    Aug 25, 2015
    10
    I love this game. The story is awesome if you like to read and immerse yourself. I love the characters, especially Gaichu and Gobbet. I lake the political and social structure they created for Hong Kong. Tme quests were fun and there was a lot of ways to complete them. The best part is you don't have to blast your way through everything. Most of the missions I went in and out withoutI love this game. The story is awesome if you like to read and immerse yourself. I love the characters, especially Gaichu and Gobbet. I lake the political and social structure they created for Hong Kong. Tme quests were fun and there was a lot of ways to complete them. The best part is you don't have to blast your way through everything. Most of the missions I went in and out without having to fight, which is great.… Expand
  4. blackdaze
    Aug 24, 2015
    10
    The third iteration of the Shadowrun series of group-based cRPGs. These games are fairly light on gameplay and more narrative focused than most cRPGs. By that I mean there is an extensive amount of well-written dialogue (however, a few spelling issues/typos) and combat doesn't happen too frequently. However, the amount of combat somewhat depends on player choice of skills, how theyThe third iteration of the Shadowrun series of group-based cRPGs. These games are fairly light on gameplay and more narrative focused than most cRPGs. By that I mean there is an extensive amount of well-written dialogue (however, a few spelling issues/typos) and combat doesn't happen too frequently. However, the amount of combat somewhat depends on player choice of skills, how they approach a situation, and which team members they bring to the missions. There are cases where you can go through missions with minimal or no combat which is a big change from the previous games.

    You team selection is fairly well-rounded and good for both combat and non-combat situations. Bringing different team members usually provides you with different ways of approaching a problem. I found on my second playthrough that the missions played a bit differently based on my skills, who I brought and choices I made. I think that it adds to the replay value so it's worth playing through a second time just to see what you've missed. The missions are really well designed and have multiple ways to traverse them or find extras within the levels.

    As far as the story/writing, well the entire game is just absolutely loaded with dialogue, text-descriptions, menu based choices, and interaction with companions and various NPCs. If you're looking for more of an action-based game, this isn't it. If you spend your time reading through all of the dialogue and doing all of the missions available, it'll likely take you around 20 hours to beat. If you just try to beat the game as quick as possible and ignore the dialogue, it'll likely take you under 10 hours. One of the key selling points of the game is reading through the texts and finding more about the world, it's characters, and the story. One nagging downside is the story tends to halt for a bit if you're looking to do every mission. You'll have talked to everyone, have the final missions unlocked, and still have three or four optional missions left.

    The combat plays out well and a lot quicker paced than the previous two games with smaller bite sized battles and partially due to the fact that the AI responds faster and animations are quicker. In addition, you're able to enter battle mode if you see an encounter so you're tactically in a better place before the battle starts and you'll leave battle mode after encounters. This is a change from the previous games where it would just have entire maps full of battles.

    There is more of everything as far as combat options; Adepts/mages/shamans all have a few new spells and totems, there are more melee/cyberware/gun/drug/health options than before, etc. Dragonlines are one of the bigger new additions to magic. They allow mages to have their spells bounce off of nearby targets(or allies if they're in the area), allow damaging spells to heal you or simple reduce cooldown/increase effectively like the old leylines. The particular effect isnt posted so its try and see. Armor has been radically simplified in that it no longer provides bonuses but straight armor class and there are unique options from the vendors around town (mage/shaman, adept, street sam, and decker). It's purely cosmetic but helps your character look the part.

    The matrix has been completely overhauled from the previous games. Almost all of the matrix nodes will just have White IC (intrusion countermeasures) scour areas with set paths and vision cones. As long as you avoid them, you avoid matrix combat. However, if you blunder into them or just don't care to work around timing puzzles, you can just enter into combat with them and it's a bit more challenging but certainly doable. There is a mini-game associated with hacking firewalls to get access to datastores or matrix controls and it's fairly easy to accomplish. Those can also be destroyed brute force via combat if you're in an alert state.

    The aesthetics of the game have been improved from the previous two games. The colorful art style and backgrounds are still there but now there is more variety in PC/NPCs and most of the character models/animations have been redone. No more massive body trolls with stick legs. The spells have nice new effects, there is more blood and gore, and all of the weapons/spells/punches/abilities feel more impactful. The music is very atmospheric but non-descript. I found that I don't seem to remember any particular track from the game but found that it just subtly added to the mood/atmosphere.

    All in all, I loved the game and have played through it twice and assume I will play it again! I think it's a good sign when the game ends that you roll up a new character and start another game. The drawbacks I have for the game are mostly subjective, there are a few minor bugs/typos which will hopefully get fixed soon. However, people may not enjoy the new non-combat themed matrix, lack of combat in the missions, the story, etc etc. However, I give it a 10 because I certainly did! It's a winner in my book    … Expand
  5. UGE_plex
    Aug 27, 2015
    10
    Solid improvement over Dragonfall? YES!! I loved Dragonfall, and Shadowrun Hong Kong is on par with Dragonfall Directors Cut right out of the gate. As always, Harebrained Schemes writing is top-notch, delivering a wonderfully winding story with multiple engaging paths, side-plots, and endings. The graphic quality is improved, the music is enchantingly appropriate for the setting andSolid improvement over Dragonfall? YES!! I loved Dragonfall, and Shadowrun Hong Kong is on par with Dragonfall Directors Cut right out of the gate. As always, Harebrained Schemes writing is top-notch, delivering a wonderfully winding story with multiple engaging paths, side-plots, and endings. The graphic quality is improved, the music is enchantingly appropriate for the setting and situations, along with the new environmental sound tweaks in the background, the audio is is a pleasurable element throughout the shadows of Hong Kong. Combat is solid and fun, much as it was in 'Returns and Dragonfall, with new weapons, spells and cyberware. And as always with HBS's Shadowrun games, there are engaging characters and NPC's I love, or just love to hate. As the game just released, and the their studio isn't large, there are some bugs, which is to be expected, but for me, nothing came up that impacted my gameplay, and the devs have already issues 2 or 3 Updates. Based on their track record, Shadowrun Hong Kong will only get better from here, Chummers! Metacritic's gonna need to bump up the scoring to 11 ^_^… Expand
  6. 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
  7. NickDaWOlf
    Aug 22, 2015
    9
    They've built on everything accomplished in Dragonfall and they polished and balanced what needed improving. The game once again combines an engrossing cyberpunk universe and a pristine plot with effective turn based rpg combat. Like a good book, it catches your attention right from the start with intriguing party members and surprising paths and choices that warrants it a second playThey've built on everything accomplished in Dragonfall and they polished and balanced what needed improving. The game once again combines an engrossing cyberpunk universe and a pristine plot with effective turn based rpg combat. Like a good book, it catches your attention right from the start with intriguing party members and surprising paths and choices that warrants it a second play through. NPC's are interesting and fleshed out, the game notably offers you many different dialogue choices who actually matter in how the situations play out. Its very flexible characters builds offer the opportunity to be anything from a Junkie sword wielding maniac, a Mr.Robot hacker who terrorizes his enemies with the environment to a half-man half machine modified sniper cyborg. To finish off I'd say this game has good value for less than 30$ you get an experience far superior to the majority of triple AAA titles. Shadowrun is a successful indie crowdfunding project. that still only has a fraction of the budget bigger gaming studios possess. They put something money can't buy into their games, which is the best of themselves and the result is amazing. Collapse… Expand
  8. 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.
  9. 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
  10. Photec
    Aug 27, 2015
    9
    SRHK is a solid story driven game with mechanics that are far more polished compared to SRR and SRDF. The mood is excellent, and the pacing is good. The new decker system was great, as were all the new cyber mods.

    There were some points I was less than impressed about(not being able to send paydata, immovable screen frames that makes it so I can't just scroll to the top/bottom of the    SRHK is a solid story driven game with mechanics that are far more polished compared to SRR and SRDF. The mood is excellent, and the pacing is good. The new decker system was great, as were all the new cyber mods.

    There were some points I was less than impressed about(not being able to send paydata, immovable screen frames that makes it so I can't just scroll to the top/bottom of the screen to move my view, etc), but all in all I've enjoyed the 50+ hours I've spent ingame greatly.    … Expand
  11. zombiechan
    Aug 22, 2015
    9
    I absolute love the new matrix in this game. It feels less combat and more like decking. The new cyberware affinity is amazing and I am loving the Hong Kong setting. The choices to seem to matter in this game, but I haven't been able to try it out on a second run through yet.

    The game could use a little more polishing. There were a few misspelled words but nothing too noticeable.    I absolute love the new matrix in this game. It feels less combat and more like decking. The new cyberware affinity is amazing and I am loving the Hong Kong setting. The choices to seem to matter in this game, but I haven't been able to try it out on a second run through yet.

    The game could use a little more polishing. There were a few misspelled words but nothing too noticeable. Overall a great game, and if you're a fan of Shadowrun, you should definitely pick this one up.    … Expand
  12. 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
  13. 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
  14. 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.
  15. 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
  16. 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
  17. 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
  18. 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
  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. Darkly_Tranquil
    Sep 2, 2015
    8
    Shadowrun Hong Kong is the latest in Harebrained Schemes' series of Kickstarter funded isometric CRPGs set in the longrunning Shadowrun universe (the previous titles being Shadowrun Returns, and Shadowrun Dragonfall). This time, the player finds themselves drawn to Hong Kong at the behest of their former mentor, only to find that when they arrive he has disappeared and the player isShadowrun Hong Kong is the latest in Harebrained Schemes' series of Kickstarter funded isometric CRPGs set in the longrunning Shadowrun universe (the previous titles being Shadowrun Returns, and Shadowrun Dragonfall). This time, the player finds themselves drawn to Hong Kong at the behest of their former mentor, only to find that when they arrive he has disappeared and the player is dragged into unearthing the mystery of his fate.

    Graphically, not much has changed from the previous games, with lovely 2D environments, and nicely animated but simple character models. The soundtrack features the same synth heavy "cyberpunk" style of the previous ones, although they have a distinctively Asian twist on them, which fits in nicely with the setting, and there is even a little bit of voice-over, which is nice addition to the series. But when it comes down to it, these kinds of games are all about the story and the gameplay and these are the areas where the Shadowrun games always shine.

    The story and characters that inhabit the game are once again highly enjoyable, with your enigmatic band of shady companions being the highlight. You are given lots of opportunities to shape your character's personality and history and to develop the relationships you have with your companions. The main story is consistently engaging, pushing you along to find out what is really going on, but to be fair, its not nearly as intriguing as the main story of Dragonfall (which was better than most videogame .

    Combat has not changed from Dragonfall:DC in any major way, although the UI feels easier to use, and the occasional issue of not being able to move to a particular spot due to the camera angle that was annoying seems to have been fixed, as I never moved to the wrong place this time around. The upgraded Matrix environment is a nice improvement that did a lot to differentiate that aspect of the gameplay from the regular meat space combat by including a little hacking minigame that could be either enjoyable or frustrating depending on your tastes.

    If I had to level one major complaint at the game, its that it is rather lacking in tutorials or explanations for its mechanics or how they work (the Glossary is fairly useless for anything other than Shadowrun lore). In a number of cases, trial and error was required to figure out how things work. Fortunately, the systems are not overly complex, but the entire issue could be avoided by a few tooltips, or a tutorial pop-up when a new mechanic is introduced.

    Overall, its a highly enjoyable game for fans of isometric CRPGs, Shadowrun, or well made indie games and well worth the modest asking price.

    Disclosure: I was a Kickstarter backer for this game. I regret nothing.    … Expand
  21. 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
  22. 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.
  23. 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
  24. 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
  25. 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
  26. 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
  27. Troublewalking
    Aug 27, 2015
    7
    It's a solid effort. Certainly worth buying if your a fan of Dragonfall or Returns. The story is about average length. As with the other titles lots of reading and turn based combat with a Shadowrun flavor. If your not a huge fan of the early games I recommend waiting until this is on sale.

    They tried to upgrade several areas. The Matrix, Adepts, and hand cyber weapons are what I    It's a solid effort. Certainly worth buying if your a fan of Dragonfall or Returns. The story is about average length. As with the other titles lots of reading and turn based combat with a Shadowrun flavor. If your not a huge fan of the early games I recommend waiting until this is on sale.

    They tried to upgrade several areas. The Matrix, Adepts, and hand cyber weapons are what I noticed. My first run was a Decker/Rigger and for me at least the Matrix upgrade was a major disappointment. Just dodging way too many "sniffers". They added Simon and Match game mini games to unlock each data base. In the end it just forces you to slot a movement program and lessens the whole Matrix experience for me.

    The cyber hand weapon upgrade was a nice touch. Now you can actually get handrazors for your street samurai. But the cost was a bit prohibitive. Basically they made it a Karma cost, where you can unlock more available cyber by spending extra Karma in the Body section. The hand razors are only 1 karma and rumored to be massively OP. But when it cost essence and you have to develop other skills, I wonder why they made you pay twice in development. It gets ugly if you spend Karma for items further in the tree.

    I haven't played an adept yet, but they added stances and the NPC's seemed like much stronger adepts.

    As Decker/Rigger I was very disappointed in the new drones. Sure they added variety, but the first med drone was the same as the 3rd level one. Basically 2 weak heal kits, grenades and a grenade launcher like in the other games. Variety in healing drones would be nice. I personally would of preferred a healing drone with maybe a "heal spell" and 6 heal kits. And maybe a hold out hand gun. But no such luck. The drug mule was interesting, but it only has 4 stims per run. So it has limited pay off. Only good if your a stim freak.

    I was also terribly disappointed that there were still only 3 weapon slots. So as a Decker/Rigger my deck and two drones took up my weapon slots. To get around this I tried cyber weapons. Because I trained rifles, I used the Monochrome whip from the new handweapons. It cost me 10 extra karma and it's stats were based off of my 3 in rifle skill. Which means you miss a ton in later missions. I probably would of done more damage with my untrained hand to hand.

    I give this a 7 because they got much love on Kickstarter and I feel they wasted their efforts. The matrix itself was fine. If they added a Matrix bar and chance to hack data and weaken targets before a run. I think that would of added a ton more for deckers. I haven't seen if they upgraded the astral plane but that needed much love in other games. And considering the KS funds they got the story should of been much longer. Or they should of launched with about some DLC's that would of kept players busy until new UGC was launched.

    But like the other SR games in the series, it has replay value. But it is highly dependent on the player community on just how much replay value you get. Next time they should probably look to the UGC community for inspiration on what the game needs to take that next step. If they had followed their direction the game would of been much better IMO. Instead it seems they wasted most of their resources on a Matrix upgrade that actually lessened my experience. And I love Decker/Rigger characters.    … Expand
  28. 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.
  29. Tatar
    Aug 27, 2015
    7
    Hmmm I love and hate this Shadowrun. Game is good i I have a lot of fun on the street of Hong Kong, but .... Dragonfall was a lot better game, Dragonfall was a 100 step forward compare to SR: Returns, Hong Kong it's in technical aspect of game it's better then Dragonfall but scenario is not so good. Plot in Dragonfall was full of surprises, turning points, treachery and not so obviousHmmm I love and hate this Shadowrun. Game is good i I have a lot of fun on the street of Hong Kong, but .... Dragonfall was a lot better game, Dragonfall was a 100 step forward compare to SR: Returns, Hong Kong it's in technical aspect of game it's better then Dragonfall but scenario is not so good. Plot in Dragonfall was full of surprises, turning points, treachery and not so obvious decisions, plot in S: HK is like S:R - there is great evil and we must save a city ... Characters in S: HK are good but for example Gloria from Dragonfall in masterpiece compare to them. Technical is very good i always play Decker and love the idea of matrix in newest game. S:HK is easiest from all Shadowruns playing on normal i didint lost single fight, and last boss was piece a cake - difficult level is like easy in Dragonfall, and its shorter then Dragonfall - 9 hours to accomplish and i did every secondary missions. So for me it's good game but better wait it's no worth 20 Euro. Have a good day :)… Expand
  30. 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
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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

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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.
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  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.
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  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]
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