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

[Infinitron]

Tags: Harebrained Schemes; Jordan Weisman; Shadowrun Returns

I'm pleased to announce the release of Shadowrun Returns, Harebrained Schemes' Kickstarter-funded RPG based on the Shadowrun fantasy-cyberpunk PnP RPG and campaign setting. This is the first of the "big budget" Kickstarter RPGs, and as such its release is a momentous occasion, even if the game appears to not be what our former editor Vault Dweller would call a "full scale RPG". Here's the release trailer and some pep talk from the game's last Kickstarter update:

​

Hi everybody,​

Jordan here with our last update before Shadowrun Returns gets into your hands. (Wow, I can’t believe I just typed that!)​

I want to take a moment to personally thank you again for all your support over the last year or so. It’s been so great hearing from you on the forums, meeting you in person at cons, and eating the bagels and pizza you sent us. It’s definitely an experience I’ll never forget!​

I also want to publicly thank the team at Harebrained Schemes for all their incredibly hard work over the past year. What a great group of people! They’re passionate about making games, about working in a highly-collaborative, high-energy environment, and about making Shadowrun Returns. They’ve really risen to the challenge and it’s been a pleasure going on this adventure with them.​

On behalf of the team, I sincerely hope you enjoy Shadowrun Returns. It’s been a labor of love and represents one of the greatest collaborations of my career. Thanks again for the opportunity.​

Shadowrun Returns is currently available for download and purchase on Steam, while Kickstarter backers can get their DRM-free version at Harebrained Schemes' backer site. The GameBanshee staff have collated some pre-release reviews, and our own official review, written by the formidable Darth Roxor, will be arriving some time in the near future.

Well, my own copy has just finished downloading. Let's check this shit out.

 

[Metro]

In before 100 pages.

 

[Mrowak]

From the initial glimpse the game looks delicious (although who thought that waypoint save system is the way to go?). Sadly I am sitting on my old craptop now, so I won't be buying it anytime soon.

All the same, looking forward to Roxor's review.

 

[SuicideBunny]

is it just me or do elves lose out on one etiquette since you cannot pick the first one you should be getting with the racial bonus?
n/m, you pick it up at the end of char creation.

 

[KickAss]

Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh! I won't see my non-work compy for 3 days

 

[undecaf]

Downloading right now. I'll probably be tired at work tomorrow.

 

[tindrli]

aaaaand?? how is it??? ... bros???

 

[Infinitron]

aaaaand?? how is it??? ... bros???

They can't tell you, they're too busy playing.

Spoiler-free discussion: http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/index.php?threads/shadowrun-returns-one-day-till-release.70906/
Gameplay discussion (including spoilers): http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/inde...ns-gameplay-discussion-thread-spoilers.85058/

 

[JrK]

ADDIT: only been out for 1.5 hours and already more than 20.000 people playing it. It is #11 at the steam list of most players...

 

[Tigranes]

Given they have at least 36,000 people who already paid for their copy, they're gonna need a lot more than those numbers to make some jewgold.

 

[SuicideBunny]

Given they have at least 36,000 people who already paid for their copy, they're gonna need a lot more than those numbers to make some jewgold.

it's been at the top of the sales list for a while too. not sure if that counts retail keys redeemed or only stuff sold via steam store.

 

[Infinitron]

it's been at the top of the sales list for a while too. not sure if that counts retail keys redeemed or only stuff sold via steam store.

Neither. It counts revenue earned.

 

[Metro]

50% off Russian pricing looks good to me~

 

[Xi]

It doesn't matter because every penny earned goes into their own coffers (not a publishers). So, even if they sell a relatively low amount, it is successful if the original backers like it and are willing to back more projects. If they can manage to sell 100,000 copies to non-backers, they will have profited over a million dollars. That's not bad for a small company. However, with 22 employees, they will bleed that cash quickly. ;P

Their newest project doesn't seem on the same scale of profitability either (even if it is cool).

They should aim to make another Shadowrun Sequel, utilizing the current tools/art assets they've already made. They could expand on their design a bit and release another product quickly. I'm also guessing that fans would love this idea. (I know I would - also, will buy soon - damned Wizardry 8).

 

[Branm]

It doesn't matter because every penny earned goes into their own coffers (not a publishers). So, even if they sell a relatively low amount, it is successful if the original backers like it and are willing to back more projects. If they can manage to sell 100,000 copies to non-backers, they will have profited over a million dollars. That's not bad for a small company. However, with 22 employees, they will bleed that cash quickly. ;P

Their newest project doesn't seem on the same scale of profitability either (even if it is cool).

They should aim to make another Shadowrun Sequel, utilizing the current tools/art assets they've already made. They could expand on their design a bit and release another product quickly. I'm also guessing that fans would love this idea. (I know I would - also, will buy soon - damned Wizardry 8).

Agreed and implement all the systems which were "too hard" to do....Stealth, a less tacked on hacking approach etc.

 

[tindrli]

what i dont get it is the mess with their update system.. if i understood it right.
Individual saw a kickstarter project.. saw that developers of the project hates DRM crap
donated his/hers money and got a copy
and now the same makers state like FUCK YOU, the updates will be only through steam..

did i get this right??

 

[Anthony Davis]

Just taking a break after playing for about two hours.

If you liked the art style/direction of ToEE, you will like the look of this game. I find it to be very pleasing to my old skool eye.

I like the combat, though so far on normal, it's not too difficult. I did have a rough patch with a single hellhound that was tearing up my decker - but I just wore it down. There isn't too much in the way of tactics so far for a turn based combat system, but I think there is potential.

Once I understood the character karma mechanics, I dug it quite a bit.

I really enjoy the vast majority of dialogue and description text.

Some of the mechanics were a very brief mystery.

So far, after two hours, I'm giving it a B.

The biggest drawback so far is the save system, which is a series of hidden auto save checkpoints. I'm guessing that they had some real problems with their script system and state machines that they could not solve before ship, so this was their solution. It seems fixable, or at least they should have the ability to add in save points or something. I state that completely blind, but I have written scripting systems and state machines before and I know first hand how horrible bugs with those can be. It is also the only reason I can think of for the current bone headed save system.


What I would like more of:
Less linearity.
More interaction with a very neat world.
At the very least, check point saves.
More art, especially with the portraits and items you examine. What they have is great, which is why I want more.
I'm also hoping for, in the future, the ability to take characters to other modules, ala NWN.



So far, I'm not regretting my purchase.

 

[Anthony Davis]

Also, I approve of the "easter egg".

Spoiler

JAKE!

 

[SuicideBunny]

not much of an easter egg since it was announced beforehand.

 

[Indranys]

No manual save??
Oh God nooo.
I can't play the game on daily basis then.
Or the boss will kick my sorry ass for sure.
Why did they do this.

 

[Anthony Davis]

not much of an easter egg since it was announced beforehand.

oh. yeah, i think i kind of remember that now. oh well, was nice surprise for me.

 

[Darth Roxor]

No manual save??
Oh God nooo.
I can't play the game on daily basis then.
Or the boss will kick my sorry ass for sure.
Why did they do this.

The Corporation doesn't wish you to be playing games during labour, wage-slave

 

[Frian Bargo]

Played it a bit. Runs slow on my craptop, so I will lower resolution to minimum and disable HD textures when I next fire it up. I like the environment, but do not like the character sprites much. They try to be 3d, but appear to be an ugly mesh between sprites and attempted 3d. Hopefully it will improve with better gear/armor (the test combat at the beginning had better looking models I admit)

 

[Indranys]

The Corporation doesn't wish you to be playing games during labour, wage-slave

The Corporation

Yeah, I'm working for the best AAA Megacorporation, Bethesda Cyber Immersion Technologies.
You must already know my Todd Howard, we're working as tandem for the better future of RPG.
And his wife is my boss nigga. We shared a private room in the office.


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.

 

[Spectacle]

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.