Shadowrun
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')