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Shadowrun

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Reviewed by C Wright Welcome to the year 2050. Magic and Technology have risen to unsurpassed levels on Earth. Giant Megacorporations rule with an iron fists. Those that live in the cracks between these monsters must do anything to survive. A select few, who are talented enough, smart enough, fast enough, and best equipped, become Shadowrunners. Are you one of them? Are you a member of this elate band of mercenaries-for-hire? Unfortunately, you don't know. You awoke in a morgue, startling the drek out of the coroners, with no memory of how you got to be there, or even who you were. Through a twisting tale of "awakened" magical foes, gun-toting gangers, and few friends, you must remember how to survive, and fast.

Graphics 6 out of 10

Though the graphics were on top for their time, and really portrayed the theme of Shadowrun quite well, it was sometimes quite difficult to determine what was an enemy, and what was a part of the background. I must say that the graphics used were innovative, as they portrayed things more closely to real-life than most of there Super NES games. They also showed the variances in races well too. I don't mean Californian vs Chinese, I mean Ork vs Elf vs Troll vs Human vs Dwarf. True, Shadowrun RPG players, will see how closely this world matches up with the FASA one.

Music and Sound 4 out of 10

The music in Shadowrun is difficult to classify. When someone is shooting at you, or your amnesiac character is in danger, the music changes quickly, into "battle mode." To have this contrast is nice, but the musics could have been blended more evenly, to disperse of the jarring start and stop of combat. Without the jarring end, players too would not fully realize that the danger had passed, and they would be more wary, causing their character to (possibly) live longer. I'm a fan of Shadowrun's music, but if you're stuck in an area, and can't find your way to the next area, the music droning on and on is like a finger pushing my "frustration" button. I seemed to find myself angry at quite a number of places in this game.

Game Challenge 12 out of 10

This game is hard. Overly difficult, to be precise. Not that the enemies are difficult, but trying to figure out where to go, and when, can prove quite a challenge. When there's a bomb ticking inside your head, where do you go? Unless you've visited the man before, you would have no clue, and within 10 minutes, BOOM. Also, your Dog spirit guide. Where are these items you need to find to get the necessary spells? Some are easy to get, and some are even in plain sight. But at least one ingredient from each spell is so well-hidden, by the time I finished the game (the first time), I had only 3 spells in my bag of tricks. Needless to say, I was defeated without scratching the opponent (I won't reveal who it is!).

Game Play-Fun 7 out of 10

For players of FASA's Shadowrun game, this is the best thing since Sliced bread. When not playing with your friends, you can still enjoy the thrills of the Shadowrun universe. For those people who aren't into the 'origional' Shadowrun, however, this game proves very difficult, and somewhat confusing. I would give it a "10" but for the challenge, and the complexity of it.

Frustration

Oh my, frustration. As stated above, this is one of the most frustrating games I've encountered to date. With few clues to point you in the right direction, and even fewer amounts of nuyen (currency) to be had, sometimes I just wanted to rip my hair out.

Replayability 2 out of 10

This game is not very replayable. Once you've beaten the game, the only incentives to replay it are to find those last spell ingredients (I'm still looking for some of them), or to see how buff you can get your character (hint: go to any local graveyard). Other than that, the fact that the game's been beaten is final.

Game Value 5 out of 10

If possible, rent this game before buying it, and buy it used. To pay full price for this game is too much for my tastes. Down at the local discount store, however, I'd gladly pay the $15 to buy it. If you're into FASA's shadowrun, however, I would go as high as $25 :-)

Overall 8 out of 10

With a complexity unmatched in most any SNES game, this game is one of my favorites. When you play it, however, expect to be trying for quite a while, say, at least a month before you see the Volcano (ie the last 'level')

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