Shadowrun Shadowrun: Dragonfall - Director's Cut

[Lacrymas]

If they are mobile games (which I think at least Returns actually is?), they are the best ones I've ever played.

 

[OSK]

If they are mobile games (which I think at least Returns actually is?), they are the best ones I've ever played.

The first was originally intended to be a simple, mobile game, but they received way more money than they expected in the initial Kickstarter so they expanded on it.

These games may not have the depth of other RPGs, but I enjoyed them and I think they're a worthwhile playthrough.

 

[DalekFlay]

The missions and dialog systems feel "deep" enough to be an RPG, IMO. The environmental interaction is very limited though, and of course it's more a series of linear missions than a typical open RPG. I wouldn't even say it's as open as a Deus Ex type of game. Whatever you want to call them though, I think they're pretty good games.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

itt: people who think a visual novel is an RPG debate whether shadowrun dragonfall is an RPG

 

[adddeed]

Not say they're bad games.
But next other isometric rpgs (pillars of eternity, divinity etc) they feel basic. Limited inventory, limited exploration, interface designed for touch screens, limited inventory management (if at all), basic visuals, and so on.

 

[Deleted member 7219]

Not say they're bad games.
But next other isometric rpgs (pillars of eternity, divinity etc) they feel basic. Limited inventory, limited exploration, interface designed for touch screens, limited inventory management (if at all), basic visuals, and so on.

The other systems are still there, including story, reactivity, quests and (excellent) combat.

 

[V_K]

Limited inventory

Inventory and itemsation in Shadowruns are streamlined, just like their character systems - but in terms of variety of character builds and combat options, there are actually more options and these options are more distinct from one another than in PoE, not to mention the monstrosity that is DOS loot treadmill.

limited exploration

Sure, these games are more linear and there isn't much loot to hoard, but it is there and it's actually meaningful, providing ways to avoid combat or gain an advantage in it. Loot is more meaningful as well precisely by virtue of having a limited inventory. Definitely beats PoE and DOS where the only things you can hope to find are copy-pasted trash mobs and caches of randomly generated loot.

limited inventory management

And thank god for that. Compared how much junk modern games have you collect and keep track of (crafting, I'm looking at you), a limited inventory was a breath of fresh air. And in principle it makes resource management more meaningful even if these games aren't hard enough to appreciate that.
Not to mention that co-op focus in DOS makes inventory management outright torturous - especially given how frequent and insignificant equipment upgrades are.

 

[lycanwarrior]

If they are mobile games (which I think at least Returns actually is?), they are the best ones I've ever played.

The first was originally intended to be a simple, mobile game, but they received way more money than they expected in the initial Kickstarter so they expanded on it.

These games may not have the depth of other RPGs, but I enjoyed them and I think they're a worthwhile playthrough.

Yep, highly enjoyed Shadowrun Returns and currently playing Shadowrun Dragonfall.

 

[Major_Blackhart]

I enjoyed them. I didn't expect Arcanum, and was happy with what I got.

 

[gurugeorge]

These games are very nicely made, neat little packages, with story, ultra-lite nuXCOM combat, RPG elements and immersive elements all in a nice balance. A bit too much poz for my personal taste, but eh, what are you going to do. As with PF:K although the game is SJW-tainted, the quality of the writing carries the day, as the writers are obviously more interested in telling a story than quasi-religious activism per se.

Games as tasty morsels and treats, nice, solid games - not terribly deep or absorbing, but engaging enough to pass the time and not feel you're completely wasting it.

 

[eXalted]

The Shadowrun games are adventure games with RPG features. If you look at them from this angle - they are perfect.

 

[Darth Roxor]

Looks like an adventure game to me!

 

[TalesfromtheCrypt]

„It’s an adventure game with RPG elements“ - can we have this as the new Codex tagline?

 

[Sykar]

I will never understand why they so heavily altered the SR rules and allowed dumb shit like 6 spells only and nothing for astral space either outside of descriptive context choices which ere basically exclusive to Hong Kong.

 

[Lacrymas]

I will never understand why they so heavily altered the SR rules and allowed dumb shit like 6 spells only and nothing for astral space either outside of descriptive context choices which ere basically exclusive to Hong Kong.

Because it's not easy or cheap to adapt a whole RPG system that has decades worth of content (even BG3 won't adapt all levels). These are obviously lower budget titles and I think they did a good job with them. As for the 6 spells thing, it's probably a balance thing. A limited toolbox could work very well, look at Guild Wars 1.

 

[eXalted]

Looks like an adventure game to me!

Wrong choice of words from my side I guess. It's a lot more simplified RPG for me than what is considered an RPG here and I really dig it - with the simplified inventory, companion abilities, and all that.

Maybe we should define what is an RPG.

 

[adddeed]

Limited inventory

Inventory and itemsation in Shadowruns are streamlined, just like their character systems - but in terms of variety of character builds and combat options, there are actually more options and these options are more distinct from one another than in PoE, not to mention the monstrosity that is DOS loot treadmill.

limited exploration

Sure, these games are more linear and there isn't much loot to hoard, but it is there and it's actually meaningful, providing ways to avoid combat or gain an advantage in it. Loot is more meaningful as well precisely by virtue of having a limited inventory. Definitely beats PoE and DOS where the only things you can hope to find are copy-pasted trash mobs and caches of randomly generated loot.

limited inventory management

And thank god for that. Compared how much junk modern games have you collect and keep track of (crafting, I'm looking at you), a limited inventory was a breath of fresh air. And in principle it makes resource management more meaningful even if these games aren't hard enough to appreciate that.
Not to mention that co-op focus in DOS makes inventory management outright torturous - especially given how frequent and insignificant equipment upgrades are.

Good points but the facts are facts. Shadowrun games are limited and basic in all respects. Combat including.
For phone games they're pretty damn good, probable the best mobile RPG you can find.
Personally i like some meat on my games, so id stick with PoE and the likes.

 

[almondblight]

Worth noting that Dragonfall is one of the only RPGs in recent decades that has meaningful text parser interaction. Outside of Ultima clones built for computers from decades ago (Nox Archaist, Realms of Antiquity), are there any others?

 

[V_K]

tside of Ultima clones built for computers from decades ago (Nox Archaist, Realms of Antiquity), are there any others?

There are Ultima/Magic Candle clones built for modern computers: Lurking and Lurking II. They're fairly good, especially the second.
Then there's Grimoire of course.

 

[cruelio]

I will never understand why they so heavily altered the SR rules and allowed dumb shit like 6 spells only and nothing for astral space either outside of descriptive context choices which ere basically exclusive to Hong Kong.

Probably because:
-the rules are insane nonsense that no one understands
-do you really want to see what they do with astral space after what they did with cyber space?

 

[OSK]

One thing I liked about cyberspace was when they had you fighting on two battlefields at once: In cyberspace where time moved faster (thus having more turns in a row before switching to the real world) and in the real world where your decker was a sitting duck. It was an underused mechanic that I'd like to see again some way in the future, but with greater interaction between the two battlefields.

 

[Ninjerk]

One thing I liked about cyberspace was when they had you fighting on two battlefields at once: In cyberspace where time moved faster (thus having more turns in a row before switching to the real world) and in the real world where your decker was a sitting duck. It was an underused mechanic that I'd like to see again some way in the future, but with greater interaction between the two battlefields.

If anyone still plays it, the Source mod Dystopia captured the cyberspace-meatspace parallel gameplay space concept as well as I've ever experienced and you should try it if you can stomach FPS gameplay.

 

[DalekFlay]

Darth Roxor will flog that 4:3 monitor until the day he dies, apparently.

 

[OSK]

Darth Roxor will flog that 4:3 monitor until the day he dies, apparently.

I'm that way with my 16:10 monitors. They're making a comeback with laptops, so I'm hoping they come back in style for desktop monitors too!

 

[Zero Credibility]

Same here. Sadly can't find a good affordable 16:10 to replace my current one.

Anyway, I've restarted Dragonfall to wash away the taste of Cyberpunk 2077. Yeah, if they had more money and ambition it could have been better, but even so what we got was pretty damn good.