Shadowrun (2007 video game)
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| Shadowrun | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | FASA Interactive |
| Publisher(s) | Microsoft Game Studios |
| Designer(s) | John Howard, Bill Fulton, Christopher Blohm, Sage Merrill, Derek Carroll |
| Release date(s) | June 2007 |
| Genre(s) | First-person shooter |
| Mode(s) | Multiplayer |
| Platform(s) | Xbox 360, Windows Vista |
| Media | DVD |
Shadowrun is a cyberpunk first-person shooter in development by FASA Studios for Windows Vista and the Xbox 360, adapted from the pen and paper RPG Shadowrun, originally published by FASA.
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[edit] History
Three video games based on the Shadowrun universe were created throughout the 1990s: one for the SNES, one for the Sega Genesis, and one other for the Mega CD (released only in Japan).
In January of 1999, Microsoft purchased FASA Interactive[1], acquiring the electronic rights to Shadowrun in the process. Microsoft then filed a trademark for the Shadowrun title in November, 2004[2].
At E³ in May of 2006 Microsoft officially revealed Shadowrun for Vista and the Xbox 360. [3].
[edit] Gameplay
Shadowrun is a multiplayer only first-person shooter engaging mild cyberpunk elements to the gameplay. From what has been gleaned from the site, press statements and observations, the game takes place in Brazil, year 2031, which is before the events that shaped the pen and paper RPG version of Shadowrun.
The player will choose from two factions to play as, the megacorp RNA Global and the resistance group known as The Lineage. Playable races are Human, Elf, Troll and Dwarf. Each race has their own racial traits (Humans can equip more Tech, while Elves can regenerate essence, and Dwarves suck essence).
Players will purchase magic, tech, and weapons in between each round of play. Magic will include teleportation, resurrection, and a castable tree of life that will slowly heal any players that stand near it. Purchaseable tech items include enhanced vision, which allows the player to see through walls, and glider, which enables short distance flight. Weapons include a sniper rifle, SMG, and a katana for close range.
[edit] Controversy
Its distance from the RPG game its license is based on has made it extremely poorly received by many in the pen-and-paper community. The pen-and-paper publisher, FanPro, has released a disclaimer[4] that notes the video game is only loosely based on Shadowrun. Complaints primarily revolve around the lack of role playing and the numerous changes to the backstory, as well as the setting itself.
Dramatic differences include:
- Setting (Time): The video game is set in 2031, while the RPG takes place from 2050 to 2070.
- Setting (Place): The game appears to be set primarily in Aztec pyramids, with no city locations
- Magic: Teleportation and resurrection are both impossible for magic to achieve in the RPG game, but present here.
- Races: There are no Orks in the Shadowrun FPS. Unlike their pen-and-paper counterparts, elves regenerate health and essence (mana) and dwarves are capable of absorbing magic around them.
- Canon: The video game features two entirely new factions going head to head, portraying events that do not occur in the Shadowrun timeline rather than using previously established fixtures of the setting.
- Technology: The game lacks cyberspace combat and remote vehicle controling, two Shadowrun staples known in Shadowrun as decking and rigging, respectively.
FASA Studios has recently made changes to the game's backstory that align the fiction more closely with Shadowrun canon. The gameplay, however, will not be changed.
