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[Review] Shadowrun Chronicles: Not the MMO We Were Expecting, But Still Fun
SBFord
Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129
The campaign exceeded its $500,000 goal, but, unfortunately, was delayed for quite a bit longer than anticipated until last week finally saw the release of the newly christened Shadowrun Chronicles: Boston Lockdown. Thanks to years of feedback from hardcore Shadowrun players who backed the game, Shadowrun Chronicles evolved into something that is a bit different from the original Shadowrun Online idea.
Read more of Shawn Schuster's Shadowrun Chronicles: Not the MMO We Were Expecting, But Still Fun.
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Comments
I loved Shadowrun Returns and I was pretty excited for Shadowrun Chronicles. Seems like it's going to have to be a wait and see game though, considering the cons listed here. Given some more time for the developers to implement the server fixes and to add more content, the game might be worthy of a purchase in the future.
Shadowrun has been a favorite IP of mine over the years with its blend of cyberpunk and fantasy, but I don't feel the IP has ever received a fair shake in terms of videogame adaptations. The SNES Shadowrun game was pretty good. Returns was a lot of fun, but very short, imo. It would be nice to get more of a free roam style game for the IP though.
Wow. Ok. If you are going to send out a review... especially how games are released now..you wait to pass judgment on lag and log in issues.
Let me say, first, I am a backer. I donated some capital to make this game. I am a super fan of the Shadowrun IP. Hell, just look at my older blogs from many years ago on this site.
I also backed Shadowrun Returns.
This review is shit.
Shadowrun Chronicles (Or Shadowrun Online as it once was) is not, nor ever was to be "like Shadowrun Returns".
SR:R is a single player game, with different stories released by Harebrained Schemes and allows for the community to create their own stories, with no online interaction at all.
SR:C is an online CO-OP game that lets you face tactical scenarios together much like Final Fantasy Tactics and Fallout Tactics, but with real people. It's story is linear with many side missions and even branches out later on about 20 missions in. You are following the story of a Shadowrunner with a real crappy Boston accent who is in essence, unravelling a ball of yarn of a mystery.
The lag was stupid awful for nearly a week after launch. In Alpha and Beta, no issues with lag at all. But something happened. Now the lag is gone. Poof. There are other bugs... not game breaking, but annoying.
You have 4 character slots now, which you can delete and create new characters at any time. There is no trading among runners, for good or bad. So what you find, is what you have. No different than Marvel Heroes at launch.
The leveling system is NOT Shadowrun. Not even close. But, for the same reason I watch the Superhero movies in the theater, I play this game. To be a part of the world, even if it is translated wrongly (Dark Phoenix was a Cosmic Entity you MORON!)
But the world, and the weapons (not the casting weapons LOL) remind me of Shadowrun and makes things fun.
Some major drawbacks, but no game breaking, just annoying.... There is no Karma cap. Think of Karma like skill points. You need X Karma to obtain a skill.... you can get 10 skills total per tree, and each tree takes about 100 or so Karma to finish off. At this moment, you get all the passives from the weapon trees even if you do not have the weapon equipped. Which might lessen the overpowered players right now.
Something else that may detract from your fun, is that when you invite people to your group... they can be maxed out with some very power equipment (since they are further in the story than you) which trivializes the challenge in the missions.
Venders upgrade their equipment as you progress in the story. I wish they would just have most of the high end stuff when you start, so you can have a goal on saving your hard earned NuYen. But there is a point, for about 6 missions, that the venders are bugged, and dont sell anything at all.
The music is on a loop... but you lose notice of it when you are playing. It's in the background and is no different than seeing a drone flying by you in the hub.
This is NOT a MMO by any stretch of the imagination.... Think of the multiplayer aspect as no more than a Left4Dead game.
If you can get a key from someone who backed the game, it is worthwhile in playing. I already gave mine to a friend. Or just dont go to the movies, and put the money down for something enjoyable to play. It isn't bad. I am still waiting on a true Shadowrun MMO.
How do I get paid to do review for MMORPG.com? I cannot do any worse than what I seen.
Sorry Shawn, calling it like I see it.
AN' DERE AIN'T NO SUCH FING AS ENUFF DAKKA, YA GROT! Enuff'z more than ya got an' less than too much an' there ain't no such fing as too much dakka. Say dere is, and me Squiggoff'z eatin' tonight!
We are born of the blood. Made men by the blood. Undone by the blood. Our eyes are yet to open. FEAR THE OLD BLOOD.
#IStandWithVic
Wow, how the heck did they raise 500k.
I was thinking of picking this up a while ago on steam but all the reviews said to wait til the game improved.
Wow again, 500k.
You and me both. Just look at my blog.
Who knows,,, maybe if I win the $500 million jackpot, I can start up the funding for a real ShadowRun MMO, done right.
I have a lost a lot of trust in developers now days,so i can't help but wonder if delays are to soak up as much money as possible or are they legit.
The game likely is ok for a quick in and out bit of change of pace/fun but it definitely does not look MMO.It appears very linear and one hub city really puts every player on the exact same play path.I guess with a 500k budget we can't expect 100 million dollar projects but that is actually what i am looking for,i have enough older games to pass my time waiting.I think my gaming portfolio has about 500 games,so ya i am looking for that giant epic game.
Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.
FInally someone who sees it the same way. I get so sick and tired of the miss use of MMO. Just because you have a hub city doesn't make it a MMO. Its just a fancy lobby, instead of a chat room you stand with other players in the same area. If you can't do the quests and such in the same area with hundreds of people its not a freaking MMO!
Recently i saw a movie on youtube with anticipated MMO's for 2015 - 2016. This was from a gamesite...and they put the new upcomming Unreal Tournament in it. Its a freaking shooter, at best you get to play with 64 people on a map (though we all know that in the days of the consoles its even limited to 32 on the pc now).
People really lost the sense of genres. Worst of all is that they claim they are right and have this attitude that if enough people say the same it makes it the truth. Heck most shooters these days get the RPG tag as well cause there is a form of lvling up system in it. ANd if you disagree that it is a RPG you are called old fashioned, that times have changed and so have genres. Blergh.