Posted in: Games, Movies, Video Games | Tagged: entertainment, Harebrained Schemes, kickstarter, pc, Shadowrun: Dragonfall, Shadowrun: Hong Kong, video games

Shadowrun Returns To Kickstarter With New Title: Hong Kong

By Jared Cornelius

Back in 2012 developer Harebrained Schemes had dreams of bringing back the cult cyberpunk roleplaying series Shadowrun.  You may remember the series as a popular tabletop role-playing game or the classic isometric titles from the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis, but most likely if you're a certain age you remember it from the Xbox 360.  Unfortunately for Harebrained no publishers were interested in publishing a Shadowrun game as Microsoft had poisoned the well back in 2006 with a poorly received multi-player only first person shooter that fell flat on its face.

But in the space-age future of 2012 Harebrained didn't need big publishers and turned to Kickstarter, funding their computer role-playing revival game in in less than 2 days.  The result was one of my favorite games of 2013, Shadowrun Returns and its 2014 stand alone expansion Shadowrun: Dragonfall.  Now in the even farther flung future of 2015 Harebrained Schemes is again turning to Kickstarter for the follow up, Shadowrun: Hong Kong.

The isometric strategy game series is set in a not too distant future where magic and mythological beings have returned, coinciding with an uptick of children born with features similar to Orcs, Trolls, Elves and other fantasy races.  The world isn't strictly run by magic, as technology and corporations have become completely integrated with everyday life, giving the setting its unique science fiction feel.

Shadowrun: Hong Kong follows up its 2013 and 2014 predecessors with a non-linear story, customizable characters, and robust tactical isometric combat system. Hong Kong is seeking to expand on the cyberpunk future with a sizable upgrade to 2014's Dragonfall including setting the game in the Far East.

HONG KONG. A stable and prosperous port of call in a sea of chaos, warfare, and political turmoil. The Hong Kong Free Enterprise Zone is a land of contradictions – it is one of the most successful centers of business in the Sixth World, and home to one of the world's most dangerous sprawl sites. A land of bright lights, gleaming towers, and restless spirits where life is cheap and everything is for sale.  The lure of a quick payday draws you from Seattle into the neon glow of Victoria Harbor… and into a corporate conspiracy nearly thirty years in the making. A terrifying threat looms on the horizon – a supernatural force that corrupts and consumes everything it touches. Dragged into the shadows of Kowloon City, you will need to forge new connections and gain "face" to survive."

I found Shadowrun Returns gameplay was most easily equated with 2K Game's recent revival ok X-COM, with players controlling characters on an isometric map.  The Shadowrun revival was one part strategy game, one part detective story, with players being able to focus on different attributes, including speech styles and hacking as different means to solve puzzles or gain information.  For instance choosing a security style of speech might get you some leeway in fooling police at a crime scene and make them think you're working with them.  While you could also pull that information off a security terminal with a hacking ability.  The games combat also focused on distinct styles with characters choosing options like melee and far off assault weapons, with magic and hacking as viable tactics.  Similarly to X-COM characters can use cover and the environment to their advantage, ducking behind objects for a more authentic fire fight.

Shadowrun: Hong Kong is steadfast in keeping the series looking grimy but punctuated with a neon Blade Runner look, supplementing it with a colorful cast of characters to control including an Orc Rat Shaman, Human Street Samurai, Dwarf Deckers and more.  Harebrained Schemes are currently looking for the title to be around 12 hours, and backers will gain access to the Shadowrun Editor where players will be able to make and share their own stories.

The title will also be a PC exclusive so Harebrained can, "deliver the best game we can without the current processing and memory limitations of tablets."  The previous two games didn't require beastly rig, with my 4+ year old PC able to handle the game fine, and iPad ports that ran well too.

The rewards are almost all digital, but include multiple copies of the game, soundtracks, PDF copies of Shadowrun books, and at higher tiers, figures and a leather satchel.  If you counted yourself a fan of Neromancer, Blade Runner, or strategy RPG's give Shadowrun Hong Kong a look, its well worth it and there's no real pressure as the title hit funding within a day and has well exceeded their stretch goals.  Shadowrun Hong Kong ends its funding campaign on February 16th on Kickstarter so go check it out.

*Full disclosure, I backed this project.*

Jared Cornelius is some guy from the Jersey coast who's real excited for this next iteration.  If you'd like to let him know the revival you're waiting for, contact him on Twitter @John_Laryngitis.

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