Shadowrun Review

By Kieron Gillen Published 1 June, 2007

The Dark Future of Cross-format shooting?

Version tested: Xbox 360

My bank manager's frowning. Were I smart, I could have spun this out for two reviews and doubled my profits. Instead, I'm doing it for one for the simple fact that this dual PC/Xbox 360 release is the same. In fact, I could probably sum up the major differences in one paragraph. Let's give it a shot.

Basically none.

Winner!

Shadowrun is based on the old-skool FASA pen-and-paper role-playing game. It's already come to ["the wonderful world of videogames" - Increasingly-Despairing-For-His-Writers-Ed] in the form of the 16-bit RPG which remains a much-loved period classic. True fans of either are going to be disappointed. This is a traditional-sized team-based Counter-Strike-derived shooter with an extremely heavy online bent and a mass of interesting twists, with the mechanics justified by the Shadowrun setting of Fantasy meets Cyberpunk. In other words, as well as shooting people with guns like you would in Counter-strike, you get to spend your ill-gotten gains on cybernetics ("tech") and magic ("magic").

(To be honest, I'm fine with the abandonment of its more straight-RPG possibilities - the magic and tech stuff is absolutely great for a more purely mechanic-based shooter, giving the designers and us lots of room to have fun. While SNES Shadowrun was a great game, personally I've never been particularly convinced by Shadowrun's worth as a setting per se, purely for 'orrible Neuromancer purist reasons. Cyberpunk and Elves is just a bloody geeky idea for a real fiction setting. And, yeah, take it to the comments thread, 'Runners. As entertaining as it often is, Shadowrun has bigger problems than not being an RPG.)

The single-player is vestigial, limited to tutorials and botmatches. The real game will take place online - there's no split-screen for either format - across the nine included maps (with three smaller versions also available). Each map has an artfact-capturing mode attached to it (either both teams going for the artifact, or one defending it), or can be turned into Attrition (basically, team deathmatch). Between rounds, players are given money depending on their and their team's performance, which they get to spend on the aforementioned special powers and weapons. Much like Counter-strike. It also shares with the Half-life Mod That Did Really Well, Y'know in having character death leading to sitting out the rest of the round, which adds tension to what you're up to.

Well... it mostly means sitting out the round. In practice, someone with the resurrect ability may get you back on your feet. And it's in this - that is, the special abilities - where Shadowrun absolutely distinguishes itself. It's essentially a brutal marriage of Counter-strike and Guild Wars (i.e. you only get to use a limited number of your powers at any time, so choosing which to apply in combos is the cornerstone of your tactical choices).

'Shadowrun' Screenshot 1

Elves. Molly From Neuromancer would not approve.

The way these abilities can link together is genuinely something, with enough quirks in each ability - and in how they interact - to get really interestingly defined roles. And all the better, as you've thought them up yourself. For example, if you purchase a Katana, as well as being a melee weapon par excellence, if you manage to strike someone unawares from the rear, you can perform a back-stab that'll cause your opponent to swiftly spurt all their insides outside. However, if you marry that to Wired reflexes, as well as a general speed boost, as long as you're not swinging it, you get to deflect a large number of bullets directly shot at you like a cinematic ninja.

While you're able to purchase any number of abilities - and they remain for the rest of the round, unlike weapons which drop to the floor when you're killed - you only have three quick-slots available. This hard-limit is where the Guild Wars-esque tactics come into play. It's not even just what you can afford in terms of cash, and have room for - you also have to worry about the magical energy it takes to power them ("Essence"). Some abilities just require you have enough in the bank, like the teleport which allows you to zip through walls, ceilings, across gaps and generally confuse the living hell out of your opponents. Others require an upkeep. So, for example, summoning a Tree of Life will grey out part of your supply which will be inaccessible until the tree disappears. Throw down enough Strangles - crystalline walls which block passageways, and are ideal for defence or just plain annoying the oppositions - and you'll find you don't have enough to do anything but keep them in existence. That equipping technology like the glider-wings or enhanced vision will also diminish your bar as long as you have them plugged in means that you have to ask serious questions of whether you can afford a certain combination in terms of energy.

Erk. I almost wrote "economics" there, which means it's time to stress that this is all much more accessible than you'd think, and actually a lot of fun. In its sense of experimentation and discovery, it distinguishes itself from other shooters, and having a plan come together and actually work is a hell of a kick. Doubly so if it involves members of your team closely working together.

There's even more than that though - you also get to choose your racial group, adding other special abilities and vulnerabilities. For example, Elves are quicker with lower health bars, but can regenerate their health if they retreat, making them ideal for more stealthy or harassing roles. Trolls are the opposite pole, slow and resilient - especially so when under sustained fire, when their skin grows protrusions. Play a Dwarf, and you get to mess with all that a little - both need Essence to use their abilities (as well as the magic), and the stunty-chaps will drain it with their very presence. Also, their small, hard skulls mean they don't automatically die with a sniper-headshot like other races. Finally, humans are humans are humans are humans (though are able to use technology without worrying about its impact on Essence).

So, this is a well-designed, well-conceived game. What stops it getting further acclaim is a couple of things.

Firstly, is its slightness. A couples of game-modes. Some maps. Offline mode lacking any real structure whatsoever. Aesthetically not exactly either the PC or the X360's finest hour. There's nothing wrong with a game choosing to specialise in either offline or online experience, of course. But if you decide to completely ignore one pole of the experience, you have to offer something generally astounding and/or groundbreaking to justify yourselves. Which is why things like Battlefield 2 get 9/10 and this doesn't.

'Shadowrun' Screenshot 2

Summoning a demon-thing is one of the more expensive powers to buy. As it looks neat. Neat = $$$.

Secondly, that FASA ended up doing the exact opposite of what I've done with the review. Rather than realising its game - really - wasn't much more than you'd expect from one of the better class of PC mods, they put it out for full-price. At a mid-price game, it'll sit a lot easier. In fact, the high starting price will almost certainly end up being counter-productive. A multiplayer-only game needs to create a large enough community to be sustainable, big enough to have a variety of skills from beginners to experts and still allow everyone to find a game quickly (random: at the moment, the quickplay option isn't exactly quick, taking a little long to find a game on any machine I've tried, though that will change once the game is actually out, we hope).

Which leaves the only question of how the whole cross-platform playing aspect of the game operates, as Shadowrun is the first game that runs on Microsoft's Games for Windows thing, allowing PC and console to go head to head for the first time since - oooh - Quake 3 on the Dreamcast? In practice, you may not even notice. Unless they identify themselves over the voice-chat, they're not singled out in any way. Only on the dedicated servers on the PC version - completely outside of the Live functionality, and running like any standard game - are you sure what you're fighting, but only because only PC owners can access it.

The precision advantage of mice is limited by the aiming reticle's accuracy varying as you spin around - meaning if you completely spin in a way that only a PC owner can, your exactness will be momentarily shot, so preventing Quake-3-esque spin-and-railgun-headshot brutality. Thankfully, since many PC games do this anyway, it doesn't feel too artificially alien. With a little autoaim, at most mid-range encounters and the importance of the magical powers, they're competing on a more even field. It's only at the closest range weapons - Katana and shotgun - are the faster turns going to give a real edge.

'Shadowrun' Screenshot 3

It's some kind of Troll-playing game.

(Fair-minded PC gamers are able to just plug in an Xbox 360 controller. The buttons maps immediately, but the axes don't. For some reason. It may be worth doing, as it's apparently a way past a bug I hit in one of the later tutorials where my Dwarf wouldn't throw an anti-magic bomb.)

It'll be interesting to watch how this plays out. PC owners are always sensitive over anyone fiddling with their mouse sensitivity and 360 owners may actually bristle slightly that the people who are turning faster than they are paid less than them for exactly the same game. But PC owners - with the mod availability inherent in the format - will equally bristle at this price for this much game... especially since to play against Xbox 360 people you need to pay a Live-esque fee which this game simply doesn't justify. And doubly especially as it demands Vista, for no discernible reason other than... well, Microsoft have a new OS and they're like you to buy it, thankyouverymuch.

And they'd like you to buy this too.

And while I'm happy I played it, for this price, I probably wouldn't.

6 / 10

Read the Eurogamer.net scoring policy
Picture of Kieron.

About Kieron Gillen

Kieron is one of the founders of the lovely Rock, Paper, Shotgun and nowadays writes comics for Marvel starring characters that even his mum has heard of.

Read more articles from Kieron by visiting the Kieron Gillen archive page.

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Comments (114) Latest comment 5 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • myiagros #1 5 years ago

    Ouch!!

    was hopping for more, but expecting about this.

  • pauleyc #2 5 years ago

    It's some kind of Troll-playing game.

    Nice one.
    Edited by 1 at 01/06/07 @ 14:43

  • urban #3 5 years ago

    awww maaaannn

  • Huntcjna #4 5 years ago

    I quite like it I would rate it more in 8 country to be honest.

  • JediMasterMalik #5 5 years ago

    Haven't you only had it for a few hours? :p

    Shadowrun is TEH DOOMED!!1!

    Sadly, this time it's actually true.

  • Steroyd #6 5 years ago

    At the price the game is on Xbox 360 and the specification as a Vista only game on PC and if you want to play against Xbox 360 people on the PC you have to subscribe to XBL gold, it's got a hell lot going against it.

  • Huntcjna #7 5 years ago

    Admittedly its only had about 6 hours of my time but thats more than Final Fantasy XII has had and I liked that aswell. :p

    I think with a nice little EG squad it can be great. Probably a £17.99 purchase for people unsure of the genre though.

  • superdelphinus #8 5 years ago

    "My bank manager's frowning"

    PLEASE AMEND

  • souljacker2000 #9 5 years ago

    I thought as much... o well

    saves money for forza2

  • BremXJones #10 5 years ago

    Manic: Honestly, as more reasonable price, this could be a dark-horse sleeper hit.

    KG

  • JediMasterMalik #11 5 years ago

    @MMUK - What's wrong with what souljacker said exactly?

  • souljacker2000 #12 5 years ago

    @mmuk

    Sorry u posted urs just before i did..

    I did Alevel English im afraid

  • Dizzy #13 5 years ago

    BTW if you have a gold account on 360 you can use that on PC as well. PC gamers with no Live gold can of course play against PC gamers for free.

  • Huntcjna #14 5 years ago

    I think if they had priced it aggresively at under £20/$40 the would have a lot more sales. Rather worryingly had they constructed a decent single player campaign around the world with a storyline about the Lineage war it could even have been a system seller.

  • rhinoxious #15 5 years ago

    Good review but I'm not surprised you're finding it hard to find opponents . . .

    Microsoft are idiots for releasing an online shooter during the limited beta period for Halo 3 multiplayer.

    I've got a copy of Shadowrun, but I doubt I'll be touching it much till the Beta ends, sometime in the middle of next week?

  • captainrentboy #16 5 years ago

    I had a brief go on the single player side of it in work and I didn't think it was anything special, yes yes I'm aware online is where it's at with this game I just mean the gameplay in general did nothing for me, and the graphics were fooking diabolical, I haven't seen such an ugly 360 game for quite some time.
    And the recommended PC specs don't really make sense, they recommend a pretty darned hefty set up yet it still looks like Pig shit.

  • The-Bodybuilder #17 5 years ago

    Was anyone expecting more?

  • souljacker2000 #18 5 years ago

    Just seems lame without at least a mediocre single player...

  • Pike #19 5 years ago

    I don't get the Neuromancer reference in the screencap. It's about fifteen years since I read it, but still.
    Edited by 1 at 01/06/07 @ 15:03

  • SuperBas #20 5 years ago

    Vista only? Insta-failure!

  • JediMasterMalik #21 5 years ago

    This would be the perfect candidate for MS to release online like Warhawk, at a reduced price like Warhawk.

  • BremXJones #22 5 years ago

    MMUK: As I always say, marks only exist as a buyers guide. Which is a shame.

    KG

  • 1Dgaf #23 5 years ago

    The game is about £30 online. Perhaps this should be taken into account in the review.

  • Trendyninja #24 5 years ago

    I watched the Eurogamer preview of this last night after downloading it from the Live Marketplace.

    Eurogamer were practically creaming themselves over this.

    So let's say it was £19.99, what WOULD you have scored it then?

  • Steroyd #25 5 years ago

    I think if they had priced it aggresively at under £20/$40 the would have a lot more sales.

    You know what's sad had this been on the PS3 it'd be a PSN/Blu-ray title for cheaper than you retail price alongside Warhawk, Little Big Planet and Socom: Confrontation.

    Oh well MS is hoping that after the Halo 3 beta people will be starving for a multiplayer game any multiplayer game... oh what a coincidence Shadowrun is that type of game.

  • Lebowski #26 5 years ago

    Thanks for the review but I'm still unsure what the USP of this game is.

    Do you build / level up your character game-by-game RPG-style?

    Or just spend the points you gain during one game session?

  • JediMasterMalik #27 5 years ago

    One game session I wager. Would be unbalanced otherwise.

  • andromeda #28 5 years ago

    that troll thing in the last screenie looks ridiculous.

  • Huntcjna #29 5 years ago

    Yeah your probably right Steroyd its a good job Sony didn't fuck over the consumer with an extra £200 of hardware premium. I mean had they done that they would have been in no position to judge first party titles pricing stratergy would they?

    Seriously if you haven't played it or read the review properly whats the point in talking shite for the sake of it?

  • menage #30 5 years ago

    This probably will find a market on 360, since people are already used to paying loads for games. But I doubt any PC players will be playing this in a month. I hope for PC gamers taht they're not, cause if this Live Gold thing pulls through they will bite themselves in the ass.

    Oh, and on the subject. Make Live free. MS can't ever keep this up. It's just a load of crap to enforce a pay policy for online games if the contents already in the bought game. If they have to charge they should deliver more original content. Not crap that the competition does for free.

  • BremXJones #31 5 years ago

    Lebowski: Like Counter-strike, inside each game session you buy stuff which you keep until the end of the level (or lose it, in the case of guns). There's no persistence between levels.

    Re: Scores. Probably a 7.

    KG

  • Whizzo #32 5 years ago

    Someone should make a Cyberpunk 2020 game Battlefield game set during the Fourth Corporate War; Millitech versus Araska with AV4s flying around in urban environments. Would be awesome. Unfortunately that's never going to happen.

  • 1Dgaf #33 5 years ago

    Gillen,

    When you reviewed the game were you taking its merits into account at the RRP or at the online price? At the moment it's floating around £33.

    Admittedly prices change, but reviewing in a financial vacuum does seem a little odd. (Esp. since Eurogamer have just posted an article linking to an item on play.com.)

    Also, I fear that people are going to ignore most of what you've written and look at the score alone. For a game you seemed to like, this is a shame.

  • BremXJones #34 5 years ago

    Yeah, but for more reasonably priced games, you get them cheaper than their RRP too.

    Hypothetically, two games. One released for forty, which you can get for 32 quid. Another which is thirty which you can get for 22. In real terms of cost, the other is still much cheaper.

    KG

  • JediMasterMalik #35 5 years ago

    You simply cannot go by anything other than RRP, people will obviously find fluctuations of the price online and in stores, even second hand, but the RRP also has an effect on how much the title is sold for in these places, a lower RRP means an even lower sale price. Rating it on the RRP as standard only makes sense.

    Edit for spelling.
    Edited by 1 at 01/06/07 @ 15:26

  • 1Dgaf #36 5 years ago

    I've never seen a 360 game go for £30 on release.

    At £30 this game is worth it. I've been playing it since 10am, almost solidly.

  • 1Dgaf #37 5 years ago

    Fair points, fair points.

    But I fear that this game will have been damned by this review, because it took [X] hundred words to get to the concept that: 'It's good fun if you can find it at a good price'.


  • Steroyd #38 5 years ago

    Seriously if you haven't played it or read the review properly whats the point in talking shite for the sake of it?

    I'm not talking shite of the game just where it's positioned, Shadowrun is akin to what MS did with the Crackdown Halo 3 Beta, I've been looking at this game a little bit like i do of most other games.

    The gameplay could be the best thing since sliced bread, but you aren't paying for a "complete" enough game to justify the price, no?

    It's like selling a single XBLA title for a full price retail game it...just...feels...wrong....

  • BremXJones #39 5 years ago

    To be fair, if anyone actually reads it, most of those X hundred words are positive.

    You can only write reviews for people who want to read reviews. People who only want a mark only want to know if they should buy it or not.

    And 6/10 really isn't THAT bad a mark, y'know.

    KG

  • Gurgeh #40 5 years ago

    "But I fear that this game will have been damned by this review"

    Maybe not:

    "This review made me make the >< face right off the bat. "It's already come to the PC, in the form of the SNES RPG which remains a much-loved period classic." There are at least 2 things wrong there"

    from the Shack (and thats the polite one)
    Edited by 1 at 01/06/07 @ 15:33

  • Foundry #41 5 years ago

    Needs a demo before I even think about buying this, and its about time MS started selling "full" games over Live, and this would appear to be a good candidate.

    Being able to buy "full" games over PSN is one thing that is attracting me towards PS3 - and I have very little love for Sony.

  • 1Dgaf #42 5 years ago

    Oh come on. Games reviews are just porno films -- everyone fast forwards to the penetration.

    And 6 is above average, yes. But only in a world where an average game isn't normally rated 7. (Not that that's your fault of course.)

  • Steroyd #43 5 years ago

    technically it's not a "full" game and i think that's what the reviewer is trying to convey.

    But yeah I agree MS should buy up steam or copy them or something, XBLA opened the door for the one price doesn't fit all games approach and Sony's taking it one step further.
    Edited by 1 at 01/06/07 @ 15:38

  • LarryLoxley #44 5 years ago

    Fair review. Game is fantastic but just focusing on multiplayer with a full price is counterproductive. Absolutely love the game though. Best FPS I have played for a long long time.

  • Xerx3s #45 5 years ago

    Se lemme get this straight, it's actually a half decent game but the biggest con against it is the price (haven't had time to read the review)? So if I would buy this at 20 €, would it be a good purchase?

    I'm a die hard fasa/shadowrun fan if that counts for something.

  • BremXJones #46 5 years ago

    /me FACEPALMS!

    KG

  • Dizzy #47 5 years ago

    So as good as Resistance but no Halo? :)

    A pity.. a lot of my friends seem to be playing this online so I will probably get it once the Halo 3 beta ends or if I can find it for a good price. I have seen this for 45 euro.
    Edited by 1 at 01/06/07 @ 15:44

  • Overlush #48 5 years ago

    This is the future? Forcing console and PC gamers in the ring together and charging them a small fortune for the priveledge?

    Great.

  • Machetazo #49 5 years ago

    "So, this is a well-designed, well-conceived game. What stops it getting further acclaim is a couple of things."

    Before this ^ I'm thinking Brem's eying up an 8/10 for this game. Then we hit the two caveats, which sizable though they are, do not detract from the gameplay you can enjoy, by buying the game. But they are poor choices by the makers, and do affect the game's desirability.

    Would I rather it was £29.99 RRP, based on the description here? Yeah, that seems fair for the Xbox 360 version, and I think it'd do alright there. It doesn't seem like a £40 game to me...Twenty's an insult to the makers, and/or cheapskating. I just don't agree it should be that low.
    So, I think that despite the low-ish score, it's a view legitimized by the preceding text.

    "And while I'm happy I played it, for this price, I probably wouldn't."

    And, ^ there's the conclusion. What more can be said. I think it's a good review. Of one person's opinion. Your mileage may well differ!

    edit:clarity
    Edited by 1 at 01/06/07 @ 15:59

  • ZuluHero #50 5 years ago

    You can tell instantly which people have read the review and which people have just looked at the score. Its quite funny :)

    Maybe in future EG should just print the score at the start of a review to whittle out the riff-raff from the people who actually care to read what the reviewer (that's someone who has actually played the game folks) thinks about each element that makes it what it is, with more depth than what a single digit score could ever convey...

    Then we could just skip to page 2 of the comments. :p

    The game actually sounds pretty good from the words (not the numbers) that he uses ;)

    Im still going to wait for the demo next week to see for myself mind...

  • Gurgeh #51 5 years ago

    "Maybe in future EG should just print the score at the start of a review to whittle out the riff-raff from the people who actually care to read what the reviewer... thinks "

    That reminds me of the suggestion that the winner of all football matches should be decided before kick-off by the toss of the coin, then both teams can just concentrate on playing a good game of football because the result has already been decided.

  • kangarootoo #52 5 years ago

    My 2 pence.

    I think the review should only take account of the RRP price when comparing titles. The RRP is a known quantity, and Kieron already pointed out that relative RRPs and relative actual prices pretty much equate to the same thing. If we start requiring that reviewers estimate actual shop prices and make comparisons on that basis we are throwing certainty out of the window.

    Anyway, we aren't a bunch of kids. We should be quite able to shop around, discover the cheapest price for ourselves, and make our final purchase based on that. So what does it matter that the review compares RRPs? It gives you something more than no information at all.


    Also, it sounds as though once the price is dropped, and maybe with the addition of some free downloadable content, this may be a very good game indeed. But a reviewer can't start scoring based on hopes and dreams, so he/she reviews what they have to hand. Anyone reading the words of the review will see the potential described as well as the score. Anyone not reading the words gets some information, the true usefulness of which only matches the effort they bothered to invest, to be frank.
    Edited by 1 at 01/06/07 @ 16:04

  • Xerx3s #53 5 years ago

    /me FACEPALMS!

    So that's a yes then? ;p

  • BremXJones #54 5 years ago

    What can I say? It was late when I wrote that bit.

    EDIT: Xerx3s - I was referring to a post a bit, noting the (er) hilarious thing I'd written in the review.

    Yeah, get it cheap, and it's a fun shooter.

    KG
    Edited by 1 at 01/06/07 @ 16:09

  • 1Dgaf #55 5 years ago

    Kanga,

    Do you mean 'He shouldn't have mentioned the cost of the game' or 'It's good that he mentioned the cost of the game'?

    Disc:

    Actually shopto.net put it up by a fiver after they had a rush on reserves.
    Edited by 1 at 01/06/07 @ 16:08

  • ZuluHero #56 5 years ago

    "That reminds me of the suggestion that the winner of all football matches should be decided before kick-off by the toss of the coin, then both teams can just concentrate on playing a good game of football because the result has already been decided. "

    erm.. That’s not quite the same at all really. Unless you mean that once the score has been decided at the start, all the 'hooligans' can get down to beating the crap out of each other (which is all they want to do anyway ;P), leaving the 10 or so people who actually watch football for the football to enjoy it?

    Pretty obscure mind ;)

    edit: spelling! :o
    Edited by 1 at 01/06/07 @ 16:12

  • SomaticSense #57 5 years ago

    Just got back from town to get the new LCD Soundsystem album, and the new Tomb Raider game, and this was screaming at me in Virgin as I'm currently in the mood for online games. Thank GOD logic got the better of me and forced me to put it back down.......

  • PearOfAnguish #58 5 years ago

    Mr Gillen, you wouldn't happen to know what happens if you attempt to install Shadowrun on another system after it's been activated? Are we going to have to phone Microsoft for permission to reinstall our games?

  • Rirekon #59 5 years ago

    Shadowrun Online-multiplayer > Halo 3 Beta Online-multiplayer

    Sorry but it's true, Halo 3 really has nothing new or innovative (game-play wise) about it so far while Shadowrun oozes fun innovative game play.
    /However/ I do agree that the pricing is all kinds of out of whack, I still bought it though and I'm really enjoying it. Haven't touched Halo 3 in the last week.

  • BremXJones #60 5 years ago

    Sorry, Pear, I don't know. If I get a chance, I'll try it later.

    KG

  • kangarootoo #61 5 years ago

    @1Dgaf

    I'm referring to calls that he should have compared expected shop prices rather than RRP. Expected prices would be estimates, which doesn't really seem appropriate ina review. I think the price is important when factoring the score, and this is detailed in the words too. I just think reviews should present known facts (such as RRP), leaving us the readers with the task of actually finding the cheapest deal.

    For example, I'm sure Top gear magazine wouldn't rate a car more highly just because a friend of their's who runs a showroom did them a really good deal.

  • Ninja_Cop #62 5 years ago

    did you get the game ahead of time?

  • botherer #63 5 years ago

    Kieron, what's your favourite fizzy pop drink?

  • woodnotes #64 5 years ago

    I'm selling my 360.

  • kissthestick #65 5 years ago

    it took 4 years to make this??

  • 1Dgaf #66 5 years ago

    Kang,

    I just think some mention the difference in price for it would have been useful.

    I also pointed out that EG has linked to a product on play.com which lists a price.

  • 1Dgaf #67 5 years ago

    ANyway, I'm withdrawing myself from the discussion. I hope to see some of you in game.

  • kangarootoo #68 5 years ago

    "Kieron, what's your favourite fizzy pop drink?"

    I'm not Kieron, as you will know, but I was always quite partial to a can of Quatro back in the day.

    What the hell happened to Quatro I ask you? Even its TV advert seemed the coolest thing I had ever seen (dude, he like totally kicked that vending machine's ass).

  • BremXJones #69 5 years ago

    Iron Bru.

    KG

  • nickthegun #70 5 years ago

    "This is the future? Forcing console and PC gamers in the ring together and charging them a small fortune for the priveledge?"

    I dont think this will be the future at all. My spider sense is telling me that it will flop on its arse.

    As the review says, the best online 360 games have a good multiplayer attached to them or a shitload of game modes and maps and the PC has more online shooters than you can shake a shitty stick at (all of which dont require you to upgrade to vista, ffs).

    To be honest, rather than the future of gaming, i can see this becoming a yardstick in what not to do.
    Edited by 1 at 01/06/07 @ 16:57

  • jellyhead #71 5 years ago

    To me 6 is a good score if you like the genre which in the case of a full price, 9 map, online only game is a good score.
    1 = Poo, avoid.
    10 = Ace, try it now.
    6 = You'll enjoy it if you like the gamestyle.

    I wonder how much support there will be for it in the future?
    It'll survive if the clans get involved and a community forms i think.

  • kangarootoo #72 5 years ago

    @lavalant

    Have you played it?

    As far as comparing any individual game to its peers, its always been that way and there is no other way of rating games. If quality is subjective (which in the case of games, it is) how else can you rate anything than by comparison to its peers?

  • El_MUERkO #73 5 years ago

    DIE LIVE DIE!!!!

  • Haloboy #74 5 years ago

    Well thank Christ for that, I was always under the impression this would turn out to be a damp squid of a game. Thankfully my long term initial gut feeling came through, this time at least.

  • riz23 #75 5 years ago

    The review is spot on. It's counterstrike meets guildwars. People playing last night were tentatively working out what was effective in common situations, but the extent of magic, tech and race abilities is not that extensive so common builds and strategies are probably already out there. The price is however a massive sticking point. A six level tutorial and nine maps, with an essentially online only experience is not a full priced game. Most PC gamers would call it a 'mod' and demand it for free. I didn't check but I guess it is on unreal 3 tech, so it could be argued so. It is fun, it is different, but I would only want to pay 40 euros or less for it. I'll be interested to see if any PC gamers are playing it because if I was a vista owner I wouldn't want to cough up for this game and a Live account.
    If you see it cheap and love counterstrike then check it out.

  • L0cky #76 5 years ago

    'Iron Bru.'

    What's that, some Tesco own brand imposter? Irn-Bru is one drink nobody has ever come close to replicating.

  • Fatnick #77 5 years ago

    I have no idea why MS are releasing this now - The PC gamers won't go near it because of the price, the 360 gamers won't go near it because they've released it at the same time as Forza.

  • dllord #78 5 years ago

    I thought the 360 version was going to be £29.99 or something as it hasn't really got a single player story? or was that just wishful thinking???????

  • kangarootoo #79 5 years ago

    "the 360 gamers won't go near it because they've released it at the same time as Forza"

    As in the racing game? I'm not sure they really share the same space in a lot of gamers minds.

  • Fatnick #80 5 years ago

    "As in the racing game? I'm not sure they really share the same space in a lot of gamers minds."

    True, but if you're not looking to go out and buy a particular racing game/shooter (or if you like both...which is quite probable if you own a 360), Forza offers much more content at the same price point. Further more, it's also the one which has recieved the lion's share of the marketing.

  • asphaltcowboy #81 5 years ago

    Well, I'm still interested in playing it, but I'll be waiting for the demo!

  • SeesThroughAll #82 5 years ago

    Reading through the review, the game sounds like good, solid, fun.
    But I understand the reviewer's gripe with the pricing. What I do disagree with, however, is the overly harsh cut-down of the score, even if the game is that much overpriced.

    It's like trying to be objective on the "is it really worth that much money?" question for anything, which is actually up to everyone who considers buying the game. I mean, let's be honest, gaming is a luxury, there is no such thing as a game worth 50 euro to begin with.

  • Xerx3s #83 5 years ago

    +1.

  • arqueturus #84 5 years ago

    @Kieron

    I could have sworn your favorite fizzy pop drink was Vodka?

    cheers arq

  • Ryuken #85 5 years ago

    Well, who couldn't see this coming?

  • Ihya #86 5 years ago

    Shadowrun has been sent to die by MS because of the price point, few maps and Vista exclusivity/live requirement on PC. Do they hate the dev team so much? I guess they do as they have been dissolved now so don't even expect any patches :(

  • Steroyd #87 5 years ago

    It's like trying to be objective on the "is it really worth that much money?" question for anything, which is actually up to everyone who considers buying the game. I mean, let's be honest, gaming is a luxury, there is no such thing as a game worth 50 euro to begin with.

    Yes but since the dawn of time... i mean games were invented we always paid for the single player campaign with the multiplayer addition it's been the standard since I was a pup.

    Warning: Sucks at analogy's.

    It's like buying a meat pie, it's always been the way and you always pay full price, heck even if they take the pastry off you'd still wouldn't mind paying full price because after all you're still eating the delicious meat that you bought the pie for in the first place, but on the other hand if they were selling the pastry seperate you wouldn't expect to pay the price of a full meat pie because it's just not a meat pie without the meat, you'd be more willing to pay the price of the pastry than the equivalent of a meat pie without meat.

    So yeah people could probably justify getting Shadowrun for it's MP only awesomeness of a game, but it's just not the same paying full price for just the pastry of a meat pie...hmmm... Meat Pie. *drool* now I'm hungry.

  • Jaded #88 5 years ago

    This is a shit game.

  • Lov3 #89 5 years ago

    Wow, the reviewer remembered about quake 3 on the Dreamcast. Nice work! I find it shocking that MS are advertising this game as a 'first' of sorts, when actually Sega and ID did it 6 or 7 years ago. Oh yeah, and the online service was free then too.

    The rest of the review sucked. I learned more about the game from a brief scan of the 1UP preview than reading the full review over here. Not to mention about a million grammatical errors, of course.

  • davisorle #90 5 years ago

    WTF? Why the fuck you guys make comments about this game whiout even know what it's all about NOT JUST haven't even played it at all. or have you actually tried it out and you didn't like it?

    First of it's not an easy game. I like that. Without the training session you're fucked up. There's no way you will ever be able to play it. After you're done with the training mode the first thing that comes in your mind is OMFG that shit is so amazing ( for 2 reasons ). 1st is the innovation and creativity of the way they combined the FPS game with those elements that I'd never expect in a game of the kind. 2nd is the fact that the graphics are amazing.

    Getting ressurected and being depended of his ass so you wont die after him and keep trying to make sure your friend stays alive is exciting. Now. Im not saying the game is huge but for those of you full of shit that just have to talk crap about a game that you apparently cant play.. You can go fuck off and I'll be also trying it out on PC ones my friend gets it. Can't wait to see how it would look on my new pc. So far on 360 its great and yet I haven't said anything about its price so make sure you understand what I'm talking about before someone replies with a stupid remark.

  • Simian #91 5 years ago

    Why does the picture above this review look like an elf version of Grant Mitchell? Hmmm?

  • BigJonno #92 5 years ago

    It's the lack of split-screen that takes this down for me. A multiplayer shooter can be forgiven all kinds of sins if I can play it split screen, especially with bots in the mix too.

  • Sl1pstream #93 5 years ago

    So it's a great game but because it's a full-price one it gets a fucking 6?

    That's bullshit.

    Sure it's online-only but so was Chromehounds and I've had a ton of fun with that. It scored a 4 on here.
    Edited by 1 at 02/06/07 @ 13:44

  • GamesConnoisseur #94 5 years ago

    I got this game despite the low score (to be honest I bought it before I saw the review!) but even then enjoying it, it is a pretty solid and smooth game, magic and tech necessating a different strategy to online multi playing which is great in my book, as there is too many of the samey FPS online match you can take!

    Sure the price is a bit steep and complaint about Vista only remind me of when complaints of XP compatible only, there will come a time when everyone owns Vista so this game may arrive a bit early.

    Dont get it if you dont want or like this type of game, but I can tell you it is a pretty fun and I score it 8 out of 10.


  • 1Dgaf #95 5 years ago

    Guess who's back, back again...

  • 1Dgaf #96 5 years ago

    IMHO, the biggest problem with the game is the party system.

    Summary:

    If you get a party of friends together for a public game, you're likely to be split according across teams according to skill.

    If you're all really good, some of you will be plonked on the enemy side to make things fair. You want to stay with your mates, but no, FASA decides you have to play with randoms. (You can't choose the team to be on.)

    This makes it very difficult for friends to stick together when play against strangers.

    There is a private match system where friends play against each other, but then one can't test onself against unknown opponents.

    Big mistake by FASA.

  • Steroyd #97 5 years ago

    So it's a great game but because it's a full-price one it gets a fucking 6?

    That's bullshit.

    Why is it Bullshit?

    EG do a similar thing with PSN, XBLA titles where they weigh in stuff like what your getting at what price and if it's worth it, i don't see why that can't descend to retail games.

  • Machetazo #98 5 years ago

    The Gamespot http://uk .gamespot.com/xbox360/action/sh... < speaketh! It agrees with EG, pretty much, too.

    Irrespective, I can still see this game surviving on community support. It clearly isn't a bad game, there's no real similar console alternative, and DLC can't be far from the creator's minds, so that ought to add more to it, to silence critique on maps/modes.

  • GamesConnoisseur #99 5 years ago

    Machetazo is correct regarding the community aspect, as even in Gamespot the individual users rate it at 8.6 (Gamespot reviewer rate it 6.9) but over at metacritic

    [link url=http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/xbox360/sha dowrun
    ]http://ww w.metacritic.com/games/platform...[/link]

    The critics on average rate it 6.7, and again the users rate it higher at 8.3 on average.

    So it does seem that it is more of a matter of taste, if I was a Shadowrun fan i would be very furious at the misappropiation of the licence and wasted opportunity, but if I was looking for something different and new then this would be a good try.
    Would recommend this for a rent rather than purchase as agree that the price is bit too steep for what really is online only and weak single play (bots). However if you are quite taken to it as I do, then worth having.
    Edited by 2 at 02/06/07 @ 18:46

  • Waldo #100 5 years ago

    An online FPS that ships with only nine maps will get boring fast, especially if they don't release more or the game doesn't have editing tools.

  • TheRealBadabing #101 5 years ago

    Most popular Counterstrike servers "back in the day" only ran a few maps on rotation. Don't remember that getting boring very quickly. The custom maps were a novelty for a while until the "vote dust ffs" calls started to flood the chat.

    Quality over quantity and from what I have seen there is a lot of quality in the Shadowrun maps.

  • Abscido #102 5 years ago

    I am a fan of the Mega Drive and SNES RPGs, and RPGs used to be my first love, but I have to say this is a superb game. It adds a brilliant twist to a genre that, frankly, was becoming more and more insular.

    This is a case of most reviewers 'detaching' from their subject matter a little too much I think, something I've been guilty of myself in the past. At its core, Shadowrun is beautifully balanced, with a role for everyone to play in any given team.

    I agree on the price front, but that wouldn't stop me whole-heartedly recommending this.

  • Azazel #103 5 years ago

    Irn Bru: Can make even a goth happy.

  • davisorle #104 5 years ago

    @Sl1pstream
    Imagine.. They put a score according on what game you get for the price?
    Hoe come noone in here said what a buch of bullshit is the PS3 when for its price it has no games? and the ones it does are crapy/rather get a wii.

    BUT STILL. When I first got in the website they warned me. Its a Sony fanbase and antiMS so I learned to deal with it. Its just a buch of bullshit though. And yet they love Motostorm so much.. OMFG lol

    Listen, this goes to morons: Stop talkng about fucking Vista. We are talking about Shadowrun and the game is a great online tittle. So wtf is wrong with everyone in here? Who asked you to buy Vista? Most of you have em downloaded alredy. So whats your probleme?

  • Azazel #105 5 years ago

    Our 'probleme' is that we just don't THINK RIGHT.

  • YourMessageHere #106 5 years ago

    I'm curious as to quite when autoaim suddenly became acceptable for multiplayer PC games. Aimbots, they used to call them. I seem to recall that most people considered it cheating...

  • BigBadB #107 5 years ago

    I don't quite understand why Shadowrun is getting these review scores. I'm a 'Shadowrun geek', and I'm as disappointed as anyone that this is no Shadowrun RPG (or MMO, my personal dream). That doesn't, however, change the fact that this is a superb game with far more tactical depth and variety than pretty much any other FPS on the 360.

    All the criticisms about the number of maps and game modes pale in comparison to the variety offered by the various combinations of race, tech and magic and the impact that the choices that you, your team and the opposing players have on how each round plays.

    When the demo comes out on Xbox Live (next week?), I'd strongly recommend giving it a try - or just reading what the players are saying already - rather than listening to the reviews. It would be a shame to let such an excellent game pass you by.

  • BremXJones #108 5 years ago

    Randomly, I've never written a word about the PS3 for Eurogamer, so just for you...

    The PS3 is clearly hysterically overpriced.

    KG

  • Dizzy #109 5 years ago

    "Aimbots, they used to call them. I seem to recall that most people considered it cheating... "

    Errr.. aimbots are a bit more advanced. They almost shoot you in the head and turn instantly to any target (even behind you).

    The aiming in consoles FPS games usually only "assists" in leading the target once you have had a good "lock". Basically you move your aiming spot on the target and the game will allow for some mistakes ;) but only after you have gotten a good aim in the first place (so it doesn't snap to your target without you aiming).

    What I find always funny is that there is almost no way you can aim as accurate in real life as you can with a mouse in a PC game ;) (unless sniper rifle) so in many ways console aiming is much more realistic. The human eye does not have an aiming recticle build in...
    Edited by 1 at 04/06/07 @ 11:16

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #110 5 years ago

    I used to think the Iron Brew (sic) flavour of WKD was one of the best approximations to the Barr's stuff. Can you still get that flavour or is it all lemon and blueberry nowadays?

    It seems so long since I've gone out drinking alcopops.

  • seffyroff #111 5 years ago

  • Malacath #112 5 years ago

    I can't understand why this game gets low ratings.
    It is hell of a lot better than Halo 3.

  • Liggur #113 5 years ago

    So if you could get the game for £15-£20 it would get an 8 or 9?

  • darkbhudda #114 5 years ago

    The RRP for Australia is mid price so it looks like that will push it into the buy category.

    I just hope we can find European or Aussie hosted games so we don't have to deal with stupid Americans who have been playing it 24/7 since it came out and they scream at us at our first game because we haven't memorised the map and the stupid host has a bad internet connection and lags badly and then they quit because they're about to lose because their leadership skills border on that of a paranoid delusional chimpanzee with a bizarre mix of Tourettes and Alzheimers.

    No, I'm not bitter.