Taking my turn
The Shadowrun games are likely something everyone has heard of, but few have actually played. There have been numerous entries over the years including the obscure first-party Xbox 360 online shooter that was the one of the first games to introduce cross-play between console and PC. The latest collection was actually originally released in 2013 after a successful Kickstarter campaign, but only on PC and mobile phones. This trilogy is now making its way to console (finally) and bringing plenty of turn-based shenanigans along with it.
As the name implies this entry contains three separate games. Shadowrun Returns, Shadowrun: Dragonfall, and Shadowrun: Hong Kong. Kicking off with the first game Shadowrun Returns, it feels like this trilogy was built as one experience. The first game kicks off in Seattle in 2054 and feels almost like a bulky tutorial. The entire experience can be finished in around ten hours and everything from the initial character creation to the end credits feels extremely streamlined. The game never wasted my time in getting into the action, fumbling with upgrades, or pumping hours of exposition. This is a tightly woven narrative that just delivers what you want from the genre.
MSRP: $39.99 ($19.99 per game individually)
Platforms: Xbox (reviewed), PlayStation, Switch, PC
Price I’d Pay: $39.99
When I say the first game feels like an extended tutorial, I mean it. Dragonfall and Hong Kong basically retain the same elements of the first game, but double the run time. These games flesh out more of the basics laid out by the first game. It essentially feels like a trilogy that you can experience all at once. This also means that jumping straight into the second or third game will feel off. I am confused as to why they aren’t all just one large game, but in practice it felt nice to have sort of chapters to separate each one.
The combat is turn-based across the board. Think XCOM and you get the idea. Dragonfall and Hong Kong add in a few nuances here and there, but the core mechanics remain the same. Again it feels like an evolution of a game, not like something that was constructed all at once. I loved being able to get used to things as the games went on. Subtle differences introduced over time instead of bombarding me with tons of tactical options made the games much more approachable. Combine that with the difficulty options and even novice strategy gamers like myself can find a good time.
Moving from a touch screen or keyboard/mouse is a smooth transition. The UI has been tweaked enough to make using a controller completely viable. With the limited interactions as well it makes for a better experience. Leveling up is easy and inventory management is minimal. Moving characters around the world is intuitive. Being a port of a mobile/PC game always presents challenges, but the team has done an excellent job here of creating a scheme for using a controller.
The story in all three games feel separate but somehow connected. Again these are technically three different games, but each one feels like it lives in the same universe. I feel like Dragonfall has the strongest opening, seeing as it is indeed the Director’s Cut it feels like it received more attention. Honk Kong feels more padded, while Returns just feels like a compact narrative. There is truly something here for everyone. Combine that with the exceptional writing and the game just feels polished. There is a great trilogy of content here.
The Shadowrun Trilogy may be dated, but it is a worthy game to check out for people who enjoy turn-based combat. The fact that it is available on Game Pass also makes the barrier to entry much easier. This is also a beefy combination of games to get through with each one offering up their own unique setting and narrative. I am not the biggest fan of these types of games but Shadowrun Returns delivers on all fronts on what it sets out to do making it easy to recommend to just about anyone.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
