Shadowrun Returns

 PC
User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1042 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 638 out of 1042
  2. Mixed: 273 out of 1042
  3. Negative: 131 out of 1042

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  1. Gerinako
    Dec 6, 2013
    5
    Backed it on Kickstarter and have to say i was expecting more.
    I've finished it, tried some of the user content never picked it up again.

    Since seeing it's release on the iOS market. And re-analyzing the game.
    I can't help but feel the PC market was NEVER there audience on Kickstarter and the aim was to always make a tablet product.

    Worth a playthrough for $5 wouldn't spend anymore.
  2. Bitter_Boy
    Aug 5, 2013
    5
    I want to like this game, I do. But this game doesn't want to like me. It insists on making me read pages and pages of unskippable, unnecessary dialogue (written by some Hideo Kojima protege), only letting me actually play the game for a few minutes at a time. I usually play a game because I want to PLAY a game, not read a book, 3 sentences at a time, on a 5th grade reading level. TheI want to like this game, I do. But this game doesn't want to like me. It insists on making me read pages and pages of unskippable, unnecessary dialogue (written by some Hideo Kojima protege), only letting me actually play the game for a few minutes at a time. I usually play a game because I want to PLAY a game, not read a book, 3 sentences at a time, on a 5th grade reading level. The whole time I was "playing" this, I kept thinking about how Fallout 2 did this whole thing so much better, and did it so very, very long ago. And Fallout 2 at least had some spoken dialogue, too, and that was practically a DOS game! I get the impression that this thing is more of a nice portfolio padder for Weisman than a game meant for public consumption. Get the game if you love the shadowrun universe. Skip the game if you like games.… Expand
  3. KalrocVN
    Aug 4, 2013
    9
    Great storytelling and visual atmosphere. Background graphics are sharp and simple, whereas character graphics are a bit dated. Overall a great old-school Shadowrun experience.
  4. Magnethead
    Mar 18, 2014
    7
    This game succeeds because it captures the spirit of Shadowrun. The balance isn't quite there and sometimes the gameplay feels slightly limited, but it feels like Shadowrun and that's very important. It also succeeds in making an environment to create Shadowrun adventures easily and is a very promising start to something that was probably published in something like a beta state.
  5. karmasleeper
    Aug 2, 2013
    7
    Shadowrun Returns is an isometric tactical RPG reminiscent of classic RPGs like Fallout, Neverwinter Nights, or Arcanum. The game takes place in a cyberpunk Seattle populated with fantasy creatures, magic, and high technology. Right from the start, the game world sucks you in with beautifully detailed levels and characters. Surprising for some, this game features no voice acting.Shadowrun Returns is an isometric tactical RPG reminiscent of classic RPGs like Fallout, Neverwinter Nights, or Arcanum. The game takes place in a cyberpunk Seattle populated with fantasy creatures, magic, and high technology. Right from the start, the game world sucks you in with beautifully detailed levels and characters. Surprising for some, this game features no voice acting. Instead, brief narrations often accompany NPC dialogue which do a great job sucking you into the world. Few modern games have writing as good as this, and yet, your dialogue choices are still lackluster. Every response you can give is essentially a variation of "Alright" with varying degrees of attitude. Player choice is essentially non existent as the game is highly linear. Levels are cramped and there is rarely room for exploration. The few side quests there are are purely optional, but you'd be a fool not to do them as they often provide essential cash. The interface is largely good but certain mechanics, namely spell equipping, could have used more information. The leveling system is fine but Charisma is a largely useless stat. Character class balance could be better but overall isn't bad. Mages often become little more than heal bots unless you're on a higher difficulty and riggers leave a bit to be desired. Deckers (hackers) have limited combat usefulness but can enter the Matrix and hack systems thereby gaining control of turrets, opening locked areas, or shutting off security cameras. Anyone familiar with the recent X-COM reboot will be familiar with the turn based combat. There are varying degrees of cover and you expend AP to perform various actions. The game is considerably less challenging and more forgiving than the classic games it emulates so well, but the game never felt too easy or too hard. Unfortunately, there is no manual save and you are forced to rely on a checkpoint save. Messing up often means restarting an entire mission making playthroughs on higher difficulties more of a chore than it needs to be. The story is interesting though predictable. The saving grace of this game, provided people care to take the time with it, will be the mods. Already on Steam are a few interesting additions to the game and I look forward to see what else the community dreams up. If you're big into classic RPGs some of Shadowrun's design choices will upset you more than a bit, but for everyone else this is an enjoyable (if brief by RPG standards, 9-12 hours) experience.… Expand
  6. Remedios
    Nov 10, 2013
    8
    Not many hardcore RPGs are made nowadays. I've spent nice time playing this game. However, I think that the ending in main campaign was incomplete. I'm not going to spoil anything, but I had this feeling that it could have been something more. Though, the game all in all was fun to play, you always can try campaigns made by others and the game reminded me of first & second Fallout, whichNot many hardcore RPGs are made nowadays. I've spent nice time playing this game. However, I think that the ending in main campaign was incomplete. I'm not going to spoil anything, but I had this feeling that it could have been something more. Though, the game all in all was fun to play, you always can try campaigns made by others and the game reminded me of first & second Fallout, which I'm going to play again. Dear God, I love RPGs!… Expand
  7. PlanByHero
    Aug 16, 2013
    8
    Love the setting, love the look, love the gameplay. My only complaints are that its a little short and a little buggy. Neither of which should put you off snapping it up. Its well worth your time & money.

    Plus with the Berlin expansion and community created content I reckon there's a lot of mileage left.
  8. ArminW
    Aug 9, 2013
    8
    This was the first "major" kickstarter campaign I funded that came to fruition, and the first one where I can honestly say "money well invested".
    For it's limited budget and short development time, the game delivers exactly what it intended to. Solid, old school roleplaying in a well-loved setting. It catches the atmosphere and the "feel" of the universe just perfectly IMO. The graphic    This was the first "major" kickstarter campaign I funded that came to fruition, and the first one where I can honestly say "money well invested".
    For it's limited budget and short development time, the game delivers exactly what it intended to. Solid, old school roleplaying in a well-loved setting. It catches the atmosphere and the "feel" of the universe just perfectly IMO. The graphic style and looks are superb for me.
    The initial campaign is short, but very well done. It has a wonderful "detective noir" flair in the first act, many references for old shadowrun players and readers, and some pretty interesting battles, none of which feel like filler material just there to increase game time. The second act is a bit more linear, but still well written and with some very satisfying runs.
    The tactical turn-based combat is interesting, though not perfect yet, but it beats most modern RPG hackfests hands down. The interface is a bit too "tablet style" for my taste, as is the inventory system.
    The save game system is bad, no doubt about that. At least a "save on exit" option badly needs to be implemented, as some checkpoint are *very* far from each other.
    The campaign is pretty short (about 12 hours for a thorough playthrough), but I take quality over quantity any time. And I still get the Berlin campaign in October. :-)
    All in all, I'd rate it a 7, and add an extra point for the editor, that has already yielded a few short but interesting user made runs, and for the upcoming Berlin Campaign that I'm really looking forward for.    … Expand
  9. Kronos362
    Oct 10, 2013
    7
    I really enjoyed this game and can review it in the context of modern games, without having played any prior shadow run games. RPG elements are a bit light and party dynamics are fairly weak. However there is definitely an immersive environment and story that pushes you forward to play more and more of the game. The thing that detracts however is the length of the game. I was seriouslyI really enjoyed this game and can review it in the context of modern games, without having played any prior shadow run games. RPG elements are a bit light and party dynamics are fairly weak. However there is definitely an immersive environment and story that pushes you forward to play more and more of the game. The thing that detracts however is the length of the game. I was seriously expecting double/triple the size and content, very disappointing and slightly ruins an otherwise enjoyable game.… Expand
  10. Reshish
    Oct 28, 2013
    8
    A very good game the first time through the mechanics are interesting, the story is both intelligible and engaging, while the numerous characters if somewhat shallow are engaging.
    The second time through however is where it slips, as you'll find your choices have no real impact on the story and as a result there's very little variation it quickly becomes dull.
    Your 'personality' is only    A very good game the first time through the mechanics are interesting, the story is both intelligible and engaging, while the numerous characters if somewhat shallow are engaging.
    The second time through however is where it slips, as you'll find your choices have no real impact on the story and as a result there's very little variation it quickly becomes dull.
    Your 'personality' is only what you interpret it to be, if you're rude to npcs it won't impact any conversation tree.
    Overall a very fun game but for re-playability you'll have to look to either expansions or community mods.    … Expand
  11. Indrigis
    Aug 4, 2013
    6
    There's one thing that needs to be established first. Shadowrun Returns is NOT a game. It's a mission editor with a free sample campaign attached. And it has cost its backers a solid $1.8M to develop.

    And as far as the sample campaign goes... It's bad. The interface is clearly tuned for tablets and has no hotkeys. The game mechanics are very simplistic unlimited ammunition, "big"    There's one thing that needs to be established first. Shadowrun Returns is NOT a game. It's a mission editor with a free sample campaign attached. And it has cost its backers a solid $1.8M to develop.

    And as far as the sample campaign goes... It's bad. The interface is clearly tuned for tablets and has no hotkeys. The game mechanics are very simplistic unlimited ammunition, "big" action points that allow you to move or shoot and rather unpredictable cover mechanics where you can't predict if an object will actually give you cover until you are able to move near it. All gloriously copied from the new X-COM, only without love and polish. Add to that pretty ridiculous hacking (it's entirely like normal combat, but simpler and looks like Tron), an absolutely sterile world where you can't enter non-mission related buildings or get some miscellaneous reading (newspapers, datapads et c.) and a godawful stat distribution screen which gives you no hint as to how much benefit each stat gives besides checkpoints that grant new skills. What you get in the end is an unenthusiastic attempt at transferring the pen and paper game to a computer.

    Many famous writers and designers are rumored to have worked on this but Shadowrun Returns shows no love put in it. Not anywhere. At least it's rather cheap so you can buy it and hope for user-generated content on Steam Workshop.    … Expand
  12. Th3AndyChrist
    Aug 7, 2013
    9
    I actually never played any Shadowrun games before this, but it reminded me of many other games I loved and played all the time when growing up. After playing through Deadman's Switch I have to say this game is absolutely fantastic!
    Where do I begin? The art and the detail in each area and character is very nice, the rules are sleek and easy to learn (though at first I was a bit    I actually never played any Shadowrun games before this, but it reminded me of many other games I loved and played all the time when growing up. After playing through Deadman's Switch I have to say this game is absolutely fantastic!
    Where do I begin? The art and the detail in each area and character is very nice, the rules are sleek and easy to learn (though at first I was a bit intimidated coming into a ruleset I had no prior experience with). The combat system flows great, it really keeps your interest. The writing is amazing, it feels like I am reading a good novel at times. On top of it all the music is sleek and fitting to the cyberpunk setting.

    I do have a few complaints, I did find some bugs, while not game breaking, they were an annoyance for a bit. And while the character development is solid for most of the characters that are a part of the story, I really wish I could interact more with the runners I hire, a one sentence description of the character does not do them justice.

    Because of this game I am looking into playing the Pen and Paper Shadowrun as well. Overall I would highly recommend this game to anyone that enjoyed games such as Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights (if you love user made campaigns), or XCOM.    … Expand
  13. Anebriate
    May 8, 2014
    6
    I find it very playable, except that it feels written by someone with an undergraduate in gender studies and a point to prove. A little preachy at times, a lot predictable always, but its heart is in the right place. If the developers had cut a few fewer corners and really tried to make your choices more meaningful, this game would be hugely successful.

    Instead, you get what you pay    I find it very playable, except that it feels written by someone with an undergraduate in gender studies and a point to prove. A little preachy at times, a lot predictable always, but its heart is in the right place. If the developers had cut a few fewer corners and really tried to make your choices more meaningful, this game would be hugely successful.

    Instead, you get what you pay for: a pleasant jaunt through a lovingly crafted setting rife with amateur mistakes and superficial placeholders for something that never got around to being great.    … Expand
  14. AD1980
    Aug 5, 2013
    6
    Shadowrun Returns is an entertaining game, but also incredibly disappointing.
    First the positives:
    The atmosphere is exceedingly well executed. The descriptions and tone is spot on and the developers really outdid themselves here. The music is good. I enjoyed both the story and the combat system generally. Now the negatives: There is zero attachment to the runners you hire. You    Shadowrun Returns is an entertaining game, but also incredibly disappointing.
    First the positives:
    The atmosphere is exceedingly well executed. The descriptions and tone is spot on and the developers really outdid themselves here.
    The music is good.
    I enjoyed both the story and the combat system generally.

    Now the negatives:
    There is zero attachment to the runners you hire. You cannot interact with them. You cannot equip them. You cannot upgrade them. Essentially they act as fodder to be thrown away as needed. Highly disappointing
    It's also completely linear. In fact, it feels like more of a point and click adventure than an RPG at times.

    Deckers are near useless in the campaign with the exception of one mission where you are specifically told you will need one. My first play through I brought a Decker on every run to make sure I had the option. Unfortunately, the game does not recognize if there is a Decker in the group besides yourself. Consequently, I ran into many instances where I'd find a door I could hack, but the game wouldn't allow me to even though there was a decker in my party. They REALLY dropped the ball here.

    While the AoE mage spells are good, the direct dmg spells are terribly weak. It makes Mages a bit of a liability.

    Cyberware not only has pathetically small game effect, but for some reason they also jacked up the essence costs dramatically. If you were hoping to play a deck'd out Streeet Sam, think again.

    All in all they had a lot of potential here but they just didn't come through. If you're interested in a Shadowrun game I would highly recommend downloading an emulator and playing the Sega Genesis version that came out nearly 20 years ago. It doesn't suffer from these flaws and holds up surprisingly well today.    … Expand
  15. Seryin
    Jun 16, 2014
    7
    They fixed the god awful lack of save feature so I finally sat down and finished the game. I really liked the theme, art, and setting. Overall, I enjoyed it.
  16. gerszom
    Oct 6, 2013
    8
    Great tactic rpg in fantastic Shadowrun universe. Nice hero making possibility and without cheating You can really be whatever You want and it is also playable. Making Your own team can easily match the differences between classes. Pity it is not so long, but main plot is quite interesting and barely naive. Game absolutely necessary for every old timer rpg fan. Gameplay is good and quiteGreat tactic rpg in fantastic Shadowrun universe. Nice hero making possibility and without cheating You can really be whatever You want and it is also playable. Making Your own team can easily match the differences between classes. Pity it is not so long, but main plot is quite interesting and barely naive. Game absolutely necessary for every old timer rpg fan. Gameplay is good and quite rich. Graphics are great flowing in good sci-fi climate souse.… Expand
  17. doktorwer
    Aug 16, 2013
    8
    Not huge, but pretty. Way better than a lot of the other games being offered by kickstarted publishers.

    Here is another sentence to get it to 150 characters,
  18. augustgrace
    Jul 30, 2013
    5
    Love what little game is there, but its definitely not enough. I have 10 hours in the game, including bio breaks, afk for dinner, exploration and repeating a level, and I'm finished with the story. Right now thats pretty much all the content there is. There are a handful of people who have started putting content together, but it looks like it's going to be a while before anythingLove what little game is there, but its definitely not enough. I have 10 hours in the game, including bio breaks, afk for dinner, exploration and repeating a level, and I'm finished with the story. Right now thats pretty much all the content there is. There are a handful of people who have started putting content together, but it looks like it's going to be a while before anything really playable is there. Perhaps in a few months a community of content developers will crop up and add some incredible content, but right now even though I love what little there is and the SR brand, I couldn't value this much over $10.… Expand
  19. JC0950
    Aug 13, 2013
    7
    Rating: 7.0 I paid $18 and enjoyed this game. The learning curve is low enough for anyone to get a good start and the rpg elements are light. The quality of artwork on the environment was great, but lacking for the player models. There is a lot of writing and it does a good job at creating atmosphere and setting the mood; At the same time the writing also makes characters feelRating: 7.0 I paid $18 and enjoyed this game. The learning curve is low enough for anyone to get a good start and the rpg elements are light. The quality of artwork on the environment was great, but lacking for the player models. There is a lot of writing and it does a good job at creating atmosphere and setting the mood; At the same time the writing also makes characters feel unbelievable, placed and paper-thin. They are there only to provide a service or to help you move along. Shadowrun Returns is simple yet solid; The included editor gives the community a great set of content to expand on.… Expand
  20. Kafziel
    Aug 13, 2013
    10
    A very solid game that echoes of Baldur's Gate 1 and old school console RPG's.

    The checkpoint system may seem intimidating at first, but the game saves after every room so not much time is lost if you die. It actually brings back that sense of tension you get from playing the old console RPG's that isn't as tangible with the save-anywhere system we're all so used to abusing. The    A very solid game that echoes of Baldur's Gate 1 and old school console RPG's.

    The checkpoint system may seem intimidating at first, but the game saves after every room so not much time is lost if you die. It actually brings back that sense of tension you get from playing the old console RPG's that isn't as tangible with the save-anywhere system we're all so used to abusing. The game's also pretty forgiving with regards to character building as good tactical play and intelligent item usage can carry you through most situations. So again, the lack of a save-anywhere system doesn't make much of an impact.

    The major flaws in the game are its relatively short length and linearity. The linearity of the game is somewhat alleviated by a well-paced narrative, but the length is a sore point as the game seems to end right after you've grown attached to the world and its characters. That said, for a $20 game, 15-20 hours of solid gameplay is very reasonable, and that's not counting the user-generated content.

    I came into the experience with a lot of doubts, but after giving the game a chance, I can say I'm fairly impressed. All-in-all, if you appreciate the kind of gameplay that older generations have enjoyed, then don't hesitate and give it a try!    … Expand
  21. xlockeed
    Dec 1, 2013
    3
    You a DIY or weekend warrior? Then I've got the game er campaign editor for you! Introducing Shadowrun Returns!

    So you recall the snes and the genesis game of 94/95? Where you were dropped in an open world free to suit up and level up your favorite runners and make loads of credits! Well toss those memories out the window sir as Shadowrun Returns does none of those nostalgia things of    You a DIY or weekend warrior? Then I've got the game er campaign editor for you! Introducing Shadowrun Returns!

    So you recall the snes and the genesis game of 94/95? Where you were dropped in an open world free to suit up and level up your favorite runners and make loads of credits! Well toss those memories out the window sir as Shadowrun Returns does none of those nostalgia things of decades past. Instead immerse yourself into hours of editing and trial an error as you try and make sense of the campaign editor! That's right kiddies, this here "Game" offers the player one campaign and the exclusive campaign editor "new models and textures later to be released via dlc packs". The main campaign "Dead man's switch" will run on average time of 12 hours, but it's an example by the developers to show what you the player can do.
    Reading before the launch of this it read like the old games of yesterday, however on launch it was a slap in the face as the game only has auto save, unlimited ammo limited mana, runners that aren't persistent, one road path, not open world, no random encounters, reading tons of pointless reading "don't get me wrong it was a cute story DMS" but nothing mattered, choices don't matter, dialogue doesn't matter, karma skill tree doesn't work, deckers are useless, guns rule, drawn out battles where if you fail guess what back to save point to swim through loads of texts all over again. The list goes on as to how this failed to be a game and became a choose your path story book editor.

    It's real true to tabletop DM style, where as a DM designs a run and players come together and play the DM run. However I fail to see the market in tabletop players even bothering with this as paper and pen is a lot faster to design runs on the spot. What happened here was the snes and genesis players of yesterday all came together along with some tabletop backers and pushed the Kickstarter well beyond their expectations. The only bright side to this lackluster knock off is the art put into the design and a editor "whoopee".

    1.8 million in Kickstarter and all they pushed out was an editor and above average design.

    76 critic and a 7.5 user For an editor, that's a skewed rating if you ask me. It should be 65 critic above average and a neutral 5 user as it mainly depends on people to make campaigns for it. You do all the work but we'll take the credit for making such a awesome editor mentality.    … Expand
  22. Teleman
    Dec 2, 2013
    5
    cool story, no gameplay.
    I loved NWN series and played them just to see where the story went, because it had proper d&d mechanics it was alright gameplay wise, but I was not able to suffer through this. I do not have anything against turn based combat games but the execution in this is just bad. The fact that you cannot save anytime you want makes it worse, it is like having to read a    cool story, no gameplay.
    I loved NWN series and played them just to see where the story went, because it had proper d&d mechanics it was alright gameplay wise, but I was not able to suffer through this. I do not have anything against turn based combat games but the execution in this is just bad. The fact that you cannot save anytime you want makes it worse, it is like having to read a couple of the pages you already read in a book.

    Speaking of books, go read a book instead of this. Rating it 5 for the intriguing story, which always constitutes half of my rating.    … Expand
  23. N3cr0b1lly
    Sep 4, 2013
    9
    I love the Shadowrun world and therefor would have loved to have given this game a 10 but I felt the strategy aspect could have been highlighted a bit better. I've played a ton of strategy games and this didn't really make me stop to think about what I had do to win, just sort of push this way or duck behind that. That being said, the included story has wonderful characters that are reallyI love the Shadowrun world and therefor would have loved to have given this game a 10 but I felt the strategy aspect could have been highlighted a bit better. I've played a ton of strategy games and this didn't really make me stop to think about what I had do to win, just sort of push this way or duck behind that. That being said, the included story has wonderful characters that are really memorable. It's actually more than I expected it to be and (bonus) is true to the Shadowrun canon. The editor, and the user generated content just mean you don't have to stop or play the same story over, over and over again, like most games. Overall, great game with lots of drek to do.… Expand
  24. Sjalka
    Sep 7, 2013
    7
    I am a bit torn about that game. I love the art-style, i liked the combat. I did not like the non existent voice acting AT FIRST but i got used to it. The storytelling writing was very good in the vanilla campaign. It felt like the game focused a bit too much on combat though you were rewarded for having skills outside of combat, but you simply HAD to have combat skills. i do not knowI am a bit torn about that game. I love the art-style, i liked the combat. I did not like the non existent voice acting AT FIRST but i got used to it. The storytelling writing was very good in the vanilla campaign. It felt like the game focused a bit too much on combat though you were rewarded for having skills outside of combat, but you simply HAD to have combat skills. i do not know if that is a trademark of the Shadowrun franchise though, because i have not played other SR games )

    Adding an editor is a great thing and will do much for the modding community. I would have liked a "little" more character fidelity. We identify ourselves with the character in a RPG and while the game graphics were nice, the i would have liked to have an up sized, detailed char of myself. (yes, that is a very important feature for me in a RPG)

    by the end of the vanilla campaign the game felt a bit more like a tactical Diablo and it was also too short by FAR. When i beat the game it felt like i had finished act 1 out of 4 but not the entire game.    … Expand
  25. sporlock
    Sep 8, 2013
    9
    Incredible game that is very entertaining with unlimited possibilities for free expansion. The story that comes with the game is written well, is entertaining, and decently long. The game mechanics are very well done and conform to the Shadowrun rule set while still being in the background so it doesn't get in the way or make the game feel limited. The price of the game at 20 bucks isIncredible game that is very entertaining with unlimited possibilities for free expansion. The story that comes with the game is written well, is entertaining, and decently long. The game mechanics are very well done and conform to the Shadowrun rule set while still being in the background so it doesn't get in the way or make the game feel limited. The price of the game at 20 bucks is well worth it, and I applaud the game makers for not trying to gouge loyal fans! I do have a few complaints about the game that stop it from being a perfect 10. 1. The graphics could be a little better, but they aren't horrible for a top down strategy game. 2. The ability to rotate the screen to see different angles would be a welcome addition. Seeing everything in one angle is highly annoying and seems very limited and dated. 3. For the love of God, FIX THE SAVE GAME SYSTEM. This is my biggest complaint. It does not make sense, and seems pointless as you can only load from the start of missions anyway. The "copy" save games is buried in the load game screen for some reason, and it doesn't really even do anything. Either make it more traditional so we can save whenever we want, or make it more user friendly and explain how in the world it's supposed to work! Can't wait for new story content that is complete and works by the community!… Expand
  26. JanDadan
    Oct 3, 2013
    6
    A quite good game that has for sure the soul of the Shadowrun franchise. However, it is too repetitive to be fun for a long time, you don´t feel the impact your actions have on the sinister world, and there is literally no storytelling. In the end, I was entertained but disappointed.
  27. PernXX
    Oct 31, 2013
    10
    Shadowrun Returns' Dead Man's Switch will leave a lasting impression similar to the movie Se7en. SRR makes you make some ethical and moral decisions without keeping track of your ‘alignment' like Bioware and Bethesda games do. As a direct result, every single decision you make feel meaningful and not like you're making the “good” or “bad” decision because your character is going to beShadowrun Returns' Dead Man's Switch will leave a lasting impression similar to the movie Se7en. SRR makes you make some ethical and moral decisions without keeping track of your ‘alignment' like Bioware and Bethesda games do. As a direct result, every single decision you make feel meaningful and not like you're making the “good” or “bad” decision because your character is going to be “good” or “bad” for a desired ending or achievement. In my mind SRR has one of the more memorable plots I have played in any video game which is actually assisted by the length of the game. Any game that can be played in a few hardcore gaming sessions will probably leave a better impression on you because you don't feel like there's 40 hours of buildup to an ending or plot twist. Harebrained Schemes decided to name the game Shadowrun Returns, and return Shadowrun has.… Expand
  28. veep
    Nov 9, 2013
    8
    Quite enjoyable, if unfortunately linear. The original cyberpunk ambience is wonderful, though, and the free-for-all editor with Steam Workshop integration and a big focus on community creations sets it apart.
  29. GateCrasherVI
    Nov 26, 2013
    9
    Having played and been a fan of previous Shadowrun titles, and having many fond memories, I found this to be a welcome and long over-due addition to the series. Younger players may not appreciate this very much since this is a game straight out of 1992, but this is exactly the kind of game I wanted from countless titles I've purchased in the past for much more.

    Technically speaking, the    Having played and been a fan of previous Shadowrun titles, and having many fond memories, I found this to be a welcome and long over-due addition to the series. Younger players may not appreciate this very much since this is a game straight out of 1992, but this is exactly the kind of game I wanted from countless titles I've purchased in the past for much more.

    Technically speaking, the game doesn't raise any standards, in fact it is a little old-school, but so are its tabletop roleplaying roots. And in the spirit of its table-top predecessors, I think the depth of customization offered is something I've only found in a couple games, ever. A fully featured campaign asset creator.

    If you're looking for a game that offers amazing capability in authoring your own turn-based RPG stories and adventures, and don't mind sacrificing a little technical advancement to keep things simple, then this will likely be right up your alley. But don't expect AAA, 200hour, custom physics engine fanciness. Shadowrun Returns is definitely one of my favorite isometric RPGs for PC.    … Expand
  30. EatingKittens
    Dec 4, 2013
    7
    I feel compelled to defend this game.

    Consider this: The original Fallout had a budget of 3 million 1993 Dollars and a crew of 30 people working for four years. Shadowrun Returns had a budget of 1.8 million, by Weissman's admission 35% of this went to giving backers prizes. It also had to hire 25 additional people (the original 10 wouldn't do for the expanded project). Start to finish,    I feel compelled to defend this game.

    Consider this: The original Fallout had a budget of 3 million 1993 Dollars and a crew of 30 people working for four years. Shadowrun Returns had a budget of 1.8 million, by Weissman's admission 35% of this went to giving backers prizes. It also had to hire 25 additional people (the original 10 wouldn't do for the expanded project). Start to finish, they had less than one year.

    The "Dead Man Switch" campaign is too linear and lacks significant side quest content, dialogue options and opportunities to immerse yourself in a plot line directly impacted by your actions. However, these elements could be added to the game by user's creating content.

    The combat system is well designed and allows for interesting player positions and strategies. Corpse looting is not a big part of the game. Baddies drop quest items mostly and your character can't hold so much. Honestly, I don't miss carting truckloads of junk loot to and from a fence. The game gives you infinite ammo (still costs actions to reload...mostly).

    It's a bit buggy for me at times and I hate that you can't save until a level switch.

    I have absolute faith that the fan base will create compelling levels for us to play and that this game, while not the most incredible ever, is catching a lot of guff it doesn't deserve.    … Expand
  31. Zechariahms
    Jan 15, 2014
    7
    As someone who never has the patience for games exactly like this, Shadowrun Returns was a good exception. The expansive universe of shadowrun is very well defined and it makes a very noticeable difference in the quality of story. I have no love for the sort of combat system it sports. My first experience with that style was XCOM: Enemy Unknown, which I couldn't stomach to play more than aAs someone who never has the patience for games exactly like this, Shadowrun Returns was a good exception. The expansive universe of shadowrun is very well defined and it makes a very noticeable difference in the quality of story. I have no love for the sort of combat system it sports. My first experience with that style was XCOM: Enemy Unknown, which I couldn't stomach to play more than a day due to the intense feeling of dead time while waiting for matters to progress. Shadowrun Returns managed to do it a bit faster and with much more fairness. The reason why this game doesn't deserve an 8 or 9 is because of serious unpatched glitches. Even in the most recent patch, the game has a hard time recognizing its own saves, and there were at least 3 levels that had to be completely replayed because of triggers being missed and disallowing progress. With a game like this, and only a single autosave per level, that's a massive unnecessary time investment to get through.… Expand
  32. Wedgeta
    Jul 30, 2013
    3
    Having played 2 Shadowruns (SNES and Sega) I was really excited about this since it was announced last year. Very sad to see the game turned out to be way less than what I expected. This game is boring, *very* linear, without any incentive for replay, and the dialogue trees doesn't affect very much the outcome of the game. Shadowrun on the Genesis is way, way better despite it being 20 years old
  33. Zanadar
    Jul 27, 2013
    7
    It's...adequate. The story is just compelling enough to keep you going, the UI is functional, though not impressive, the graphics decent though not flashy, the animations...well, ok the animations are somewhat sub par. Overall, it does the job. Good enough.
  34. IKerensky
    Jul 30, 2013
    3
    Game is far too short, about 8 hours to complete it.
    The Tactical combat part is dull and far too easy and basic, not really tactical in fact.
    The Shadowrun universe is partly there, but all that make the game what it is is gone. Magic and Matrix are very badly representated, the skill system is gone and replaced by a diablo II clone. The scenario is interesting but cliche and is just    Game is far too short, about 8 hours to complete it.
    The Tactical combat part is dull and far too easy and basic, not really tactical in fact.
    The Shadowrun universe is partly there, but all that make the game what it is is gone. Magic and Matrix are very badly representated, the skill system is gone and replaced by a diablo II clone. The scenario is interesting but cliche and is just not working in Shadowrun world (Invulnerable True Spirit not chasing player in the astral or even to the back street )
    A very disappointment that could have been potential.

    The innability of the developper to manage permanent area or save game, will seriously curtail any attempt at providing interesting player made content.

    Dont buy it, it is not 20$ worth... About 5$ worth for the 8 hours long demo, not a cents more. And please remove the Shadowrun Tag on it, there is no Shadowrun in the game engine.    … Expand
  35. CriticoDubioso
    Jul 29, 2013
    5
    Well it's a cheap game and it shows. Shot, linear, simple. Pretty much what you'd expect from a casual/tablet game. Don't expect a full-fledged oldschool RPG and you won't be disappointed.
  36. BFP
    Jul 26, 2013
    8
    An amazing game with a few flaws in it.
    - Yes, there is no "save-anywhere" feature, but it doesn't hinder gameplay all that much (except for the obsessive-compulsive among us). Considering most areas of the main campaign are easy to a fault (more on that later), its not that big of a deal.
    - Yes, you have unlimited ammo. However, you still have to reload, which can take up an action. -    An amazing game with a few flaws in it.
    - Yes, there is no "save-anywhere" feature, but it doesn't hinder gameplay all that much (except for the obsessive-compulsive among us). Considering most areas of the main campaign are easy to a fault (more on that later), its not that big of a deal.
    - Yes, you have unlimited ammo. However, you still have to reload, which can take up an action.
    - Yes, its quite linear to play through, but I suspect this was done to keep the focus upon the story, and things will really open up in a couple of months once the community has played with the level editor.
    - No mode selection; game seems to be stuck on Easy for the most part.
    -- If anything, my two biggest complaints are:
    A) Its too easy for the most part I hardly ever died or needed to push a lot of tactics into what should have been a tactical turn-based RPG;
    B) there's still quite a few glitches and annoying parts here and there (enemy AI spazing out, walking into a room only to accidentally trigger a cutscene and get stuck out in the open, etc).

    Now let's look at the good.
    + The art design. Characters are not all that well-detailed, but are distinct enough to easily tell them apart. In contrast, the world is well-detailed in a 2D isometric perspective and almost beautiful in its filthiness.
    + The characters. Although there is no voice acting in this game, all of the main characters have a distinct feel to them how they dress, how they talk, etc. Even the fellow 'Runners you recruit as hired muscle have their own feel. And the humor some bring to the table may not have had me on the ground laughing, but it definitely brought out a chuckle when one was sorely needed.
    + The combat. Its beauty is in its simplicity; every action can be pulled out at a whim, and there are multiple paths that the Player can take. The races don't feel all that different (besides different stat/skill caps and maybe some dialogue), but each of the different classes has their own feel.
    + Distinct classes. Each of the classes has its own play style and feel to them; Mages & Shamans bring down magical destruction upon their foes and support their allies, Street Samurai wield gun and blade in equal measure, Adepts use their life force to smash opponents into submission, Riggers use drones to fight for them, and and Deckers use technology to jack into the matrix, turning machines against their masters.

    And with the promise of an avid community willing to mod the living hell out of SRR, things couldn't look brighter. Granted, the game isn't for everyone, and its obvious that Hairbrained Schemes was pressed to release the game on-time, but despite its flaws there is a lot to look forward to you could certainly waste $20 on far WORSE things nowadays.

    Bottom line: Its functional, fun, and short the campaign is only about 12 hours long, but its at least going tto be a memorable 12 hours.    … Expand
  37. Amph
    Jul 30, 2013
    2
    I can not fathom why this game is getting so many good reviews. In my opinion this game is more of a monumental failure.

    First up is the save system. I know I am not the only one but I guess there aren’t enough of us that dislike a checkpoint system to make a difference in the global video game market. I am not sure what the reason for this idea is, I hope it is not replay value.    I can not fathom why this game is getting so many good reviews. In my opinion this game is more of a monumental failure.

    First up is the save system. I know I am not the only one but I guess there aren’t enough of us that dislike a checkpoint system to make a difference in the global video game market. I am not sure what the reason for this idea is, I hope it is not replay value. Because I can tell you there are games I have NOT purchased solely because of a checkpoint system, in addition, when I do accidentally buy a game with one, all I want to do is get my money back. I can not stress enough how much I detest the idea of restarting and entire level because I want to try a conversation a different way, or was one point of charisma away from using a charisma check in a conversation. I did not do enough research into the game before I purchased it, but if I did I may have just skipped this one all together. The idea of an RPG with this type of save system is preposterous. Harebrained confesses they did not have the money to implement a proper save system. This is a piss poor excuse for laziness, incompetence or a complete lack of prioritization. Graphically, the game is beautiful, so obviously some money and time could have been spared in this department.

    Second, inventory and drops. Again I say..R P G.. I must have been sleeping because I missed the boat that took the idea of inventory out of a role playing game. When did this become a good idea? Even brain science supports the idea that video game addiction is based on a constant reward system.. WHY take it out?!?!? Additionally, when I frag a ganger, I want the satisfaction of striping his armor and weapon and selling it. It makes me feel better for the insolence he paid me when he tried to kill me!

    Third up. This game is so linear it hurts, add to that this game is supposed to be... you guessed it, an RPG!!! The developers put corners into the game.. congratulations by the way. But the game would have not suffered one bit if they had made every level a straight line. I’m not sure why they tried to mask it with corners, maybe weak minded non Jedi types are easily fooled by such farcical attempts to add depth to an environment. The truth is there is nothing between point A and point B, no loot, and maybe one side side quest that will take you two seconds to complete.

    Fourth. Writing and plot. I have to confess the Narrative, or the way the story line is told, is remarkable. The flowerful writing used to describe the environments, characters, states of being. It is truly visionary. There is no audio at all in this game so every word needs to be read, and I enjoyed every moment of it. It was a pleasure to “read” this game. The story line and plot however are surprisingly simple. For example, when I discovered who the Emerald City Killer was I was a bit taken back that the plot was so simple. I had in essence, gone from the feeling of reading a really good novel, to suddenly reading a child’s book.

    To sum up, I guess I have been offended and feel cheated. I LOVED the snes version of this game, and was hoping for something grand and nostalgic. Something reminiscent of what a real RPG could be and what gaming used to be about. It seems like everyone is just out to make a quick buck. Max the sales with minimum effort, "go with the averages and we can't fail." Harebrained will be an excellent candidate for EA membership. This game may have been better if they just called it Call of Duty 16: Shadowrun Returns.

    Amph    … Expand
  38. Alex_Mars
    Jul 27, 2013
    6
    Fun game but deeply flawed: no manual or explanation of how many aspects of the game work, uses save checkpoints instead of save at will, many bugs (overwatch broken, some items purchased never make it into your inventory or stash, drone bonuses are lost when transitioning are just a few). The campaign is very linear and your decisions have little effect on the outcome of the game. TheFun game but deeply flawed: no manual or explanation of how many aspects of the game work, uses save checkpoints instead of save at will, many bugs (overwatch broken, some items purchased never make it into your inventory or stash, drone bonuses are lost when transitioning are just a few). The campaign is very linear and your decisions have little effect on the outcome of the game. The much heralded map editor is OK, but it could have been much better if the developers had looked at the Jagged Alliance 2 map editor designed over a decade ago as it is much more efficient at producing buildings and terrain, the SRR editor is pretty clunky in this regard.

    All in all the game suffers from lazy developers, and it shows this all throughout the game.    … Expand
  39. jpr64
    Jul 29, 2013
    5
    It's not an rpg, more an adventure text game with some rpg assets and a limited tactical battle system.

    It's not a bad game, but the feature that make me stop playing it, it's the autosave system no autosave before battle, no autosave on exit... Worse autosave system I ever seen. Sometimes you encounter a difficult battle or a large map with a lot of running and reading around to    It's not an rpg, more an adventure text game with some rpg assets and a limited tactical battle system.

    It's not a bad game, but the feature that make me stop playing it, it's the autosave system no autosave before battle, no autosave on exit...

    Worse autosave system I ever seen.

    Sometimes you encounter a difficult battle or a large map with a lot of running and reading around to do and no being able to save on exit or just before a battle just screw you to repeat all the process...

    It's clearly a poor system, and for a 1,8 m kickstarter game, I don't understand the lack of polish in the autosave system.

    I've stopped playing and will not come back if something it's not done about it...

    for the game a solid 7.5 I said, but as tha autosave system is just ruining my limited game time, it will be a 5 for me in the end.

    JPR out!    … Expand
  40. i0n
    Sep 4, 2013
    1
    Overall a very disappointing title despite the humble purchase price.

    Engaging storyline and intricate setting is strangled to death by a flat and awkward combat/movement system, convoluted user interface, entirely linear gameplay and clunky mechanics. It felt as though I was stepping back in time about two decades, but without any of the nostalgia. The only positive I can offer is    Overall a very disappointing title despite the humble purchase price.

    Engaging storyline and intricate setting is strangled to death by a flat and awkward combat/movement system, convoluted user interface, entirely linear gameplay and clunky mechanics. It felt as though I was stepping back in time about two decades, but without any of the nostalgia.

    The only positive I can offer is that the provided campaign wasn't any longer than it's humble 10-15 hour play time, as I found myself gritting my teeth in frustration by about half way through. The strategy component was virtually non-existent and the gameplay most tedious.

    I really wanted to like this title particularly as the setting happens to be one of my favourite genres but it was genuinely difficult to find any redeeming features.

    Regretful of this purchase.    … Expand
  41. Zenren
    Jul 27, 2013
    6
    Well I've been waiting for awhile to play this game. I love the pen and paper Shadowrun and by proxy thought I'd love the video game as well. Well love is a strong word. I guess you'd say I like Shadowrun Returns, but certainly there is no love. I wish I could love the game, but the fact is there are just too many things that turn me off about it, the chief among them being the fact youWell I've been waiting for awhile to play this game. I love the pen and paper Shadowrun and by proxy thought I'd love the video game as well. Well love is a strong word. I guess you'd say I like Shadowrun Returns, but certainly there is no love. I wish I could love the game, but the fact is there are just too many things that turn me off about it, the chief among them being the fact you can only save at the beginning of a mission. Now that doesn't seem too annoying until you realize that a mission usually takes at least 15 to 20 minutes to complete, and some can take upwards of an hour. With that in mind, you die, you have to restart from the beginning of the scene. This can get really frustrating, really fast. Yes it's an old school method, a return to our roots, so to speak, but certain roots were dug up because the only thing that grew from them were trees rife with frustration.

    Second is the class system. Now the problem here is that it is far too simplistic, harboring only a mere shell of the actual pen and paper game. The mechanics are fine for a hack and slash game that will only be played once and then put back up on the shelf until the prequel or sequel comes out, but that's not what most of are buying this game for. No, this was supposed to be our chance to have persistent characters that you could use over the course of multiple campaigns. I guess you could do that, but the fact is, there are so few items and so few abilities, you have to wonder what's the point?

    Why would a game so full of possibilities limit itself to the extent that Shadowrun Returns has? The fact is most classes only have a handful of abilities that scale with your level. New abilities are few and far between. In the end you wont be seeing many new skills, but instead you'll be playing the same character, just with more hit points, doing more damage, repeating the same skills over and over and over and over... well you get the point.

    Okay, so that's all my complaints. In the end I gave the game a six, because there are some good things to mention as well. First, unless you purchased your computer in the Ice Age, chances are it'll run this game. That doesn't sound too important until you remember all the games that require you to have a state of art system just to meet the recommended requirements. Second the graphics are sharp and I mean sharp. The details are nice. Third the user interface is well done, nothing new, but certainly easy to understand and get used too.

    Now would I recommend this to other gamers? Certainly. Would I pre-purchase it if I knew how frustrated playing it would make me? Maybe. Is it worth $19.99, hell yeah. Is it comparable to Neverwinter Nights, Freedom Force, and other top down RPGs that have come along? Well yes, but it certainly falls behind those games. As I said, nothing new, nothing really amazing, but it's certainly worth it if you want to have some fun over the weekend. (It took me less than 16 hours to complete the campaign that comes with the game, just in case you're wondering.) My final evaluation, okay game, okay concept, but nothing amazing to write to your friends about.    … Expand
  42. Baroudeur
    Jul 31, 2013
    8
    J'ai terminé le scénario de base et je suis pleinement satisfait. L'univers est fidèle 100% au jdr éponyme et le game play est simple et efficace. Graphiquement, ça a son charme et l'immersion reste bonne.

    Le point fort du jeu reste la richesse du background et du scénar' proposé. Certes, j'ai cartonné tout ça en un week-end mais le plaisir était là du début la fin. Ca m'a même    J'ai terminé le scénario de base et je suis pleinement satisfait. L'univers est fidèle 100% au jdr éponyme et le game play est simple et efficace. Graphiquement, ça a son charme et l'immersion reste bonne.

    Le point fort du jeu reste la richesse du background et du scénar' proposé. Certes, j'ai cartonné tout ça en un week-end mais le plaisir était là du début la fin. Ca m'a même reboosté pour relancer des parties de Shadowrun sur table. :-)

    J'espère vraiment que la communauté de joueurs sera active et produira des choses de qualité. Il y a énormément de potentiel pour faire de ce jeu un "classique" increvable tant le nombre de possibilités de scénars et de suites est élevé! Tout comme il est possible que ça ne tourne rien si les scénars de la communauté: a) ne respectent pas l'univers ou partent dans le délire complet, b) ne sont que de simples excuses pour de la fight.

    Ce n'est pas gagné d'avance... l'univers est complexe, même quand on maîtrise déjà la version papier du jeu. L'éditeur de contenu demande un temps d'apprentissage certain si on veut faire quelque chose d'intéressant. A mon avis, rares seront les gens qui iront jusqu'au bout de la démarche.

    Perso, je suis chaud pour apporter ma contribution la communauté et je garde espoir de voir apparaitre de bonnes surprises dans les prochains mois.    … Expand
  43. NathanielPrime
    Aug 4, 2013
    3
    What a letdown. The idea is pretty great a top down Shadowrun RPG, the first of its kind in the electronic world since the since the SNES and Genesis days. Unfortunately, what has been released a game barely qualifies as such. The campaign is minimal, perhaps 12 hours long. The interface is clunky, and it feels antiquated in many ways. One button click to control everything? It wasWhat a letdown. The idea is pretty great a top down Shadowrun RPG, the first of its kind in the electronic world since the since the SNES and Genesis days. Unfortunately, what has been released a game barely qualifies as such. The campaign is minimal, perhaps 12 hours long. The interface is clunky, and it feels antiquated in many ways. One button click to control everything? It was designed for mobile devices, and it shows. Worst of all is the lack of a manual save feature don't want to play an entire map? Tough.… Expand
  44. padavid10
    Jul 30, 2013
    9
    I have to admit that I am an RPG gamer of old and remember the likes of Fallout and Baldur's Gate very fondly and this brought the memory of those games flooding back.

    It has a compelling film noir style story set in a steam punk world which really steals the show. It kept me engaged and interested through the approximately 10 hour game time. The script is enjoyable and there were    I have to admit that I am an RPG gamer of old and remember the likes of Fallout and Baldur's Gate very fondly and this brought the memory of those games flooding back.

    It has a compelling film noir style story set in a steam punk world which really steals the show. It kept me engaged and interested through the approximately 10 hour game time. The script is enjoyable and there were some characters I would love to have more time to get to know (particularly Mr Kluwe). The dialogue reminded me of fellow indie game Gunpoint, which is no bad thing.

    If there was one negative it would be the save system. It's a bit loose and hard to really grasp where the game saved. That said, I played through the whole thing in two days so not much need for saving really.

    Overall, highly recommended and one of the most enjoyable games I've played in some time.    … Expand
  45. Milinko
    Aug 25, 2013
    9
    It's a very good game, that brings back unique RPG mixing science and magic in dark futuristic setting. Shadowrun Returns is a worthy successor to it's predecessors with very fun and addictive gameplay.
  46. Neu-ro-man-cer
    Sep 22, 2013
    10
    10/10 that is my valuation. For an independent, Kickstarter-based game, it is a pure gem. The story is really involving, the mood is amazing, and of course the game-mechanics are also well-defined. It could be polished here-and-there, the graphics/animations could be better, some bugs were also present (not game breaking), but overall in its category this game is simply outstanding. I10/10 that is my valuation. For an independent, Kickstarter-based game, it is a pure gem. The story is really involving, the mood is amazing, and of course the game-mechanics are also well-defined. It could be polished here-and-there, the graphics/animations could be better, some bugs were also present (not game breaking), but overall in its category this game is simply outstanding. I recommend it to everybody, who loves cyberpunk, RPGs, turn-based strategy... Thank you, Harebrained Schemes (and Jordan Weisman) for creating this thrilling world+journey for me to escape everydays for a few days and nights:)))… Expand
  47. Likan
    Jul 29, 2013
    6
    Well, I'm enjoying myself, but I cannot tell if it's out of nostalgia for the SNES game or the actual pnp RPG, or because the game is actually good.

    The campaign sure is very linear, the combat feels like a simplified version of X-COM as many have stated before, and the whole gameplay feels slow and even sluggish at times. Yet here is the Shadowun universe perfectly portrayed, an    Well, I'm enjoying myself, but I cannot tell if it's out of nostalgia for the SNES game or the actual pnp RPG, or because the game is actually good.

    The campaign sure is very linear, the combat feels like a simplified version of X-COM as many have stated before, and the whole gameplay feels slow and even sluggish at times.

    Yet here is the Shadowun universe perfectly portrayed, an above average storytelling and the combat is just varied enough (and evenly paced) not to be a chore.

    All in all, the 20-or-so euros seem a bit steep when one factors in the relative lack of depth (no amount of user-generated content can alter that). But otherwise, it's a nice way to be told a story, and Shadowrun fans should enjoy it for the most part.    … Expand
  48. mijxero
    Aug 14, 2014
    6
    This game is a nice throwback to games like Baldur's gate but the problem is that those games are much much older and I would have rather just replayed them. Maybe I'm wrong but it just felt slow and there were parts where you have to read mountains of text. I really like the combat and character development so that is what saved it from being a total disappointment for me.
  49. CommGhost
    Aug 7, 2013
    9
    Bought this out of nostalgia for my younger years, where i was a spotty teenager waiting for my dad to return from a trip over sea's and he had promised to bring a couple of books back if i had been good for my mum while he was gone.
    The book he brought back was Never deal with a Dragon, that was the point when i first encountered the Shadowrun Universe and I loved reading about it.    Bought this out of nostalgia for my younger years, where i was a spotty teenager waiting for my dad to return from a trip over sea's and he had promised to bring a couple of books back if i had been good for my mum while he was gone.
    The book he brought back was Never deal with a Dragon, that was the point when i first encountered the Shadowrun Universe and I loved reading about it.

    Unfortunately my mates didn't Fancy Shadowrun the Rpg. So my experiences were limited to the Books.

    When this came out i cynically looked at the screen shots and thought wtf in a day and age when we have big budget games with Graphics like The Witcher and Oblivion why would anyone want to play that Donkey Poo.

    However over the next couple of weeks it kept playing on my mind how much i had enjoyed the books and maybe i was missing a trick as with review around 75% on metcaritic it couldn't be that bad.

    So i took the plunge,

    Wow am i glad i did The game has obviously been crafted by enthusiasts who really believed in the project and i only found how the game came in to existence with Kickstarter afterwards.

    The games made the years fall away in my mind and all of a sudden i was Big-G the Assault Rifle Wielding Street Samurai Kicking out Licks and smacking down with impunity .

    The story line was lovingly crafted and kept my entertained from its inception to its dramatic conclusion.

    Now i am going to replay through as one of the other builds and may even step into the user created content as every one says this will be where lots of hidden gems are going to be over the coming months.

    So in summary for the price of £15 i had a thoroughly entertaining time and loved every minute of it.

    Can you now please hurry up with Berlin as Cyber-G wants to come and show how he dominates the Matrix    … Expand
  50. AphoticAtrocity
    Aug 25, 2013
    10
    Love it. Been waiting for a modern Shadowrun game for ages. The campaign they give you was entertaining and a decent intro to what the editor is capable of. There are people making noise because they didn't care for the campaign that came with it and there are not a lot user-generated campaigns to play yet. What the game editor is capable of is very much worth being a little patient andLove it. Been waiting for a modern Shadowrun game for ages. The campaign they give you was entertaining and a decent intro to what the editor is capable of. There are people making noise because they didn't care for the campaign that came with it and there are not a lot user-generated campaigns to play yet. What the game editor is capable of is very much worth being a little patient and worth tinkering with yourself.… Expand
  51. Redfren
    Aug 31, 2013
    10
    This is a fantastic game, It feels like a classic Table Top game, If you like RPG Table Top this is without a doubt the game for you, it's also Punk ^_^ who doesn't like PUNK!! great game keep it coming.
  52. Freeden
    Jul 26, 2013
    8
    I'd been looking forward to Shadowrun Returns since first hearing about it's kickstarter and waited and waited. Now that it's a reality, I am quite pleased. First and foremost, my favorite thing is the atmosphere and world creation. SR does an incredible job of realizing the world of Shadowrun. It takes no time to treat you like an ignoramus and paints a natural picture of the world youI'd been looking forward to Shadowrun Returns since first hearing about it's kickstarter and waited and waited. Now that it's a reality, I am quite pleased. First and foremost, my favorite thing is the atmosphere and world creation. SR does an incredible job of realizing the world of Shadowrun. It takes no time to treat you like an ignoramus and paints a natural picture of the world you occupy. Hearing casual talk about magic and trolls in an environment occupied by machine guns is refreshing. This makes way for a fantastic and well written story that feels a bit noirish, with your main character acting a bit like a detective. The primary tale has you trying to solve the murder of a friend whose pre-recorded a message asking you to find his killer, with a handsome reward waiting.

    The game opens with a customization that makes you feel as though you've just delved into the PnP RPG of yore. You can customize your character, picking from several different and distinct fantasy races. You then can use Karma points to upgrade your character and build them as you see fit, whether it's a deckker built for hacking computer systems, a shaman specializing in magic and healing, or a street samurai, specializing in combat. My own personal tastes had me create an elven street samurai gifted with natural charisma.

    Gameplay is comparable to last years Xcom, where you and up to three other runners, which are made up of important story characters or ones you hire. Once in combat, you have several option to choose from, between close and ranged weapons combat, magic, healing, movement, and so on. The gameplay is fairly simple, though strategy can be complex. You will across an assortment of enemies, and will have to play intelligently to keep your characters from dying.

    However, combat is only one aspect of gameplay. You will come across other problems you will have to solve, such as navigating conversations and investigations. While the story is fairly straight forward, how you get from point A to point B is up to you. Examples include fighting, complying with, or bribing characters to have your way. Multiple choices in this game are less about multiple reactions and more about picking the best solution that suits you. In my case, my highly charismatic elf is gifted at talking his way into getting what he wants, though he also specializes in combat.

    Maybe the best part of SR is the map/game builder. You have all the tools you need to create your own chapter in the Shadowrun saga. It goes a long way to making the game completely worthwhile and having long lasting value. And in case you might think it's overpriced, the game is only about $20, and it's worth every penny. For any fan of the older games, this is very much a worthy game to the title it holds.    … Expand
  53. Weirdoh
    Jul 26, 2013
    9
    Good game with few minor (at least for me) issues. Personally I like the checkpoint system so I can`t just reload when something goes wrong.

    Inventory system seems little simple & could use more stuff for people who like to LOOT everything =P
  54. karstenchu
    Jul 27, 2013
    8
    I've been waiting countless years for this game. I grew up on the SEGA Shadowrun, one of my favorite games of all time and it is against this that I will judge Shadowrun returns. I'm going to be harsher on it than I like, but it's tough love.

    Positives 1. Art-style. Absolutely love it. All the tilesets and graphics perfectly encapsulate the cyberpunk feel. 2. Character    I've been waiting countless years for this game. I grew up on the SEGA Shadowrun, one of my favorite games of all time and it is against this that I will judge Shadowrun returns. I'm going to be harsher on it than I like, but it's tough love.

    Positives
    1. Art-style. Absolutely love it. All the tilesets and graphics perfectly encapsulate the cyberpunk feel.
    2. Character generation/RPG system. Very familiar. Different enough to be fresh to Shadowrun veterans, yet familiar enough to feel comfortable.
    3. Good weapon selection, but I don't like the tiered structure where the expensive version is simply the better one.
    4. Main campaign had a good story and is a great primer for those who don't know what the Shadowrun universe has to offer.
    5. Available classes/make your own class. I think that was well done and offers a fair bit of replayability.
    6. Editor vastly increases replayability and really lets the community express itself. I'll reiterate that this is the major strength of the game.
    7. The soundtrack is great.

    Negatives :
    1. No save system. I personally haven't had as big of an issue with this as other people have, but I can see how this is an issue. Personally, I've found the save system keeps me honest since I'll usually save/reload during critical points of the game, sometimes to pursue different roleplaying choices. However...
    2. No impact of choices. I have not yet seen how my dialogue choices or any choices have made a difference in anything. SEGA SR suffered from the same ill, but this is something that only affects the default campaign and can be remedied in user campaigns.
    3. ***Lack of sandbox-style/non-linear gameplay*** This is my biggest issue as I was hoping to be plopped into a living, breathing Seattle. Naturally, I knew this was the case from the trailers, but I'll still complain about it since I think the SEGA SR really had it right with the non-linear gameplay.
    4. No weapons modifications. Not a surprise as I kept up with HBS snippets about SR, but still, I enjoyed pimping my gat on the SEGA game and thoroughly enjoy it on the PnP RPG as there are limitless options for customizing your weapon of choice.
    5. No martial arts system. I'm glad hand to hand is an option, but I hope in the future we'll be able to pick martial arts and maybe even have a few animations for different martial arts styles. The walk up and punch in the face gets a little old. However, this is just like the SEGA game so I can't come down too hard.
    6. More outfits needed.
    7. Persistent Shadowrunner companions. I loved hiring the diminutive rat-shaman Ricky and forging him into an extremely inexpensive to hire rat-Gandalf. There was also a hint of personality and backstory to each runner you could hire in the SEGA game and I'm extremely disappointed that that didn't really make it into SR.
    8. Need Cyberspurs.
    9. ***Loot drops and scoring gear*** This is a big issue that I feel needs to be seriously addressed. What fun is there running against megacorps if you can't steal any of their 1337 gear?
    10. Need Heavy weapons.

    Conclusion At $20, this is a great buy. While my socks are not blown off by this revival, I feel like the game contains much of what I wanted to see again in a Shadowrun revival, but skimps on some aspects concerning non-linearity and customization. The editor is a huge boost, however, as I'm a Shadowrun GM and thoroughly enjoy crafting my own campaigns for others to enjoy/hate. Shadowrun Returns is a very solid base game that the community will make into a great game.    … Expand
  55. AndreRamos
    Jul 27, 2013
    9
    SRR: Why Shadowrun Returns is a huge step forward Objective Review from a non-fan )

    I don't usually review games, and am not even that much of a Shadowrun fan, but since there has been a huge spam of extremist opinions around here and steam, I figured it could turn off potential future players based on uninformed reviews. English isn't my first language, hopefully that shouldn't taint    SRR: Why Shadowrun Returns is a huge step forward Objective Review from a non-fan )

    I don't usually review games, and am not even that much of a Shadowrun fan, but since there has been a huge spam of extremist opinions around here and steam, I figured it could turn off potential future players based on uninformed reviews. English isn't my first language, hopefully that shouldn't taint my take on this. Well then, Shadowrun Returns, should you buy it or not?

    I never played the Pen and Paper game, or even the SNES version I got stuck with Sega Master System for years Regardless, I do have PnP experience with games like D&D and Cyberpunk2020, etc. Don't let that intimidate you, none of this should condition your enjoyment of ShadowRun Returns and I'll tell you why.
    Last year, I got introduced to ShadowRun by former SR writer Peter Taylor who works near my college, he was hinting me on how to improve my writing, and on ocasion we talked about PnPs and eventually dragged the chat to MMORPGs, and how Computer Games always fell short of mirroring the experience you got from PnPs.
    PnPs, where adventures were crafted by Game or Dungeon Masters specially for that bunch of players in the group, where a mighty Dragon was slain by a party of four heroes whose paths happened to cross and lead to glory, the Dragon is vanquished and never again spreads it's vile aura over the world. While on the virtual world, a respawning Dragon is butchered every 15 minutes by incoming hordes of players, who then scavenge the corpse to show off a Dragon Armor that thousands of others already have, while the Dragon in question is actually still rolling and getting it's handed to it in a perpetual Respawn-Get beaten-Die cycle. Most MMORPGs have partial solutions of these things like World Changing Expansions and whatnot )

    Maybe it will never be possible to truly mimick that side of the PnPs, the strong point, and probably the reason why I ever played any, now that I think of it. In the end, it is this experience that ShadowRun Returns is working on. While I don't believe you have to be a veteren PnP gamer or hardcore this or that to enjoy it, it helps to make your decision to know what exactly is SRR doing here, and in the end, why it's doing it. I'll dive into some subjectivity now and say that it's a good take on the PnP whole thing, being closer than any game got so far while simultaneously still a long way from achieving it, but walking down the right path.

    I can imagine how the whole making the player a possible game master thing is risky in SRR, but it's the kind of risky it takes to get closer to a PnP experience in a computer. All of this, assuming it is this you are looking for, is the reason why you should look into SRR.

    If it's not this what you are looking for (understandable since there aren't that many PnP fans anymore) then it's possible you won't enjoy this game, or at least not the way it was made to be enjoyed.

    Lastly I'm leaving my personal opinion on the game. I'm not actually a ShadowRun fan, but I found in SRR what I was expecting when I prepurchased the game, I can see some questionable points, like the checkpoint save system which will be very inconvenient to some, that's a given. I for one, am OK with it, it does drag a save for long periods sometimes, but most of the times it let's you play in small bits and leave, which feels a bit like sitting in a table with a GM and friends and waiting to finish a fight or get to a tavern or area to call it a day so you don't have to record fighting data like whose turn it is first next session who has what buff or debuff, etc etc, Ironically sort of the same reason why it happens in SRR even though it's something a computer should fix, but I digress Other than that I enjoyed the story very much, mostly for how it was written, less for the plot. The play style is a bit linear, in much the same way that a PnP GM would craft an adventure for a particular session, and everything would revolve around that adventure, although you could always try to find ways to get off the rail and the GM would either improvise or put all his efforts into barring your way, and Improvising is something computers can't do yet not the same way a human GM can and so SRR may feel a bit linear at times, though it is possible to have more freedom in SRR if a campaign is made more "open wordly".

    I give SRR a solid 9/10, taken that this is the sort of experience you're looking to support, otherwise, there are games out there more fitting to your tastes and whims.    … Expand
  56. McDougal
    Jul 27, 2013
    10
    I have been waiting 15 intense months for this game- and I am having a blast. The dialogue is excellent and very Fallout-esque (Fallout 1 & 2) and brings companions and even "merchants" to live. The Shadowrun narrative is woven into the whole storyline and not just the topping, but a foundation of this game.
    The best and most important feature for me has been the Editor though! I've spent    I have been waiting 15 intense months for this game- and I am having a blast. The dialogue is excellent and very Fallout-esque (Fallout 1 & 2) and brings companions and even "merchants" to live. The Shadowrun narrative is woven into the whole storyline and not just the topping, but a foundation of this game.
    The best and most important feature for me has been the Editor though! I've spent quite some time creating content and experimenting with triggers and found ways to do many things others marked as impossible.
    Every fan of creative narrative, cRPG's, UserCreatedContent & diverse tactical combat should give this game the chance it deserves!    … Expand
  57. Balerien74
    Jul 28, 2013
    10
    A solid tactical combat system, a great initial story that grabs you from the off. The real strength of the game is the infinite possibilities from player made content and campaigns like Shadow run Identity. Yes it has some frustrations like the save system but I believe the positives and the potential far outweigh the problems.
  58. StaticSpine
    Aug 1, 2013
    8
    Good game, not great, but good.
    Pros:
    -Atmosphere
    -Dialogues
    -Story
    -Visual style
    -Turn-Based Combat
    -Price
    -Setting
    I'd say that this game reminded me of first Fallout, I mean the overall feel.
  59. ledeir
    Jul 31, 2013
    8
    As an avid Shadowrun fan, I was psyched when I heard about the kickstarter for Shadowrun Returns. I immediately backed it and kept careful track of the progress. Based on some of the design decisions and the concept art, I was initially concerned. My worry proved to be unfounded though. When I first opened Dead Man's Switch I was immediately pleased with the depth of detail in story andAs an avid Shadowrun fan, I was psyched when I heard about the kickstarter for Shadowrun Returns. I immediately backed it and kept careful track of the progress. Based on some of the design decisions and the concept art, I was initially concerned. My worry proved to be unfounded though. When I first opened Dead Man's Switch I was immediately pleased with the depth of detail in story and graphics.

    It does a respectable job of emulating the pen and paper game feeling. There is room for improvement, and I certainly hope some of the issues are addressed in the future, but there is enough variety for you to at least customize a character to reflect you (combat) style. Lacking stealth is a particularly strong drawback. So is the way social skills like negotiation and con are replaced with etiquette, but a smart modder can work around that and present an experience which will tailor to your needs.

    Which brings me to my next point, the editor. Say what you will about the main story, give it a couple months and it won't matter. The game comes with the same editor the developers used to make the game. Based on the community, you can expect some amazing modules to come and I look forward to them in the future! As for the main game, I enjoyed it even though it was fairly linear. It had the feeling of playing shadowrun at a gaming convention, you needed to follow a set script, but there was a decent story to back it up.

    I do need to mention two major flaws as well, ammo and the lack of save points. One of the key "rules" for Shadowrun has always been "Conserve Ammo" but that's not an issue here. You have unlimited ammo, all you need to do is occasionally reload. Also, you need to load a new scene to save, which is a major headache (avoidable through properly designed modules).

    Overall though, I am happy with Shadowrun Returns. If you are an avid fan, get it. If you are a casual gamer, do your research first. This game is not made by a major studio, you cannot hold it to the same standards as you would something from EA Games. If you want voice acting, amazing graphics, and more options than you can imagine, this is not for you. If you are willing to give the little guy a chance, and want the feeling of playing Shadowrun with your friends, then you will probably be pleased with what you get. At the very least its the based Shadowrun game out there currently.    … Expand
  60. kennfusion
    Jul 26, 2013
    6
    Wait for the inevitable Steam Sale. With no voice acting and a lot of text to read (and I am old and the text is small), you can tell they really tried to tell a story and make you feel as if you were part of the story, and yet that story seems linear, simple and your choices seem to not make a difference in that linear story line. This coupled with a check point save system, means thatWait for the inevitable Steam Sale. With no voice acting and a lot of text to read (and I am old and the text is small), you can tell they really tried to tell a story and make you feel as if you were part of the story, and yet that story seems linear, simple and your choices seem to not make a difference in that linear story line. This coupled with a check point save system, means that you have no idea how long to the next check point, and if you have been reading everything and trying to explore everything, there can be a long time between saves and this sucks if you have to stop playing because of real life. Graphics are kind of washed and muddy to me, but that might work for the Shadowrun Universe...eh. Combat is good, but the inability to rotate a screen where cover is important, and you cannot always see clearly around objects well to see what cover you would be getting, you feel like perhaps you should just go back and play more x-com. Except for the character system. There appears to be a lot of versatility in play style, and user generated content will hopefully be much better than the lack luster writing of the team from Hairbrained. My recommendation, wait for the inevitable Steam Sale.… Expand
  61. EDOC42
    Jul 28, 2013
    10
    a great bit nostalgia, everything about the game reminds me of the Shadowrun pen and paper game. my only problem with it is with the auto save function although it could be better it has yet to cause me any real issue's. in all I feel like they did a great job this game!
  62. omi
    Jul 30, 2013
    8
    Nice game and concept.
    what I like:
    1) story 2) graphics 3) variety of choices in character creation and development. What I don't like: 1) too short. (finished in 3 days, about 20h) 2) too easy battle. overpowered skills. ranged is too overpowered compared to others. 3) not much side quests, small world, repeated graphics. 4) no voice acting. I would definitely pay for a dlc    Nice game and concept.
    what I like:
    1) story
    2) graphics
    3) variety of choices in character creation and development.
    What I don't like:
    1) too short. (finished in 3 days, about 20h)
    2) too easy battle. overpowered skills. ranged is too overpowered compared to others.
    3) not much side quests, small world, repeated graphics.
    4) no voice acting.

    I would definitely pay for a dlc including a longer campaign with some voice acting.    … Expand
  63. jcasbeer
    Aug 20, 2013
    4
    Good: Though I didn't finish the game, the plot seemed pretty well written. Bad: Tactics and saving. It's turn-based combat, but flanking or other combat tactics are not supported. Strat is, try to hide behind something, and blast away. The result is that the frustration of the random number generator builds with every enemy turn. Worse though, is the restricted saves that ruin theGood: Though I didn't finish the game, the plot seemed pretty well written. Bad: Tactics and saving. It's turn-based combat, but flanking or other combat tactics are not supported. Strat is, try to hide behind something, and blast away. The result is that the frustration of the random number generator builds with every enemy turn. Worse though, is the restricted saves that ruin the experience. I don't want to spend an hour getting 80% through a level only to die and have to start over. Sorry, fail. I put up with it for quite a while, 17 hours according to Steam, but in the end, too much frustration to "restart level" once more.… Expand
  64. BIGSTEW
    Jul 30, 2013
    10
    So I'm minutes after completing Dead Man's Switch and it was a great experience! Enjoyable storyline, great game mechanics and overall very addictive if turn based combat combined with the allure of the Shadowrun world interests you. Right away you can see the potential this game has with future content created by either HBS or us gameplayers.

    People complain about the lack of save    So I'm minutes after completing Dead Man's Switch and it was a great experience! Enjoyable storyline, great game mechanics and overall very addictive if turn based combat combined with the allure of the Shadowrun world interests you. Right away you can see the potential this game has with future content created by either HBS or us gameplayers.

    People complain about the lack of save points but I think it is unfair criticism- the game would be far too easy if you had the ability to save within checkpoints. In other words, this game has a "Demon/Dark Souls" like difficulty to it if you don't know what you're doing. If your computer crashes- well suck it up and try it again.

    I am going to try my hand with the content editor. Looking very forward to seeing what new content people can come up with!    … Expand
  65. BubblyEyed
    Jul 31, 2013
    10
    The story, the grit, the humor and going "back" to 2054 with the original creators and writers of the game made for a fun gaming binge. Could not stop playing until the first campaign is over.

    Writing is excellent. The atmosphere and the setting are spot on. Game mechanics are on the easy side (there is a setting that makes the game harder but it's not obvious, you have to go find    The story, the grit, the humor and going "back" to 2054 with the original creators and writers of the game made for a fun gaming binge. Could not stop playing until the first campaign is over.

    Writing is excellent. The atmosphere and the setting are spot on.

    Game mechanics are on the easy side (there is a setting that makes the game harder but it's not obvious, you have to go find it in the options). They simplified a lot of things from the original books, so it's not a 1 to 1 rule adaptation of the table top game. It's close to second edition, but not really.

    If you liked X-com, you'll like this. If you liked second edition Shadowrun, but house ruled your setting to hell, you'll like this too. Can't wait for the Berlin campaign and user generated content the editor looks excellent.    … Expand
  66. jesterx7769
    Jul 28, 2013
    4
    I gave this game an honest 4. It isn't a 0 as it is not a disaster but there is no way it is a 10. There are much better games out there that are similiar that deserve a 10. While it is good that an indy and kickstarter game has made it, it is really dissapointing for their budget with what else is out there.

    Pros: -Writing and unique immerison are farily good -Skill point    I gave this game an honest 4. It isn't a 0 as it is not a disaster but there is no way it is a 10. There are much better games out there that are similiar that deserve a 10. While it is good that an indy and kickstarter game has made it, it is really dissapointing for their budget with what else is out there.

    Pros:
    -Writing and unique immerison are farily good
    -Skill point differential allows for different playthroughs and dialogue
    -Different races and interactions with characters is nice
    -Game world backdrops are nicely drawn (eventhough you can't interact)
    -It's in Seattle where I live

    Cons:
    -Story is completley linear, just a point and click adventure
    -Combat is very poor, repetitive, and straight forward.Also very easy
    -Classes are meaningless as guns rule the game
    -No open world (just clarify as it kinda impies it is)
    -Equipment/guns are really limited, you will only change it about three times in the 10 hour game
    -Checkpoint save only. It doesnt make it harder it just makes it annoying    … Expand
  67. freelancernd
    Jul 29, 2013
    9
    As an old Shadowrun fan it was hard to miss that project, if possible at all. But the result kinda surpassed my expectations. I was waiting for a game, but instead I got a construction set based on a setting I like.
    Single player campaign is just a demo, you can remember the same situation in first Neverwinter Nights, where single player (without addons) story line was kinda dull and full    As an old Shadowrun fan it was hard to miss that project, if possible at all. But the result kinda surpassed my expectations. I was waiting for a game, but instead I got a construction set based on a setting I like.
    Single player campaign is just a demo, you can remember the same situation in first Neverwinter Nights, where single player (without addons) story line was kinda dull and full of cliche. Yet now we see TONS of user generated content based on NWN.
    So this is how I see SR, a tool to make OUR Shadowrun come to life.
    But that does not mean that I did not like single player, it was truly enjoyable dive into a fantasy cyberpunk, with really nice characters and plot flow.    … Expand
  68. Styrr
    Jul 31, 2013
    10
    Shadowrun Returns is really a great game. That means if you are the right generation for it. While I personally love the isometric background consisting of handdrawn elements, I do understand that this might go against the current taste of time where RPGs like Skyrim are available. Me, being grown up with BG and Fallout, I definitely can feel the 2D charme.
    What can not be shown in engine    Shadowrun Returns is really a great game. That means if you are the right generation for it. While I personally love the isometric background consisting of handdrawn elements, I do understand that this might go against the current taste of time where RPGs like Skyrim are available. Me, being grown up with BG and Fallout, I definitely can feel the 2D charme.
    What can not be shown in engine is described in well written text before you enter a scene or while communicating with NPCs.
    All in all It's a bit like a interactive book (coming from P&P I presume this is the intention) of course you have to like such things. If you expect effects and super-spectacular action you probably won't be happy with this game.
    However, if you like P&P and the great shadowrun setting, this game is for you. Especially, since a very comfortable and easy understandable editor allows the users to create their own campaigns and stories (in as much detail as the developer since it's the same editor they used). A big pro here is, that the main campaign is included as sources and can be loaded in the editor to get a good idea how things work.

    Well long story short:
    -> I love it, P&P and oldschool CRPG fans will probably love it.
    -> People needing 3D graphic and its effects or don't like reading text are better off not touching this gem

    PRO:
    + Beautiful 2D background
    + Nicely written story for the main campaign
    + Great Setting
    + Powerful Editor
    + Already quite some user generated content available
    + Neat Soundtrack fitting to the setting

    CON:
    - Animations are not really nice looking or smooth
    - Sound effects miss variation and quality
    - no voice actors    … Expand
  69. lawstryda21
    Jul 30, 2013
    10
    amazing game, alot better then the sega and snes game the autosave makes it more fun to actually use skill and not try something stupid die n then reload
  70. dup
    Jul 27, 2013
    6
    Well done hand-drawn isometric graphics and nice 3D characters. Sound effects are very weak and the music is not much better. Spell and combat effect are a bit on the weak side. The story is told with text and character portraits and quite interesting with several twists. The skill system is not worked out very well with only linear choices in character development. Presentation of skillWell done hand-drawn isometric graphics and nice 3D characters. Sound effects are very weak and the music is not much better. Spell and combat effect are a bit on the weak side. The story is told with text and character portraits and quite interesting with several twists. The skill system is not worked out very well with only linear choices in character development. Presentation of skill tree and inventory is not done well, especially for a PC game. If you are into turn based combat it is a nice experience for a few hours don't pay more than $10 for it.… Expand
  71. markelphoenix
    Jul 28, 2013
    10
    This game has managed to capture the awesome mixture of High Fantasy, Cyber Punk, and Dystopian future masterfully. It is definitely true to the spirit of Shadowrun. Right off the bat, the initial story campaign oozes with atmosphere and flavor for the setting that helps suck you in to the setting.

    On top of this, they've included a pretty powerful editor that allows for users to create    This game has managed to capture the awesome mixture of High Fantasy, Cyber Punk, and Dystopian future masterfully. It is definitely true to the spirit of Shadowrun. Right off the bat, the initial story campaign oozes with atmosphere and flavor for the setting that helps suck you in to the setting.

    On top of this, they've included a pretty powerful editor that allows for users to create their own stories, which several have already been released by the community! There is currently debate between whether the original campaign or the most recent release has a better story :-p, which is an awesome 'problem' to have.    … Expand
  72. UGEplex
    Jul 29, 2013
    10
    Hoi Chummers!

    The name of the game is Shadowrun Returns. Playing the game lives up to its name in lore, dialogue, imagery, atmosphere, music and fun! It has technical issues that we all know will be fixed/patched/updated/ and feature-added within a few months, and it already has fantastic looking & playable user-generated content. To be clear, I'm not glossing over the issues of the    Hoi Chummers!

    The name of the game is Shadowrun Returns. Playing the game lives up to its name in lore, dialogue, imagery, atmosphere, music and fun! It has technical issues that we all know will be fixed/patched/updated/ and feature-added within a few months, and it already has fantastic looking & playable user-generated content.

    To be clear, I'm not glossing over the issues of the day-1 launch. I can see the forest through the trees and I LOVE this game for the experience I'm having playing it, caveats and all. Ranking it down would be a disservice to my own enjoyment and other gamers that might be dissuaded from experiencing how much fun this game is now or in a few weeks/months, and not to mention the programmers that have been, and still are chugging away at making Shadowrun Returns even better.

    Unless you don't like tactical, turn-based RPG's, don't enjoy the thematic elements of a Shadowrun title, or two sentences is TL;DR for you, then Shadowrun Returns is an AWESOME game, which I am thrilled to have backed and supported. It will only get better from here. For the enjoyment I'm getting out of Shadowrun Returns now, and the bright, better future I see for it in the near, and distant future, this game is unquestionably a TEN!

    I'm voting on what Shadowrun Returns is to me. You're welcome to disagree, but wisdom says it's heading towards becoming an exceptionally beloved, well polished classic, and hopefully indie Game of the Year, in the Year of Shadowrun! ^_^

    For the disbelievers who have issues with specific features, like the saves...once those features are updated to your satisfaction, which I believe they will be, will you even come back to amend your reviews, or leave a negative impact on a wonderful indie title for all time? Please think about it.

    Ja Mata! And I look forward 'ta runnin the Shadows with you Chummers!

    -UGEplex
    'Juz ah nutha Unexplained Genetic Expression in da 'plex    … Expand
  73. Hawke
    Jul 26, 2013
    6
    A mediocre game, with what looks to be a great engine behind it.

    Could be a great game in 6 months after there is a reasonable amount of user content available for it, but I don’t know how reasonable it is to expect the community to put together a good game…isn’t that what we paid for?

    The music is excellent.
  74. krunr123
    Jul 26, 2013
    9
    awesome game. got more than what i figured would be put out with the game. can't wait to finish it. love the combat systems. love the fact that they added an option to create my own campaigns
  75. Amour
    Jul 29, 2013
    1
    5 biggest NO of Shadowrun Returns: no open world, no loot, no save, unlimited ammo (O, no!), no matrix (and don't even tell me that i am wrong, matrix here is just identity xcom fight system)
  76. Jet562
    Jul 26, 2013
    9
    Game overall is very fun to play. The only thing that bothers me is the no loot drops. Items you get seem to only come from vendors. As you raise more karma, better items will be available in the shops. Some reviews i can agree with while others are are just plain written by kids that think they deserve more for donating 5 bucks or 15 bucks to a kickstarter campaign.

    1) The UI.    Game overall is very fun to play. The only thing that bothers me is the no loot drops. Items you get seem to only come from vendors. As you raise more karma, better items will be available in the shops. Some reviews i can agree with while others are are just plain written by kids that think they deserve more for donating 5 bucks or 15 bucks to a kickstarter campaign.

    1) The UI. Yes. The user interface is optimized for play on touch screen devices. This doesn't bother me as much as most of the other players that gave it a low score just because of this. I think its just sleek and stream lined, and you can still do everything you need to do.

    2) Autosave. Yes you can't save the game anywhere you want. Would you really want that though? If the game let you save anywhere you want, you would easily explore all dialogue choices on the first playthrough. That ruins the game in my opinion. Having a save point you can go to (camp) might have been better, but not really necessary.

    3) Walls of Text. Yes, there is alot of reading in this game. Ever since SWTOR intorduced 100% voiced missions, everyone's expectations are 'if there is any kind of reading, it sucks' But in my opinion, the emotes in the dialogue add a genuine glimpse into the situation you would otherwise miss if it was just bad voice acting.

    4) Linear gameplay. The campaign that came with release is pretty darn linear. Nomatter what choices you make, you always end up with the same dialogue in the end. Your choices only impact wether you get to the end faster or not.

    I havn't gone on any shadow runs just yet. Been sticking to the storyline mostly, but i feel like the game lacks that free open world feeling that Genesis and SNES versions of Shadowrun had. You enter an instance of a zone, click on everything that has an icon over it, and you're pretty much certain theres nothing else to find in the area. I havn't finished the campaign yet but thats the feeling im looking for. Will do another review when i finish the first campaign.    … Expand
  77. Suthainn
    Jul 26, 2013
    10
    Great game, well worth the price.

    Given the limited budget, time and low price you get an excellent Shadowrun game. It has all the feel of the old NES one, fantastic music and beautiful backgrounds, the writing is mostly good to very good and skills, choices, personality all matter and affect what happens. The combat is somewhat limited but still fun and has a *ton* of options for    Great game, well worth the price.

    Given the limited budget, time and low price you get an excellent Shadowrun game. It has all the feel of the old NES one, fantastic music and beautiful backgrounds, the writing is mostly good to very good and skills, choices, personality all matter and affect what happens.

    The combat is somewhat limited but still fun and has a *ton* of options for you to choose from in regards to how your character engages enemies, the option to create your own 'class' is brilliant and if you always wanted a Mage who dabbled in decking or a Rigger who could kick ass with his mystical powers... you can create it, anything goes pretty much, whilst any mix of cyberware and magic will be limited by essence usage you always have the *option* to do so which is great.

    The story is definitely rather linear but that doesn't detract from it at all, the locations are gorgeous, searching and exploring is rewarded, as is tactical use of cover in combat.

    Overall well worth buying in my opinion, oh, but definitely play it on hard or very hard if you want a challenge, normal is a bit too easy for any veteran of rpgs.    … Expand
  78. Caladus
    Jul 26, 2013
    10
    Shadowrun Returns is a fun game that takes you back to the days where the SNES and Genesis versions wowed many of us.

    I thoroughly enjoyed my time playing this game. I was never bored reading all the dialogue. Although that was a complaint of a few people (no voice overs). The art is amazingly well done and fits the tone of the mythos of Shadowrun very well. I live in PDX not too far    Shadowrun Returns is a fun game that takes you back to the days where the SNES and Genesis versions wowed many of us.

    I thoroughly enjoyed my time playing this game. I was never bored reading all the dialogue. Although that was a complaint of a few people (no voice overs). The art is amazingly well done and fits the tone of the mythos of Shadowrun very well. I live in PDX not too far from Seattle and it still felt like I was up there visiting Pike's Place Market and grabbing some seafood near the bay.

    This game supports several runthroughs but is very linear in the Dead Man's Switch campaign that's included with the game.

    Fortunately there is a powerful editor provided with the game and I look forward to adding my own UGC to the game on Steam's Workshop.

    I predict Shadowrun Returns will be like Neverwinter Nights. Endlessly supported by a passionate community.

    See you in the Shadows, chummer!    … Expand
  79. SensibleKnave
    Jul 27, 2013
    10
    Not all will agree with my rating, but let me explain why I am particularly excited to see this game. I will admit, I am a Shadowrun fanboy who has been waiting a long time for a competent reboot of the franchise. I can't overemphasize how exciting it is for a Shadowrun fan to see a franchise once thought dead on the PC return to life.

    Shadowrun was a great IP from the late 80s and    Not all will agree with my rating, but let me explain why I am particularly excited to see this game. I will admit, I am a Shadowrun fanboy who has been waiting a long time for a competent reboot of the franchise. I can't overemphasize how exciting it is for a Shadowrun fan to see a franchise once thought dead on the PC return to life.

    Shadowrun was a great IP from the late 80s and early 90s that has largely lapsed for the past 20 years. Many have already mentioned the great Sega and SNES games from this period. There have been good cyperpunk titles since then (Deus Ex comes to mind) but the Shadowrun 'reboot' put out a few years back abysmally disappointing.

    What this game does well is capture the spirit and the setting of the Shadowrun universe. I agree that the packaged campaign is short. However, it is well made and enjoyable.

    The real proof in the pudding will be whether this game will catch on in the modding community. Games that look a bit rough around the edges (Mount and Blade for example, or the NW nights franchise) can do very well years after their release if they have a dedicated fanbase

    In sum, if you have $20 to spare and loved Shadowrun- Buy immediately.
    If you have $20 to spare and loved the Xcom or Fallout 1 and 2 turnbased tactical combat- I strongly suggest you buy

    For all others, I think you might like it, but I can't guarantee it. In that case, waiting a few months to see what the modding community does might be the best option.    … Expand
  80. darkcerb
    Jul 26, 2013
    8
    The lack of player controlled save system is the only major downside to this top down turn based rpg.

    Hopefully that's something modders can address there is however a charecter importer to bring your avatar into as many player created missions as you want (mod tools included with base game and integrated with the steam workshop) If nothing else this is a solid investment at it's price    The lack of player controlled save system is the only major downside to this top down turn based rpg.

    Hopefully that's something modders can address there is however a charecter importer to bring your avatar into as many player created missions as you want (mod tools included with base game and integrated with the steam workshop) If nothing else this is a solid investment at it's price for what it has the potential to be.    … Expand
  81. dopehat
    Jul 27, 2013
    10
    Great game, really catching the feel of Shadowrun in general and well worth the 18 euros 20 dollars it costs through steam. There's much love given to people who played the SNES game, maybe to the genesis fans aswell (didn't play the SEGA version myself). Music composers from the SNES and Sega game made some parts of the soundtrack aswell as characters from both game pops in on theGreat game, really catching the feel of Shadowrun in general and well worth the 18 euros 20 dollars it costs through steam. There's much love given to people who played the SNES game, maybe to the genesis fans aswell (didn't play the SEGA version myself). Music composers from the SNES and Sega game made some parts of the soundtrack aswell as characters from both game pops in on the storyline. I'm quite sure that fans of the Shadowrun Universe PnP will like this game, but also fans of the RP genre in general.
    The only downside the game has, is the current save options, I didn't lower the score cause of this, in hope it will be fixed somewhere in the future, or at least be better for the upcoming "Berlin" DLC campaign by Harebrained Schemes.
    Shadowrun community seems to have a good community, which will most likely create some very well written stories through the editor that came with the game which again leaves you with a good opportunity to get even more shadowrun for your money, as well as maybe an even more open world feeling, as the current main campaign is a bit linear. (Berlin campaign is already said to be more open world'ish)    … Expand
  82. Serthy
    Jul 27, 2013
    10
    Right from the start of playing this game i thoroughly enjoyed it, the game play was great, the music was fantastic, the story line was amazing. Everything about this game i found to be refreshing in the genre and just in general.

    My only gripes about the game it self are the sometimes errors when dealing with moving around, where clicking once doesn't always work and you have to find    Right from the start of playing this game i thoroughly enjoyed it, the game play was great, the music was fantastic, the story line was amazing. Everything about this game i found to be refreshing in the genre and just in general.

    My only gripes about the game it self are the sometimes errors when dealing with moving around, where clicking once doesn't always work and you have to find the sweet spot on the map in order to move and the autosave function. Autosave is nice and it requires you to play smart because if you mess up then it's game over and you have to repeat what you just did.

    I hope that these guys in the future make better and better story lines surrounded by amazing detail and the ability to get even more into the characters you make.    … Expand
  83. SeeingEyeDuck
    Jul 26, 2013
    9
    A lot of people are noticing what I'm seeing as the major drawing point of this game. The Campaign included with the game purchase is a fun 9 hour introduction into the Shadowrun universe, and it provides a fun way to learn about the universe, the lore, and the combat.

    While the combat may not be as polish as others in it genre (Xcom, Jagged alliance, etc.) It does provide a fun and    A lot of people are noticing what I'm seeing as the major drawing point of this game. The Campaign included with the game purchase is a fun 9 hour introduction into the Shadowrun universe, and it provides a fun way to learn about the universe, the lore, and the combat.

    While the combat may not be as polish as others in it genre (Xcom, Jagged alliance, etc.) It does provide a fun and challenging experience that I felt provided an authentic experience. My guns felt like they were doing damage, and my runners were viable no matter the spec.    … Expand
  84. DocBelmont
    Jul 27, 2013
    9
    For a game that was built from the ground up on a measly budget, this is a great experience. Most gamers nowadays are spoiled man-children who demand a refund because they didn't get Mass Effect, a game that had well over fifty times SRR's budget.

    Most certainly, it's not the best game ever made, but the campaign editor and the expectation of new content and functionality warrant a 9.
  85. Cleggster
    Jul 28, 2013
    10
    I am very impressed with this small, indie title. The hand painted scenery is far better then anything I could have hoped for. And the music really brings across a dark techno feel. In essences a recreation of the Nintendo game of the same name, this update's it with "wow" theme and mood.

    The game-play is an RPG with a mix of tactical and adventure. The combat is very x-com, but    I am very impressed with this small, indie title. The hand painted scenery is far better then anything I could have hoped for. And the music really brings across a dark techno feel. In essences a recreation of the Nintendo game of the same name, this update's it with "wow" theme and mood.

    The game-play is an RPG with a mix of tactical and adventure. The combat is very x-com, but with more open areas at move around in. In between the action is more of a classic point and click adventure mystery. The writing of which is very evocative with it's lavish descriptions. Finally a game written by good writers who can plant a image or emotion in your head.

    It is not perfect, but I was not expecting such from a cheap title. Biggest flaw is the save system. Which, as I read, is a issues with the game engine. Not a design choice. Honestly it didn't bother me much. It saves every-time you transition to a new location. And all the old saves are stored. So you can go back. Some other answer would be nice, though the other adventures available already work to address the issue. With new ones in the future looking to finding other answers.

    And oh yes, other adventures. The heart of this game is the editor. An editor that is incredibly robust, seconded only by Neverwinter Knights 2. I have only just started poking at it and I am damn impressed with what you can do with it. The ideas percolating around in my head are going to find this editor real fun. The other adventures already released are equally well thought out and really show the promise of what is to come.

    The question then is wither it is worth your hard earned $20 for a powerful game editor with a fairly short premade campaign. I can't answer that for you. All I can say is that since getting it, I can't stop playing it. The combination of the art, music with the wildly varying characters you can create for battle in the open, tactical world make this just......addicting. I find this one of the funnest indie titles I have played in a long time.    … Expand
  86. Zakuman
    Jul 27, 2013
    7
    I find the game very fun. The story is compelling the feel is by all means right. Lots of written descriptions, something I missed a lot in modern RPG's :)

    Combat can also be pretty good (think it's best to play on "hard"). What I would like to see is a more open world, as the main story is very linear, the character skills could use more depth, more varied weapons, better weapon    I find the game very fun. The story is compelling the feel is by all means right. Lots of written descriptions, something I missed a lot in modern RPG's :)

    Combat can also be pretty good (think it's best to play on "hard").

    What I would like to see is a more open world, as the main story is very linear, the character skills could use more depth, more varied weapons, better weapon balance (pistols seem to be useless compared to other guns...)

    The editor is also a big plus for the game. At lauch we already have to additional missions    … Expand
  87. ShayDen
    Jul 29, 2013
    10
    Judging by what they've done so far, I'm quite pleased with what we have right now. I give this game a solid ten because I'm banking on the community turning a good game into a Great game. Gamer created content is going to be the driving force behind this game and it shall bring together a community of like minded individuals to create a cyberpunk world as envisioned by William Gibson andJudging by what they've done so far, I'm quite pleased with what we have right now. I give this game a solid ten because I'm banking on the community turning a good game into a Great game. Gamer created content is going to be the driving force behind this game and it shall bring together a community of like minded individuals to create a cyberpunk world as envisioned by William Gibson and his contemporaries.

    I knew what to expect when I bought this game and it has exceeded those expectations. I enjoy it for what it is now and revel in the creative potential of its near future. See you after the next run, chummers.    … Expand
  88. gun661
    Jul 28, 2013
    5
    It was refreshing to experience a game that focused on the story. Visuals and music are also nice conceptually but the music's repetitiveness gets really annoying along the way. Beyond that, regrettably, there isn't much to Shadowrun Returns to complement its story. Regardless how much more content will be released after now, that won't change the really boring, at its core unchallenging,It was refreshing to experience a game that focused on the story. Visuals and music are also nice conceptually but the music's repetitiveness gets really annoying along the way. Beyond that, regrettably, there isn't much to Shadowrun Returns to complement its story. Regardless how much more content will be released after now, that won't change the really boring, at its core unchallenging, slow-paced gameplay. Open world or linear? Doesn't matter, I wouldn't have explored because it would have taken so long to navigate the characters there, to wait for the slow UI, to wait for the slow animations (spells being even slower), and fighting casual battles, slowly advancing your characters from one cover to the next cover. It feels like they just unpersonally copied the gameplay-design of the newest X-COM-game but obviously failed to clone it because of the lack of more resources.
    It should be a lesson that this indie-game (at least from my perspective) failed right where the designers tried to copy the style of the mainstream-industry: copying X-COM, and trying to adapt Shadowrun Retruns to the "so-succesfull" casual mobile platforms, creating an interface and gameplay that screams "tablet-game"!    … Expand
  89. JDFreeman001
    Aug 1, 2013
    10
    If you are fairly young and play a lot of modern action/RPG games you may not like this game. If you've only really played Mass Effect and Dragon Age then this is going to seem like an interactive storybook and you'll wonder where all the animations and cut-scenes are.

    If the mention of Fallout 1+2, Baldurs Gate, Zork, Monkey Island, Beneath a Steel Sky, Dreamscape, B.A.T, Planescape    If you are fairly young and play a lot of modern action/RPG games you may not like this game. If you've only really played Mass Effect and Dragon Age then this is going to seem like an interactive storybook and you'll wonder where all the animations and cut-scenes are.

    If the mention of Fallout 1+2, Baldurs Gate, Zork, Monkey Island, Beneath a Steel Sky, Dreamscape, B.A.T, Planescape Torment, Valhalla, Dune all make you quiver with fond memories then step right in and grab this game with both hands!

    I love it. Completed the small story that it comes with in 2 days with a Ninja Elf Shaman Decker (Yeah why not!) and then straight back in with a new character and made a Troll with a shotgun. Its been less than a week at time of writing this review and the steam workshop is already filled with some great user content. I had a quick go at writing a story last night and it was ace fun! Very complex but enjoyable toolset.

    This game is going to be the gift that keeps on giving and if your prepared to be part of the shadowrun returns community then your going to get tonnes out of it!    … Expand
  90. daskindt
    Jul 28, 2013
    9
    Shadowrun Returns is fantastic tactical RPG from an indy/mobile developer, Hare Brained Schemes. The art and writing create a vivid and memorable fantasy/cyberpunk world that will be instantly recognizable to anyone that played the original Shadowrun PnP RPG or the Nintendo & SEGA adaptations.

    Dead Man's Switch is a well written neo-noir tale that offers 10-15 hours of gameplay. It's a    Shadowrun Returns is fantastic tactical RPG from an indy/mobile developer, Hare Brained Schemes. The art and writing create a vivid and memorable fantasy/cyberpunk world that will be instantly recognizable to anyone that played the original Shadowrun PnP RPG or the Nintendo & SEGA adaptations.

    Dead Man's Switch is a well written neo-noir tale that offers 10-15 hours of gameplay. It's a compelling and detailed look at the world of Shadowrun.

    The real promise of Shadowrun Returns though is the Editor that allows members of the community to create their own stories and missions and share them with the world. The Editor promises countless hours of UGC within the world of Shadowrun.

    The game is not perfect. It is very streamlined so as to be accessible on mobile devices. This sometimes left me hoping for more complexity. However the Editor holds the promise of even greater complexity and sophistication. There are a number of minor bugs apparent in the initial release, but nothing game breaking and nothing unexpected for an indie title with a small budget. I've played AAA titles with far, far more bugs disrupting the gameplay.    … Expand
  91. Lyonesse
    Aug 16, 2013
    7
    Shadowrun Returns is a good game if you like older CRPGs like Baldur's Gate or Fallout 1 and worth checking out, especially as UGC begins to come out. It may not have the flashy graphics of a TES V: Skyrim, but SRR frankly doesn't need them. My only issue with the graphics are the character models, which look generally ugly. Here is certainly room from improvement. The storytelling isShadowrun Returns is a good game if you like older CRPGs like Baldur's Gate or Fallout 1 and worth checking out, especially as UGC begins to come out. It may not have the flashy graphics of a TES V: Skyrim, but SRR frankly doesn't need them. My only issue with the graphics are the character models, which look generally ugly. Here is certainly room from improvement. The storytelling is great, though highly linear and the story is a bit short.
    A big plus is the game's editor, which is quite powerful and while not as userfriendly as the Aurora toolset (NWN 1), it's far from being unwieldy.

    The game's main issue is the utterly horrid save game system that allows for auto-saves only and those occur only upon a map change. This is something the developer will have to look into.    … Expand
  92. light487
    Jul 30, 2013
    7
    I am really enjoying my time with Shadowrun Returns and what's even better about that situation is that there is a strong community following for this, as evidenced by the crowdfunded source of the funding and community forums that have popped up all over the place. This is great because it means that people will be making campaigns and stuff based on the all the stories they have beenI am really enjoying my time with Shadowrun Returns and what's even better about that situation is that there is a strong community following for this, as evidenced by the crowdfunded source of the funding and community forums that have popped up all over the place. This is great because it means that people will be making campaigns and stuff based on the all the stories they have been waiting to tell and have previously told through the table-top gaming.

    People are marking this game down because of, to be blunt, stupid personal preferences. Like the save system.. I'm sorry but if you can't spend more than 10 minutes at a time to play the game, go home. That's the approximate time between mission areas that is required to get to another auto-save.

    The other major thing I am seeing people saying is the interface... there's seriously nothing wrong with the interface for a TURN BASED COMBAT game.. this is Magicka, this is not League of Legends.. you DO NOT need hotkeys.. sure they would be more convenient.. but it has not detracted from the experience for me AT ALL by not having them. "Made for touchscreen"?? Go home.

    As for the story and the "walls of text".. really? C'mon, what did you expect? Grade-A voice acting of EVERY line in the game?? The story is fitting and while a little bit too predictable at times, it is still an enjoyable story nevertheless.

    This is not a perfect game but it does live up to my expectations that I had for it. It could be better... but so could so many others. A strong 7 out of 10 for this one, bordering on an 8.    … Expand
  93. astralphoenix77
    Jul 28, 2013
    5
    Shadowrun Returns is indeed a return, to the classic style of CRPGs, and is a game full of story-driven intrigue and interesting gameplay concepts. Sadly it fails to execute all of them very well.

    Combat is fairly solid but very simplisitic, with the exception of the matrix system, which adds an interesting level of depth. There are plenty of skills and abilities to choose from in both    Shadowrun Returns is indeed a return, to the classic style of CRPGs, and is a game full of story-driven intrigue and interesting gameplay concepts. Sadly it fails to execute all of them very well.

    Combat is fairly solid but very simplisitic, with the exception of the matrix system, which adds an interesting level of depth. There are plenty of skills and abilities to choose from in both worlds, although class choice seems to not make much of a difference, oddly. The gunplay could definitely have used an aimed shot system and a bit more flavour generally, such as interesting banter and insults along the lines of the old Fallout games. As it stands, non-matrix combat basically winds up as 'take cover, then left-click on enemies to win'.

    The story, dialogue, descriptive text and characters are Shadowrun Returns' strongest point. The game's storyline always left me wanting to come back for more, and the world is full of colourful characters from all sorts of backgrounds. It's nice to see a bunch of supporting NPC party members who are actually tied into the main plot as well, and not random guns-for-hire.

    Unfortunately, this game has a couple of irritating design choices that really drag it down. The first is the lack of a manual save or quicksave feature, the game relying entirely on checkpoints that are way too few and far between, often forcing you to sit through reams of dialogue again and again, or forcing you to restart an entire area because you made a conversation choice or hack that didn't go as intended. Does it prevent save-scumming? Yes, but in the most tedious and irritating way.

    The second problem, and one that ties in with the first, is one I'd hoped had died with the Baldur's Gate series when it came to party-based RPGs: game over on main character death. Given the classic nature of the game I could overlook this minor irritant, but combined with the saving issue it results in you often running and hiding with your main character in any sort of challenging combat. This isn't so much out of fear of dying generally as not wanting to sit through 10-15 minutes of bloody dialogue again on restart.

    So the net result a great story and setting with mostly solid, if somewhat shallow gameplay, sadly brought down significantly by a major design choice mistake, in my opinion. It's fortunate the story always brings me back quickly, otherwise this is exactly the kind of game I could rage-quit after an unlucky roll or two, and then not revisit it for 18 months. And that would be a shame. Add 3 points to the rating if they ever patch in a proper save system.    … Expand
  94. ibitato
    Jul 29, 2013
    6
    Bad save system
    - Sound (overall) is subpar
    - Large descriptive bricks of text (I can live with that, but I am not the majority on this) - No voice acting (not even a bit on the intro, to immerse you on the environment) - Standard gameplay (no innovation at all, well at least it has conjuring and invocations) - Small maps that causes too much loading in between scenarios maps.     Bad save system
    - Sound (overall) is subpar
    - Large descriptive bricks of text (I can live with that, but I am not the majority on this)
    - No voice acting (not even a bit on the intro, to immerse you on the environment)
    - Standard gameplay (no innovation at all, well at least it has conjuring and invocations)
    - Small maps that causes too much loading in between scenarios maps. Funny thing,
    even scenarios are really small, the loading takes it's time.
    - Char animations are ok, but the interaction animation for the principal character could have been better.
    - Character archetypes and char level progression is cristal clear and easy to follow (really like that )
    - You get karma points fairly kick so character progression is more interactive
    - It's mission oriented philosophy makes the game pretty corridor like with almost no room for exploration (not saying is bad, but some RPG fans don't like this)

    Some of this drawbacks and problems point to decisions taken thinking on Tablet mobile market.If so, they ruined what PC experience could have been, that, in my opinion, is where a franchise like shadowruns should be emerging.

    It is a OK game you play ?
    Well if you like CRPGs, yes it's ok.
    The world of Shadowruns is great and the idea behind is also really interesting

    For the price?
    Well, here is the problem.
    I've seen indie games with better production values for a lower price than Shadowruns.

    So, what makes the difference ??
    Well, the campaign and level editor seems to be the emergency pot here.
    Community will eventually produce content for this game and you will always have something
    fresh to test playthrough on the Shadowrun world.

    I will play this game to the end of the final campaign and see what happens in the middle with the commutity and devs, but I fell, that even for the (low) price, is a pretty standard game.
    Id rather pay up to 30USD for a franchise like this one, to get a better outcome.    … Expand
  95. Tosecitas
    Jul 28, 2013
    9
    Old-school fun, thus, great tactic combat and artisan dialog and narration.
    I totally loved the ciberpunk atmosphere, the graphics are beautiful, the music fits like aglove... a very enjoyable experience.
    Its not a big budget game, but hell Its fun.
  96. StoryBored
    Jul 28, 2013
    6
    Almost everything a great RPG has is here, but the drawbacks are so annoying sometimes that it can ruin the fun. It did for me, at least. For all of it's negatives, a game that could have been a 9 fell back to a 6.

    Gameplay: Overall it's standard turn-based RPG fanfare with a lot of customization. The RPG fanfare is help up with a decent storyline with a fair amount of dialogue    Almost everything a great RPG has is here, but the drawbacks are so annoying sometimes that it can ruin the fun. It did for me, at least. For all of it's negatives, a game that could have been a 9 fell back to a 6.

    Gameplay: Overall it's standard turn-based RPG fanfare with a lot of customization. The RPG fanfare is help up with a decent storyline with a fair amount of dialogue choices. The customization and everything generally working the way you'd expect make me like the game and I enjoyed the main campaign. However, the gameplay is slow and unbalanced. How slow? Unbelievably slow. I don't mind turn based combat, but the animations in Shadowrun Returns makes games like Baldur's Gate feel like fast action gameplay. Then there's a lot of tweaking still to be done before I'll come back to this game. There's plenty of character options that just aren't viable in the game's opening build.

    Graphics: They're just not good, really bad. I didn't expect much, but even my low expectations weren't met. Not only does the game look pretty bad, the levels are extremely small and there aren't very many tilesets to appreciate. Also, for as poor and limited as the graphics are, the performance of this game is not good at all. High temperatures and regular slowdowns were rampant on a machine that plays Skyrim without issue on higher settings. I was able to complete the game without any crashes or gamebreaking bugs, however.

    Sound: A few wonky sound effects here and there. Otherwise nothing noteworthy.

    Gamelength: This game is short. Very disappointingly short. By the time I got to the end I didn't feel like I could really appreciate all of my character's potential.

    Story: The story was good, and kept me interested for the 10+ hours it took to complete. Some of the dialogue was a bit cliche, but overall it was well written. The developers did stay very true to the Shadowrun name, and this is definitely the game's strongest point. Unfortunately by the end there wasn't anywhere left to go, ending it rather abruptly.

    The game's editor is promising though as Shadowrun fans everywhere are promising amazing user created content in the near future. This could help add extra content the game desperately needs, solving issue with the game's length, and possibly even improving some of the graphical and variety shortcomings the game has.

    Until then, I have to give the game mixed reviews, and can only recommend this game to die hard fans of turn based RPG's and the Shadowrun franchise.    … Expand
  97. sypisybi
    Aug 22, 2013
    7
    The base game and general idea of everything in Shadowrun Returns is well made, but the developers made the main campaign feel very lacking. Currently, it is up to the community to make excellent game content, which should never be the case.
  98. BongoTauKat
    Aug 23, 2013
    8
    Shadowrun Returns is great old school RPG gaming period. While I have seen some complaints of graphics, storyline, etc for a gaming nerd such as myself it's a great trip back to the days of all night campaign sessions and bad jokes.

    With the custom editor and material already becoming available, I see a lot of potential for those of us wanting more than FPS killing sprees or RPGs that    Shadowrun Returns is great old school RPG gaming period. While I have seen some complaints of graphics, storyline, etc for a gaming nerd such as myself it's a great trip back to the days of all night campaign sessions and bad jokes.

    With the custom editor and material already becoming available, I see a lot of potential for those of us wanting more than FPS killing sprees or RPGs that to be quite frank, are not.    … Expand
  99. Manifoldgodhead
    Sep 2, 2013
    9
    Really great story and interesting characters even if they are a bit archetypal. Definitely worth the low price tag. Bonus points for shipping with a massive campaign editor. The single launch campaign seems to just be skimming the surface of a massive world that leaves you craving more.
  100. RobinSeina
    Aug 2, 2013
    9
    Despite lack of funds (many of funds raised on kickstarter was used on gifts) its very good game, that brings back unique RPG mixing science and magic in dark futuristic setting. It is simplified old school tactical RPG, with some bugs (at the time release). True fans of Shadowrun might disappoint lack of Astral plane, unlimited ammo, no weariness after casting spell (instead a cooldownDespite lack of funds (many of funds raised on kickstarter was used on gifts) its very good game, that brings back unique RPG mixing science and magic in dark futuristic setting. It is simplified old school tactical RPG, with some bugs (at the time release). True fans of Shadowrun might disappoint lack of Astral plane, unlimited ammo, no weariness after casting spell (instead a cooldown time is used). Tactical minded player might miss full camera rotation option, as game is only pseudo-3D.
    Generals minus is fully automatic save points system.
    Despite all cons the cons, the game is fun¨to play, music is very good and community is cooking new adventures. Story of Dead man¨s switch is intriguing with few twists and fits well into Shadowrun universe.
    Playing through this game I would highly recommend. It´s tactician must have!!    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

27
#27 Most Discussed PC Game of 2013
48
#48 Most Shared PC Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 54 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 31 out of 54
  2. Mixed: 23 out of 54
  3. Negative: 0 out of 54
  1. Pelit (Finland)
    Oct 5, 2013
    82
    Shadowrun Returns is a bit more simplistic than I had hoped for, but at the same time it is not bad at all. [Sept 2013]
  2. Eurogamer Sweden
    Sep 13, 2013
    60
    Shadowrun Returns is a faithful reinterpretation (and in a vague sense, sequel) to the SNES game from 20 years ago, maybe a bit too faithful. Though most aspects of the the wild and unruly Shadowrun world is included, the promise of this game lies more in the open embrace of the mod community than the included adventure.
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  3. Level7.nu
    Sep 10, 2013
    70
    Shadowrun Returns will probably please most fans if perhaps not blow anyone out of the water. The campaign is well written and serves as a good introduction for new players. The variety in combat and character creation and dialogue options is great but suffers from a badly implemented autosave system. With lots of new campaigns on the horizon Shadowrun Returns is well worth keeping an eye on.
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