Shadowrun Returns!

[Stark]

I wouldn't bother. He's one of those people who finds the very idea of Steam abhorrent, and nothing will change his mind. There's tons of them on the GOG forums.

Yeah. I think we're in agreement when you said "But you must see the writing on the wall: digital-only is coming, it's only a matter of time." So why not go with someone that does that really well, like Steam does?

[Exhuminator]

I buy a lot of digital download games from various services. I don't have a problem with digital distribution. I have a problem with Steam's variant of it.

My first experience with Steam was in 2005. I bought Half Life 2 off a retail shelf and took it home. Put the disc in my PC and was ready to play. Except one problem. Steam. At that time my internet connection was down so I could not play the game, despite the fact that I had the physical disc in the drive and all the game's data was right there in my computer. The only thing keeping me from playing it was online only DRM nanny software that I didn't even know came on the disc when I bought it. Why couldn't I just put a license serial in and have fun? Nope. I had bought a game I could not play because Valve decided if I was offline I wasn't a legitimate consumer, despite selling the game offline to me. It was hypocritical and disingenuous.

Anyway folks, Shadowrun Returns looks excellent. I hope lots of you buy it and enjoy it. I also hope it eventually gets released on other distribution services so I can do the same.

[Stark]

So you're punishing yourself for an experience you had with the service 8 years ago? Self-flagellation on principal? Seems silly.

[Exhuminator]

I can hold a grudge like nobody's business.

[MrEco]

So you're punishing yourself for an experience you had with the service 8 years ago? Self-flagellation on principal? Seems silly.

I can see why he (And others) might want to stay away from Steam for that reason. It's not like they stopped doing what he's talking about. Back in 2010 I bought Mount & Blade Warband and couldn't play it without activating it on Steam. Same thing with The Void.

It didn't really bother me since my internet is, and was, just fine, but it's still a silly kind of DRM that shouldn't be in place against physical copies of games. And they still do that nowadays with plenty of their games.

[Stark]

So you're punishing yourself for an experience you had with the service 8 years ago? Self-flagellation on principal? Seems silly.

I can see why he (And others) might want to stay away from Steam for that reason. It's not like they stopped doing what he's talking about. Back in 2010 I bought Mount & Blade Warband and couldn't play it without activating it on Steam. Same thing with The Void.

It didn't really bother me since my internet is, and was, just fine, but it's still a silly kind of DRM that shouldn't be in place against physical copies of games. And they still do that nowadays with plenty of their games.

Having a physical release now is just trying to get the few people that actually buy physical copies of PC games any more. Most brick & mortar stores have a pathetic PC section these days, because everyone buys online.

I guess my point is, if you're trying to effect their business practice by boycotting, I don't think this will be effective as I think you represent a small population of potential consumers and therefore I don't see this as a good reason to avoid a game if I want to play it.

[MrEco]

I guess my point is, if you're trying to effect their business practice by boycotting, I don't think this will be effective as I think you represent a small population of potential consumers and therefore I don't see this as a good reason to avoid a game if I want to play it.

Oh yeah, definitely. Gabe Newell won't be going hungry anytime soon from Steam boycotters. But still, I can understand why someone would choose to avoid purchasing games from them on principal.

[Exhuminator]

No I am not arrogant enough to believe my sole boycotting of Steam will somehow make a dent in it.

Now I apologize for taking this thread so far off topic, and I hope it can return to its intent. Looking forward to hearing some opinions about SRR...

[Menegrothx]

Looking forward to hearing some opinions about SRR...

It's an isometric CRPG lite basically, since it was developed to work on iPads also.
Everything is handled by clicking, there are no keyboard shortcuts. The interface is clearly designed with touch controls in mind.

+Good writing and story, interesting characters. Better than anything in recent memory.
+From what I've heard: nails the Shadowrun look/feel perfectly
+A lot of different types of characters you can create with a lot of customizing options.
+The editor. Which means you can create campaigns, and you'll be able to play player made campaigns in the future. Hopefully this means that in the future, all the negative things about this game will be fixed.
-Very linear. You can't explore the city. You can only advance to an area where there's a quest, and never go back to previous areas.
-Too easy. Both combat, and trying to figure out what to do next. All the items you can use and people you can talk to are marked (as are where is your next objective), so you don't have to explore, talk to every one etc like in proper RPGs.
-You can't save the game. The game auto saves at the beginning of a new chapter, and you'll have to play untill you reach a new area if you want to quit the game and not loose any progress you've made
-Dialogue is mostly in modern Bioware style. There don't seem to be all that many ways to influence the game, and your options generally are "I'll do it, for justice", "... I'll do it" and "I'll do it, but you better pay me for my trouble"
-/+ Short, 12-13 hours long

The combat system is turn based and uses action points. It's not TOEE/JA2 deep, but it's still a tactics/strategy RPG and fun. If it's any indication, I've been lately playing Fire Emblem Awakening a lot and I'd say that they're on par when it comes to depth. You have a lot more options regarding your actions in Shadow Run, where as you have to worry more about how to group and place your units in Fire Emblem (where you have like 12+ guys that bond with each other, where as Shadow Run is 2-4 guys).


It's not on the same level as infinity engine games, but still having a turn based, isometric, cartoon style WRPG is definite incline and all RPG players should play this game, it's only 12 hours and 20 dollars, and it sends out the message to publishers: there is demand for oldschool RPGs.

[Exhuminator]

Thank you for that very informative write up. I got far more out of that then I did the three "professional" reviews I've read for the game.