Shadowrun: Hong Kong Review

Shadowrun, the pen and paper game, is an exercise in improvisation. As a squad of off the books mercenaries, hours of planning and legwork go into a job before players actually dive in and go for their payday. Jobs are completed or failed in minutes and plans never survive contact with the enemy because twists are an integral part of the game. This cocktail of chaos inevitably leads to intensely dramatic and comically absurd moments during a given mission. It's nearly impossible to capture this dichotomy in a videogame with no live game master, but Shadowrun: Hong Kong comes damn close.

Set in the cyberpunk-meets-fantasy dystopia of 2050s Hong Kong, Shadowrun: Hong Kong is the third installment of the Shadowrun Returns series. A deep, highly customizable character generation system greeted me when I began a new game - standard fare for the notoriously complex Shadowrun franchise. Skills and attributes are purchased with Karma points that are spent at character creation and earned throughout the game - there is no character class system, so the player can mix and match as they see fit. After I spent an inordinate amount of time crafting my character, she was thrown against the shores of Hong Kong and embroiled in the case of her missing father and his mysterious plea for help. If this sounds familiar, then you've likely played Returns and Dragonfall, since all three games use very similar hooks - amongst other things.

While the game still employs the Unity engine, graphics and animations are slightly slicker than in the previous two games. Characters move with more energy and pizzazz, and environments have a greater density of detail. The visuals won't win any competitions with AAA titles, but the art direction gives the game the cyberpunk look it deserves. Character portraits are generally crisp and detailed, but are occasionally marred by a touch of sloppy photoshop. One troll I spoke to had tusks that were obviously tacked on, as they were not wreathed with lips but sitting rather plainly on his face. Sound design falls into the same ballpark, with gunshots, footsteps, and environmental fluff meandering through various shades of average. The aural landscape of Shadowrun: Hong Kong has very little "oomph" to it. The vast majority of sound effects are atmospheric, with only a few combat sounds providing a significant amount of drama. Fortunately, the meat of the gameplay and story are far better.

Though very similar to that of the previous titles, interaction with the game world has been improved. Outside of combat, basic logic puzzles and challenges abound. Once the lead starts flying, time congeals into a turn based system where positioning and proper use of special abilities is key. While the AI isn't very bright, enemies pose enough of a challenge to make for some nail biting encounters. The biggest flaw with combat is that the cover system is inconsistent - corners in particular are difficult to parse when it comes to flanking. Though some players may choose to skip hacking entirely, computerized warfare is completely different from Returns and Dragonfall. Hacker characters now need to avoid virtual security patrols while jacked in and play a simple, but fun, pair of matching games to access valuable data.

While scrolling through the lengthy text of Shadowrun: Hong Kong I alternated between rapt reading of fascinating dialogue to spitting out my water with laughter. The game has a distinct, gritty feel that is complemented by believable characters whose lines enriched an already bountiful setting. From the conspiratorial overtures of the main plot to random people on the street, Shadowrun: Hong Kong makes every conversation feel right. Deeply personal stories come out a little more easily than they do in real life, but their contents are logical and make for good reading. Of particular note are the varied personalities of the player's runner team. From tortured and unsure Duncan Wu to pleasantly sarcastic Gobbet, each of the characters unfolds into a page turning story. Furthermore, humorous anecdotes and situations abound. Illegal online poetry slams, rogue noodle dispensers, and snarky dialogue all had me busting a gut at the most unexpected moments.

With its colorful setting and top notch writing, it's hard to dislike Shadowrun: Hong Kong. Hardcore RPG fans will definitely find their money well spent, but even more casual fans can select one of the game's pre-generated characters and appreciate the plot.