Shadowrun Returns - Launch Trailer

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Harebrained Schemes has released a launch trailer for Shadowrun Returns on the developers youtube channel.



The year is 2054. Magic has returned to the world, awakening powerful creatures of myth and legend. Technology merges with flesh and consciousness. Elves, trolls, orks and dwarves walk among us, while ruthless corporations bleed the world dry. You are a shadowrunner — a mercenary living on the fringes of society, in the shadows of massive corporate arcologies, surviving day-by-day on skill and instinct alone. When the powerful or the desperate need a job done, you get it done… by any means necessary.

The unique cyberpunk-meets-fantasy world of Shadowrun has gained a huge cult following since its creation nearly 25 years ago. Now, creator Jordan Weisman returns to the world of Shadowrun, modernizing this classic game setting as a single player, turn-based tactical RPG.

Shadowrun Returns launches on Steam July 25th, 2013.
More information.
 
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This will be the first of the initial wave of Kickstarted old-school RPGs to ship. (The other three are Wasteland 2, Dead State and Project Eternity.) I didn't pledge this one but I look forward to seeing how it turns out.
 
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Same here, very curious to see how it turned out and also how the mod scene will develop. I definitely look forward to return to the setting - shadowrun was one of my favorite P&P games. Never played the SNES game it is apparently partly modelled after, however.
 
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Visually, it's pretty good - but I still fear it's way too limited and simplistic for my tastes. It looks less involved than even the old console Shadowrun.

Anyway - looking forward to feedback.
 
Personally, I'm disappointed with the visuals. I don't like the cartoonish art style much at all. By comparison, I think Wasteland 2 looks much better.

I'm getting sort of an Icewind Dale vibe as far as the gameplay is concerned. I think it's going to be a very combat-heavy game with a lot of encounters one after the other. I just hope the combat is as good as they're making it out to be.
 
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Ugh, I hope you're wrong about combat focus. Shadowrun is a setting that NEEDS to be about exploration, story and atmosphere.

If it's just another combat simulator - I'll pass on it altogether.

Oh, and I agree about the cartoon art style. Not my thing - but I think it's done well all the same. For people into that kind of style - it should be quite pleasing.
 
I don't regret pledging, but from what i've seen it doesnt look impressive, considering they made over 3x the money of what they asked for it certainly looks disappointing.

I get the impression that it's kind of like the new X-com, 90% combat (in quite tiny and rather generic / recycled areas) and not much story, dialogues or characters that you care for. Hope i'm completely wrong though..
 
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Yeah, I'd like to see a good balance between combat and exploration. I haven't seen much beyond combat and dialogue in any of the videos they've released though, and it seems like this game was developed awfully fast.

That, and the budget price, make me think it's probably a good idea to dial down the expectations a bit.
 
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Regardless of what the official campaign will do, the best thing about Shadowrun Returns is going to be its toolset.

Think that the game is too combat focused? Play a user module that focuses more on dialogue. Or make your own. Some high-tier backers have already had access to the toolset and despite it having only been little over a month are already doing some amazing things with it (look up Loserific's playthrough of Opifer's Life on a Limb on youtube for an example).

Though it doesn't have multiplayer I'm getting some serious NWN vibes from it.
 
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The game has accumulated quite a bit of scepticism, it seems. I still think the gamepay shown so far (yeah combat mostly, but really nice TB combat) looked great. And regarding story we'll have to see, but it WAS featured prominently in the pitch:
harebrained on KS said:
Deep, Interactive Stories

We intend to follow a braided anthology structure for our story. Jordan, his partner Mitch Gitelman and Mike Mulvihill, who led Shadowrun game development at FASA Corp. will craft and structure the meta-story, then supply key information for a group of writers to weave into their own short stories, which we'll then use as the basis for our missions. To ensure an authentic tone, we'll incorporate the storytelling skills of many Shadowrun authors and designers who've been carrying the flame over the last 23 years such as:
•Michael A. Stackpole
•Mike Mulvihill
•Tom Dowd
•Malik Toms
•Mel Odom
•Jason Hardy
•Stephen Kenson

The result should be an overall narrative that is layered, textured, and satisfying.

One of the many innovations in Data East’s Shadowrun Super Nintendo game was a unique conversation engine that opened up new avenues of conversation based upon information you learned through interactions with characters and objects. We intend on taking a similar path with a new twist or two.

What I am not expecting is a very long game or a huge amount/size of environments. It's still a budget production after all, even with far exceeding the original goal. And as the other article indicates certain decisions, like going 2D/3D hybrid turned out to be expensive.
We shall see soon enough, but I am cautiously optimistic that this will be a fun Shadowrun game, if probably not the deepest and most epic TB CRPG among the current crop.
 
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Of course the graphics will be somewhat lacking since they didn't have 50 million and 4 years to make the game. They kind of had to work with a much smaller budget, which means...um...phone realism is out? Sigh. Some of you people have no clue...at all.

Anyways, I'm looking forward to checking this out and I have realistic expectations. A good game doesn't have to be graphical overload, especially an RPG, which I would expect people at this site to already know!
 
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Regardless of what the official campaign will do, the best thing about Shadowrun Returns is going to be its toolset.

Think that the game is too combat focused? Play a user module that focuses more on dialogue. Or make your own. Some high-tier backers have already had access to the toolset and despite it having only been little over a month are already doing some amazing things with it (look up Loserific's playthrough of Opifer's Life on a Limb on youtube for an example).

This this this. Although I'm hoping it'll be great out of the figurative box, I'm really looking forward to what modders can come up with. There's sure to be texture mods for those who don't quite like the way it looks.
 
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Of course the graphics will be somewhat lacking since they didn't have 50 million and 4 years to make the game. They kind of had to work with a much smaller budget, which means…um…phone realism is out? Sigh. Some of you people have no clue…at all.

Anyways, I'm looking forward to checking this out and I have realistic expectations. A good game doesn't have to be graphical overload, especially an RPG, which I would expect people at this site to already know!

What does their budget have to do with liking or disliking their choice of artistic style? Since you seem to think others here don't have a clue, perhaps you could loan us one. ;)
 
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Of course the graphics will be somewhat lacking since they didn't have 50 million and 4 years to make the game. They kind of had to work with a much smaller budget, which means…um…phone realism is out? Sigh. Some of you people have no clue…at all.

How do you explain me liking the graphics in Balrum, Project Eternity, Wasteland 2 and several other Kickstarters, then?

I don't like cartoon style graphics - it's as simple as that.

I actually added that I think the graphics are well done if you like that style.

Probably best if we don't discuss who's holding the clues, don't you think?

Anyways, I'm looking forward to checking this out and I have realistic expectations. A good game doesn't have to be graphical overload, especially an RPG, which I would expect people at this site to already know!

Apparently, all you need is combat, right?

That's what we've seen from Shadowrun so far.

See? Strawmen can be annoying ;)
 
11,230 posts of opinions. jesus christ. just play the game :p
 
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Game isn't out :)

If you can make all the games of the future come out - RIGHT NOW - I'll gladly shut my mouth and not talk about my opinions until I'm done with them all.

Deal?
 
I actually quite like the graphics, thought they fit game very well....Like Ghan, I'm "cautiously optimistic" about this project...In any case, I'll be finding out if my KS money was well spent on this fairly soon :)
 
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Yeah, I'm a big fan of the art style. I am definitely slightly more excited for Wasteland 2, as Wasteland is possibly my favorite game ever, and Shadowrun is a setting that I'm ambivalent about (I don't like it, I don't dislike it,) but the art in SR:R looks more appealing to me than the W2 art - which, regardless, I really like as well.

I expect a fun toolset, lots of options, great character creation and leveling options, good turn-based combat, and a fun if short campaign (I dunno, shorter but MUCH better than NWN's OC? Maybe a 12 hour affair? I'd like more but… budget.)

I guess in many things I'm just not as picky as many curmudgeons who seem to inhabit here. Hence why I usually post so little here. But South Park and SR:R are things I'm terribly excited about (and those other KS games: W2, PE, T:ToN, TBS…)
 
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