Opinion on the newest Shadowrun game?

[DarkishFriend]

I just saw that the expansion game out for Shadowrun. Has anyone tried the x-pack or the vanilla game? I've never played an old school shadowrun game and the gameplay reminds me of xCom and old Fallout.

I really like xCom and this game looks like meshing of RPG and choice elements with tactical gameplay. Anyone else have anything, good or bad, to say about this game?

 

[NihilSinLulz]

I just saw that the expansion game out for Shadowrun. Has anyone tried the x-pack or the vanilla game? I've never played an old school shadowrun game and the gameplay reminds me of xCom and old Fallout.

I really like xCom and this game looks like meshing of RPG and choice elements with tactical gameplay. Anyone else have anything, good or bad, to say about this game?

All I know about the game is the video below. That said, it looks pretty cool but I remember playing a bit of the original and not being into it. May have to give it another go.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXVO1HCNQ8M

 

[Genocidicles]

I thought it was alright.

It could have been better balanced though. Some classes and weapon types were basically useless. Plus the goddamn saving issue.

But yeah, an alright game. Could've been better, but I still enjoyed it.

 

[Vern5]

The combat has a lot in common with XCOM due to the turn-based and cover system. But Shadowrun Returns has more in common with games like Vampire the Masquerade - Bloodlines in terms of tone and narrative.

Overall, I say the game is definitely worth it if you like what it has to offer.

 

[Aiddon_v1legacy]

I just saw that the expansion game out for Shadowrun. Has anyone tried the x-pack or the vanilla game? I've never played an old school shadowrun game and the gameplay reminds me of xCom and old Fallout.

I really like xCom and this game looks like meshing of RPG and choice elements with tactical gameplay. Anyone else have anything, good or bad, to say about this game?

I'll say the vanilla game had its issues. It was very linear, but the plot was actually really good with very colorful characters and a great setting. It doesn't allow manual saving, though I believe the most recent patch alleviated that. A tip I can give is this: the final area is a LOT easier if you make sure your main character specializes in shotguns.

I only just started Dragonfall but so far it's looking to be a lot different, with a more open environment to really stretch your legs with.

 

[DementedSheep]

I keep hearing that it's bad and too linear but I want it anyway though I might wait until I can get the expansions in a pack.

 

[Auberon]

It's decent. Combat system is lifted almost wholesale from XCom (and considering the work of translating 20th Anniversary edition, quite wisely). As mentioned, it's very linear, no manual saving and outside the main series there are a couple side runs. It also has so far redundant stuff like chose Etiquettes, but that might be fixed in Dragonfall.

 

[Zykon TheLich_v1legacy]

Eh...the main storyline was quite well done, but it's pretty damn short and as previously mentioned, very linear. The mechanics are quite simple but they do the job well enough and the RPG element isn't particularly developed, & not much variety in terms of equipment.

It all seemed quite limited TBH, which for a small kickstarter game is to be expected. Really I think it stands or falls on the quality of the plot & characters in the adventures written for it, and so far only the very short main campaign has been of decent quality, the rest of the fan ones I've tried in order to get a bit more out of the game haven't been worth playing and I can't say I'd bother getting the new module.

 

[hazabaza1]

Haven't played the expansion but the main game was basically garbage.

The story was bland and didn't motivate me to do anything, the writing was 90% boring, 10% average. The aesthetic was dumb as shit and couldn't decide where it wanted to settle, either modern cyberpunk, 1940s mafia or 'lol so randumb you're wearing tourist clothes'.
Combat gave no satisfying impact no matter what weapon or skill you used and was boring from start to finish whether you were in the real world, AI world, getting new loot or talking to NPCs.

So yeah I can't recommend it.

 

[Raddra]

Its got really amazing writing, but balance issues. Adepts are completely overpowered (they gave them PASSIVE BONUSES on merely EQUIPPING a spell that alone essentially negates all other melee combat characters...)

Basically.. if you love plot driven games, play it. Its like playing through a story 9which isn't everyone's cup of tea.) but I really enjoy it, balance issues aside.

 

[raeior]

As others already said, the base game had it's issues. Although my main problem with it was solved with the latest patch (being able to save anywhere). It is very linear though, more so than I expected when I first played it. The story is quite good and the dialogues too. The skill/character system is a bit hit and miss and I would have liked more options for character developement and better balancing.
I haven't played Dragonfall very much so far but what I saw was really good. Bigger better designed areas, side quests, not as linear as the base game, your own team of shadowrunners. So it seems to be an improvement on pretty much every front.
Also there are a ton of user generated campaigns and some of them are really good.

On the negative side: The combat isn't all that complex. You have no height advantage or stuff like that. Also there is a lot of reading involved and I mean a LOT. I like it that way but for some people that's a no-no. Also the shadowrun setting itself might be a problem for some. Dwarves wielding machine guns and trolls that are more chrome than flesh ripping enemies in half with their axe....well the setting is kinda "special".

 

[veloper]

Finished Dragonfall. It was better than Dead man's switch.

What hasn't changed is that the cover shields are still sloppily applied on the maps and there's balance issues with the classes and skills in terms of usefulness and power.

The enemy encounters were better this time and even the story wasn't all bad.

 

[wolf thing]

Im not to far into it yet, maybe 3 or hours in, but so far its been okay. The mission are very linear and the side quests have been very dull so far. The characters have been fun and writting sharp, but the dialogue trees are again very linear, you simply go through each options until the box closes. The setting looks good but it never does anything interesting with it at least so far, no race issue, no political issue, no talk about trans-humanism, no magic vs science stuff, it just looks good, which is fine but i wanted more out of it.

 

[Adeptus Aspartem]

I just don't get why they made it so close to 3rd edition and not to one of the newer ones.
So many cool gadgets which could've been used too :<

But where the video game does a good job is in delivering the correct Shadowrun atmosphere. It gets the tone, speech, characters and setting completly right.

It's a little combat heavy though for Shadowrun.

 

[Atmos Duality]

I was hoping for something that HBS realistically couldn't provide.
The core campaign of Dead Man's Switch is a fun diversion, but due to its hyper linearity and lack of meaningful player choice outside of combat, is lacking.

I haven't touched Dragonfall yet. Not sure if I'm going to either.

Its got really amazing writing, but balance issues. Adepts are completely overpowered (they gave them PASSIVE BONUSES on merely EQUIPPING a spell that alone essentially negates all other melee combat characters...)

Which is funny, because Adepts were complete garbage when SRR first launched.
The passive bonuses didn't exist and half the abilities didn't function as advertised (or at all).

I'm rather glad for the fixes, though I still wished the core campaign offered more.

I just don't get why they made it so close to 3rd edition and not to one of the newer ones.
So many cool gadgets which could've been used too :<

What are you talking about? SR3 has the largest catalogue of gadgets in the entire tabletop series, thanks to SR2's gear being almost directly transferable to SR3.

Don't believe me: just download NSRCG3 and load all the books.
If you can think of a gadget, chances are good it's in the list.

Late 2nd Ed and 3rd Edition was kinda SR's heyday. Personally, I much prefer those to SR4 and SR5's "SR3 lite, but with smart phones instead of deckers" setting.

 

[Mangod]

I just saw that the expansion game out for Shadowrun. Has anyone tried the x-pack or the vanilla game? I've never played an old school shadowrun game and the gameplay reminds me of xCom and old Fallout.

I really like xCom and this game looks like meshing of RPG and choice elements with tactical gameplay. Anyone else have anything, good or bad, to say about this game?

I've completed the Vanilla campaign (spoiler: the twist ending was something I honestly did not see coming, and it's a dozy), and I am currently working my way through Dragonfall. I personally maintain that both games are good, but they have their issues; the original campaign (Dead Man's Switch) is very linear, and although I found it to be a very enjoyable playthrough, it gets less interesting when you play though it several times in a row. Dragonfall is considerably more open in its approach, giving you a hub area to move around in, a team of Shadowrunners to work with á la Mass Effect, and a variety of mission, many who I've found can be resolved without applying force.

Both games also have a ton-and-a-halfs worth if Player Generated content available for free download, which should allow you to squeeze quite a bit of etertainment out of it. Basically, if you liked Fallout 1 and 2, the Baldur's Gate games and other assorted old school RPGs, then you will probably enjoy this.