Elwro
Arcane
Now that we all know the <A HREF="http://shadowrun.com/">PC Shadowrun game</A> was a disaster and FASA Interactive was <A HREF="http://arstechnica.com/journals/thumbs.ars/2007/09/13/the-price-of-shadowrun-fasa-studios-closes">forcibly dismantled</A> by Microsoft, 1up's editor Michael Zenke thinks it's time for a little <A HREF="http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3163253">retrospective and failure analysis</A>.
The <A HREF="http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3163253">text</A> starts with reminding us of the three console Shadowrun games of the 90s (yes, three), but the heart of the text is the section where the author considers what could have been done if the developers had more creativity and the title belonged to a different genre. Here's what he says about RPGs:
<blockquote>
RPG -- The obvious choice for a Shadowrun game, but still one with many possible variations. What style of RPG would work best with the combination of magic and technology? Perhaps it would be an Oblivion/Fallout 3-style game, with forests of skyscrapers replacing the brickwork of Anvil, and magic-mad beasts of the forests replacing the radiation-mutated creatures of the wastes. A JRPG-style title would be very unique, a fusion of two very different mindsets to create a new gameplay style; picture the combat system of Final Fantasy XIII meets urban street brawls, with a smattering of luscious cut-scenes set in corporate boardrooms and atop blood-soaked Mexican ziggurats. What would seem like the perfect fit, though, is the party-friendly gameplay of BioWare games, in which customizable protagonist works through the story-heavy elements of a familiar-but-alien world with a rotating band of uniquely skilled cohorts. Mass Effect and Knights of the Old Republic have more in common with Shadowrun than not.
</blockquote>
How do <em>you</em> envision a proper PC Shadowrun RPG? Tell us on the forums and let's all share your sadness that no company will ever do it.
Spotted at: <A HREF="http://www.1up.com/">1up</A>
The <A HREF="http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3163253">text</A> starts with reminding us of the three console Shadowrun games of the 90s (yes, three), but the heart of the text is the section where the author considers what could have been done if the developers had more creativity and the title belonged to a different genre. Here's what he says about RPGs:
<blockquote>
RPG -- The obvious choice for a Shadowrun game, but still one with many possible variations. What style of RPG would work best with the combination of magic and technology? Perhaps it would be an Oblivion/Fallout 3-style game, with forests of skyscrapers replacing the brickwork of Anvil, and magic-mad beasts of the forests replacing the radiation-mutated creatures of the wastes. A JRPG-style title would be very unique, a fusion of two very different mindsets to create a new gameplay style; picture the combat system of Final Fantasy XIII meets urban street brawls, with a smattering of luscious cut-scenes set in corporate boardrooms and atop blood-soaked Mexican ziggurats. What would seem like the perfect fit, though, is the party-friendly gameplay of BioWare games, in which customizable protagonist works through the story-heavy elements of a familiar-but-alien world with a rotating band of uniquely skilled cohorts. Mass Effect and Knights of the Old Republic have more in common with Shadowrun than not.
</blockquote>
How do <em>you</em> envision a proper PC Shadowrun RPG? Tell us on the forums and let's all share your sadness that no company will ever do it.
Spotted at: <A HREF="http://www.1up.com/">1up</A>