I feel that the SNES was the last major console that had a sound of its own. That’s not to say that later consoles don’t have great music. It’s just that the limitations of the 8 and 16-bit eras gave their platforms a ??unique voice. After the shift to CD, that was lost.

The Nintendo S-SMP, created by Ken Kutaragi, was one of the most sophisticated console sound hardware at the time. But ?while that didn’t necessarily give it an advantage over the PC-Engine/Turbografx or Sega Genesis/Megadrive, it did give it a unique sound among its competitors. This led to more fantastic soundtracks than I can name.

Really, while I picked ten SNES soundtracks for this best-of list, there are many more that I considered. Games like Demon’s Crest, Addams Family Values, Final Fantasy VI, Yoshi’s Island, Jurassic Park, Chrono Trigger, Super Adventure Island, Super Metroid, Kirby’s Super Star, Actraiser, Super Mario Kart �?and thos?e are just the games I can list off the top?? of my head.

But before hitting the list, let me state the limitations I’m imposing on myself. First, a composer can only be mentioned once, making it so Koji Kondo doesn’t just dominate the whole thing. I’m also restricting this to games released in North America. Lastly, my choices favor games with soundtracks that are varied, consist?ent, and don’t l?ean heavily on pre-existing songs from other platforms such as arcade or even movies. It's not enough to have one great song,

Last year, I covered the 10 Best NES Soundtracks, so if you haven’t already and don’t think I’m completely off my rocker, you can check it out here.

10. Plok (1993, Music By: Geoff Follin, Tim Follin)

Tim and Geoff Follin are responsible for some of the best soundtracks on bad games. Mostly. They did the tracks for Silver Surfer, Solstice, and Pictionary on NES, and strangely enough, the soundtracks to each are incredible. Yes, even Pictionary.

Similarly, Plok is just as incredible. While the game itself is, eh, not really top shelf, the Follin brothers just went to to?wn on the soundtrack. It’s varied, unconventional, and high-quality from opening to credits. Even the sound sam?pling for the instrumentation is mind-blowing.

9. Shadowrun (1993, Music by: Marshall Parker)

The SNES version of Shadowrun was a bit of a strange game. Based on the tabletop RPG of the same name, it was part adventure game and part action RPG. What makes it weird is that both the adventuring and the combat were done via mouse inte??rface on a console, and it didn’t choose to use the SNES mouse controller. It’s still a pretty great, if often overlooked, title I have ??a lot of affection for.

A good portion of that affection, however, comes from its extremely atmospheric soundtrack. Shadowrun’s environments were drenched in darkness, taking place during a see??mingly endless night, and Marshall Parker was able to capture that completely. It draws?? you into the shadows and makes you feel like you’ve missed the last train home and are left to walk the empty streets. In other tracks, it underlines the mystery and gives you the sense of a greater conspiracy.

I love the Shadowrun soundtrack so much, that at this point, it’s the music I associate with the other games based on the TTRPG. The series?? has always had great composers working on it, but Marshall Parker’s interpretation is the only one that fe??els right to me.

8. F-Zero (1990, Music by: Yumiko Kanki, Naoto Ishida)

I love the buzzy sound of early SNES soundtracks. Pilotwings and SimCity both were great demonstrations of this weirdly unique sound of fuzzy percussion and trumpet-like melodies. F-Zero, however, outbuzzed them all.

It’s difficult to imagine an F-Zero game without the themes of Mute City of?? Big Blue, but the original’s OST went far beyond that with atmospheric, slow melodies played over hyperactive drumrolls. It simultaneously sounds like the anthem to a sports highlight show while still underlining the edge-of-control danger that defines the series.

7. Axelay (1992, Music By: Tarō Kudō)

Axelay is a solid shoot-’em-up, but it’s not the most memorable. The soundtrack, on the other hand, is absolutely incredible. Tarō Kudō is perhaps better known for his design work at Love-de-Lic and Vanpool, but while at Konami, he helped out with the sound design on Super Castlevania IV and composing for Axelay.

Axelay’s soundtrack is excellent all around, being atmospheric between flights and exciting when the lasers start flying. I feel this is best demonstrated by the Stage 3 track, Mother. It kicks off with a brassy fanfare before start?ing into one of the most dynamic percussive backings I’ve heard on the console.

But perhaps most importantly for a video game, i??t works really well with everything that’s happening on screen, whether or not you’re supposed to be marveling at the?? scenery or picking out your armaments.

6. Star Fox (1993, Music by: Hajime Hirasawa)

As a game, the SNES Star Fox feels a bit hamstrung by the system’s limitations, even if it is one of the console’s more capable polygonal 3D games. Newcomers to the series would likely be put off by the general clunkiness of it. But if there’s one thing that hasn’t aged, it’s ?the soundtrack.

Star Fox 64 is often considered the seminal title in the franchise, and much of the series�?later games base their aesthetic on it. That’s a shame because its musical compositions are more similar to the sweeping space opera themes of something like Star Trek. The original Star Fox is something far dancier. It’s much more pop. Don’t get me wrong, there’s still a touch of spa?ce opera pomp mixed in there, but songs like Fortuna and Meteor? are just wildly enigmatic with unusual beats and playful basslines.

Yet, what??ever direction the varied but cohesive soundtrack takes, it’s always top-notch and fits whatever it’s layered over perfectly.

5. Legend of the Mystical Ninja (1991, Music by: Kazuhiko Uehara, Harumi Ueko)

Once one of Konami’s tentpole franchises, the Ganbare Goemon series got weirder and weirder over a decade before ceasing to exist entirely during the �?0s. We didn’t get many of the titles in North America, but one that we were fortunate to receive was 1991’s Legend of the Mystical Ninja.

What I respect most about the music in Legend of the Mystical Ninja is that it knows when to be wacky, when to be exciting, and when to be relaxing. With its unique sampling, it evokes a picturesque Edo-era Japan while still providing an effective backing for the action. It’s a rather well-packed and well-rounded soundtrack that never ?loses steam.

Having only been released in Japan, the Super Famicom sequels to Legend of the Mystical Ninja weren’t eligible. Even if they were, the music in those games leaned more cartoony, and I felt they lost the ?sen??se of admiration for their home country.

4. Donkey Kong Country 2 (1995, Music By: David Wise)

It’s impressive that the soundtrack to Donkey Kong Country could be improved upon, but it happened. With an injection of pirate motif und??erneath the startlingly atmosp??heric guitar(ish) squeals, David Wise absolutely blew away the sounds of the previous game.

It’s hard to describe the overarching success of Donkey Kong Country 2’s soundtrack, aside from just calling it startling. Th??e title theme slaps you across the ears right from the start, and it’s less than a minute long. Then, throughout the course of the game, it hits you with high-intensity action tracks and uncomfortable calming atmospheric tunes. A level’s theme will not prepare your ears for wh??at they’re about to hear, yet somehow, it all fits.

3. Super Mario RPG (1996, Music by: Yoko Shimomura)

It seems to have been an unwritten rule that SNES JRPGs were required to have some great music. Final Fantasy VI and Chrono Trigger were contenders for this list, but I don’t think they have the same consistency or unconventional quality as the soundtrack for Super Mario RPG.

It must have been pretty tempting to lean back on the work of Super Mario’s usual composer Kōji Kondō, who had already defined what a Mario game should sound like. And while there are definitely shades of that here, Yoko Shimomura went her own way and created something unique. Not only that, it goes beyond just good?? battle music and provides something to fit each of the game’s emotional beats. There are a lot of themes here for minor places and minor characters. Sometimes, the theme track that goes along with the character is part of what defines them and makes them stand out, such as the case of Booster.

Whatever was happening on screen, the soundtrack just fit. And yet still, it’s great to listen to, even outside the context of the gameplay. Many of the tracks carry more emotional weight than you’d expect from the license, and more of them have an upbeat bounciness. It just has so much to offer, which puts it above other JRPGs and Mario games.

2. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (1991, Music by: Kōji Kondō)

The soundtrack for The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past comes out swingi?ng with one of the most memorable introductory fanfares on the console, followed by a ?song that is way too good for an expositional prologue. It then continues to surprise at every turn.

One would expect Link to the Past would lean heavily on the already established OST to the original 1986 title, but ??there weren’t very many tracks to begin with. It really only reuses the main theme and menu music, which are greatly overshadowed by everything else in the soun??dtrack. A good track will often hit you where you don’t expect it like the inconspicuous Sanctuary music or the powerful Dark World theme.

It’s a powerful soundtrack that underlines a powerful g??ame. Some of the ?tracks still give me goosebumps, even after I’ve heard them a kajillion times.

1. Mega Man X (1993, Music By: Setsuo Yamamoto, Makoto Tomozawa, Yuki Iwai, Yūko Takehara, Toshihiko Horiyama)

At this point, the Mega Man X soundtrack is just the music that constantly plays on the Juke Box in my head. On many mornings, I wake up with the Highway theme from Mega Man X. Randomly, throughout the day, I’ll wonder what tune keeps repeating in my brain and realize it’s the hook from Boomer Kuwanger’s stag??e or Spark Mandrill. It’s wild how much stock my brain puts on this game’s tunes.

The Mega Man series has always been serious about its soundtrack, and they went big with the inaugural game of its new SNES sub-series. It’s a long string of absolutely top-shelf tracks with memorable melodies and a high level of consistency. But more importantly, it highlighted the fast pace and more intense action that the X subseries had over its predecessor. It’s just plain le?gend??ary.

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Decking in the matrix, once again

User wwm0nkey on Resetera has revealed that thanks to a push from fans, Microsoft has revived the matchmaking service on the 2007 Shadowrun shooter on PC and Xbox 360.

The Shadowrun tabletop RPG has seen its share of video game representation over the years, but it hasn’t all been good. The 2007 multi-player shooter is seen as the biggest flop. This is mainly because it has very little to do with the tabletop game and was widely written off before it even hit the market. It didn’t help the PC version that this was when Microsoft was trying to push people to the maligned Windows Vista, and?? they locked it to that version of the OS and left anyone unwilling to upgrade out in the cold.

Nonetheless, the shooter has always had its fans. According to wwm0nkey, the game was considered dead until about a year ago when it was discovered it was still working. This continued until about a week ago when matchmaking fixes for older Call of Duty matchmaking were pushed out, which inadvertently borked Shadowrun. Fans reached out to Microsoft, who were quick to fix things. Things are apparently back now and faster than ev?er.

[caption id="attachment_392103" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Microsoft[/caption]

Bring it in, Chummer

wwm0nkey gives p??rops to Adam Isgreen, Jason Ronald, and others on the backward compatibility team a?t Microsoft for getting things back into ship-shape. Considering that Microsoft probably has little financial incentive to do this, it’s an extremely solid thing to do. High-fives for everyone involved and hugs for anyone who feels comfortable.

Being a fan of the property, I have always been a bit curious about Shadowrun 2007, but I thought the ship had sailed on actually trying it. I’m not much of a multi-player shooter, but I might have to hurry to get some time into this one before I lose my chance entirely. Not sure I'll join the unofficial Discord server. I assume there ??are people there, and?? I have social anxiety.

Shadowrun is still available as part of t?he backward-compatible catalog for Xbox One and Xbox Serie??s X|S.

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Maybe the real fr??iends were the friends we?? made along the way!

[Destructoid reader TheBlondeBass has once again gathered folks from the community together for this edition of Destructoid Draws, which focuses on their favorite sidekicks in video games! �?strong>Kevin]

So, I've been having a good time playing Yakuza: Like a Dragon these past few days. Great time, even, with the game having excellent charact??ers, writing,?? minigames, the works. But, it took a little time to get there. Like many JRPGs, the game starts with a fairly slow opening with a party of one. And, you know what? It made me appreciate just how important a strong supporting cast is.

This time around for Destructoid Draws, members of the community were asked t??o draw their favorite sidekicks and allies. Because the real stars of the show are often just to the side of the spotlight, right?

It's time to finally give these sidekicks the respect the?y truly deserve, I say!

DeScruff
Cremia from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

"Cremia is a very minor character, but she gives you one thing that I never thought I would ever want outside of a dating sim. A warm heartfelt hug. In a game as dark and depressing as Majora's Mask, that is the best reward one can get."

"See you... tomorrow... Ok?"

TriggerPigking
Nia from Xenoblade Chronicles 2

"Nia is one of my favorite characters in gaming, and I could talk about her at length. From a companion angle, she's essentially the only dedicated healer in Xenoblade Chronicles 2, so she's almost always a necessity for the party. From a character angle, she acts as a very nice ??sarcastic foil to the rest of the ??party (including Rex's upbeat attitude), which is a lot of fun.

We need more sarcastic cynical white mages in games, and the rough welsh accent she ha?s works surprisingly well for such a character."

NeoTurbo
Whacka from Paper Mario

"Whacka is everyone's favorite Paper Mario NPC for some reason or another. Whether you want to protect that precious smile or protect your party from death at the ??cost of inflicting him serious head trauma.....Whacka has something for everyone!"

TheBlondeBass
Herlock Sholmes from The Great Ace Attorney

"The Great Ace Attorney is a fascinating duo of games. They manage to simultaneously raise the bar of what is possible in an Ace Attorney game, while also managing more subdued and, dare I say... realistic cases? They're not afraid to deal purposefully unsatisfying endings that wouldn't feel out of place in a court of law, free from the chains of Ku'rain channeling. I'll say it. They've outclassed Trials and Tribulations for me.

But, I digress. These games are still very much comedic, and this larger-than-lif??e take on Sherlock Holmes takes the cake. Threading the line of genius and idiocy, you're never quite sure what's going to happen next with him, but you know you won't be disappointed!

I'm certainly not one to spoil story-rich games like this one, so let me just say this. After case 2-3, I was thinking "okay, that was the best Logic and Reasoning Spectacular." That's the name of a new mechanic where Sholmes and the main character try to piece together the clues at a crime scene, by the way. Anyway, then came cases 2-4? and 2-5, and they both blew me away back to back. That's a difficult feat!

Oh and the uh... the joke in my submission is 'The game is a foot!'. ??Sorry."

Vesalius
Glory from Shadowrun: Dragonfall

"It was a tie between her and Big Bo from Binary Domain, but she’s my favorite murderous med???ic sidekick! I always made my characters weak in combat, so it was nice having a sidekick who could shred people’s faces."

Inquisitive Raven
Fret from NEO: The World Ends With You

"Fret first comes across as your typical dudebro (and to a degree he is), but there's more to him than that. He has a surprising amount of emotion??al intelligence, often knowing what? to say to defuse a situation if possible. He presents himself as cheerful and easygoing to a fault, even when he has his own misgivings about what's going on. Later on in the game, Fret deals with the repercussions of this facade in a way that hit surprisingly close to home and led to a good bit of growth for him.

I didn't exp?ect to like him as much as ?I did. I already had ideas of some of my favorite characters, but Fret really grew on me. He's a good dude! And that's not even mentioning how he complements Rindo, who's way more passive most of the time. I like Fret as a "Sidekick" because he's legitimately his own character, and not tied to Rindo alone.

Also, I love hearing him yell, 'Galaxy Brain - ACTIVAAAAAAAAAAAAAATE!!' before a battle!"

That's it for this edi??tion of Destructoid Draws! While we're talking about favorite sidekicks, what are some of yours? As always, I'd love to see more stories and sketches in the comments! Want to check out the previou??s Destructoid Draws? Here are a few handy links!

• Guilty Gear
• Favorite Franchises
• Villains
• Original Mega Man Robot Masters
• Indie Games
• White Whales
• Super Smash Bros
• ENCORE: Guilty Gear
• ENCORE: Dream Crossovers

The post Destructoid Draws ENCORE: Favorite Sidekicks appeared first on Destructoid.

Hotter than Maria Mercurial tickets

Paradox Interactive has announced that it is bringing Shadowrun Trilogy to the Nintendo Switch platform in 2022. The trilogy will comprise of 2013's Shadowrun Returns, 2014 expansion Shadowrun: Dragonfall: Director's Cut, and finally 2015's Shadowrun: Hong Kong Extended Edition. A specific release date was not announced.

The Shadowrun Trilogy comprises of the recent digital takes on the long-running cyberpunk RPG, blending the hi-tech, lo-moral world of the tabletop RPG with an isometric digital adventure filled with interesting characters, cloak-and-dagger missions, and a hefty dose of brutal and explosive violence. Developer Harebrained Schemes' original release of Shadowrun Returns was long-awaited and much-anticipated, launching to mostly positive reception from critics following a long crowdfunding and development cycle. The release of Shadowrun: Dragonfall and later Shadowrun: Hong Kong woul??d only add to the excessive and violent universe �?expanding its world, lore, roster, and weaponry.

A listing on the Nintendo eShop offers little in the way of any new optimization details, but given Shadowrun's incredibly text-heavy storytelling and small-scale visuals, here's hoping that the new port will include some smart scaling options for those choosing to venture the avenues and alleyways in handheld mode. While the modern Shadowrun games were a little polarizing among fans, I enjoyed Shadowrun Returns, and will gladly take another trip into t?he smog-filled skies of this nostalgic series. The Soycaf is on me, chummer.

Shadowrun Trilogy will launch on Nintendo Switch?? in 2022. It is available right now on PC via ??Steam.

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Shadowrun Trilogy will be given away until June 28

Just as one summer sale starts, another is coming to a close. As the GOG Summer Sale winds down, you may want to take a look at these deals even if you have no intention of spending �?there's a 72-hour Shadowrun Trilogy freebie just for showing up.

You can find a redemption widget on the main GOG p??age, just below the to?p banner.

So, w?hat are you getting? Tactical RPG goodness from?? Harebrained Schemes.

Okay, more specifically, the trilogy spans Shadowrun Returns, Shadowrun: Dragonfall - Director's Cut, and Shadowrun: Hong Kong. The deal lasts until 6:00 a.m. Pacif?ic on June ?28.

That might sound like a lot to dive into all at once, and you're right that these are not short games �?but you can and arguably should pick and choose. Don't feel bad about jumping right into Dragonfall if ??that??'s what's speaking to you. These are standalone stories.

As for the wider GOG deals, I glanced around and immediately spotted a Jazz Jackrabbit collection listing. That sure brings me back. If you're in an oldie-but-a-goodie mood, I'll direct you to this list of the 50 highest-rated games featured in the Summer Sale.

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Available from the Epic Games Store until September 3

We've had a lot to say about Hitman 3 lately, but in the c?ur??rent landscape of weekly game giveaways and subscription passes, it's never too late to go back to older entries and catch yourself up.

This week on the Epic Games Store, IO Interactive is giving out Hitman (2016). The mischievous stealth playground was originally delivered episodica?lly, b?ut if you're coming in nowadays, you won't have to wait – you can jet around to Paris, Sapienza, Marrakesh, Bangkok, Colorado, and Hokkaido.

Right now, you can also grab the tactical RPG Shadowrun Returns and its follow-ups Dragonfall and Hong Kong in the all-encompassing Shadowrun Collection. Get in the old cyberpunk mood.

I'm jazzed about next week's free game, too. Into the Breach is a fantastic turn-based s??trategy title about keeping your mec?hs alive against relentless (but highly telegraphed) alien invaders.

Hitman and Shadowrun are free until September 3, at which point Intro the Breach will tap in.

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Calling all street samurai

Another free-game promo has popped up on the Humble Store, and this time, it's the deluxe edition of Harebrained Schemes' turn-based tactical RPG Shadowrun Returns. Strap in, we're going to Seattle!

The game is free to claim until Saturday, June 23 at 10:0??0am Pacific (or "while supplies l?ast").

Along with the core Returns experience, this humble little bundle includes the soundtrack and Anthology, a collection of short stories and artwork for Shadowrun fans to dig into.

Shadowrun Returns Deluxe [Humble Store]

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There's nothing Harebrained about this move

The Paradox Interactive family just got a little bigger. Harebrained Schemes, the studio behind BattleTech and Shadowrun, is now a subsidiary of Paradox.

As announced through a press release on Paradox's site, the Sweden-based publi??sher and developer bought 100 percent of Harebrained Schemes in exchange for $7.5 million and 25 percent of earnings before publishing costs over the next five years.

Harebrained should bring some variety to the Paradox stable of games. Paradox is most well-known for its 4X/grand strategy titles. BattleTech is a turn-based strategy game and Shadowrun is a CRPG. These two series give? Paradox an internal path to publish games that are outside its wheelhouse but still extremely popular with PC players.

Also, this acquisition isn't the first time these two companies will have teamed up. Paradox published BattleTech, which was received positively when it released in April. That game was originally Kickstarted to the tune of nearly $2.8 million. Now that Paradox is permanently in the fold, H?arebrained probably won't have to rely on crowdfunding anymore to get its games developed.

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Cross-play between Xbox 360, PC, and Xbox One

Shadowrun was a curious case ??of a shooter with impressive ideas that had a half-baked execution. I remember being ecstatic that there was finally a PC and Xbox 360 cross-play title, but the results were that PC users ended up getting the short end of the stick. Aside from higher resolution??s, the controls had heavy mouse acceleration and auto-aim to keep things in line with console players. It felt pretty damn sluggish and had some sketchy performance (at launch, at least).

I've also never been a fan of the lack of a campaign mode. I know multiplayer was the main intention, but all of those cool powers felt wasted in a typical deathmatch. The map design was severely lacking and the game basically played like a slowed-down Team Fortress. It wasn't a lot of fun, but having a campaign could have put tho??se special abilities to?? use.

The game has earned a bit of a cult following over the years, however, and it looks like those people won't need to hold onto their 360s any longer. Announced through Twitter, Shadowrun is now playable on Xbox one via backward compatibility. This game also comes along with Space Ark and Shotest Shogi, but I've never heard of those games.

I'm curious to know if owning the PC version will gi??ve you access on Xbox One. I highly doubt that, but it would be a cool little incentive for people with the PC DVD. Then again, you could just run it on PC and probably get better performance on even a modern microwave.

Major Nelson [Twitter]

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'5+ hours and a dev audio commentary'

Thought you were done with Harebrained Schemes’ Shadowrun: Hong Kong? Think again, mate.

In a very short post on Facebook, Harebrained Schemes announced Shadowrun: Hong Kong will be getting at least five hours of new content and a developer audio commentary in an upcoming update. As paid DLC that would be pretty impressive, but the developer is going one further and will be releasing it for free for people who already own the game.

There currently isn’t any ?informa?tion on what this new content will be, or even when it will launch. It seems like it will be very soon, though, judging by the wording of the announcement.

It's always nice to see developers supporting their game months after launch, especially when that support is free. I might just have to pick this up; I loved Shadowrun Returns.

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Coming this summer

One of the concerns I've had that could affect a possible Kickstarter bubble burst is a sort of "what next?" Fans fund an IGA-led Castlevania-??like en masse, then what? Do they fund it again once the novelty wears off?

In 2012, developer Hairbrained Schemes took to Kickstarter with the eventually quite good Shadowrun Returns, making nearly $2 m??illion, or more than 4 times the funding goal.

Then there was the also-good Shadowrun: Dragonfall.

And earlier this year, a Kickstarter for a third game, Shadowrun: Hong Kong, which was funded immediately. It made $1.2 million off an even more meager $100,000 goal. It sets...some kind of precedent. The well's not dried up yet, at least. Hong Kong's coming to PC, Mac, and Linux th?is summer a?nd it looks quite nice.

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Not featuring Boston's Favorite Son

In case you haven't noticed, Shadowrun has been making a comeback lately. With Harebrained Schemes' Shadowrun Returns in 2013 and the subsequent Dragonfall follow-up, the?? series has enjoyed triumphant return to form after the polarizing 2007 first-person shooter.

There's even more in the pipeline, with a future Hong Kong release from the same developer, and a completely new project from Cliffhanger Productions. Previously known as Shadowrun Online, Boston Lockdown is finally ??here after a long-d?elayed debut, promising a release from the shackles of solo play with four-player support.

It's far from the definitive Shadowrun experience, but it's a fairly competent and streamlined strat?egy title that borr??ows quite a bit from the newly established trend.

Shadowrun Chronicles - Boston Lockdown (PC) 
Developer: Cliffhanger Productions
Publisher: Nordic Games
Released: April 28, 2015
MSRP: $39.99

As a quick crash course on the story, "Shadowrun" literally refers to the act of carrying out plans which are "illegal or quasi-legal." You'll have plenty of chances to engage in said debauchery, as the world has gone through an "Awakening" 65 years before Lockdown, which takes place in 2076. Magic has returned to the world, dwarves, elves, orcs, and trolls are a thing -- oh, and dragons too. Returns took place in Seattle, Dragonfall was in Germany, and this is in Boston. Got ??it?

Action will take place in an isometric strategic format very similar to the XCOM series.?? Using a classic mouse and keyboard setup, you'll have two maximum movement grids, the second layer of wh?ich will allow you to "sprint," and immediately end your turn. The first threshold will still allow you to attack, use a skill, or interact with the environment accordingly.

Gameplay is all about positioning and outflanking your opponent, as well as placing emphasis on a risk-reward melee mechanic. For the most part you'll wan?t to conservatively duck into various bits of cover, but since hand-to-hand attacks always result in a higher damage output, there's the chance to get up close and personal. It's all very functional, but to be frank, that's about as technical as the game gets.

As you progress and earn more skills, you'll have the opportunity to delve into various trees and specialize in something that's mo?re your style. Beyond your typical passive bonuses (Mind, Body) there's weapon-centric tre?es (blades, blunt, pistols, shotguns, automatics), summoning, spellcasting, hacking, and rigging -- the latter of which is more like a "gearhead" conceit.

You don't need to hole-up into just one role (although you likely will at first), as you're free to distribute your skills as you see fit. Personally, I went with the automatic rifle route combined with a touch of summonin??g. Your basic summon includes a spirit bear, which can maul or stun enemies as its own autonomous unit -- it's really cool, but later skills are often less memorable or endearing as more progress is made. With 11 trees that feature anywhere from 13 to 20 skills each, there's a decent amount of options available, but since a lot of those doubl??e-up as "advanced" versions, there's not as much variation as I would have hoped.

This is by design, as Cliffhanger Productions has stated that it wanted a more streamlined approach with Lockdown. I'd say that with some sacrifices the studio has achieved that goal (for instance, actual statistical changes for different backgrounds and races are marginal at best), but missions o??ften lack that spark often found in other genre staples.

Most runs are predicated on simplistic kill orders, which often result in a simple flank with a series of firefights. There's very little room for nuance when most of the weaponry effectively feels the same. The script also doesn't feel as poignant as Hairbrained Schemes' titles, and although there aren't a lot of glaring problems with it, it's tough to truly resonate with Lockdown's world beyond the occasional Red Sox reference.

Your gameplay loop precedes as follows: a hub world visit to grab a mission, running said mission, returning to the hub to up?grade, and so on. There's no looming open overworld, no MMO-like exploration -- the hub is one small Boston neighborhood, with a taxi that takes you to each stage, an instance across the city. Along the way you'll earn cash to buy new weapons, armor, and augmentations, and kar??ma nets you more skills -- that's all you need to know. It's a rather confining means of play, but it works, as the almighty call of upgrades and loot is just as powerful as it is anywhere else.

So about that former "Online" moniker -- the first thing I noticed as soon as I booted up Boston Lockdown was the chat function. Nearly every avatar looks different due to the heavy amount of cosmetic options, which range from tattoos to visors that would make Ge??ordi La Forge jealous. Even in the tutori??al you're privy to a gathering of players, some of which are looking to help out new players, and others advertising their HP and gear to find a more professional-oriented group.

The entire interface has been vastly improved from its former Early Access state, as players can simply click on someone's name or their avatar in the hub world to form a group. Friending people is also as easy as sending a request, and the UI itself is very clean, completely devoid of clutter. Players who enjoy a breadth of options are likely going to be disappointed, as Boston Lockdown only allows you to tweak your resolution (up to 1920x1080), fullscreen (with no full-windowed optio??n), a few mouse scrolling variations, and volume control. That's about it.

Dedicated Shadowrun fans will likely be disappointed at the lack of depth, and your mileage may vary in terms of the appeal of the multiplayer function, which seemingly took over some of the other more endearing aspects of the series. If you haven't played a game in the series since the SNES however, Boston Lockdown is a decent starting point, and a perfect way to re-acclimate yourself to the genre with friends. If you prefer to fly solo, just go with Shadowrun Returns instead.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Shadowrun Chronicles – Boston Lockdown appeared first on Destructoid.

Adds new Rigger class, custom character creation, and much, much more!

"Watch your back. Shoot straight. Conserve?? ammo. And never, ever cut a deal with a dragon."

Hoi, Chummers! The eighth Early Access update for Shadowrun Online just went live yesterday and it's a massive one. Major features include the drone-controlling Rigger as a p??layable class and the eagerly-anticipated ability to create and customize our own Runners. Metatypes available in the cur??rent build include Human, Elf, Troll, Orc, and Dwarf.

If you're unfamiliar with Shadowrun Online, that's really not all that surprising. It doesn't get near the amount of press coverage Harebrained Schemes' Shadowrun games do, but I don't think that's what Cliffhanger Productions is after at this point. Instead of dedicating time and resources to pitching the game to enthusiast websites, it's been quietly at work in the shadows, building what may turn out to become the definitive Shadowrun videogame experience.

I've been playing the Early Access version of the game for quite a while now and it just keeps getting better and better with each new update. Sure, it's a little rough around the edges in places. Being a work-in-progress, it's obviously not yet feature complete -- but what the developers have implemented truly shines. Think pen-and-paper Shadowrun crossed with functionality and ease of use of XCOM: Enemy Unknown's turn-based system; throw in the ability to play online with your friends, and you have a pretty good idea of what they've got ??going on.

February Update Notes:

• Character Creation Screen now available. Includes metahuman traits (perks), various character backgrounds (adds +/- stat changes) and all new character portraits.

• An extended real-time hub has been added to the game, featuring not only quest givers, but also shopkeepers and NPCs. Later, teams will be able to play in the same hub as a group.

• Improved grouping: You will now be able to form groups with people who aren’t on your friend list – just click on them in the chat and invite them to join you.

• Gear selection has been added, allowing you to select weapons, armor and consumables for your run.

• Shopkeepers in the hub will now sell items to better prepare you for your next run.

• New clothing screen allows you to customize your character's outfit.

• The in-mission UI has been updated again and now shows more information about your characters and enemies. Hover over any character or enemy to find out more details.

• Rewards: Johnsons will now reward your efforts with Nuyen and sometimes items.

• Armor is now available in the game, adding an extra level of personal protection.

• Grenades, Medkits and various consumables now available for purchase in the hub.

• All Skill Trees have been extended to rank 10 and skill values have been rebalanced.

• The Rigger Class and associated skill tree is now available in the game.

After spending many, many years playing the pen-and-paper version of the game, I've found that even in Early Access, Cliffhanger Productions' multiplayer-enabled, tactics-focused take on the tech fantasy universe is the purest Shadowrun videogame experience on offer today.

The post Shadowrun Online gets major Early Access update appeared first on Destructoid.

Shadowrun Returns Again

Shadowrun: Hong Kong, the third videogame adaptation of the popular tabletop RPG series, is looking to Kickstarter for funding. The game will -- obviously -- take place in mag?ical cyberpunk Hong Kong, where the player uncovers a "corporate conspiracy nearly thirty years in the making." The campaign was set at $100,000, but was funded almost immediately, leaving only stretch goals.

The final game will be a non-linear 12+ hour tactical romp through a "magically awakened" Hong Kong, but if it reaches certain funding milestones, it ?will be longer. Other stretch goals include "animatic scene transitions" at $150,000; a new character at $200,000, and a n?ew side mission at $300,000.

Hong Kong will be only released o??n PC, Mac, and Linux, according to Harebrained Schemes. The company also set a tentative release date of "mid-2015," which is charitable at best.

Also, props to the studio for this sick Double Fine burn in its press release: "In 2012, Harebrained Schemes funded the development of Shadowrun Returns on Kickstarter and became the first video game company that raised over $1M and delivered the game to backers." That's ice cold.

You have until February 17 (my birthday!) to back pre-order the game on Kickstarter.

The post The next Shadowrun game comes to Kickstarter, funded almost ??immediately appeared first on Destructoid.

Seemingly set in Hong Kong

So long as Harebrained Schemes has financially supportive fans, the company isn't done making Shadowrun games. In fact, there's going to be another Kickstarter in January. This concept art represents the "??look and feel" of the new setting, which is believed to be Hong Kong.

Harebrained says it's sticking with the isometric gameplay view as seen in Shadowrun Returns and Shadowrun: Dragonfall because of ??course it will. Otherwise, we'll have to wait for more info.

Despite how many times ??I tell myself otherwise, January is nearl??y here.

The post First look at Harebrained Schemes’ return to Shadowrun and Kickstarter appeared first on Destructoid.

Here's a trailer

Shadowrun Returns' main expansion, Dragonfall, is getting a stand-alone Director's Cut on September 18. This is a trailer for that. With the expansion you can expect, "5 all-new missions, alternate endings, ne??w music, a redesigned interface, team customization options, a revamped combat system, and more."

Dragonfall's Director's Cut will replace the original on store pages, but you'll have both options in your game library (because Dragonfall owners get the Director's Cut for free, but might not want t??o play that version because data doesn't? carry over). 

The post Shadowrun: Dragonfall Director’s Cut features alternative endings appeared first on Destructoid.

New missions, UI improvements, and more

Harebrained Schemes recently updated its Kickstarter page for Shadowrun Returns with new details about the standalone version of Dragonfall, the Director's Cut.

The updated ??version of the base game's DLC will include new missions, expansions to the soundtrack, a new user interface, and improvements to? the combat systems. 

The Director's Cut will release on September 18 and be available free of charge to eligible backers and owners of the retail version of the expansion. Dragonfall will be removed from store pages and replac??ed by the newer, standalone version upon launch, but will still be available in your respective game library post launch if you owned it beforehand.

With all of the changes being made to the game, your saves and character data created in the original version of the DLC will not carry over. After hearing that there will be a Director's Cut of the game, I've actually?? ?managed to hold off on playing through it so this won't be an issue for me.

Leading up to the release, Harebrained Schemes will be posting a new developer diary each Thursday detailing a different aspect of what they’ve been working on. Chec?k out the latest scree??ns from the expansion in the gallery below.

The post Shadowrun: Dragonfall – Director?s Cut will release on September 18 appeared first on Destructoid.

New update out now

An update for Shadowrun Online has recently arrived and it's filled? to the brim with new features, improvements, and fixes. This is the one I've been waiting for, people! We can finally create our own characters and enter random co-op missions!

Currently, only Humans and Orks are available for customization but I'm sure other metatypes will be added in the near future. Find the full patch notes below, or at the game's official site.

See you in the Plex, Chummers!

Here are the latest patch notes in full:

New features:

• Character customization: Design your own Character, choose a name, metatype (currently Ork and Human are available), gender, outfit, weapons and a second character to accompany you on your Shadowrun!
• Your Avatar in missions: All missions are now played with your self-designed Character, accompanied by the chosen henchman.
• Random Coop: Don’t want to play solo anymore? With Random Coop you can play a random mission with another, randomly-selected player instead of your henchman.   
• Fatigue: Magical attacks now cause a fixed amount of “Fatigue”, which regenerates at one point per turn – so be careful not to spam spells or you won’t be able to cast at a critical moment!
• Immunities: Some enemies are now immune to certain types of damage, so make sure to adapt your tactics accordingly! No more manabolts against cameras!
• Second Weapon: The second weapon of a character is now visible on the characters’ back.
• Updated UI: The user interface has been updated, allowing easier switching between characters by clicking on their portraits.
• Shortcuts: By popular demand we have added several shortcuts:
  • Select next character: TAB
  • Directly select player characters: F1,F2,F3
  • Skills: 1,2,3,4,5,6
  • Reload: R
  • Move camera to active agent: Space
  • End Turn: Backspace or End
• Updated Main menu: We have cleaned up the main menu:
  • “Player Character” opens the Character customization screen
  • “Campaign” starts the latest unlocked mission
  • “Daily mission” starts the currently available daily mission, these change after a certain amount of time.
  • “Play Coop mission” starts looking for a partner to play a Coop mission
  •“Player vs. Player” queues you for a PvP-match
  • “Mission Archive” opens a list of all already played missions, allowing you to replay them.
• Sound Effects: Mission completion and failure now have an appropriate sound.
• Auto-Reload: Weapon switching now occurs only through selecting a skill, a click on the other weapon automatically switches and reloads.
• Character Shader: Characters now have self-illumination and a rim shader.
• New Animations: Female walk animations and customisation scene idles have been added.

Fixes:

• Fixed an issue with floor decoration that overlapped the movement marker
• Camera gets centered on a character if he is selected using their character portrait
• Fixed an issue where activating hotspots was blocked by a character standing in front of it.
• Opened body drawers provide half cover now
• Fixed a typo in the mission debriefing displayed after finishing ‘Damsel in Distress’
• The ‘Skip Turn’ button shows an appropriate tool-tip
• The movement range delimiter in daily mission levels is displayed above dirt layers and objects for better visibility
• Fixed a gap in the wall of two daily mission levels
• It’s no longer possible to move the camera outside of the scene in several resolutions in mission 02
• Improved weapon switch animation so it doesn’t look “jumpy” anymore.
• Logo has been removed from the main menu
• Fixed an issue where Bri’s gun had to be reloaded despite the fact that there was still ammunition left
• Audio sliders in the options menu behave correctly now.

The post Shadowrun?? Online adds character customization, random co-op appeared first on Destructoid.

A new version will arrive in September

After a few weeks of disappointment and controv?ersy regarding certain Kickstarter projects, it's m??aybe worth reminding ourselves of some of the successful ones.

Shadowrun Returns was a really well received game from last year and now its main expansion, Dragonfall will be receiving a stand-alone Director's Cut. I enjoyed Dragonfall more than the main game because of some small improvements, like the save anywhere functio??n and a more well-rounde??d cast of characters. ;

Whilst there are no firm details as to what is going to be included in the Director's Cut, we'll hear more about it in August, before it is released in September. The stand-alone Director's Cut of Dragonfall will be be free for Shadowrun Kickstarter ba??ckers and owners of the expansion. 

The post There’s a Shadowrun: Dragonfall extended director’s cut incoming appeared first on Destructoid.

Combat-focused prologue to full campaign

Cliffhanger Productions has announced a Steam Early Access release date for Shadowrun Online, the successfully crowdfunded MMO set in the magic-meets-technology setting of Shadowrun. Launching on March 31, the game will begin by offering? up core combat mechanics, while adding ??new modes, abilities and functions every 4-6 weeks. 

The above video answers a lot of the possible que??stions one mi?ght have at hearing this news, addressing not just the rollout but also potential concerns among Kickstarter backers that the benefit of advanced access promised by their funding of the project might be in some way diminished by this move. Way to get out in front of that, Cliffhanger.

If there were an MMO setting I expect I could lose myself in, it's probably Shadowrun. I ??retain a deep, sentimental attachment to that world and its people and I'm dying for more stories to c??ome from it. 

The post Early ??Access version of Shadowrun Online launching March 31 appeared first on Destructoid.

Improves on the original, but still has frustrations

Shadowrun Returns was released last year after a successful Kickstarter campaign and seemed to please fans and backers alike. In our review, Fraser Brown commented on how the toolset provided with the game would provide plenty of content in the future, and whilst it has been well supported by modders, most fans were waiting patiently for the big expansion, Dragonfall. 

Dragonfall is an expansion in the old-school mold: it has a campaign that's equal to the length of the main Shadowrun story, a whole new setting and characters, and there's some nice refinements to the mechanics and structure. There's still some problems and frustrations but if you put up with them in the original Shadowrun, then Dragonfall will give you even more enjoyment. 

Shadowrun: Dragonfall (Linux, Mac, PC [reviewed])
Developer: Harebrained Schemes
Publisher: Harebrained Schemes
MRSP: $14.99 / £11.99
Release Date: February, 27 2014

_{[Full disclosure: I was a Kickstarter backer and received the Dragonfall expansion free as part of my backer rewards.]}

Dragonfall moves the action from the rainy streets of Seattle to Berlin, part of a splintered Germany. In 2012, the age of magic began again and a great dragon Feuerschwinge devastated much of the country. Now in 2054, the city is controlled by ??an anarchist flux state and it's here that your Shadowrunner has fled after a botched job. Hooking up with an old friend, you're immediately on another run but one that ends in tragedy; now with a new crew in tow, you'll seek to uncover the reasons your arrival in Berlin has been a traumatic one.

This expansion mixes up the formula from the original Shadowrun Returns campaign, Dead Man's Switch, in a couple of ways. Right from the start you'll be working with a fixed? crew: Eiger, a troll and former s?oldier; the punk shaman Dietrich; the heavily-augmented cyborg Glory; and the wisecracking decker Blitz.

Dead Man's Switch had you using specific characters in certain missions and recruiting other Runners to your team when required. The option to recruit new team members is there but ?you'll only really use it if one of your t??eam is killed in action, or you feel you need a certain role to help with an individual mission, like having an extra street samurai if you're expecting plenty of trouble.

The oth?er big change is the introduct??ion of a fixed hub area, dubbed the Kreuzbasar, as your main base of operations. From here you can access the subway to get to mission areas and there's plenty of shops and characters in the area to interact with.

Early on in the game, your crew nee??ds to amass money, and lots of it. So instead of taking on a linear path from mission to mission, you're free to choose between a number of side jobs each with their own dangers, rewards, and repercussions. Complete enough of these and you'll make enough money to get you moving onto the end game. 

There's a nice sense of constant progression from the start as your character is left with an inherited crew, some of whom are wary about your leadership, and just a few clues as to who is behind things in Berlin. Whereas Dead Man's Switch started off as a murder mystery, Dragonfall's story has a bigger sen??????????????????????????se of scale as there's the troubled history of Germany and the distinct characters of the Flux states. A steady ceasefire between gangs and factions holds the region together and you'll get your chance to meet them in some of the side missions; whether your choose the diplomatic or violent route is up to you but there's no overarching faction system so you don't need to worry too much about yo?ur actions carrying over into the main story. 

If you had played Shadowrun before, you'll find that there's no real mechanical differences in Dragonfall. There is one major addition and that's that ability to save your game at any time outside combat. This is a big change and it reduces the amount of frustration you would have felt in Shadowrun before, where dying or failing a mission had you replaying almost all of it. It's a big improvement and so??mething that the main game needed.

There are some elements that haven't been updated in the expansion -- the isometric viewpoint can still make it hard to identify cover and getting your characters to the right spot is still tricky. Having a regular crew is definitely a plus but outfitting them can be a drag; your team will restock supplies but unless you make the effort to go around all the shops in Kreuzbasar, you'll be left lacking some vital supplies. Whilst you can usually choose up to four out of your five regular crew members, it would?? be nice if there were additional? clues as to what you're about to face. Sometimes the term "heavy resistance" might be mentioned but you can often find yourself outgunned three to one on what should be a fairly simple mission. 

There's some other elements that would have made a nice addition to Dragonfall. For instance, your crew will level up and gain new skills and abilities but this is all done automatically -- the??re's no way to customize e?ach member of your crew, to tailor their abilities to compliment your playstyle or tactics. Also, issuing your crew with new equipment is a bit more difficult than it should be; an option to buy gear and have it sent to another character straight away would mean you were going into missions with a better idea of who can bail you out with a medkit when you need it.

Shadowrun: Dragonfall doesn't drastically change the mechanics or systems that were introduced in the main game, which is slightly disappointing as there could have been improvements made but the addition of the new save system is a big relief. The writing and story remains the same high quality from the main game and feels a bit more cohesive from Dead Man's Switch; that story took a lot of twists and turns but Dragonfall feels more focused by giving you a personal connection right from the start. If you enjoyed your first taste of Shadowrun, then Dragonfall should be an immediate purchase.

The post Review: Shadowrun: Dragonfall appeared first on Destructoid.

New campaign, new team, new fiddly bits for modders

Harebrained Schemes has announced the release date for Shadowrun Returns' DLC expansion, Dragonfall, now set to arrive on February 27. The DLC is free to backers of the Ki?ckstarter which funded it, while newcomers will be asked to part with $14.99. 

Alongside the DLC, Harebrained will also be releasing a few localization options in an update at the same time, adding Ge??rman, Russian and Chinese languages.

The post Shadowrun Dragonfall scheduled for February 27 appeared first on Destructoid.

Lots of new details on content released

The massively successful Kickstarter for Shadowrun Returns reached lofty numbers, achieving a stretch goal which would add a second setting and campaign to the game as DLC, with the backers selecting Berlin as the locale. Today, Harebrained Schemes dropped a boatload of information on this Berlin expansion, titling it, Shadowrun: Dragonfall.

Before I go any further, as a fan of the Shadowrun setting, that title gives me chills. You don't screw around with dragons. You just don't. It's just abo??ut the easiest way to guarantee a short and miserable life (or a very, very long and excruciating one, depending on the dragon you annoy).

Along with the campaign comes new ?cyberware, new guns and new environments, all of which will be available in the? game's editor to make new adventures with. The editor is also getting new features, including a scripting system to manage things such as lighting and dialog to offer greater flexibility.

And, perhaps best of all, the expansion will feature a "save anywhere" system. It's one of the biggest issues with Shadowrun Returns, as some missions can be quite lengthy and having to retread progress due to an interruption could be annoying. This functionality will also be added to the original ??campaign.

Shadowrun: Dragonfall is planned to r??elease in January 2014. I wan?t it yesterday.

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Coming to GOG.com

If you missed the opportunity to get Shadowrun Returns free of DRM during its Kickstarter fundraising and didn't eventually cave for the Steam release, you're in luck. Harebrained Schemes has successfully negotiated with Microsoft to release a DRM-free version of Returns and its upcoming expansions, including Berlin.

Better yet, the game's editor and user-made content -- accessible though sites like Nexus -- will be supported for DRM-free players. Mods are handled through Steam Work?shop for that specific version,?? so it's nice to see Harebrained isn't leaving anyone out here.

Lastly, Shadowrun Returns is coming to GOG.com. The studio "[isn't] sure how long that will take but we'll let you know as ?soon as we ??have an answer." Good news all around!

Project Update #66: DRM's End [Kickstarter -- Thanks, Adrian]

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$9.99 for the full game, minus editing tools

The iOS and Android tablet versions of Shadowrun Returns has finally been released. It's available for $9.99, and includes everything except any editing tools. So no editor and no access to comm??unity created content. That said, the developers plan on bundling the best community content and releasing them to tablet players in the future. 

Has anyone pick?ed up the mobile versio?ns yet? How do you like it compared to the PC version?

The post Shadowrun Returns now out for Android and iOS appeared first on Destructoid.

An elven hacker, a troll mage, and a robot walk into a bar...

High fantasy, cyberpunk, and film noir collide in a way that makes you think they were meant for each other all along in Harebrained Schemes' appropriately, if not imaginatively, titled Shadowrun Returns. Based? on the popular tabletop role-playing game -- which also spawned console adaptations in the early '90s -- it ?subverts and defies genre expectations in both theme and mechanics, and most importantly allows you to create a troll samurai with a penchant for hacking and shooting people in the face. 

Eschewing the loot-filled, exposition-heavy tropes prevalent in the RPG genre, Shadowrun Returns spins a tightly woven tale of conspiracy and revenge where more time is spent engaged in nuanced dialogue and tactical combat than perusing shops and browsing menus. The short but compelling campaign merely serves as an example of what the title offers; under the hood, there's so much more??.

Shadowrun Returns (PC)
Developer: Harebrained Schemes 
Publisher: Harebrained Schemes
Released: July 25, 2013
MSRP: $19.99
Rig: Intel i5-3570K @3.40 GHz, 8 GB of RAM, GeForce GTX 670, and Windows 7 64-bit

The beginning of the 21st century brought more than technological innovation to the world of Shadowrun. Magic was reintroduced to the world, ancient dragons reappeared, and infants were born with bizarre mutations, giving rise to a new species of meta-humans. The Sixth World, as it became known, is a place where science and magic co-exist, and huge corporations exploit and manipulate humans and meta-hum?ans alike. 

Clinical, perfunctory tech dots the streets next to dirty market stalls, holograms, and spirit totems, with skyscrapers towering above it all. Garish neon signs light up homeless drug addicts huddled in alleys and businessmen gathering beneath large umbrellas, attempting to escape the constant rain. Shadowrun Returns is not a pretty game, but it's one lavished in detail with an?? abundance of pe?rsonality and atmosphere.  

In this world where the familiar is juxtaposed to the alien and the exotic, shadowrunners ply their trade. Infiltrators, assassins, thieves -- they come from all walks of life, all races, but the thing that binds them is the risk inherent in their meal ticket. It's not a glamorous job, this fact emphasized by the situation the protagonist finds his or herself in at the beginning of Shadowrun Returns. 

Broke, no jobs, a list of dead or missing c?ontacts -- things are looking grim. A message from beyond the grave promises to change all of that though: find a retired colleague's murderer and get a nice, big payday. Seems simple enough. It isn't, of course.

At its heart, Dead Man's Switch, the main campaign in Shadowrun Returns, is a classic n??oir mystery; a murder investigation that opens up a whole can of worms, with conspiracies, police corruption, eerie cults, and a whole slew?? of untrustworthy ne'er-do-wells spilling out. But it's not really the mystery that makes the campaign so damn compelling -- especially near the end where it starts to peter out and become a bit silly -- rather, it's the exceptionally slick writing and the strong sense of place that is developed over the 12-or-so-hour jaunt.

Characters are driven by relatable motivations: greed, revenge, honor. But it's through snappy, nuanced dialogue that you learn more beyond these simple driving forces. There's no plodding, over-exposition; you won??'t strike up a conversation and suddenly discover everything about a character, and by the end of my journey through the dilapidated future version of Seattle, I can't rightly say that I truly know its residents. But the glimpse of their lives that I ?did get made them all the more fascinating.

Seattle itself and, indeed, the Sixth World in general is similarly revealed in snippets. Mentions of the SINless non-citizens, meta-humans who would need government intervention to gain the right to vote, the conflict between the elves and California flesh out the setting, but Harebrained Schemes never hits players over the head with information. Dead Man's Switch i??nspires more? reading, and demands that players find out more about the role-playing game that started it all. 

Where the earlier Shadowrun games gave players defined characters, such as the SNES version's Jake Armitage, Shadowrun Returns features a robust character creator. Archetypes exist for the uninitiated, or those just desiring a convenient starting point: the Street Samurai is an all-round warrior, proficient in guns and melee; the Rigger commands little bots that can heal, shoot, and support teams of runners; and Shamans can summon spirits to? aid them, or employ magical buffs. Six archetypes are available, all of them distinct. They are just starting points, however, and it's entirely possible to create a Street Samurai who controls bots, or a Shaman commando.

Perhaps t??he most interesting of the bunch, in theory, is the Decker: an expert hacker that can infilt??rate the Matrix, a blue neon world of digital information, and attack programs. The Decker can enter the Matrix mid-battle, jacking into a nearby port, and then play through its own separate digitized dungeon, helping the rest of the team by unlocking doors, taking over sentry turrets, and discovering information that can later be sold. Unfortunately, the Matrix dungeons and the enemies found therein are a bit bland, offering little diversity, yet it remains an interesting addition to combat scenarios.

A player's time is split between point-and-click exploration and dialogue and tactical turn-based combat. The former sees surprising use of skills, with strength being used to intimidate folk, decking being employed to hack terminals, and the various unlockable etiquette abilities allowing players to ingratiate themselves with a variety of groups, from corporate wage-slaves to street gangs. The use of what would otherwise just be combat skills in conversation and exploration is reminiscent of Planescape: Torment, and feels true to Shadowrun Returns' tabletop forebearer.

Combat is rough, sometimes messy, but comes laden with options. It's similar to XCOM, with cover-based shooting and spell-slinging dominating b?attles. Cover is even represented by little shields. The long list of spells, weapon abilities, bots, and the Matrix ensures that scraps never become dull, but what work?s early on continues to work throughout the game. There's rarely a need to change tactics, and enemies don't tend to pose significant threats. 

Not being able to turn the fixed camera is a minor problem, but one that rears its head quite a few times. Enemies and allies can still be seen behind cover and walls, represented by a silhouette, but ?targeting them can be a right pain in the arse. There's also the occasional scripted sequence that stops a character right in its tracks, leaving them vulnerable and in the open, even if they were on their way to cover. 

Although there's a fair amount of it, combat never feels particularly important outside of its role in the narr?ative. Intensity is diminished due to the lack of truly dangerous foes, and they never drop items or cash, nor does killing folk dole out experience. 

Characters progress in two ways. The first is Karma, Shadowrun's experience system. Karma is awarded quite frequently, but not for combat. The positive connotations of "gaining karma" might seem strange in a murky, hardboiled, cynical world such as the the Sixth World, and it does limit interactions to a degree. Players may still opt to roleplay a complete bastard or a selfish goon, but there's constant pressure to b??e the "good guy," as that's the best way to get mo?re upgrades. 

Th??e second way one progresses is through gear u?pgrades. My use of the word "upgrade" is very deliberate, as there's very little variety present in the equipment that may be purchased. At set times, the few shops one can access get new stock, with weapons, items, and outfits that simply have slightly better stats than the previous ones that were purchased.

While I'm all for limiting gear to make each piece more meaningful, that's not really the result here. The lack of questing for loot is welcome, but without anything in its p?lace, I felt like my character build was being restricted. 

The linear gear progression is at least in keeping with the mainly linear overall experience. Aside from one or two side missions, Dead Man's Switch is?? very much an A-to-B affair -- though that's far from a complaint. The main quest, if you will, is important enough so that it makes little sense to go off gallivanting on some other adventure in the middle of it. The runner's core mission is given greater weight and urgency wi??th this focus.  

As a standalone experience, Dead Man's Switch is a delight: a clever but short whirlwind tour of the oft depressing world of the shadowrunner. It is not, however, the entirety of Shadowrun Returns. Instead,? it merely serves as an example of what can be crafted with the complex editor tool that all players have access to. ;

The huge, flexible editor holds within it the promise of limitless adventures, both set in the Shadowrun universe and outside it. I am reminded of the many amazing community creations worked on using Neverwinter Nights' Aurora Toolset, and how years after the main campaign was forgotten, dedicated modders diligently gave life to countless worlds and stories that completely overshadowed BioWare's creation. So what we have here isn't just?? a great game, but the potential for even greater ones. 

The post Review: Shadowrun Returns appeared first on Destructoid.

Plus, Teleglitch, Runescape 3, and silly blue people

New releases is a day late this week, as my ISP got so excited by all of these games coming out that they decided to screw with my connection. Well, that's what I pay them for. This week's actually a bit quiet, with only a couple of standouts. Shadowrun Returns finally arrives after a short delay, and it all sounds a bit too good to be true. Like someone dug up my youth and pumped it full of e?lectricity. An arcane cyberpunk tactical RPG? I'm drooling.

Also launching this week, we have Teleglitch: Die More Edition, an upgraded version of the delightfully cruel sci-fi roguelike; Runescape 3, which launched today, and seems like a substantial improvement over its forebearer; and The Smurfs 2, because bad sequels of bad films need bad games too.&nbs??p;

And although New releases only covers US launches, Pikmin 3 arrives i?n blightly this week, and that's definitely ??something I'll be celebrating.

Anything titillating you?

Xbox 360: The Smurfs 2

PS3: The Smurfs 2

Wii U: The Smurfs 2

PC: Shadowrun Returns, Teleglitch: Die More Edition, Runescape 3, The Raven: Legacy of the Master Thief, NASCAR: The Game 2013, Rugby Challenge 2: The Lions Tour Edition, Kingdom Tales, Tropico 4: Voodoo

Vita: Stealth Inc

Android: Prince of Persia: The Shadow and the Flame

iOS: Prince of Persia: The Shadow and the Flame

PSN: Stealth Inc, Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational, Zeno Clash II, Zone of the Enders: HD Edition, Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner, Do Not Fall - Run For Your Drink

XBLA: Mars War Logs

The Smurfs 2 (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U)

Stealth Inc (PSN, Vita)

Teleglitch: Die More Edition (PC)

The Raven: Legacy of the Master Thief (PC)

Runescape 3 (PC)

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Kickstarter project was initially meant to be released in June

It's been a long time coming but it appears we'll have to wait a little while longer for Shadowrun Returns. In an update posted on its Kickstarter page, developer Harebrained Schemes have a??nnounced the new release date as July 25, 2013. The team have said this extra few weeks is to allow more time for bug fixing and polishing.

Whilst it's disappo??inting to have the game delayed, I'm appreciative of any extra ef?forts being made to make the game as bug-free as possible. I'm already toying with the idea of making a single-player campaign of my own over the next few months. Harebrained Schemes is even releasing the editor files for the game's main campaign to let users remix and re-work the story. 

The post Shadowrun Returns delayed until July appeared first on Destructoid.

Also, new video shows Matrix realm

Cyberpunk role-playing game Shadowrun Returns is now available for pre-purchase on Steam. $17.99 for the standard version or $31.49 for the deluxe version, which includes a soundtrack and an eBook (PDF) that contains short stores related to the game. Both versions are discounted by 10-percent, during pre-re?lease.

Still no official date, but developer Harebrained Schemes is sticking to its June window.

In addition to this update, Harebrained recently released a video showing Return's Matrix realm where cyberpunks connect to do cyberjunks. It's pretty cool, but not quite as cool as the Genesis game's depiction of the Matrix which had the player taking on a third-person view?? of a metallic dude that threw lightning at giant mi?crochips. Because, why not?

For those who haven't been following the Kickstarter-backed project, Shadowrun Returns is a reboot of the acclaimed tabletop and videogame franchise Shadowrun for PC, Mac, Linux, Android and iOS. It is helmed by Jordan Weisman, who designed the original tabletop game. Returns is a tactical turn-based role-playing game in the style of X-COM, unlike the previous action-RPG en??tries befo??re it.

In addition to this project, another developer, Cliffhanger Productions, is making its own Shadowrun reboot: Shadowrun Online. Along with a new edition of the tabletop, 2013 should be a good year for Shadowrun fans.

Shadowrun Returns Steam page [Steam]

The post Shadowrun Returns no??w available for pre-purchase on Steam appeared first on Destructoid.

Collector's Edition pre-orders end April 28

Shadowrun Returns, the long-awaited Shadowrun reboot funded through Kickstarter, will come to PC in June, developer Harebrained Schemes announced in an update. As the days to relea??se count down, so does t??he time before the Collector's Edition is no longer available for pre-order: April 28 is your last chance at getting that.

At launch, the game will be available on Steam and th??rough the official game site. However, the DRM-free version hosted on Harebrained Schemes' site will not contain community support since that is tied to Steam Workshop?.

We realize that for some of you, releasing on Steam isn’t your first choice but there are a lot of really great things we get from this decision that allow us to focus on the game rather than on making things like backe?nd servers to deploy and manage shared content. From the start, we’ve had to make practical decisions like this one to ensure we get the most out of the support you’ve given us. We consider this to be the ?best option for everyone.

Visit the Kickstarter update for more information on backer reward delivery.

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