Harebrained Schemes’ latest cyberpunk-based tactical RPG title Shadowrun Returns has only recently been released, and while there’s not much time spent before the eventual exposure of the game, the title has already received a whole lot of admiration from fans and critics all around.
There’s still a long way to go before we find out as to how the game did in terms of other upcoming, crowd-funded projects, but there's still some time to have quick look at what the game’s offering.
Recently, creator Jordan Weisman was interviewed by Gamingbolt, and spoke about the current generation of indie titles development and the prospects of Shadowrun Returns in the industry.
Weisman talked about the potential evolution of the series and the improvements made to the franchise since the original game, and the disastrous attempt at relaunching the Shadowrun name in 2007.
“It indeed has been a long time since I wrote the original Shadowrun premise, and a long way in terms of the electronic versions of Shadowrun. My first involvement in adapting Shadowrun to video games was with Data East when I worked with them on the SNES game. That was a blast to do. I worked on a second version of the game at FASA Interactive, before the Microsoft acquisition, and I was pretty excited about the direction we were heading with it. Unfortunately, it didn’t survive the transition to MS. Now, with Shadowrun Returns, I feel like I’ve come full circle because the game we created with the backing of our fans empowers players to create their own stories. For me, that was always the heart of the Shadowrun RPG.”
As far as the game’s estimated play length is concerned, Weisman stated that the game's "Dead Man’s Switch campaign," set in Seattle, will take most players about 12 hours to play and finish. “Your play time may vary a little based upon how cautious a player you are. After that, we hope there will be endless hours of gameplay from the community.” He also confirmed that the devs were working on the Berlin DLC campaign for the time being.
As mentioned earlier, the game will arrive with tablet integration so that players can access all things related to the title even on the go. However, when asked about the game’s chances as compared to the likes of XCOM: Enemy Unknown and Deus Ex: The Fall already on mobile, Weisman explained that Shadowrun Returns is a PC game designed with tablets in mind.
“We believe that with the incredible processing power available in tablets, we will see a gradual broadening of the tablet market to include more core games like Shadowrun Returns.”
For those who still haven’t heard about Shadowrun Returns, the game is set in the year 2054. “Magic has returned to the world, awakening powerful creatures of myth and legend. Technology merges with flesh and consciousness. Elves, trolls, orks and dwarves walk among us, while ruthless corporations bleed the world dry,” the official page states.
“You are a shadowrunner – a mercenary living on the fringes of society, in the shadows of massive corporate arcologies, surviving day-by-day on skill and instinct alone. When the powerful or the desperate need a job done, you get it done… by any means necessary.”
Shadowrun Returns was released on July. 25 and is currently available for PC, OS X, Linux, iPad and Android tablets. Check out the trailer below
