Game News Shadowrun Returns Kickstarter Update #57: Shadowrun Has Returned

[Rivmusique]

I would say can't wait to pick this up, but I said the same about E:C and I still haven't got around to it. Damn this backlog.

 

[phanboy_iv]

The editor is kinda great though, gotta say.

 

[almondblight]

This is why I say it feels like it could be expanded into a larger, more non-linear sort of thing. I could be totally off-base as I haven't touched the editor at all, it just seems fairly flexible.

Yeah, I just checked out a bit of The Lost Lamb module and it's much more open. Like, exiting a building doesn't prevent you from going back in, and not completing something doesn't prevent you from ducking into a nearby building. I've only played a couple of hours of the OC so far, so maybe it opens up a bit (before it ends...), but it's pretty odd that they went the route they did. Being able to freely duck in and out of buildings in The Lost Lamb also means that the save problem isn't an issue.

So yeah, they seem to have done some stupid things with the OC for no apparent reason, but the game underneath it all seems pretty solid.

 

[Metro]

THE EDITOR WILL SAVE US

 

[flabbyjack]

Wasn't this supposed to be a spiritual successor to the Sega Genesis (and SNES) Shadowrun? It seems way too linear for that

 

[Mrowak]

My impressions:

Pros (in the order of importance)
- it's not an action RPG!
- it's not a first-person or third-person RPG!
- it's not a fantasy RPG (sure, it has elves and magic, but it's in teh cyberpunk future!)
- pretty backgrounds
- good setting/story/writing/atmosphere/music :thumbs up:
- skill checks in dialogues!

Cons:

- linear as fuck. Compared to it, BG is an uber non-linear RPG. Fuck, it makes Bloodlines with its hubs and linear main quest seem like a sandbox. You get a mission, unlock a small new area, walk around talking to people with taking icons over their heads, solve their problems, too small to be called side-quests, do the main objective in a violent fashion and you're done. On to the next one. Everything that can be forced on you IS forced on you.

- combat is so easy even on VERY HARD!!! so you might wish it was RT. No reason to use other attacks than the default one or use any combat-boosting drugs. Or even increase skills much. I stopped putting points in combat and started investing in hacking and charisma to unlock more fancy dialogue options. Combat and linearity reduce replayability to zero, unless you're dying to see what casting spells looks like.

The cons make it a very weak and forgettable RPG. The pros make it an enjoyable action-adventure game where you get to blast some baddies, follow a linear but well written low-key story, and explore the world of Shadowrun in a somewhat forced fashion.

From what little I played it isn't that bad. Actually many RPGs of the yore sport similar levels of linearity. I know you are not fan of those and it's far from your definition of what RPGs should look like... but it kinda stretches to fit mine.

Combat could indeed be more difficult. I was hoping that me steamrolling enemies left and right was due to still being in early stages, but it does not appear to be the case. Oh well, at least the combat system is mostly solid so we can expect some great, combat-focused mods.

 

[tindrli]

I'm kinda disapointed i expected more with a 1.2 M budget

dont know.. maybe i need to play it more..

 

[thesheeep]

My impressions:

Pros (in the order of importance)
- it's not an action RPG!
- it's not a first-person or third-person RPG!
- it's not a fantasy RPG (sure, it has elves and magic, but it's in teh cyberpunk future!)
- pretty backgrounds
- good setting/story/writing/atmosphere/music :thumbs up:
- skill checks in dialogues!

Cons:

- linear as fuck. Compared to it, BG is an uber non-linear RPG. Fuck, it makes Bloodlines with its hubs and linear main quest seem like a sandbox. You get a mission, unlock a small new area, walk around talking to people with taking icons over their heads, solve their problems, too small to be called side-quests, do the main objective in a violent fashion and you're done. On to the next one. Everything that can be forced on you IS forced on you.

- combat is so easy even on VERY HARD!!! so you might wish it was RT. No reason to use other attacks than the default one or use any combat-boosting drugs. Or even increase skills much. I stopped putting points in combat and started investing in hacking and charisma to unlock more fancy dialogue options. Combat and linearity reduce replayability to zero, unless you're dying to see what casting spells looks like.

The cons make it a very weak and forgettable RPG. The pros make it an enjoyable action-adventure game where you get to blast some baddies, follow a linear but well written low-key story, and explore the world of Shadowrun in a somewhat forced fashion.

Yep, that sums it up pretty well. The linearity is the biggest letdown to me.
Still a good game and I'm pretty sure I'll have good time playing it. And then, probably, playing with the editor to show them how you do a true RPG

 

[MurkyShadow]

THE EDITOR WILL SAVE US

Spoiler

All will be well.

 

[Infinitron]

A Dance with Riggers.

 

[Spectacle]

writing could have been a lot better. I can't take thugs seriously unless they actually curse. "dreck", hah.
more like, "fuck you, cracka elf"

Fuck that! It wouldn't be Shadowrun if they didn't use the trademark slang.

 

[Darth Roxor]

writing could have been a lot better. I can't take thugs seriously unless they actually curse. "dreck", hah.
more like, "fuck you, cracka elf"

Fuck that! It wouldn't be Shadowrun if they didn't use the trademark slang.

That would be like Thief getting rid of "Taffer", and we all know how well that would turn out.

 

[groke]

oh god it's NWN all over again

 

[Metro]

THE EDITOR WILL SAVE US

Spoiler

All will be well.

Spoiler

Spoiler

 

[Jvegi]

It's very meh so far, and I can't really see how it could get much better unless there is some crazy high-level depth to combat.

One good thing is that the game looks good with HD textures off and 800x600 resolution. And those setting cut a few minutes (sic) down from those loading times. I need to fix my gaming PC.

 

[Roguey]

Wasn't this supposed to be a spiritual successor to the Sega Genesis (and SNES) Shadowrun? It seems way too linear for that

More the SNES Shadowrun, which was linear as all hell.

 

[Vault Dweller]

I'm kinda disapointed i expected more with a 1.2 M budget

dont know.. maybe i need to play it more..

What should we expect from a low-budget game? If you're aiming at my impressions, I didn't mention the lack of stealth, proper save system, looting, choices & consequences, or the simplicity of quest design. Why? Because it's a low-budget game. Can't have everything. But linearity and almost retarded difficulty? They have nothing to do with 1.2 mil and time, unless the quests were designed by their programmer in his spare time.

 

[tindrli]

without publishers crap 1.2 milions can make wonders.. at least thats what i think.... how much budget KoC had???

 

[Xenich]

Seriously, I don't do deskjob or anything. I can do what I want as long as the job is done, but I must stand by when the boss needs me.
So everything's cool bro. My working ethos is always on fire.

It's a turn based game, so you can just leave it open when you have to work, and resume playing when you have time again.

I remember many years ago when playing a console games, there was no save and so you had to leave the machine on and paused until you could get back to playing.

Thankfully, after all these years, all the improvement in technology, we no longer have to be constrained by such limitations, wait... umm...

 

[Infinitron]

tindrli 1.2 million is a very low budget for developers who aren't "indie basement dwellers". It has nothing to do with publishers, it has everything to do with having to pay rent and salaries.

 

[Xenich]

I'm kinda disapointed i expected more with a 1.2 M budget

dont know.. maybe i need to play it more..

What should we expect from a low-budget game? If you're aiming at my impressions, I didn't mention the lack of stealth, proper save system, looting, choices & consequences, or the simplicity of quest design. Why? Because it's a low-budget game. Can't have everything. But linearity and almost retarded difficulty? They have nothing to do with 1.2 mil and time, unless the quests were designed by their programmer in his spare time.

The bar has been lowered so much that just coming into work and turning on your computer is considered a difficult task and takes extreme expertise.

I find it funny that the level of software development in many ways has become more simplistic these days (premade libraries and development engines, IDE's, etc...) and yet the result of game developments accomplishments are extremely limited compared to the days when low level programming and extremely tricky algorithms were required to achieve even the simplest of things.

 

[Lerk]

tindrli 1.2 million is a very low budget for developers who aren't "indie basement dwellers". It has nothing to do with publishers, it has everything to do with having to pay rent and salaries.

I would brofist this if i wasn't a filthy newfag

anyway

I'm liking the game just fine, then again i wasn't expecting a whole lot from the bundled campaign. The editor is the real meat here anyway. The OC is just (thin) gravy.

I love the art direction, particularly the portaits; really captures the setting well. I'm really looking forward to what modders come up with, let's be fair, they have a solid foundation from which to build IMO.

 

[Serious_Business]

Setting is cool, art is great, combat system is top notch, it tries hard on the writing and the character system has potential, but yeah, the lack of difficulty and linearity break it. This is the kind of rpg where you can't get immersed into because you know that whatever you do, you're just going to get to the next story point, and you're going to click where they want you to click. The feeling of progression is just not there, it doesn't feel like you're succeeding because of your strategy in character building, but because that's how things are supposed to go. But the game still has a lot of heart and feeling and signing blues and Why The Witcher Is An Intelligent Game, so I don't know. What a shame

 

[TwinkieGorilla]

A few hours in and I'm enjoying it immensely so far, though I can certainly echo the sentiments of linearity and difficulty being less than impressive. The dialog, setting and the IDEA of their combat system is all pretty great. I just wish I could interact more with the world, or with more of the world. And yes, I wish combat was more challenging but I'm not l33t enough to even begin to suggest how that would be accomplished without making it completely un-fun like AoD. Sorry, VD.

 

[jimboton]

Follow the arrow, endure dialogues in biowarian fake C&C style, click on everything that shines, do WHATEVER in combat and win.

This game is everything that's wrong with your average AAA blockbuster rpg and yet it gets a pass from the Codex...

Move it to the mainstream forum already. You can always bring it back when/if someone uses the editor to make something that resembles a real cRPG.