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Shadowrun Review
Jon Wilcox
01/06/2007
Fasa Studios' cross-platform FPS finally arrives, but is there any substance to the magic...
Announced as part of Microsoft's Press Briefing at E3 2006, Shadowrun is the first videogame to feature cross-platform gameplay between Xbox 360 and Windows Vista gamers. Developed by Microsoft's in-house Fasa Studio (a former subsidiary of Shadowrun creators, Fasa Corporation), the game fully integrates both magical and technological abilities with the standard assortment of rifles, machineguns, chain-guns, and shotguns, to deliver a very different take on multiplayer shooters.
Set in the late 2020s, several decades before the 'present day' of the Shadowrun RPG storyline, the game plays out in the fictitious city of Santos. Ruined by a cataclysmic event that saw the reintroduction of magic and 'metahumans' (elves, trolls, and dwarves to you and me), Santos is a city drawn into conflict between the mega-corporation of RNA, and movement known as The Lineage. It's the classic red versus blue set up, with RNA viewed as a pseudo-fascist, money-grabbing evil by The Lineage, and The Lineage branded a dangerous terrorist organisation. Both sides have their share of humans and metahumans, each with their own strengths and weaknesses detailed in the game's multi-chapter Tutorials.
Despite being firmly stuck in the realm of the first-person shooter, the Shadowrun experience is far from the bog-standard run around slaughterhouse of most FPS titles. Best described as a cross between Counter-Strike and Unreal Tournament, with a heaped spoon of magic for good measure, Shadowrun's originality and frantic tactical gameplay is perhaps its strongest asset. The pre-match routine of purchasing and assigning new weapons, magic, and technology, offers significant variety for players to not only kit out their character, but devise the appropriate tactics. Its economy-based reward system, a significant nod to iconic multiplayer shooter Counter-Strike, is offset with a ferocity most notably seen in Epic's UT franchise, dropping the 'softly, softly' approach of the original Half-Life mod.
With the joint Vista and Xbox 360 release featuring cross-platform gaming between the two, Shadowrun finds itself right in the middle of a decade old debate surrounding the FPS genre: keyboard/mouse or gamepad? Balancing has been one of the key design issues during the development of the game, with Fasa Studio desperately keen to find a sweet spot for both console and PC gamers. The fast pace and accuracy of the mouse for instance, has been dampened by the team with assisted targeting on the controller; keyboard shortcuts to magic spells are countered with a flexible system on the Xbox 360. This last point can get a tad confusing in the heat of battle however, and accidentally firing off a Tree of Life instead of a Strangle spell all because you've confused your button maps does occur, especially in the early days of your Shadowrunning career... How successful the team at Fasa has been in attaining the balance will have to be seen when the number of Vista users increases, but at least layers of measures of been taken to ensure that the gameplay is as balanced as it can be.
By its very nature, magic plays an incredibly important part in Shadowrun, as it has throughout the life of the brand. The re-emergence of arcane skills (and their addition in the game) throws a much needed extra dimension to the gameplay, not least because of the spells' ability to quickly change the dynamic of the matches. For instance, the ability to teleport through walls, floors, and ceilings, creates the possibility that enemies will literally appear out of nowhere. A useful tactical tool if you're on the offensive, the ability can also be a lifesaver, allowing weakened characters to flee to safety behind solid concrete walls. Others, like the crystalline Strangle spell or the minion-casting Summon spell, allow players to create sizable barriers as they try to defend the artefact (the 'Flag' of the game and focus for much of the gameplay in Shadowrun). In contrast, other spells, like the Tree of Life and Resurrect, open up the possibility for longer length matches as players fight to keep the team alive.
The use of magic is governed by the amount of 'Essence' a character has, with each spell requiring a certain amount before they can be cast. Some, like the powerful Resurrect, freezes a portion of Essence, capping the player's ability to use other similarly strong spells. It's another example of Fasa's intent to provide a wholly balanced experience for players, and is key to Shadowrun's originality.
Beyond the usual sort of 'ballistic' weapons like rifles, pistols, and grenades, all of which do exactly what they've always done in FPS titles for the past fifteen years, Shadowrun also features a Katana sword. Bringing players into a third-person perspective, the sword is deadly against unsuspecting enemies (those with a question mark hanging over their head), and can also dish out a fair portion of damage in the usual state of play - especially when it's used in conjunction with the invisibility/invulnerability of the Smoke spell.
Both magic and weapons are rounded off with a selection of futuristic technologies that expand the variety of potential tactics, and take advantage of Fasa's intricately designed, multi-levelled maps. Most notably is the Glider, which enables players to reach platforms higher up in the map, and the AntiMagic Generator, which counters the likes of minions, Trees of Life, and the Tiberium-like Strangle crystals. Whilst a lot of the technologies offer a counter to the magic in the game, such as the healing abilities of the elves and the armour hardening power of the trolls, others can work in conjunction with them. For example, using the Gust spell with the Glider technology can improve the 'hang time' of the character. It sums up the approach of Fasa that all of the magic and technology in the game can be used in more than a single way, which only reinforces the tactical approach that players have to take.
Even when the omission of a Campaign is overlooked, there's a drastic shortage of engrossing gameplay in Shadowrun. Three team-based gametypes, Raid, Extraction and Attrition, are subtle and limited variants on the theme of Capture the Flag and Team Deathmatch, and don't stand up to beyond the first few hours of gameplay. Despite a solid enough mix of maps spread throughout locations across Santos (like the slums and the RNA Archology) offering gameplay for up to sixteen players in a match, and the wealth of spells, weapons, and gadgets on offer, Shadowrun begins to feel samey (despite the high tempo of matches) regardless of the increased tactical nature of the game. However, this could easily be expanded upon in the future, with updates and digitally distributed content high on Fasa's agenda. Hopefully the summer release of the game will mean that Shadowrun will be a slow burner for players looking for quick sessions of FPS tactical action, and avoid the rising tide of titles (including Halo 3) due for release later in the year. The lack of any real content however, hints that Shadowrun is little more than a showcase example of Microsoft's 'Live Anywhere' philosophy.
Counter-Strike/UT with magic
Lacking in content
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