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Ahh finally, another Shadowrun game. Unfortunately for the pen and paper role players, its not the intricate RPG they've been waiting for. Instead this version is loosely based on the SR Universe, not a direct translation by any means. If the fanboys of the original concept could look past that and actually try the game they might be pleasantly surprised. The basic premise of this version is about a corporate group known as RNA who's main goal is to control the magic in a South American country for profit, while the opposing side, The Lineage, a type of rebellion attempt to preserve the magic for all. Each side consists of 4 playable races. There are the tech savvy Humans, swift footed Elves, tank sized Trolls and magically inclined Dwarfs. Each has their own strengths and weakness in all areas of play. If for ex. you play as an Elf, you'll be fast with a Katana blade but slowed down by heavy weaponry. Play as a Troll and you can carry any type of armament without so much as breaking a sweat. Same rules apply to magic and technology. Many say this game is Counter Strike with magic, which is a fair comparison. Like CS, you're granted a certain sum of money to buy new stuff depending on how well you and your team does. Aside from not making basement dwelling warriors happy, Shadowrun has other faults. For a $60 price tag you're not getting many options. There is no single player campaign, instead there's a brief training course that acquaints you with how each facet of the game works. At the end of each training mission is a round devoted to fighting against bots. It's great to have but don't expect to do it more than once. But the real meat of the game is the online multiplayer. And again, considering what you've paid, you would fully expect there to be a multitude of online options. Sadly there are none. Basically if you want to play online you have to join a random public match. You can however create a party with friends and move from match to match if you like, but it doesn't always guarantee you'll all be on the same team. Than there are the modes of play. Raid, Attrition and Extraction. Raid and Extraction are virtually the same thing. Either both teams vy for the Artifact/Flag or one team simply defends it. Attrition is basically team deathmatch. Not much to it and very disappointing. Another issue most people noticed is the lack of character customization. Although you can choose from 4 different races, there are only 2 model types for each, one per faction. You'd think at the very least, being based on such a prominent RPG you'd have at least some customization. No dice. Although it doesn't necessarily ruin the gaming experience, it certainly doesn't help it. Something not as predominant but noticeable is the animations. As a steadfast gamer I couldn't help but cringe at how bad some of it was. The ugliest one is how your avatar ascends a ladder. You don't so much as climb it as you just sorta float up in a standing position. It really leaves the impression that this game shipped unfinished. But despite all of Shadowruns faults, the gameplay is just brilliant. There is so much strategy amidst the frantic gameplay. As complex as it may seem, anyone can pick this up and learn all you need to know in about an hour. Any argument you can make against SR, you can't say this isn't fun. That much they got right. I think this game will truly shine when some d/l content comes out.Read full review
Really, it's like a very cheesy Destiny. You can play on- or off-line. You play with a group against another group. You kill to earn money to buy upgrades. It's fast-paced but not really fun. One of the reasons being when you die, yeah you respawn... eventually... but some of the things that take so long to upgrade are then lost because you died and you have to start over with the basic weapons again. And you die SO EASILY! Terrible design. Terrible game. Save your money.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Graphics: Above Average 6/10 The graphics are well… there. Looks like an original up converted XBOX game. Sound: Above Average – 6.5/10 You can tell that there is gun fire, and there is battle noises, but after other 360 games such as GRAW 2 or the BETA, the sound is just lacking. Gameplay: Great – 8.5/10 The game itself can get boring, even for a huge FPS fan. The magic system though, is a nice addition and is fun to use. It is a great multiplayer game. Replay Value – Above Average 6/10 After you finish the tutorial, the two game modes, and play online for about three-six hours, this game starts to wear thin. Overall – 6.5/10 This game is the first to make the big jump of gaming between PC and consoles, and it does just that. I wanted to like this game, I really did, but the cost versus the benefit is not here. The problem is however, the game is thin – and I mean real thin. The real problem is that this game is retailed at $59.99, and would be better received if it were only $29.99, because you are only getting half of a game here. Looking out for your dollar, this is going to be a judgment call on the buyer. REVIEW: When playing this game, I have to emphasize there is no real single-player game in Shadowrun. There are six short tutorials that offer a semblance of plot, some step-by-step training with every weapon, magic and tech before you’re dropped into a bot match to try it all out. It takes approximately an hour and 10 minutes to complete, but that’s it for going at it alone. This game is in severe need of a single-player component, if only to let you get used to the multiple methods of playing it. Each mission starts, like Counterstrike, with you buying a selection of weapons, magic and tech from a menu. The better your team does and the better you do individually, the more money you get each round. The powers are definitely the best thing about the game, making you feel liberated in a way that’s superior even to Crackdown. The technology of the powers and magic are equally good. The weapons themselves are mostly unsatisfying, unlike the magic which is fun. There’s no real mid-range weapon and the standard rifle needs replacing completely, it’s so bad. In fact, only the katana, shotgun and mini-gun actually feel worth using. The game, though sharing the art and design of the original Shadowrun role-playing games, is not that great to look at. It features roughly-rendered textures and lots of jagged flat surfaces, leaving it looking like an up-scaled Xbox game. The biggest problem, in my opinion, is the lack of in game objectives. There’s not a massive amount of variety in the game. The options for multiplayer are slim - two, and the levels, well – there are two of them. You know that there is going to be XBL Marketplace content soon for this game. Shadowrun’s ambition to make players from Xbox 360 and PC play together has worked. It can be enjoyable to work out good combinations of magic and tech, and see them succeed. We can foresee a hardcore of gamers carrying on playing it and developing new, unique ways of playing, turning this into a real working game that is not forgiving of new people. However, in terms of graphics, in terms of variety, in terms of accessibility, it’s a failure on both 360 and PC. Overall, we’re coming down on the side of a missed opportunity over awesome new content – let’s hope they learn from this endeavor.Read full review
Read this review and others with pictures/video @ http://gnadegames.blogspot.com Shadowrun is the first dual platform Xbox/Vista game. Poor PC gamers have to purchase the game, a Windows Live account (the PC version of Xbox Live), and probably a gamepad. Luckily for 360 owners, you probably have everything but the game...but you may not even want that. Gameplay: 7/10 Pros: Magic/Tech elements work well and being able to resurrect fallen teammates is a great addition. Using the 3 mapped abilities is easily done and it all rounds out to be a very different FPS experience with lots of depth and strategies to be worked out. Cons: Only 3 ability slots sucks because changing abilities leaves you completely vulnerable and is awkward in the middle of a match. Why not use the d-pad to hold 4 more abilities? The game is multiplayer only which is a real shame since the abilities could've made some interesting levels and missions. Graphics: 7/10 Pros: Magic effects look pretty cool and all the abilities are animated really well. Different character classes, weapons are easily identified. Levels look good. Visuals are decent. Cons: No climbing animation! Characters just float up ladders! There is a total lack of variety/customization with the races...every RNA human looks the same, every Lineage dwarf looks the same, etc. with only 2 factions this seems ridiculous. Sound/Music: 8/10 Pros: The training has good voicework, sound effects are very diverse (from magical zaps to machine guns spewing lead) and the music fits the mood of the gameplay and level. Cons: Music is forgettable and the overall audio experience is on par with other titles. Lasting Appeal: 5/10 Pros: There are a lot of nuances, weapons, abilities, and characters classes to experiment with and learn how to use. The combinations of abilities, weapons, and classes really affect how you play this unique first person shooter. Online multiplayer with up to 16 people on xbox and Vista is a first. Cons: Only 9 maps, a handful of modes, multiplayer only, 8 or so abilities, techs, and weapons and 4 races is not worth $60. The gameplay online is tough to get into and there's a steep learning curve. Average: 67.50% Tilt: - 3.50% A $60 pricetag for this game is pretty infuriating. You only get 9 maps and judging from the Xbox Marketplace 4-6 maps go for about $10...so let's say $20 for 9. $10 buys you a casual Xbox Live Arcade title so since this one has better graphics and all that, lets say $20. That leaves us with a $40 game, now subtract $5-10 for not taking the time to animate climbing or making more modes and you are left with a $30-$35 game. At that price, Shadowrun would be a fair deal and would make the experience enjoyable. At $60, this game is an entire rip-off...and while the game is not bad...it's price forces you to compare it with all the other $60 titles out there which feel like much more complete packages in comparison. Verdict: 64%Read full review
To start if you ONLY play single player...This game is one of the few Multiplayer FPS games on the 360 or any console that i can say is a must have purchase. You can teleport thru walls, floors, ceilings and other objects! (That alone blew my mind) But the shooting, gliding, different character abilities like Rez etc kick some serious ass too.) Be human, elf, and more! This is the way FPS games should be heading. We are tired of twitch action shooting. If they could only add in some force/telekenetic powers it would almost be perfect. To end, if you only like games that move fast like Quake3 you shouldnt be too disapointed in this. It plays a bit slower but, as I prefer QUAKE style speed myself, this is still worth the grab. The only thing that lowered my rating is the fact of no single player story/Bot battles only. That makes this game, imo, only worth about $40-$48 max. anything over $50 and you should feel ripped off. ~E~ Edit: At this time, due to the company going defunk and the lack of any DLC coming out for this game due to that fact. I have to change a few things. First DO NOT PAY more then $10 for this game! Its just not worth it. Second, after hours upon hours of play this game has just too few modes and maps and now the lack of being able to find people online playing this just kills it for me on the 360. Is it fun? YES Is it a unique idea? definatly! But there are other games out there that are way worth your time and money.Read full review
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