#harebrained schemes

Shadowrun Combo Review

Developer: Harebrained Schemes Publisher: Paradox Interactive Rrp: £10.79 (Gog.com), £10.99 (Humblebundle, Steam) and £11.39 (Epic) Released: 25th July 2013 Available on: Gog.com, Humblebundle, Steam and Epic Played Using: Mouse and Keyboard Approximate game length: 12 Hours (for the base campaign)

Shadowrunners are the ones who do the dirty jobs that the Corporations need doing but also don't want their names attached. As far as the System is concerned, they don't exist, they're a ghost. So who better to break into a rival Corps officies and steal some secrets or perform a hit or simply deliver a package you don't trust your colleauges to handle. They're a nessecary evil in the modern world of 2054.

The Shadowrun games are is based off of the tabletop RPG Shadowrun, which was created by Jordan Weisman. I mention this because Jordan Weisman is also the lead designer of Shadowrun Returns. The world of Shadowrun is a cyperpunk dystopia where corporations run the world... sounds like every cyberpunk dystopia right? Well the key difference with Shadowrun is that magic has returned and now the world has elves, dwarfs, trolls and orks along with a number of other creatures. Since these games came from a tabletop RPG it makes sense that they would be CRPG's (Computer Role Playing Games) with turn based tactical combat that is similar to the likes of Xcom, and yes that does include the chance to hit ratio stat that I swear lies to you sometimes.

With all three of these titles you get to select which campaign to play when you choose to start a new game. By default there's only one in each title (with exception of Dragonfall which includes the campaign from Shadowrun Returns) but more can be added through Nexus mods and the Steam Workshop (assuming you're playing the Steam version). What makes this work so well is that there is no voiceacting anywhere within these games, so as long as the writing is good any user generated campaign can be as good as the one that comes as standard.

As is the case with most RPG's you start on the character creation screen where you get to choose your gender, race, archetype (think class) and etiquette. When you pick your race you get to choose between humans, elves, dwarves, orks and trolls. The race you pick will dictate your starting stats, for example a troll is stronger and tougher than an elf but is also stupider and less charismatic. Your choice of race can also have an influence on conversation options though this isn't seen often. All the races, apart from humans, are thought of as 'metahuman' which is part of the lore of the Shadowrun universe lore so I won't go into it. Once you have your race chosen you can pick your archetype, you have the choices of; street samurai, mage, decker, shaman, rigger and physical adept. There's also an option to pick none for those who wish to completely customise an archetype. The last thing you do (with exception of naming the character) is choose two etiquettes. These represent your character knowing how to speak and carry themselves while dealing with people from certain backgrounds. You won't talk to an aristocrate the same way that you speak to a common street thug, for example and visa versa.

In all three games your character will gain 'karma' which is used to increase attributes and skills. However, unlike most RPGs you won't gain karma simply by killing creatures. Instead karma comes from completing quests such as the sidequests that can be found. The amount of these side quests (at least in the base campaigns) is very much dependant on which campaign you're playing. In Dead Man's Switch, which is the Shadowrun Returns campaign there aren't that many but in Dragonfall there are quite a few to find. Of course, what I've said only relates to those campaigns another user made campaign might be absolutely chock full of them.

Along with the karma you are often rewarded with money for the tasks you perform, the currency in this case being Nuyen. You'll be needing the money as well in order to buy better equipment (there is no raiding of bodies), spells and hiring in other Shadowrunners.

The Shadowrun universe has its own vernacular that you'll grow to understand as you play, although if you want a quick guide there's a glossary within the help menu. The help menu is also where you can find information on the various actions you can perform in the game, just in case you forgot.

I can only really speak on the campaign that was provided by the developers but from what I experienced I'd say this game is well worth a look, especially for those who like RPG's and fancy something outside of the usual fantasy fare. And if you like what you play of the game, perhaps try your hand with the editor that comes packaged with the game to create your own story.

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Shadowrun: Dragonfall – Directors Cut

Developer: Harebrained Schemes Publisher: Paradox Interactive Rrp: £10.99 (Humblebundle, Steam),£11.09 (Gog.com) and £11.39 (Epic) Released: 18th September 2014 Available on: Humblebundle, Steam, Gog.com and Epic Played Using: Mouse and Keyboard Approximate game length: 20 Hours (for the base campaign) The first thing I want to say about Shadowrun: Dragonfall is that this isn't a sequel to Shadowrun Returns, nor is it a side story. No, this is its own game set in the same world but in a different location. If I were to make a comparison to another franchise I would say that these two are linked together in the same way that Fallout 3 and Fallout New Vegas are (ignoring the fact those are made by different developers). One acknowledges the existance of the other but the events of either game has no impact on the other.

Most of the things I would say about Shadowrun: Dragonfall (which henceforth shall be refered to as Dragonfall and Returns respectively) are the same as with Returns, which makes sense since they share the same engine. However, there are two main differences between Dragonfall and Returns the first of which is the change in UI. To me, Dragonfall's UI just looks a lot cleaner and easier to parse, while I understand that that is mostly cosmetic I really did find the change to be an improvement. The second difference, and its a huge one, are your companions... In Returns built in campaign you had to hire in help or were occassionally given an NPC to accompany you. But in Dragonfall your given a team who will remain with you throughout the campaign. They will comment on your decisions and will even change their attitude toward you, for good or ill. They'll also level up and you get a hand in influencing that by picking between two skills when they do. Eventually you'll even get the chance to perform loyalty missions for them that will have an effect later in the game.

I also found that the story within the campaign of Dragonfall was much more indepth, I can say for certain it was longer than the one included in Returns. There were more characters to interact with and eventually form a bond with. I grew to know the reasonably sized hub area and went out of my way to explore it all. ----

Shadowrun: Hong King – Extended Edition

Developer: Harebrained Schemes Publisher: Paradox Interactive Rrp: £14.69 (Gog.com), £14.99 (Humblebundle, Steam) and £15.49 (Epic) Released: 20th August 2015 Available on: Gog.com, Humblebundle, Steam and Epic Played Using: Mouse and Keyboard Approximate game length: 20 Hours (for the base campaign)

Seeing that so far I've covered the previous two of the Shadowrun games and had to handwave the similarities already I think it's best to focus on what Shadowrun: Hong Kong does differently to the other two. Firstly, when creating your character a new skill has appeared attached to the 'Body' attribute called 'Cyber Affinity'. This new skill unlocks more potent cyberware and grants bonuses relating to it. You also finish up the creation process by giving your character not only a street name but also a first and last name.

Secondly, hacking has been changed. In the previous games performing a hack within cyberspace was a skill check. For those not in the know, a skill check is when a game system compares your characters numerical skill against the challenge of the task; ie the check requires your characters strength to be 6 or more and your character has a strength of 8, that means they've passed the check. But the way hacking works in Shadowrun: Hong Kong is with an actual mini-game, or rather two mini games. The first is a simple case of simon says, you don't actually need to do this part but the more successful inputs you make the more time you will get with the hack. The second mini-game requires you to match seven symbols that fade in and out and select the correct one from a list.

Third, and lastly, this iteration of the game has a few voiced and illustrated cutscenes. This might seem a bit strange to comment on but when combined with the actual content of the story within the game they really help sell some of the horrific imagery involved.

One of the things I really love about the Shadowrun universe is that the choices you make are rarely black and white. There is almost always a downside that you'll have to contend with at some point, even if its relatively minor.

All three of these games are great, if you like a story heavy RPG, which I do. However, you need to be willing to actually read and I know many people have something of an aversion to that. If you get the chance to get a hold of these games I really do recommend it!

If these games appealed to you perhaps try;

Xcom: Enemy Unknown Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden Divinity Original Sin 2: Definitive Edition

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I am so, so excited for you all to meet my friends: the Lamplighters League.

(I'm in this one! 👇)