Shadowrun Dragonfall doesn’t pull any punches. From the word
'go' it tosses you into a world of quick deaths, big shotguns, and
difficult situations.Even on the easiest difficulty setting you need to
have your wits about you. Within ten minutes of starting the game you’re
already in a firefight, already outnumbered, and already juggling
keeping your team alive and dealing out damage.
That steep
learning curve is likely to put some people off, but those who persevere
will find a clever, engaging cyberfantasy RPG that pushes all the right
buttons.
Its tactical combat is razor sharp, its old school story
is entertaining, and everything is polished to an almost glistening
sheen.
Aim and fire
The game certainly starts
with a bang. Just outside Berlin you lead a team of cybercriminals into
an underground bunker beneath a mansion to steal some data.
What
was supposed to be an easy job soon goes south and you end up running
for your life, and getting embroiled in a conspiracy about an apparently
long dead dragon.
The tale is surprisingly well told. There's no
voice acting here, just reams to text, but none of it would feel out of
place in a Gibson novel.
The combat is the core of the experience
though, and it’s tight, fast paced, and tactical. Each of your
characters gets a set of action points to spend each round.
You
can use these to move, fire, or use a variety of different spells,
buffs, and items. Learning the strengths and weaknesses of each class is
essential.
There’s no point putting your shaman in the line of
fire, and there’s no point keeping your street samurai with metal claws
hidden at the back.
Blast radius
Flanking,
cover, reloading, and creatures you can summon from machinery all come
into play, and they’re woven into a brilliantly balanced system.
When
things get tense, which they do pretty quickly, you’ll often find
yourself juggling medkits and healing spells while trying to keep the
enemy pinned down. you’ll dart between cover, let out a shotgun blast,
then make another character fire out a burst of lightning.
It
makes for a brilliantly intense experience, and it’s complimented by
smart AI and brilliant encounter design. You need to learn to use
everything at your disposal to get the job done and keep your team
alive.
The seedy dens and glittering cyberpunk spires you find
yourself in are all presented in great detail. Switches flicker,
radioactive insects skitter around, and neon lights fizz against the
night sky.
Tube lines and dragons
The very best RPGs build believable worlds, and that’s precisely what
Shadowrun Dragonfall does. It’s a little smoother than its predecessor as well, and the touch UI feels that little bit more intuitive.
Throw in 20 hours of campaign play and you’re left with a package that feels classic and fresh at the same time.
Its
violence is direct and engaging, its story tight enough to enthral, and
the fact you can pop it in your bag and take it anywhere you go is the
icing on the cake.
If you liked the original
Shadowrun Returns
you’ll love this, and if you’re just on the lookout for a new RPG to
lose a chunk of your life in, you’ll probably love it as well.
