Shadowrun
Reviewed by J.M. Hornbaker
The year 2050, Seattle, one of the few remaining cities on the face of
the Earth, Hackers and Shadowrunners rule the streets, making them
too dangerous to go out on without a purpose. You take the role of Jake
Armitage, who is out on a Shadowrun when he gets geeked by a gang of
Deckers. Just as the Deckers flee, and as Jake is about to die, a creature,
half cat, half woman, runs over to Jake and casts some sort of spell on
him, giving him a sort of second chance, but there is just one catch... he
can't remember anything. You see Jake awaken in the morgue, this is
where you come in.
Graphics 10 out of 10
For how old this game is, the graphics are superb. You can actually see the
size of your gun. The sequences where you travel from one place to another
by boat, train, or helicopter are very nice. When you are engaged in
conversation, you actually see the character's face, and there are very few
repeat characters. And on the status screen, when you put on shades, your
character's face actually has them on. And when you switch from a leather
jacket to a mesh wire one, the color and the design of the jacket changes.
It's just the little things like this that make the game's graphics stand out
above most games in the genre.
Music and Sound 5 out of 10
The music is superb, it usually fits the mood of the specific scenario or
location you're in perfectly. The sound effects, however, are quite the
opposite. There are very few, and those few are very weak.
Game Challenge 10 out of 10
Shadowrun takes a "go anywhere, do anything" approach to exploration,
and often leaves you hanging as to where to go next. This is a very tough
game that takes a combination of reflexes, wits, and quick thinking. Even
the seasoned RPG veteran will spend days on this one.
Game Play-Fun 7 out of 10
The game is fun until... you get stuck and don't know what to do next. Then
it becomes a total drag. Due to the amount of information the game supplies
you with, you are often left thinking, "Now how in the world do i do this?". A
little more guidance would have helped.
Frustration
Yes. When you get stuck, you really get stuck. And it can happen quite often
unless you hate to lose and use one of those "Strategy Guides".
Replayability 10 out of 10
With so many places to visit, so many things to do, and so many people to
talk to so many things about, there is a LOT to do in this game. It's worth
a few trips through.
Game Value 10 out of 10
Sure there are lots of RPG's, but none even compare to this one. This game
breaks so many rules of RPG making it should be in a genre all of it's own.
I would pay $50 bucks for this game even today.
Control 10 out of 10
The controls are perfect. How you aim, using spells, and walking around are
all so simple yet just right.
Overall 9.5 out of 10
Overall, this game explores many things other games in any genre don't even
attempt to do. So in light of this, I would have to say this game has the
best combination of puzzle, action, exploration, and interaction with NPC's
that any game in the history of video games. Period.