Game News Shadowrun Returns Kickstarter Update #72: Dragonfall Released

[Darth Roxor]

not sure if it's a fake choice or if the trigger for it is somehow broken, though, because i experienced a lot of those.

Fake. There's nothing in the editor for that scenario that would suggest there's any relevant script there.

 

[DeepOcean]

So to sum it up, dragonfall is basically the same as the original, with slightly better level design and a bit harder combat, but it also introduces some nasty save bugs. I was waiting for df do decide whether to buy the game, wnd frankly what I hear so far doesn't make me very eager to get it.

It is an enjoyable RPG light with pretty 2d art and that is it. It has enough of TB goodness and light tactical planning to be compeling but won't satisfy someone that wants deep combat mechanics with a challenging AI. They massively improved on DMS on the level design and encounter design but the teethless AI, stats checks that are just for flavour, weak itemization, simplistic progression system and fake C&C continue. I don't regret paying the money (15 dollars is more than worthy) but keep in mind that if you want strong stat checks usage and really tough battles, you are going to be disappointed and it is better to invest on something else.

I aprove this expansion but I'm a huge shadowrun fan and love the 2d art what makes me more tolerant with the flaws.

 

[SuicideBunny]

I'd say that 2014 is already a better crpgs year than the previous 7-8...

 

[SwiftCrack]

Possible C&C spoilers?

Spoiler

I guess it doesn't matter what you do on the money gathering runs with regards to not following contracts to the letter and 'ruining your shadowrunner reputation'?

 

[V_K]

Also

Spoiler

Are there any repercussions for failing all the Lodge tasks?
And will Dante turn on you in the Kreuzbasar attack if you ignore him throughout the game? Or the game assumes that you "bonded" anyway?

Wasted whole three days on this stuff. Whew! It's funny how level design suddenly went from weakest point of the game in DMS to its strongest one in Dragonfall.

 

[Darth Roxor]

Spoiler

No idea about the reputation ruining or lodge repercussions, but I would assume they do nothing

Dante CAN turn on you, however

 

[thesheeep]

Not sure if anyone cares, but I'll just drop some lines about their depiction of Berlin:

It is actually pretty good.
You have all those things typical of the city I see each day when going outside. The balconies everywhere, street name signs, the road markings, that not a single building is without graffities, the general architectural style, etc.
Also, most places you go to or that come up in dialogues actually do exist. The Kreuzbasar and its inhabitants, for example are depicted rather well, though of course also rather stereotypical.
I've just never heard of a Drogenkippe, but maybe I'm not involved with the right people for that.

I am not entirely sure about how SR "canon-proof" their Berlin is, but from what you can get from dialogs and reading that up on the shadowhelix it seems to be pretty good. The whole storyline about the Dragonfall fits perfectly well into what was known already from source books on Berlin and Germany.

So, HBS definitely did their homework.

 

[TwinkieGorilla]

It is an enjoyable RPG light with pretty 2d art and that is it. It has enough of TB goodness and light tactical planning to be compeling but won't satisfy someone that wants deep combat mechanics with a challenging AI. They massively improved on DMS on the level design and encounter design but the teethless AI, stats checks that are just for flavour, weak itemization, simplistic progression system and fake C&C continue. I don't regret paying the money (15 dollars is more than worthy) but keep in mind that if you want strong stat checks usage and really tough battles, you are going to be disappointed and it is better to invest on something else.

I aprove this expansion but I'm a huge shadowrun fan and love the 2d art what makes me more tolerant with the flaws.

Pretty fair summation. I think though, if you enjoy the Shadowrun world and don't mind a moderate amount of text, the hub and all of its interactivity and fun side-missions is good enough reason to pick this one up.

 

[Applypoison]

I am not entirely sure about how SR "canon-proof" their Berlin is, but from what you can get from dialogs and reading that up on the shadowhelix it seems to be pretty good. The whole storyline about the Dragonfall fits perfectly well into what was known already from source books on Berlin and Germany.

Daedalic-Brained Schemes definitely poured everything they had into delivering a solid steampunk experience with Blackguards

 

[Eyeball]

Not sure if anyone cares, but I'll just drop some lines about their depiction of Berlin:

It is actually pretty good.
You have all those things typical of the city I see each day when going outside. The balconies everywhere, street name signs, the road markings, that not a single building is without graffities, the general architectural style, etc.
Also, most places you go to or that come up in dialogues actually do exist. The Kreuzbasar and its inhabitants, for example are depicted rather well, though of course also rather stereotypical.
I've just never heard of a Drogenkippe, but maybe I'm not involved with the right people for that.

I am not entirely sure about how SR "canon-proof" their Berlin is, but from what you can get from dialogs and reading that up on the shadowhelix it seems to be pretty good. The whole storyline about the Dragonfall fits perfectly well into what was known already from source books on Berlin and Germany.

So, HBS definitely did their homework.

I particularly like the coat of arms of New Berlin you see hanging from lampposts in a few Places: The Berlin Black bear on a White background holding a Kalashnikov.

 

[TwinkieGorilla]

Just noticing this now for the first time for some reason but...

...is it just me or does the attack program's animation seem like it was designed by Prosper?

Spoiler

amirite?

 

[Septaryeth]

Just finished, clocked in at least 20 hours on different options and choices,
which of course turns out to be meaningless.

Anyway, I thought the story is a major improvement in comparison to DMS,
opposite to the original campaign, it gets better and better towards the end.
Several nice surprises, and the open ending is also more satisfying than the original.

Spoiler

Then again, it's hard to get worse than insane shaman with extra-dimensional-bug invasion.

Spoiler

Is it actually possible to talk the guy out of suicide towards the end?
Didn't have enough intelligence/charm/academic etiquette to do so.
I noticed special dialogues pops up every time in your conversation with him though, if so that's a nice improvement.

 

[Humanity has risen!]

How do you even equip new stuff to your comrades? Can you buy stuff in stores and then have it equipped to your comrades later?

Also, the only thing interesting in this is the atmosphere and some of the dialogue. The rest is the same meaningless, by the numbers RPG lite stuff that makes the combat in Jeff Vogel's Avadon look complex and tactical. Only now we have angsty Biowarian companion NPCs. At this point I'd rather take The Walking Dead, instead of something that tries to look like it's an RPG, but actually is little else than a visual novel.

It's pretty funny how people here constantly boast about how hardcore they are, ripping most any game to shreds for the most basic flaws, and yet when someone flashes something shiny and yells OLD-SCHOOL everyone turns into screaming One Direction fangirls.

 

[DeepOcean]

It's pretty funny how people here constantly boast about how hardcore they are, ripping most any game to shreds for the most basic flaws, and yet when someone flashes something shiny and yells OLD-SCHOOL everyone turns into screaming One Direction fangirls.

Well, nobody is pretending that this game isn't a RPG light and keep in mind that when people say this game is an improvement, they are basing their opinion on DMS that was even more limited than this. The consensus is that it is something worthy the price point but something that isn't even close to a real RPG.

 

[Serious_Business]

I just finished this, very cool. This definitively was what I expected out of the original game. I'm glad they went on their way to do this. One of the better experiences of this type I had in a while, since maybe MoTB. It has good writing, and the gameplay is pretty solid to boot. I think this is a superior rpg.

In terms of narrative, the overall plotline was not so interesting, but I found the characters and the setting well crafted. The sub-plotlines were pretty interesting, they put a lot of efforts to flesh out the world and the atmosphere. I didn't find the npcs sappy or bioware-ish as some seem to think ; Deitrich was definitively a p. cool guy. These games introduced me to the Shadowrun setting, and I definitively like it. The whole thing oozes with this kind of atmsophere where you feel crushed under these dark impossible forces and just try to make it - in a way it reminds me of Vampire.

At any rate, the narrative shows that things will go a long way if you just try to limit your story to a more modest, local set of parameters. In the end you are "saving the world" agaisnt an antagonistic and blind force, just like in any rpg, but "the world" takes a more personalized, human feel. You save your neighborhood. The idea simple, but good. It takes the familiar twists and put some nuance into it. Not sure about C&C, but I don't care much for that anymore - it tried, at least.

In terms of gameplay, I only played on normal because I don't have the fortitude for more (and I played a chi adept which wasn't a very good idea, it seems) - it was pretty solid, the battles are fun, challenging but fair, the escalation of the difficulty is pretty well made, and you have a fair amount of tactics and options available to you. Not all that impressive, but better than most rpgs, really.

 

[TwinkieGorilla]

It's pretty funny how people here constantly boast about how hardcore they are, ripping most any game to shreds for the most basic flaws, and yet when someone flashes something shiny and yells OLD-SCHOOL everyone turns into screaming One Direction fangirls.

Lazy. As expected these days.

 

[SwiftCrack]

How do you even equip new stuff to your comrades? Can you buy stuff in stores and then have it equipped to your comrades later?

Also, the only thing interesting in this is the atmosphere and some of the dialogue. The rest is the same meaningless, by the numbers RPG lite stuff that makes the combat in Jeff Vogel's Avadon look complex and tactical. Only now we have angsty Biowarian companion NPCs. At this point I'd rather take The Walking Dead, instead of something that tries to look like it's an RPG, but actually is little else than a visual novel.

It's pretty funny how people here constantly boast about how hardcore they are, ripping most any game to shreds for the most basic flaws, and yet when someone flashes something shiny and yells OLD-SCHOOL everyone turns into screaming One Direction fangirls.

Your companions re-equip themselves with new gear every (other) new run. You can always give them usable items from your stash before a run starts, however.

 

[V_K]

You can always give them usable items from your stash before a run starts, however.

Just don't forget to use them since after the mission's done they're gone anyway.

 

[Shannow]

I don't get the whining about "fake skill checks". Most are not fake, so...wtf?

The plot is much better than DMS's, but the writing for the dialogue is not quite as good. Perhaps because there was too much "goody-two-shoes" this time around. Another 10 games and they might reach Bioware level shitty dialogues... (Perish the thought.) Could have used more different uses for etiquettes, too. Seemed only security and academic were really used to any extent.
Overall good game. Still has many weeknesses (clunky engine, weak cyber ware, minimal choices for melee weapons, party equipment, etc.), but at this rate I'll buy their next expansion. (And hope they steal this guy's ideas and put the production values of a whole dev team behind it: http://www.nexusmods.com/shadowrunreturns/mods/134/? )