Shadowrun: Dragonfall - Review

INTRO.

Shadowrun Dragonfall is definitely a valid title. It's a hybrid isometric RPG that takes a lot from Fallout 2 and Wasteland 2, with a combat system similar to XCom. Shadowrun is not an isometric rpg for purists, like the titles just mentioned before, since those games are able to offer a much more dynamic gameplay. Definitely better than its predecessor Shadowrun Returns in roleplay but unaltered in gameplay. Shadowrun is more user-friendly than titles like Planescape Torment and Baldour's Gate, proposing the same mechanics but at the same time staying on more sober and more direct standards, saving the player those readings of 15 minutes each.

EXPLORATION.

Exploration has improved compared to Returns. Dragonfall is not open-world but is more structured like a Deus Ex, where there is a fairly large central hub where various npcs can be found. Some of these unlock secondary quests which are more or less important. The map can sometimes seem a bit boring as there is not much to do and the lack of interactive objects makes the adventure less exciting. In general, the main map acts as a node to the levels that will be unlocked as the story progresses. In a few words, the map has a function closely related to the quests and the maps, which are connected to them, will be accessible via subway. At the end it will seem very repetitive because you will not do anything else than: go to the subway; take the train, carry out the quest, and then return to the hub to start all over again. To avoid repetition, the developers have decided to update the map every time a quest is completed and sometimes the map itself will change according to our choices made during the missions. The world seems very organic and "alive" from the point of view of the advancement of the story. The npcs and the quests do not change position at every event of progression but they unlock different dialogues and missions. This mechanics is very useful because each NPC will say its own opinion every time we proceed in the story.

PLOT.

I will not say anything due to spoilers. Let's say that the plot is set in Berlin in a cyberpunk-fantasy scenario where magic and technology live in harmony. Magic is scientifically proven, so expect wizards with machine guns and spellss, fighting in multi-national offices protected by the Illuminati. Yes, everything tastes like Deus Ex: plots, betrayals and ethical dilemmas. It is not at all a stupid and childish concept, in fact, you have to be very careful with the dialogues because it is very easy to lose a detail and not understand the rest afterwards. The protagonist at the beginning of the game was recruited by Monica in a team of Shadowrunners (since Shadowrun is originally a PnP RPG I will not explain the lore) and during the tutorial session an unexpected event kills Monica. At this point, the team must find the responsible for this death, climbing the pyramid of the "strong powers" to the point of stopping a great conspiracy that threatens the inhabitants of Berlin.

RPG ELEMENT.

Ok now here it comes!

Dragonfall puts the player in front of choices sometimes difficult to make because the Shadowrunners are mercenaries on commission. Will you choose a more professional or more emotional approach? If you accept a job that consists in eliminating a murderer but then you find out that this person has good intentions and he wants to start all over from with his life, then what will you do? The choices of the player have an emotional and professional weight and our comrades on the other hand will always have to say something about it. Each companion has opinions concerning the work of the player and this will affect the respect. Some companions are more emotional, while others are more professional. Or, in the case of Glory (a character, in my opinion, that has an amazing background) which is absolutely cold and cynical due to the cybernetic implants that have stripped away all of her humanity. Not surprisingly, even the player can install implants like Adam Jensen does, though sacrificing the essence points that are useful to cast spells. Once all the essence points have been consumed, you will not be able to cast any spells.

The dialogues are the most user-friendly aspect and the main reason why a noob should approach to this title instead of Planescape Torment or Pillars of Eternity. The dialogues are not very long but at the same time not too much direct. Language tends to be as technical and street-like as possible. You must have a certain familiarity with English. The dialogues are very accurate and at the same time, just to facilitate the reading to newbies, the descriptions are distinguished from the lines of dialogue with different colors.

The companions are perhaps the heart of the experience. After all, the whole main quest is based on discovering those who are responsible for the death of one of our companions. Our companions are very diverse in both skills and personalities. Everyone has different points of view and various opinions as I have already explained before but just like any other good RPG, every one has a dedicated quest. In principle, each quest is well done. The one that stands out the most is Glory's, which will determine not only its personality but also its appearance. For reasons of spoiler, I will not say anything more.

COMBAT AND GAMEPLAY.

The combat is a reminiscent of Xcom at first sight and in fact the gameplay mechanics are very similar. The difference lies in the fluidity. The combat system is cluncky and sometimes even unbalanced. The difficulty lies not in the artificial intelligence but in the number of npcs that the game will throws at us all at once. Many times we find ourselves in situations where after fighting for half an hour against a horde of enemies, inevitably the game launches a horde even stronger than before, making the npcs spawn from all directions. This makes the game very frustrating and unbalanced as the med-kits and various equipment cost too much compared to the post-quests rewards. The hordes arebughed: they spawn behind walls for example not allowing to continue, making the whole gaming experience even more frustrating. If it had not been for the balancing problems and some big bugs, the combat system would have been more appreciated. Speaking instead of classes, I can only say that they are very varied and the skill tree leaves enough space for the player. I did not have the opportunity to test all the classes but in general at the beginning of the adventure, the tree could seem dispersive but soon it will seem all much clearer. The combat sections in the Matrix (virtual reality that is useful for hacking computers and security doors but not without anti-virus being hostile to us) have improved, compared to Returns, but the developers have not fulfilled the promises of a more dynamic Matrix and more free in exploratory terms. You will continue to press buttons without any particular difficulty.

Well then ... Nice game! Recommended for all those who want to play an isometric rpg without having to read pages and pages of text, with the price to pay of a combat system that leaves a little to be desired. Apart from that, it's a MUST!

Game is good!