Shadowrun Returns Review

Good games come and go.  Even great games usually get replaced within a few years.  Rarely though, games come around that leave a much longer lasting impression.  Shadowrun originated as a pen and paper RPG in 1989, and the first video game set in the universe was the 1993 version for SNES.  My first contact with the franchise came from 1994’s Shadowrun for the Sega Genesis.  It blew my mind.

Even by today’s standards, Shadowrun provides such a unique world.  It’s set in the future and has a dystopian type feel but things aren’t as post-apocalyptic as say the Fallout series.  It’s more the result of a slow decay.  Large corporations hold the only real power in society and local police are self-serving and inadequate.  Magic has returned to the world, and with it various meta-humans including everything from elves to trolls.  The world is a dangerous place and people who want something to get done must rely on Shadowrunners: reputable mercenaries who have the skills to stare danger in the face in order to accomplish their task.

Somehow, despite how amazing the IP was, things didn’t go anywhere after the Genesis release.  1996 brought a manga-heavy Japan only release for Sega Mega-CD which obviously is best forgotten.  Then things got even worse.  After over a decade of nothing, 2007 brought the release of Shadowrun to Xbox 360 and PC.  Except for the fact that it wasn’t really Shadowrun.  It was a terrible first-person shooter.

Like what can be often seen elsewhere, the people who had made the franchise magical were no longer around and those who owned the IP were content to whore out the name and branding.  The game sold as poorly as it should have and the studio behind the game was shuttered.

Fast forward five more years and Jordan Weisman, the original creator of Shadowrun, set out to relaunch magic.  Though not the owner of Shadowrun any more, Weisman was able to successfully licence the property and raise enough money via Kickstarter to make it happen.  Full disclosure:  I’ve had my eye on this project for quite some time.

You begin the game by creating your character.  In addition to choosing what your character looks like, you also can pick which class you want to be.  None of these classes  bear any sort of permanence to the future of your character but rather serve as a sort of beginner’s template.  As you move through the game you earn Karma points for completing tasks.  These Karma points can be used to upgrade various skills.

There are several classes you can choose from including standard Fighter and Mage types as well as more unique Deckers (experts at hacking the Matrix) and Riggers (experts at drone control).  Each class begins with a few related skill points but you also have the choice of just spending your initial Karma points however you wish.

The skill and Karma system is really done quite well.  Instead of just being able to dump points in anything, specialized skills require you to first invest points into core skills.  Related skills fork off the same core skill in a way that forces you to give your character more focus.  For example, if you want to raise your Shotgun skill up to level 6, you first have to raise your Quickness skill to 6 and your Ranged Weapon skill to 6.  Once you’ve made such an investment, raising a related skill such as Assault Rifles requires less of a subsequent investment than say deciding you also want to be a mage and cast spells.

As the game moves on you are introduced to various characters who join you for missions.  They all come with a certain skill-set and equipment which can’t be changed by you, but they do improve over the course of the game.  You also get the opportunity to hire fellow Shadowrunners to help you with various missions.

The game sets out with a clear directive which gets muddier and muddier the deeper you dig.  There’s a good balance between the firefights, narrative, and the MATRIX!  I have no idea why this concept never caught on from the early 90’s, but your character (or other Shadowrunners you employ) can become adept at hacking into the Matrix to control systems such as cameras and locks as well as to obtain secret information.  Keep in mind that all this Matrix action vastly precedes any of the Matrix films.

The original Shadowrun games uniquely positioned this hacking as a very active experience.  You would use various hacking skills to do battle against defense and counter-intrusion systems.  In the intervening years, every time a studio talked about some new hacking mechanic they are working on for some game, excitement would peak but the end result would always be a let down.  In Shadowrun Returns, all the Matrix action is back.  It has been modified to reflect regular combat but in a digitized world with only your various hacking utilities at your disposal.

The beauty and golden promise that Shadowrun Returns held from the beginning is Jordan Weisman, Mr. Shadowrun himself.  This was destined to be something more than a run of the mill hackjob (pun intended).  This looked to be a genuine Shadowrun experience.  The great news is that it was successful.

The very unique feel and character of the Shadowrun universe has been captured by Shadowrun returns.  It’s serious when it needs to be, funny when it can be, and entertaining the whole time.

The one major complaint has to do with the game’s linear nature.  Back in the Sega Genesis days the game had a great main story arc, but it had so much more as well.  You were free to wander the streets and do what you wanted.  There were many Mr. Johnson’s around with numerous job opportunities.  There were rival factions.  There were side characters with lots of personality – characters who you could go the entire game and never meet.

This game is much narrower in scope.  The main story arc is very well done and the characters related to that arc are interesting and varied, but there’s not really anything beyond that.  The game pushes you from location to location with minimal opportunity for detours.  Any shadowrunners you hire that aren’t involved in the main storyline are silent workhorses who might as well be robots.

Shadowrun Returns is a fun game to play and it should serve as a great bit of nostalgia for those familiar with the universe and a great introduction for those who are new.  Even if your character never casts a single spell, you will admire the way that magic has returned to the world and all the implications that that brings.

As good as the game is, what’s even better is the gateway that Shadowrun Returns has likely opened.  The franchise is back on people’s minds, people like the game, and people will want to play more.