Shadowrun Returns

The idea of crowd sourcing the funding for games is still a fairly new concept that hasn't managed to escape the scepticism of some people just yet. Many of the games pitched on Kickstarter are often seen as little more than hopeful promises, but Shadowrun Returns is a recent title that can hopefully change that perception. Shadowrun Returns is also a shining example of how to successfully get an appropriate balance of classic and modern, it's a CRPG that reboots the classic cyberpunk-Tolkien themed table-top RPG Shadowrun and the subsequent video game series. Shadowrun Returns blends a unique mix of cyberpunk and fantasy to create a truly amazing world that’s deep enough to hook you.

The story of Shadowrun Returns follows the story of a Shadowrunner, an elite group of criminal mercenaries, who has fallen on hard times. Without spoiling too much, your general quest is to uncover the suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of a fellow Shadowrunner. The story may be a little on the short side but it’s excellently written and has plenty of twists to keep it interesting to the very end, even if it does get a little farfetched later on. The story is told almost exclusively through text that narrates and describes everything that occurs, very much in the style of classic CRPGs like Fallout or Baldur’s Gate 2. Although the writing is consistently excellent throughout the game, there is a lot of writing and it can get tiresome to read large paragraphs on everything that happens. But that’s me just being lazy. The storytelling in Shadowrun Returns is very much like reading a book, and although you are given some visual context, the text paints a vivid image of every person, building, and gruesome encounter. Fans of classic CRPGs will appreciate the genre’s revitalising, and it makes a refreshing change from endlessly watching pre-rendered cutscenes.

As with any good CRPG, the majority of gameplay will be spent talking to the many interesting inhabitants of the Shadowrun universe (the good and the bad) and generally doing stuff in the typical RPG way. This is easily when Shadowrun is at its best and certainly it’s most enjoyable. Exploring the unfortunately linear world is fun and reasonably rewarding, and whilst there’s usually something hidden off the beaten path the problem is often that simply isn't anywhere to to veer off to most of the time. The game is very linear, which may frustrate some people as the world has the potential to be much more open, but I'm going to put that down to a matter of budget. However, this doesn't actually subtract from the conversational experience the game has to offer since the game’s main hub is packed full with a nice variety of characters that would otherwise be more spread out in more open RPGs. You don’t really feel like you’re missing out on the whole meeting new characters bit, but rather you feel as though you’re missing out on exploration of a potentially fascinating world.

Shadowrun Return’s combat is extremely simple, but what it lacks in depth it certainly makes up for in tactical tension and an intuitive interface. At first glance the combat UI may seem like a confusing mess, with your weapons, spells, items, and your own health bar tucked onto a single bar at the bottom of the screen. However, you quickly get accustomed to the snappy nature of the UI and it makes combat go somewhat quicker, even if animations and movement do drag on a bit. The turn-based combat is very reminiscent of the recent XCOM: Enemy Unknown: movement is based on two-movement system, shots and abilities are all determined by bullshit RNG that can’t tell the fucking difference between 30% and 90%, and grenades are aimed in the same manner. Fans of Enemy Unknown will immediately notice the likeness and should be quick to accustom. Unfortunately, the combat doesn’t quite have the same nail biting tension that every shot in Enemy Unknown harboured, and for the majority of the game the combat feels way too easy and far too unengaging. Towards the end of the game combat becomes spontaneously difficult in a frustrating way that feels unfair and far too sudden. What makes this suddenly difficult combat even more frustrating is the game’s poor save system (or lack thereof). The game works on a checkpoint system that saves once per level (a level is only a single floor or set of rooms) and there’s no way to manually save the game, making the later end of the story feel really frustrating.

Character customisation is a pretty detailed part of Shadowrun Returns; it allows you to choose the gender, appearance, and race of your character (the standard fantasy affair of Humans and Elves etc.). You choose from one of six classes, all of which focus on varying aspects of combat and non-combat features (hacking, speech etc.). As the story progresses, you earn Karma to spend freely on a wide range of basic stats (Intelligence, strength etc.) which all breakdown into more focused sub-categories such as Rifle specialisation or the effectiveness of first aid kits. These basically spilt into melee, ranged, spellcaster, and non-combat skills, which potentially opens up the door for multiple runs using varying combat methods and classes. However, as you get further into the story you begin to realise that the potential isn't much of an option unless you’re happy to play through a fairly short and extremely linear campaign again. Plus the combat is so basic that it’s almost exactly the same regardless of whether you’re melee, ranged, or a mage of sorts.

Shadowrun Returns’ visual aesthetic is pretty nice, especially considering the game’s tight budget, and the game sports a simple yet colourful appearance. The world is very simplistic and lacking in any real detail, all detail of any visuals is found within the game’s textual narrative. Although extremely basic, the visuals do a great job of conveying the very bleak and desperate nature of the almost dystopian world. Shadowrun’s sound design is also pretty basic but at the same time sleek and effective, weapons and spells sound pretty average (not terrible but certainly not good) and the soundtrack is limited but oddly fitting. I say fitting because the very basic sound design and lack of voice acting give the game a very bleak atmosphere that goes well with the rundown alleys and wandering homeless.

Overall, Shadowrun Returns is an excellent reboot of a classic franchise and a dying genre. It isn't overly ambitious and knows what it wants to be, and certainly knows what it can’t afford to be. The game is lacking in some areas, but that’s largely down to the lack of funding. For $20 this is a great experience for fans of CRPGs, fans of Shadowrun, or anyone looking for a succinct journey through a very unique world.