Shadowrun

"In a world filled with shadows, this game doesn't leave many to hide in."

I think before I write this review, I should establish the sort of Shadowrun fan I am. You see, while a majority of my friends preferred the traditional fantasy trappings offered by Dungeons & Dragons, a select few within my circle preferred those same setting encased in the gleaming technological future of our old world. Traipsing about dungeons was not our thing- We preferred skulking about in the shadows of towering megaplexes for our adventures. Since those early days, I've purchased all four editions of the rulebook, acquired nearly every source book, read (and still own) all of the earlier novels, collected every card for the ill-fated CCG, and, most importantly, have in my collection all three Shadowrun video games released for the Super Nintendo, Genesis and SEGA CD (which never saw light outside of Japan). Yes, I love all things Shadowrun. So when Microsoft announced a new game based on a revered franchise, I was beside myself with anticipation. Until I discovered it was to be a first-person shooter.

This interactive piece of Shadowrun fiction actually takes place before the timeline proper started in the first edition rulebook. With the reawakening of magic in the year 2011, large corporations began to research the ways magic could be harnessed to increase their profits. To that end, ancient historical sites rich with magical artifacts became the target of exploration and excavation. However, little was known about magic and, as a result, accidents would occur, such as the once caused by RNA Global in Santos, Brazil. While RNA Global managed to blame a local para- military Orc group, most underground resistance groups knew the truth. RNA Global left Brazil in the wake of the incident, but the damage was already done and the accident only fueled meta-human hatred. Fast-forward to today: The year is 2031 and RNA Global has returned to Santos, this time backed by the government and taking full control of the city and surrounding territories in an effort to uncover the mysteries of the powerful artifact they uncovered previously. You must choose to join RNA Globals Security Force or the shadowrunning group called the Lineage who wants to stop the exploitation of magic. All things considered, the story is actually pretty good considering it really plays little part in the actual game (it's just an excuse to have red and blue teams).

When Shadowrun was first announced and the subsequent video of gameplay hit the 'net, to say I was less-that-impressed by the cartoon-like graphics would be a serious understatement. Thankfully FASA decided to take the game in a more realistic (if such a thing could be said about a futuristic science-fiction universe with fantasy trappings) direction, adding more detail to the character models and beefing up the environments to make for a more appealing experience. Sadly, all their efforts- while noticeable- still fail to compare to games like the Darkness or even older titles like Half-Life 2. I can't grasp why a developer would spend so much time making the texture of Troll skin look so life-like, then fail to include the animations for a simple action like climbing a ladder...

Much like the graphics, Shadowrun's audio does little to impress but manages to exceed mediocrity to deliver a just- above-average performance. The sound effects are of the typical first-person shooter variety, with the footnote that most of the magic and weapons do produce a distinct noise so you know what's going on around you even if you can't see the action. The music is pretty forgettable (if you even manage to take notice of it at all) but, then again, I typically don't play multiplayer action games for their mood- setting soundtracks, so I can easily let Shadowrun slide on this one.

The very idea that a first-person shooters' controls could be so simple that you are actually given three buttons to map out whatever tech or magic you feel you'll want the most timely access to is almost unthinkable in today's gaming world filled with controllers that typically feature no less than twelve buttons, yet here is Shadowrun- a game given wholly over to the concept that for it to truly be fun for everyone, the controls have to be kept simple. Not only do you have quick access to everything you need (and you can easily remap the hotkeys on the fly), but the responsiveness of the game is very finely tuned. I won't go so far as to even suggest that the controls are perfect, but I will say that you might actually have to blame yourself, rather than the controls, when you've lost your third match in a row...

It's hard to argue that this game managed to take a fairly tired genre and design something new. Granted other companies have crafted first-person shooters that include augmentations (Deus Ex springs immediately to mind), but those games made it a point to focus on these enhancements to the point where it almost became a separate function of gameplay rather than part of the game itself. Not so with Shadowrun- every bit of tech, magic or weapon in your arsenal is just another tool at your disposal, and the multitude of combinations thereof (not to mention the unique abilities of each race) lets you craft a character suited for any situation. It's really the almost nonchalant use of tech and magic that makes Shadowrun such a great game to pick up and play yet through its design discover layers of depth typically not present in a multiplayer first-person shooter.

As if to further illustrate the barebones amount of content pressed to disc, you'll find no extras or bonuses whatsoever in Shadowrun. None. Well, unless you count having to pay for the inevitable deluge of multi-player maps, game modes, tech, weapons and magic Microsoft is sure to put on the Marketplace to squeeze even more Nuyen out of us... Ironic, don't you think, that Microsoft so resembles the type of corporation considered the "bad-guy" in the Shadowrun universe?

Yes, I much would have preferred a follow-up to the Super Nintendo classic, or, better yet, an MMORPG based in the Shadowrun universe. Instead I got a multiplayer online "prequel" to the original Shadowrun storyline. Honestly, despite missing what one could define as the soul of the franchise, I still found myself enjoying the game. It offers a unique online experience that no other console-based first-person shooter has yet to deliver. While Halo 3 may prove to be the ultimate refinement of online combat, Shadowrun takes the formula and flips it on its side to create a very enjoyable experience.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 08/07/09

Game Release: Shadowrun (US, 05/29/07)