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Shadowrun Shadowrun Returns - Dead Man's Switch Original Campaign
- Thread starter evdk
- Start date
MetalCraze
Arcane
Shadowrun Returns is a lousy job.
It's a very typical uninspired modern RPG made for people who don't like RPGs. And I guess it shows what good can come out out of a KS project made in a year to quickly cash in.
- Simplistic and very uncreative stats and skills (like rifles 1! 2! 3! Oh but for some reason they unlock fire modes, I guess otherwise the char is too dumb to pull the switch on his rifle - also SMGs and shotguns have zero mid and late game skill unlocks so only pistol or rifle are viable weapons).
At least half of them just look like a token filler because otherwise the skill list will be even emptier. The late game skill for pistols, unarmed and melee is 'disarm' and 'headshot' is rifle exclusive.
Basic non-combat RPG stuff like hacking, lockpicking, pickpocketing? Forget about that.
- Simplistic combat that is more like XCom. No stances, infinite ammo, AI is very dumb and has no concept of cover.
- No exploration and the world is really dull. And there are many layers to this issue:
The ever annoying quest compass constantly points to where you MUST go and you can't do any actions but those forced on you by the quest. Forget about talking to random people or exploring around. You can't even enter buildings in the world unless forced by the main plot. And after you enter a building you can't go back.
People just stand in one place watching the paint dry (which is incidentally how decorations look), the world is completely lifeless, buildings are thus nothing but cardboard boxes with neon. "Thankfully" those 1-2 sidequests you can finish 100m away in very confined areas the world is split into designed to be walked through and forgotten are marked from a kilometre away.
- Inventory is a joke. Which is just a weapon, an armor and a few slots for grenades and medkits. But why would you need more if enemies don't drop anything and you can't take stuff other than buying it from shops or getting it from quests?
- No savegames and autosave is only when you enter a new area. It's annoying. Seriously is this some console shit?
- Quests. They are done Mass Effect style. In dialogues you get your typical
a) I will do it for the Greater Good!
b) I don't know... Well ok I will do it for the Greater Good!
c) Fuck you! But OK I will do it for the Greater Good!.. for a price
Yep the only choices you get is either do it or pretend like you don't like to do it.
Oh and then there are etiquettes which basically give you additional options based on which you took. Except good luck trying to guess which etiquette the dev used since you can't have many and the options for them appear very rarely. There's no difference between them and they just allow you to skip an easy simple combat at best
Basically Shadowrun Returns is like a turn-based isometric version of Mass Effect. Quest compass, zero interactivity with the dull linear world. Same "kill or talk" type of dialogues, same kill or talk type of quests. Linear. "Skills" are little more than +10 to dmg.
Graphics btw look like speedpaint made in a rush. Sure some areas do look good but some look like a blurred mess and more like a painted drawing. Interface is also made for tablets. Hugeass icons, a lot of scrolling in the skill screen.
If this is how Kickstarter RPGs are then you can forget about that era ever coming back.
It's a very typical uninspired modern RPG made for people who don't like RPGs. And I guess it shows what good can come out out of a KS project made in a year to quickly cash in.
- Simplistic and very uncreative stats and skills (like rifles 1! 2! 3! Oh but for some reason they unlock fire modes, I guess otherwise the char is too dumb to pull the switch on his rifle - also SMGs and shotguns have zero mid and late game skill unlocks so only pistol or rifle are viable weapons).
At least half of them just look like a token filler because otherwise the skill list will be even emptier. The late game skill for pistols, unarmed and melee is 'disarm' and 'headshot' is rifle exclusive.
Basic non-combat RPG stuff like hacking, lockpicking, pickpocketing? Forget about that.
- Simplistic combat that is more like XCom. No stances, infinite ammo, AI is very dumb and has no concept of cover.
- No exploration and the world is really dull. And there are many layers to this issue:
The ever annoying quest compass constantly points to where you MUST go and you can't do any actions but those forced on you by the quest. Forget about talking to random people or exploring around. You can't even enter buildings in the world unless forced by the main plot. And after you enter a building you can't go back.
People just stand in one place watching the paint dry (which is incidentally how decorations look), the world is completely lifeless, buildings are thus nothing but cardboard boxes with neon. "Thankfully" those 1-2 sidequests you can finish 100m away in very confined areas the world is split into designed to be walked through and forgotten are marked from a kilometre away.
- Inventory is a joke. Which is just a weapon, an armor and a few slots for grenades and medkits. But why would you need more if enemies don't drop anything and you can't take stuff other than buying it from shops or getting it from quests?
- No savegames and autosave is only when you enter a new area. It's annoying. Seriously is this some console shit?
- Quests. They are done Mass Effect style. In dialogues you get your typical
a) I will do it for the Greater Good!
b) I don't know... Well ok I will do it for the Greater Good!
c) Fuck you! But OK I will do it for the Greater Good!.. for a price
Yep the only choices you get is either do it or pretend like you don't like to do it.
Oh and then there are etiquettes which basically give you additional options based on which you took. Except good luck trying to guess which etiquette the dev used since you can't have many and the options for them appear very rarely. There's no difference between them and they just allow you to skip an easy simple combat at best
Basically Shadowrun Returns is like a turn-based isometric version of Mass Effect. Quest compass, zero interactivity with the dull linear world. Same "kill or talk" type of dialogues, same kill or talk type of quests. Linear. "Skills" are little more than +10 to dmg.
Graphics btw look like speedpaint made in a rush. Sure some areas do look good but some look like a blurred mess and more like a painted drawing. Interface is also made for tablets. Hugeass icons, a lot of scrolling in the skill screen.
If this is how Kickstarter RPGs are then you can forget about that era ever coming back.
Yeah, pretty much. Considering the nature of the plot, it'd be much better if the game allowed you to interact with the environment a bit more and search for clues on your own rather than just throw a few "CLICK ME!" icons at you every now and then. There have been some pretty good parts that have offered multiple ways to get around an obstacle, but when you can only click on a handful of stuff and/or talk to one or two people, it's pretty much impossible to not figure out a solution almost instantly.
I've enjoyed the game a lot so far. It is streamlined as hell in many ways, but it looks great and has a pretty cool atmosphere, mostly really enjoyable writing and solid combat. With some side quests, less static environments and some more freedom (at least the ability to move freely between different areas) it might be pretty awesome. Now, it feels a bit too much like the low-budget indie/Kickstarter game that it is to even warrant a direct comparison to any "classic" cRPG.
poetic codex
Augur
- Joined
- Aug 14, 2010
- Messages
- 292
Why do i get the feeling that there is this huge pink elephant in the room and codexers are too afraid to point it out because they don't want to go against the hivemind?
This plays like an android/ipad game that was ported to pc. It even feels like I would be better off using one of those touchscreen monitors.
Granted the game has good points such as an excellent writing style that really paints the gameworld inside your mind. I just didn't expect codexers to just shrug off the conspicuously mobile feel of the game.
Waiter, take my food back! There's not enough codex rage on my plate!
This plays like an android/ipad game that was ported to pc. It even feels like I would be better off using one of those touchscreen monitors.
Granted the game has good points such as an excellent writing style that really paints the gameworld inside your mind. I just didn't expect codexers to just shrug off the conspicuously mobile feel of the game.
Waiter, take my food back! There's not enough codex rage on my plate!
How could one possibly know what an Android/iPad game plays like?
Oh wait, it's poetic codex.
Zewp
Arcane
- Joined
- Sep 30, 2012
- Messages
- 3,617
I also wish there was a bit more to do in the game. I'm about three hours in and I've only been in about 5 combat situations, all of which were resolved in around 5 minutes. I'm glad the game doesn't focus too much on combat, but a little bit more combat wouldn't hurt it.
DramaticPopcorn
Guest
Skyway doesn't even own it
Dumbfuck tags are used for honest-to-God retards, not for socially inept Christ-trolls. Just stop handfeeding it and I promise you, it will go away.
Multiple Sarcasm
Arcane
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2007
- Messages
- 3,181
FFS, skyway, you're such a tease! I've been playing for hours and I'm yet to find a single NPC I could romance.
Syril
Liturgist
- Joined
- Nov 1, 2011
- Messages
- 1,385
The game is pretty much shallow, limited character creation and customization, limited xcomified combat, linear pathways where you go from one map to another which is just point A to point B.Pretty much non existant side quests (i had one side quests where i had to kill 2 guys, seriously?). Comparing it to the great ones like Fallout or Baldur's Gate it gets 5/10 max. Comparing it to the recent AAA popamole rpgs it gets 7/10
poetic codex
Augur
- Joined
- Aug 14, 2010
- Messages
- 292
Yeah, but people just dismiss it and shrug it off as no big deal. Such blatantly unmonocle behavior caught me off guard, that's all. Either we're becoming more open minded and accepting or we've been slowly infected with the decline without even knowing it.
DramaticPopcorn
Guest
oh yeah as if there is no negativity and scepticism towards this game. HAHAHA CODEX HIVEMIND HAHAHA
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2011
- Messages
- 100,411
It's all about expectations. We've known for months now that this was going to be an "RPG Lite".
- Joined
- Sep 25, 2012
- Messages
- 30,315
Decline's inevitable. All you can do is roll with the punches.
Damn, still at work. Four hours before I can start the game.
a bear named spigot
Arcane
- Joined
- Sep 19, 2012
- Messages
- 784
2 easy 2 linear. Pleasant but uninspired. Get cracking on those modules, nerds.
I only got to play for a couple hours yesterday so it's possible that the game improves later on, but so far I'm inclined to agree with skyway. Initial impression was very underwhelming aside from the gorgeous iso gfx. Sure, it's turn-based TURN-BASED! but piss easy and thus only marginally tactical, and outside of combat there's apparently precious little to do. No exploration, barely any interaction with the world, tediously linear mission structure. But I'll reserve final judgment until I've finished it, which, by all accounts, shouldn't take too long.
Kem0sabe
Arcane
Game only proves how much of a graphics whore the average codexer really is. 
Ooooo, pretty isometric "2D" graphics
Anyways, for 12 euros i'm buying it when i get home later today, it does look pretty.
Ooooo, pretty isometric "2D" graphics
Anyways, for 12 euros i'm buying it when i get home later today, it does look pretty.
Kem0sabe
Arcane
Game needs a centralized module and asset distribution site beyond what steam offers. But nexus is being coy about adding support for Shadowrun.
My impressions so far (I've just entered the UB basement):
+ the game looks great, the set pieces are gorgeous, the character portraits and description work and while I do not share Roxor's orgasmic feelings about the sound track, the music complements the game nicely
+ the story so far is an enjoyable ride, even if it would work better for someone who has no idea about SR metaplot
+ I actually enjoy the feel of the combat, there's a lot to do each turn (attacks, spells, buffs, summons, abilities, grenades), so it's less "keep targeting one bastard until he drops" than I've feared
+ I love Shadowrun
- the game looks great, but the scenes ale largely dead - there are lockers and shelves and w/e everywhere, but you can only interact with a select few hot spots
- the dialogue, while competently written, gives you choices of A) I'll do it, B) I'll do it grumpily or C) I'll do it - pay me!!! in the best Biowarean tradition (and the Etiquettes are largely useless (which in my case was topped by the fact that I picked Street and have not been able to use it so far), letting you get a bit more reward or save on a little bribe money, cosmetic stuff really)
- the combat is easyyyyyyy (I'm playing on hard and not feeling it) - I've done once so far and only due to combination of suicidal overconfidence and forgetting to make use of all my available options
- I kinda miss looting
+/- I am split on the autosaves so far - they give a bit of a challenge to the combat, but sometimes they really are too far apart and when your MC drops it's over - your team can't revive you
+/- there is some out of combat skill use (mostly decking), but since you are supposed to progress with one character all these checks can often be circumvented by reading a lots of notes and a guessing password retrieval game
A lot of these gripes are more a problem of the campaign and not the game itself though, so we shall see what the modding community (and HBS in the Berlin expansion, using all the looting for being a top seller on Steam for a while) brings to the table
My verdict at this moment is: I do not regret spending $15 on this
+ the game looks great, the set pieces are gorgeous, the character portraits and description work and while I do not share Roxor's orgasmic feelings about the sound track, the music complements the game nicely
+ the story so far is an enjoyable ride, even if it would work better for someone who has no idea about SR metaplot
+ I actually enjoy the feel of the combat, there's a lot to do each turn (attacks, spells, buffs, summons, abilities, grenades), so it's less "keep targeting one bastard until he drops" than I've feared
+ I love Shadowrun
- the game looks great, but the scenes ale largely dead - there are lockers and shelves and w/e everywhere, but you can only interact with a select few hot spots
- the dialogue, while competently written, gives you choices of A) I'll do it, B) I'll do it grumpily or C) I'll do it - pay me!!! in the best Biowarean tradition (and the Etiquettes are largely useless (which in my case was topped by the fact that I picked Street and have not been able to use it so far), letting you get a bit more reward or save on a little bribe money, cosmetic stuff really)
- the combat is easyyyyyyy (I'm playing on hard and not feeling it) - I've done once so far and only due to combination of suicidal overconfidence and forgetting to make use of all my available options
- I kinda miss looting
+/- I am split on the autosaves so far - they give a bit of a challenge to the combat, but sometimes they really are too far apart and when your MC drops it's over - your team can't revive you
+/- there is some out of combat skill use (mostly decking), but since you are supposed to progress with one character all these checks can often be circumvented by reading a lots of notes and a guessing password retrieval game
A lot of these gripes are more a problem of the campaign and not the game itself though, so we shall see what the modding community (and HBS in the Berlin expansion, using all the looting for being a top seller on Steam for a while) brings to the table
My verdict at this moment is: I do not regret spending $15 on this
Stereotypical Villain
Arcane
The Nexus network probably won't do it. You need to remember that the bread and butter of that "community" is porn, porn, PORN and fetishes. If they DO create a Nexus site for Shadowrun mods... well... the first mod to get released would probably be "naked elves".
- Joined
- May 29, 2010
- Messages
- 37,114
Hee. Shy about your ability to name characters or using your own?
You got something against nudity, you freaking prude?
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