Shadowrun

[Hado]

Multiplayer only, cross platform online play between 360 and PC, Phantom Dust/shooter hybrid gameplay.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmFTYHTi ... =GameDaily

There seems to be a lot of hate from the hardcore PnP crowd regarding how it doesn't strictly adhere to the universe nor is it truly Shadowrun. It seems they want a recreation of the tabletop experience, and won't settle for anything else. I loved the SNES game, but personally I couldn't give a shit with what they do with the universe, as long as the gameplay is sweet.

Have you guys seen the previews or hands on reports for this yet? What do you think about the game? More importantly, will Wynn be able to get us into beta?

[Hado]

HQ cinematic:
http://www.gametrailers.com/player.php? ... ov&pl=game

[Monster]

I thought it was ridiculous that they are using the Shadowrun license and not making an RPG with it (and if they aren't adhering to the universe what the hell is the point of the license??), but the fact that you mention Phantom Dust has me intrigued, as I love that game. I haven't read up on the game yet and the links are blocked from work. How is it anything like Phantom Dust? Do you use cards or something?

[Monster]

Here's what Philip Richardson, a Program Manager on Microsoft's CRM team, had to say about it:

I'm usually not one to openly criticise my employer (Microsoft) on my blog. However the travesty which has befallen Shadowrun demands that I speak out. After FASA imploded many years ago Microsoft ended up with all the computer game rights to the FASA properties (Battletech, Shadowrun and even freaking Earthdawn). Now I understand that we must make some comprimise in the nature of a game when we transfer it from pen & paper to a computer. I'm a PM: I understand the business of tough comprimises. What happened here was not a comprimise: it was total freaking re-invention. I'm not talking the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica with human looking cylons: I'm talking about re-making Lord of the Rings in which Frodo drives to Morder in a Lamborghini Murciélago. If you work for FASA and you are reading this then I welcome you to take the shuttle over to my office and punch me the face. Seriously: I won't be offended since your damn game just kicked me the metaphoric balls.

He then posted a followup later:

As mentioned earlier I had lunch with the Shadowrun team today. I was invited over to FASA studios (part of the Microsoft Game Studios) because I'd had some passionate things to say about their new game. I also brought along a couple of other gamers: Adam and Tim who are also long term SR fans. Although I should point out that we are NOT rapid fans. I'm actually selling up my Shadowrun books since I'm playing less RPGs nowadays. If anyone is interested please email me. I'll cut you a special deal if you work for FASA (I'll even through in a receipt so you can expense it).

At first I was a little nervous and hoping I wouldn't have to invole the name of Robert Scoble to avoid any blog induced retribution. Fortunately everything was very friendly and light hearted so there was no need for Robert to appear in a super hero costume.

So I played the game and let just say this: it's good. Yes folks: it's share price increasingly good. I can't blog about specific features but I can say I enjoyed it and I have low pain threshold for crappy games. It is an excellent and well thought out squad based shooter. It will appeal to PC and Xbox gamers alike and shared PC/Console gamespace will change the way people think about online gaming.

Now, on to the difficult bit: The Shadowrun universe. I know have a good understanding of how the team arrived at the current storyline (why a squad based shooter actually needs one is a matter of debate). I have to say that the game itself actually works really well in 2050 'classic' Shadowrun. There are couple of tweaks (needed for a squad shooter - but these are entirely neccessary and forgivable). The stuff which was shown at E3 does not do justice to this game. Here is a quick summary of the 'fan offensive' level of the game:

Artwork: Feels like Shadowrun. Good Job! The SR universe has a lot of different types of artwork (as Tim pointed out yesterday). From the gritty stuff in the early source books to the more cartoonish work in the more recent editions.

Gameplay: Feels like Shadowrun. One particulary moment struck me as 'very' Shadowrun: When I saw an Elf meld through a wall carrying a submachingune.

Backstory: Needs some work here. A bit of butchered Shadowrun. My advice to FASA: Cut it out. You don't need much backstory for a squad shooter!

So it sounds kinda cool. Again, I don't know shit about the game, but I'm assuming that there will be magic mixed in with the gunplay. Still, a multiplayer squad-based shooter? Squad-based seems like it would be cumbersome in multiplayer.

[Hado]

One of the hands on reports I saw:

it's not an RPG. BUT, it's what I'm going to call the new gold standard in FPS for the thinking man. Remember the Phantom Dust craze that happened around here for a while? Remember how you had to select skills on the fly and then get through the match in one piece with your build? Well, how about 16 player, all team-based objective servers where you buy your limited skill set before the match, work in tandem with magic and tech using various racial aptitudes and disadvantages, have to double-kill all oponents for fear their corpses will be revived by a magic user on the other side- preferably by going into 3rd person with a frikken energy sword and chopping their bodies to bits.......

Let me give you one example: Skill up with heat-sensing tech to see opponents through walls combined with teleportation magic to liquefy through the wall, ready to blow the head off the unsuspecting. Or how about magic seeds that instantly grow life-giving trees which will heal anyone (even enmies) in proximity?

I was a little skeptical at first, but let me tell all of you- Shadowrun blew my mind. It'll be out when Windows Vista launches and will have cross-platform play between PC and 360. You will bow down to FASA studios, I guarantee.

Team xbox previews:
http://previews.teamxbox.com/xbox-360/1 ... dowrun/p1/

30 sec gameplay clip:
http://xboxmovies.teamxbox.com/xbox-360 ... 6-Footage/


Sounds like it has potential and the races/powers give it a lot more depth than a typical fps. For example, Dwarves can steal/mitigate magic, humans get more tech.. you are awarded not only for kills but also for support roles; successful teams require a bunch of supporting builds (elves for healing and quick attacks, trolls to tank, a dwarf for special support/screwing up healers). You can res teammates and get money back for it, but the enemy can gib the body first, and if you die anyone who you ressed dies too. Ressed players tithe half their money earned to you after coming back to life. Summoning monsters, casting snares/vines near doorways to trap enemies, useful melee (1 swing from a katana is enough to kill most races) are some of the stuff they've revealed so far.

The devs have been really tight-lipped about a lot of the details, like what other weapons/spells/abilities players will be able to use. All the hands-on accounts I've read about the game have been very positive though, so I'm looking forward to hearing more about this one..

[Monster]

Damn, sounds sweet. And from reading that I assume that it's not squad-based like GRAW, where you control multiple teammates. That just doesn't make sense to me in a multiplayer game.