Shadowrun Shadowrun: Hong Kong - Extended Edition

[Magnificate]

The game is OCD trap.

True. However, I was finally able to balance the numbers and craft an end-game character that was satisfactory. I might as well share it:

 

[orcinator]

You get bonus karma if you sit through the entirety of the NPC's info dumps.

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG

 

[Filthy Sauce]

Is it safe to assume DF is better than HK?

I need to play something turn based again before I turn into a slutty casual.

 

[Akratus]

Yeah dragonfall is the best one.

 

[GarfunkeL]

You should play all three - they are all good.

 

[eXalted]

Dead Man's Switch - Short, smooth, after you complete it, you will want more.

Dragonfall - Very good game. Some very memorable missions in this one.

*Shouts something in Cantonese* - Not that memorable missions, but some very good characters in there. Very wordy.

 

[Rahdulan]

Yeah, I really think he should play all three games if only to see how they've improved over time. Particularly the UI once they focused on PC as their main platform.

 

[SwiftCrack]

I'd argue that playing DF original and DFDC is even worth it just to see the difference.

HK not so much.

 

[CptMace]

Playing more than one Shadowrun is like playing more than one Fire emblem. It's pointless, but you'll want more so you can only realize it's a waste of time once you've wasted your time.

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG

 

[norolim]

I just finished my first playthrough of all three campaigns one after another. And I must admit I wasn't expecting anything that good.

Dead Man's Switch was a solid game with competent writing and a detective story feel I enjoyed a lot. Not all RPG systems were great and the UI was atrocious, but it wasn't enough to ruin it for me. Dragonfall DC was the one that surprised me the most. It had a very good story, some interesting characters and enjoyable battles, improved mechanics and UI and even some quality C&C. It's probably one of the best RPGs I played in the last 10-15 years and definitely in the top 10 of my all time best.

So after that, you can imagine I was a little disappointed with Hong Kong. It was the weakest of the bunch. Combat was way too easy (apart form the bonus campaign), writing suddenly got significantly worse (which was a serious flaw considering how much text this campaign had) and then there was the new Matrix. Oh man... I'm not sure if I ever saw a worse game system. I hated the fucking thing. Yeah, I liked the new graphical style a bit more, the UI was finally acceptable and there were a few great characters (perhaps the best in the series) but after Dragonfall, the whole thing just felt mediocre. The mini-campaign had enjoyable combat and a game breaking bug at the end, when I couldn't get out of combat after I killed all the enemies.

All in all, a very good series though. Shame I wont be playing Battletech - can't stand mechs.

 

[eXalted]

id advise to start with df to get 'hooked' and want more of shadowrun.

then you should continue to dms as mechanic is not too different.

This. I wasn't hooked when I first played DMS. After Dragonfall, it was a blast.

 

[Mark Richard]

So after that, you can imagine I was a little disappointed with Hong Kong. It was the weakest of the bunch. Combat was way too easy (apart form the bonus campaign), writing suddenly got significantly worse (which was a serious flaw considering how much text this campaign had) and then there was the new Matrix. Oh man... I'm not sure if I ever saw a worse game system. I hated the fucking thing.

I thought The Matrix in Hong Kong was an improvement over the plodding action of previous games which forced a drawn-out combat sequence for every room. At least with the real-time patrol puzzles, combat is strictly a consequence of getting caught.

 

[roshan]

Yeah, Nu-Matrix was pretty great, a big improvement over previous games.

 

[dukeofwhales]

I thought The Matrix in Hong Kong was an improvement over the plodding action of previous games which forced a drawn-out combat sequence for every room. At least with the real-time patrol puzzles, combat is strictly a consequence of getting caught.

If it was good they would have copied Invisible Inc's turn based stealth rather than the challenging-but-not-in-a-fun-way real time sneaking.

I did prefer HK matrix to DMS/DF though, which was a terrible grind.

 

[Starwars]

I thought it was an improvement also but I think they still went in the wrong direction, especially with how clunky the engine feels when you're moving in realtime.

Love the HK hacking music though, it's sweet.

 

[SwiftCrack]

Improvement but clunky sounds like a good way to put it yeah.

Music in all three games is really good.

 

[norolim]

Definitely not an improvement for me. I bought HK to play a TB game, not real-time hide and seek with unresponsive controls.

 

[Gord]

I would have preferred had they added in some of the concepts from DF:DC as seen in Blitz' mission.
Also using a TB rather than RT approach.

It was still better than doing practically only combat - which was never more than a stripped down and less interesting version of meatspace combat.

 

[orcinator]

I need to play something turn based again before I turn into a slutty casual.

Then you're in the wrong place since the whole series is casual as fuck.

 

[Elemental_wanamingo]

Are the shadowrun games based on some novels or comics? I ask because I have played through all three of the new ones and each game has basically the same plot. Start as no one who has some mystery to solve, notice the mystery, investigate more, then find some miniboss has the info you need so you go meet him. At one point you need to use some special gun which has a special bullet. You need to use that gun to one special npc. Then in the end you fight small dungeon and fight some magical creature and save the world. They are all the same. The plot is the same each time.

I think the dragonfall was the best of the three. It had good amount of improvements over the 1st and the best story. The plot was just better supported by the characters. Hongkong was not that good.

 

[GarfunkeL]

Oh wow, a story has commonplace story elements. Let's ignore the details and context and say that every fantasy story is the same too because they all go through the Hero's Journey.

But yes, that is basically the stereotypical SR campaign plot - get mixed up in a mystery, try to solve it, find out an extra-dimensional threat, save the world. The games are based on the P&P RPG that has been around for 30 years and yes, there have been multiple video games and dozens of novels written too.

 

[Elemental_wanamingo]

Oh wow, a story has commonplace story elements. Let's ignore the details and context and say that every fantasy story is the same too because they all go through the Hero's Journey.

What details? That each game has this same magic weapon you need to use on one of the end bosses to neutralise him in some way? The way this second higher tier boss in the game is always some kind of badass with tons of chrome. How you always do some kind of "risky" mission near the end (save that father guy in hk or the ai mission in df).

If you are not able to notice any more commonplace plots and story arcs in the shadowrun games than the hero's journey then maybe these are just the right depth games for you...

But yes, that is basically the stereotypical SR campaign plot - get mixed up in a mystery, try to solve it, find out an extra-dimensional threat, save the world. The games are based on the P&P RPG that has been around for 30 years and yes, there have been multiple video games and dozens of novels written too.

Fallout 1 and 2. Different plot with clearly different way it plays out. Doesn't use the same story reasonings in the exactly same order in both games. Shadowrun games all have the same plot. And I'm not talking about the hero's journey or the world saving endings. I'm talking about how the smaller details and story mechanics are the same in each game (dragonfall and hk are almost identical with hk being less deep).

Maybe next time the big boss could have more than just one cybered up right hand kind of super enforcer dude who I need to meet/murder before the final act. How there is always the mission giver dude who can figure out who that super enforcer dude is by using his "connections". How in every game I get to watch some choppy video where this enforcer dude kills someone and then have basically the same dialogue option wondering who is this dude who has some much chrome and why he killed this important person. How in each game there is this same kind of big fight somewhere in the middle where I get doublecrossed and need to "choose" side.

The extended edition had different plot but it was also so much corridor that its quality was unbearable for me. Which is sad because at least it did something that was not the same story with different characters.

 

[Lhynn]

You have been chosen by your community to go find the mcguffin. Once you find it you discover a bigger threat and you are the only one that can deal with it in any effective way.