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Shadowrun Returns
Shadowrun Returns
Shadowrun Returns
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Shadowrun Returns
DeveloperHarebrained Schemes
PublisherHarebrained Schemes
DirectorJordan Weisman
ProducerBrian Poel
DesignersTrevor King-Yost
Kevin Maloney
Mike Mulvihill
ProgrammerChris Kohnert
ArtistMike McCain
ComposersGavin Parker
Marshall Parker
Sam Powell
Jim Soldi
SeriesShadowrun
EngineUnity[2]
PlatformsMicrosoft Windows
OS X
Linux
iOS
Android
Nintendo Switch
PlayStation 4
PlayStation 5
Xbox One
Xbox Series X/S
ReleaseWindows, OS X
  • WW: July 25, 2013[1]
iOS, Android
  • WW: September 26, 2013
Linux
  • WW: October 30, 2013
Switch, PS4, PS5, XONE, XSX/S
  • WW: June 21, 2022
GenreTactical role-playing
ModeSingle-player[3]

Shadowrun Returns is a tactical role-playing game developed and published by Harebrained Schemes. It takes place in the science fantasy setting of the Shadowrun tabletop role-playing game. The game was crowd funded through Kickstarter and released for Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, iOS, and Android in 2013.

An expansion pack titled Shadowrun: Dragonfall was released in 2014. It was later converted to a standalone release, Shadowrun: Dragonfall – Director's Cut. In 2015, Harebrained Schemes launched another Kickstarter campaign to partially fund their next game, Shadowrun: Hong Kong.[4] Similar to the Dragonfall – Director's Cut edition, Hong Kong was released in 2015 as a standalone release built using an upgraded version of the Shadowrun Returns engine. A remastered compilation game including Shadowrun Returns, Shadowrun Dragonfall: Director's Cut, and Shadowrun: Hong Kong was released on Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on June 21, 2022.[5]

Gameplay

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The game features isometric graphics, similar to 1993's Shadowrun for the SNES.

Character generation

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The player can customize their character's gender and appearance. There are five races to choose from: humans, elves, dwarves, orcs, and trolls. The game lacks traditional character classes, but players may optionally play as one of six pregenerated archetypes: street samurai, cybernetically-enhanced warriors who focus on weapon mastery; the spell-casting mages; deckers, who focus primarily on computer hacking; shamans, who summon spirits to assist them in battle; riggers, who control mechanical drones; and physical adepts, who are magically-enhanced monks.[6]

As the story progresses, the player is given character points, known as "karma", to spend on improving their characters. If the player chose an archetype, it controls what skills and equipment the character starts with, but any character can gain any skill (e.g., deckers can spend karma to gain a shaman's summoning abilities). Besides the player character, up to three other characters can be hired during missions. Some non-player-characters are required during certain missions.

Exploration

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While gameplay is mostly linear, some exploration is possible while completing objectives. The player can converse with various characters; different statistics and skills give new dialogue options, affect quest progression, or give different rewards.[7]

The player can interact with the environment in some ways. For instance, pushing aside objects or hacking terminals to find hidden rooms, gaining access to new routes to their main objective or finding items to use or sell. Mages can see magical ley lines, which enhance their abilities, and shamans summon spirits in designated places. Deckers can enter a virtual reality world known as the Matrix at specific points. The decker's avatar engages in a minigame where they fight ICs and enemy deckers while trying to gather data and hack devices. For example, a decker may turn off elevators to stop enemy reinforcements or turn them on to progress further.

Combat

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Combat is turn based and includes tactical elements, such as taking cover.[7] Players control the actions of their team followed by the enemies taking theirs. Each action has a cost in terms of action points.[8] Characters start with a base of two action points per turn and later gain a third point. They can gain or lose action points based on abilities, spells or items. Action points are used in activities such as moving, firing a weapon, reloading, or using a spell or item.

Each character carries up to three weapons and can switch between them at no cost. Weapons have different attacks, depending on the weapon and characters' skills. Ammunition is unlimited but ranged weapons need to be reloaded. Riggers can equip drones like weapons and use their action points to manually control them, attacking enemies or healing allies.

A character with shaman abilities can summon one additional allied spirit to the field, either through consumable items or special points where spirits linger. Managing a spirit lowers the shaman's action points just like a drone does for a rigger. Depending on how much power the shaman imparts on them and how long they have been summoned, these spirits have a chance to break free and become hostile or flee.

The player character may develop focus in one specific archetype or balance advancement between combat, magical and drone capability. Even with the required skills, equipment and action points, one character may not simultaneously field both a drone and a spirit.

Plot

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The game ships with a campaign called "Dead Man's Switch". Further campaigns can be downloaded from external websites.

Dead Man's Switch

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The player assumes the role of a shadowrunner who receives a pre-recorded message from his or her old shadowrunner accomplice, Sam Watts, which was triggered by a dead man's switch embedded within his body. Sam's message states that he has 100,000 nuyen being held in escrow as a reward should the player bring whoever was responsible for his death to justice. Upon arriving in Seattle, the runner discovers that Sam is the latest victim of the Emerald City Ripper, a serial killer who has been surgically removing organs from their victims. Afterwards the runner meets Jake Armitage, the protagonist of the SNES Shadowrun game, who provides some leads to investigate.

After receiving help from Coyote, a female human bartender/shadowrunner who first asked for assistance in a private war against those who make "Better-Than-Life" ("BTL") chips, the runner discovers that the Ripper is a male elf named Silas Forsberg whose victims were those who had a transplanted organ from Sam's mother. After killing Silas, the player learns he was directed to commit the Ripper murders by Jessica Watts, Sam's twin sister. Sam and Jessica had lived a comfortable life before their father's death, and despite his best efforts early on to live a decent life, he cracked under the pressure and spent the family savings on drugs and alcohol. He eventually became a shadowrunner to make ends meet, and to further fuel his self-destructive habits.

The runner confronts Jessica but she escapes. The runner finds that Jessica is a high-ranking member of the Universal Brotherhood, an international New Age organization that attracts the disenfranchised. The runner and Coyote investigate the restricted areas of the facility and discover that the Universal Brotherhood is itself a front for a cult trying to create an insect spirit hive. Jessica is revealed to be a shaman who is one of the few who are aware of the Brotherhood's true nature and she unleashes extra-dimensional insect spirits that cannot be killed. The team flees, rescuing a woman named Mary-Louise who is designated to become "the queen", similar to a queen bee.

Mary-Louise connects the team with her boyfriend, a decker going by the alias Baron Samedi, who organizes a shadowrun on Telestrian Industries to steal a sample of Project Aegis; a chemical weapon capable of killing the insect spirits. The runner acquires the sample but is captured while trying to escape and is brought before James Telestrian III. When it is revealed that the runner rescued Mary-Louise, who is Telestrian's daughter, he decides instead of punishing the runner to hire him or her to lead a team to deploy Project Aegis along with the immortal elf Harlequin. Telestrian explains that Jessica's ritual to bring an insect spirit queen into this world requires a blood relative. His father had an affair with Melinda Watts, Sam and Jessica's mother, thus Mary-Louise was a viable candidate since they shared the same grandfather. Should Jessica perform the ritual on a blood relative, it would result in a full-scale invasion of the extra-dimensional insect spirits.

Telestrian gives the runner and Harlequin each a shotgun able to fire capsules filled with the remaining Aegis compound, which can kill the insect spirits. The team infiltrates the hive and they fight their way into the heart of the inner sanctum where Telestrian's sister, Lynne, has volunteered to let the queen take over her body, as she is also a blood relation to Jessica. The team disrupts the summoning by seriously wounding Jessica and killing most of the insect spirits inside the hive. The queen spirit abandons Jessica, and the player is given the option to kill her or arrest her. Lynne survives, but is arrested and eventually sent to a mental hospital.

The game concludes with Armitage, Coyote, Harlequin, and James Telestrian III discussing the fallout of the raid, with Harlequin musing that other Brotherhood chapters across the world also hold hives similar to the one in Seattle. When the runner tries to collect the money for bringing Sam's killer to justice, Sam's prerecorded message asks the runner to apologize to Jessica for what he put her through, and reveals that he never actually had any money in escrow.

An epilogue describes the immediate events after the game, tying in with the larger Shadowrun canon. Media coverage of the events left out details of shadowrunners and insect spirits, likely due to the influence of the Brotherhood. Aegis was eventually developed into a product called "Fluorescing Astral Bacteria-3", or "FAB-3". The Chicago Universal Brotherhood hive is botched and the city is largely sealed up behind a wall to keep the rampaging insect spirits inside the city. FAB-3 is used some time later to cleanse Chicago of its insect spirit infestation.

Dragonfall

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Main article: Shadowrun: Dragonfall

In the main campaign of the game's first expansion, players assume the role of a Shadowrunner who has recently arrived in the anarchic free state of Berlin to join a team headed by an old colleague, Monika Schäfer.

Hong Kong

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Main article: Shadowrun: Hong Kong

In 2056, the player travels to the Hong Kong Free Enterprise Zone, meeting with their foster brother Duncan and his superior officer Carter, who agree to investigate their foster father's mysterious message, are ambushed by the HKPF, and escape to and continue their investigation from a small boat village built on the outskirts of a modern Kowloon Walled City, a nightmarish slum built on the ruins of the original.

Development

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The game's lead designer is Jordan Weisman, the creator of the Shadowrun tabletop role-playing game, who was inspired to create a game with a "more authentic tone" after the release of the 2007 Shadowrun first-person shooter, which he was not involved with.[9][10] Weisman was originally inspired to create a video game in the Shadowrun universe after reacquiring the rights to it from Microsoft through his Smith & Tinker startup company in 2007.[9][10] Unfortunately, due to restrictions on the license, he could not obtain the backing of other publishers for new Shadowrun projects.[10] The success of crowd funding financing models then motivated him to obtain funding for his project, Shadowrun Returns, through the Kickstarter crowd funding platform.

The project was opened to pledges in April 2012 and met its funding goal of $400,000 within 28 hours.[11] Upon reaching the $1 million mark, Weisman recorded a video for the Kickstarter project stating that if the project were to reach $1.5 million, the developers would develop a "backers-only exclusive mission which will tie together the stories of the SNES title and the Sega Genesis title."[12][13] This goal was achieved but Kickstarter backers demanded that the mission be made available to everyone, so Harebrained Schemes announced that the mission would be available to them for a limited amount of time before being available to the public.[14] The funding period ended on 29 April 2012, by which time the project had gathered $1,895,772 worth of pledges.[3] The success of the campaign made Complex rank it number eight on their list of the biggest video game wins and fails on Kickstarter in 2012.[15]

The game was developed for Windows, Mac and Linux platforms, as well as the iPad and Android tablets. Weisman justified the addition of tablets as a development platform alongside more traditional development for the desktop because "the style of game we want to make lends itself best to these platforms," and "the gameplay determined the platform."[9]

Weisman announced the game as a "graphically rich 2D turn-based single player game with deep story interaction, meaningful character development, and highly-contextual tactical combat." It is accompanied by a level editor for players to create their own content.[9][16] The game implements character types from the role-playing game, including Street Samurai, Combat Mage, Decker (i.e. hacker), Shaman, Rigger and Adept.[3] In collaboration with Cliffhanger Productions, characters and plotlines of Shadowrun Returns will be carried on to Shadowrun Online, which is set approximately 20 years later and will be based upon the video game multiplayer aspect Shadowrun has potential for.[17]

The music was composed by Marshall Parker and Sam Powell who were involved in the original SNES and Sega Genesis iterations, as well as the independent composer Gavin Parker, whose previous work includes Test Drive Unlimited, Viva Piñata and Scene it?. The official launch trailer was released on July 18,[18] which included voice talent by Charles Legget[19] and music by composer Jon Everist, who went on to compose the majority of the music for Shadowrun: Dragonfall and all of the critically acclaimed score for Shadowrun: Hong Kong.[20][21]

Release

[edit]

The game originally had an estimated delivery date of January 2013, but the designers stated that the additional content to be added after meeting stretch goals will require more time.[22] On June 18, 2013 the developers announced an official release date of July 25, 2013.[1] It was released on July 25, 2013 through Steam, with a DRM-free download available to Kickstarter backers only.[3] Initially the DRM-free version was only available to backers as the developing team managed to get an exception only for Kickstarter backers while licensing the Shadowrun brand,[23] but on November 12, 2013 Harebrained Schemes announced that they had reached an agreement to release DRM-free versions of Shadowrun Returns and future expansions, as well as sell them through GOG.com.[24]

Reception

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Shadowrun Returns received generally favorable reviews upon release, garnering a 76/100 on review aggregation website Metacritic.[25] IGN reviewer Dan Stapleton stated that the game's best days were ahead of it, and they will be more interested in it "a year from now, after the community has used the included mod tools to build on it, than in what it is today."[30]

Several reviewers, including Len Hafer for PC Gamer,[33] criticized the game's save system, which saves the game only at area transitions. Functionality to allow the player to save the game at any time was omitted because of development resource constraints,[40] but was later added in the Shadowrun Dragonfall expansion.[41]

References

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[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Shadowrun Returns

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from Grokipedia
Shadowrun Returns is a single-player, turn-based tactical developed and initially published by . Released on July 25, 2013, for Microsoft Windows, OS X, and , it revives the universe—a dystopian setting where magic has re-emerged alongside advanced technology in the mid-21st century. Players control a customizable team of shadowrunners, elite mercenaries who undertake illicit missions in the shadows of massive corporate arcologies, blending tactical combat, character progression, and narrative-driven storytelling across physical, digital, astral, and magical planes. The game originated from a highly successful Kickstarter campaign launched in 2012 by Harebrained Schemes, led by Jordan Weisman, the creator of the original Shadowrun tabletop RPG. The project raised $1,836,447 from 36,276 backers, far exceeding its funding goal and enabling the development of a 2D RPG that modernized the franchise's blend of cyberpunk noir and fantasy elements. Shadowrun Returns features a core campaign titled "Dead Man's Switch," where players investigate a mentor's murder amid corporate conspiracies in a near-future Seattle, with deep customization options for characters including deckers, riggers, street samurai, and mages. It received critical acclaim for its atmospheric writing, strategic depth, and faithful adaptation of the source material, earning a Metacritic score of 76. As the inaugural title in the Shadowrun Returns trilogy, it laid the foundation for subsequent expansions and sequels, including Shadowrun: Dragonfall (2014) and Shadowrun: Hong Kong (2015), which expanded the series' lore and mechanics. In 2022, publisher , which acquired the rights in 2018, ported the entire trilogy to consoles including , , , Xbox Series X/S, and , broadening its accessibility beyond PC and mobile platforms. The game's legacy endures as a in the tactical RPG genre, praised for its immersive world-building and innovative fusion of genres.

Overview

Setting and premise

Shadowrun Returns is set in the Sixth World, an alternate future timeline where the year is 2054 and the primary location is the metroplex. This dystopian universe features megacorporations that wield sovereign power, controlling economies, governments, and daily life through vast arcologies and private security forces. Society is marked by extreme inequality, with corporate elites dominating while the underclass struggles in the shadows of urban sprawl. The re-emergence of magic, known as the Awakening, occurred in the early , fundamentally altering the world by awakening mythical creatures and enabling human spellcasting and spirit summoning. This event also led to the appearance of metahumans—non-human races such as elves, dwarves, orks, and trolls—through phenomena like Unexplained Genetic Expression and Goblinization, sparking racial tensions and discrimination in a society already fractured by corporate greed. Advanced technology coexists uneasily with magic, allowing cybernetic enhancements that merge flesh with machinery, from neural implants to prosthetic limbs. , a vast virtual network, operates in a pre-wireless era where access requires physical jack-in points and specialized cyberdecks used by Deckers to hack systems, project consciousness into digital realms, and disrupt corporate operations. Many citizens lack a System Identification Number (SIN), rendering them SINless outcasts without legal protections, forced to navigate a world of and exploitation. Players assume the role of a shadowrunner, a skilled operating on the fringes of , hired for high-risk jobs involving corporate espionage, magical retrievals, and street-level intrigue. These shadowruns highlight themes of survival in a dystopian landscape, conflicts between technological advancement and mystical forces, and the pervasive racial and social divides that define the Sixth World. The game draws from the broader tabletop RPG franchise, adapting its core lore to a digital format.

Core mechanics summary

Shadowrun Returns is a single-player, turn-based (RPG) presented in an isometric view, blending technology with fantasy elements in a dystopian future setting. The game's hybrid mechanics draw from tactical strategy traditions, allowing players to command a squad in missions that require strategic , , and character development. Inspired by classic tabletop RPGs like the original , it modernizes these roots into a digital format focused on shadowrunning—mercenary operations in a world of megacorporations, magic, and advanced tech. At its core, the gameplay loop revolves around assembling a team of shadowrunners, selecting specialists for specific roles, and undertaking narrative-driven missions to earn rewards. Players manage resources such as nuyen (the in-game currency for purchasing gear) and karma (experience points for progression), which are gained through successful runs and side objectives. Team composition emphasizes diverse roles: for frontline combat, mages or shamans for spellcasting and summoning, riggers for drone control, deckers for hacking digital systems, and faces for social interactions and . This setup encourages balanced squads to handle multifaceted challenges integrating physical, magical, and technological threats. Character builds in Shadowrun Returns utilize a skill-based, classless system that allows deep customization without rigid archetypes. Players can enhance their runners with cyberware implants for boosted abilities, spells for mystical effects, and decking tools for matrix interactions, creating hybrid builds that reflect the setting's fusion of magic and machinery. Inventory management includes equipping weapons like firearms, melee blades, and magical foci; armor for protection; and various implants to augment stats and capabilities, all acquired and upgraded using earned nuyen. These systems promote replayability through varied team synergies and loadouts tailored to mission demands.

Gameplay

Character creation and progression

In Shadowrun Returns, character creation employs a priority-based system inspired by the , allowing players to customize their protagonist at the outset of campaigns like . Players first select a metatype from five options—, , dwarf, ork, or —each providing a specific starting bonus and racial maximums for core attributes. Humans gain +3 karma for initial development with balanced maximums (9 in all attributes); elves receive +1 Charisma (max Quickness 11, Charisma 12); dwarves get +1 Willpower (max Body 11, Strength 12, Willpower 11); orks gain +1 Body (max Body 14, Strength 12, but Charisma and Intelligence 8); and trolls provide +1 Body and +1 Strength (max Body 17, Strength 15, but Quickness 8, Charisma 6, Intelligence 6), reflecting the cyberpunk-fantasy blend where physiology affects both physical prowess and social interactions. Following metatype selection, players allocate five priorities (A through E) across categories: Metatype (determining racial bonuses and starting karma), Attributes (points to distribute among six primary stats—Body, , Strength, , , and Willpower—which influence derived values like Initiative and ), Magic or (for mystical or technomantic potential, granting starting Magic or Resonance ratings and spell/program access), Skills (points for active skills grouped into physical, magical, technical, and social categories, such as Pistols, Sorcery, or Hacking), and Resources (starting nuyen for gear purchases). A priority A in Attributes, for instance, yields 20 points to allocate (maximum per attribute capped by racial limits, e.g., 9 for humans), enabling specialized builds, while priority E provides only 9 points, emphasizing trade-offs in a resource-scarce world. This system underscores the game's fusion of technology and magic, as high Magic priority allows spell access but limits compatibility, and Resonance enables decker abilities without hardware. The game offers seven pre-built archetypes for quick starts, embodying iconic Shadowrun roles that highlight the tech-magic dichotomy: the Street Samurai prioritizes enhancements for melee and ranged combat; the Mage focuses on spellcasting via Sorcery and Conjuring skills; the Decker specializes in Matrix hacking with Software and Hardware; the Rigger controls drones and vehicles through Gunnery and Pilot Ground Craft; the Shaman summons spirits and heals using similar magical skills to the Mage but with a focus; the Physical Adept channels magic into enhanced physical abilities without spells; and the Faces excels in social manipulation via and . Custom creation allows full point allocation for hybrid approaches, such as a cybered adept or spellslinger combining firearms with minor spells, though over-specialization is often necessary due to limited party size. Character progression occurs through earning karma—typically 10-20 per mission based on objectives and difficulty—spent to raise skills (up to rank 12, costing increasing amounts like 2 karma for rank 1 to 27 for rank 12), improve attributes (minimum 1 karma per point, with caps at racial maximums, e.g., 9 for humans or higher for metahumans in certain stats), learn spells (requiring sufficient and Sorcery, costing 5-10 karma each), or acquire qualities (perks like Guts or Low-Light Vision at 10-25 karma). Nuyen, earned from runs (around 500-5000 per mission), funds upgrades, installations, and consumables, with no level caps but practical limits from campaign length. , starting at 6.00 for all characters, decreases with (e.g., wired reflexes reduce it by 1.0, impacting rating directly as Magic = Essence floored), preventing magical use if it reaches zero and embodying the theme of technological augmentation's cost to one's soul. Mages learn spells from a list of 20+ options, including (e.g., Manabolt), manipulation (e.g., Influence), and illusion types, while deckers access programs similarly. Players expand their team by recruiting contacts—up to three allies like specialists or informants, for a total party size of four—during missions, each with fixed builds complementing the protagonist's role for balanced coverage in tech-magic scenarios. These mechanics enable diverse, evolving builds without traditional classes, though effective hybrids demand careful karma management.

Turn-based combat system

The turn-based system in Shadowrun Returns emphasizes tactical in a cyberpunk-fantasy setting, where players command a team of shadowrunners against various foes in structured encounters. Turns alternate between the player team and enemies, with the player controlling all team members sequentially before the AI responds, allowing for coordinated maneuvers like focusing fire or positioning for ambushes. This structure draws inspiration from classic tactical RPGs, prioritizing planning over real-time reflexes to resolve conflicts across physical, digital, magical, and astral layers of the game world. Each character receives a limited number of action points per turn, enabling a range of options such as moving along a grid-based path, firing weapons in single-shot, burst, or full-auto modes, reloading, casting spells, throwing grenades, or activating special abilities like drone control or matrix hacks. More complex actions, such as aiming for increased accuracy or sprinting for greater distance, consume additional points, forcing players to balance offense, defense, and utility within the turn's constraints. The system incorporates Edge points as a resource for rerolling dice or gaining extra actions in critical moments, adding a layer of risk-reward to high-stakes decisions. Combat resolution relies on dice pool tests, where success thresholds are determined by rolling pools of d6s based on relevant attributes (e.g., for dodging, Body for resisting damage) plus skills and modifiers, with 5 or 6 counting as . Attacks succeed if the attacker's net exceed the defender's, with excess increasing damage output; misses occur if the defender achieves more . Damage comes in physical, , or varieties—physical wounds deplete hit points and can lead to if untreated, causes via a separate track, and effects like or apply ongoing harm or status ailments. Armor mitigates physical damage by absorbing a portion based on its rating, while cover and line-of-sight mechanics further influence outcomes: full cover blocks attacks entirely and grants defensive bonuses (displayed as a icon), partial cover reduces hit chances, and attacks require clear line-of-sight to trace paths without obstruction. Tactical depth arises from reaction options and environmental interplay. Overwatch mode expends a character's turn to ready weapons for opportunity fire against enemies entering line-of-sight, often paired with burst modes for that pins foes and reduces their accuracy. Players can interact with the environment by hacking security doors or turrets to turn them against enemies, erecting magical barriers to block paths, or using grenades to destroy obstacles and create new cover. Enemy variety spans corporate security personnel equipped with armored suits and smartguns, street gangers relying on improvised weapons and numbers, and spirits that phase through cover or resist conventional arms, with encounters scaling in difficulty through added reinforcements or specialized abilities to challenge diverse team compositions.

Exploration and mission structure

Shadowrun Returns employs a hub-based mission structure, where players operate from a central safehouse, such as a sleazy bar in the game's Seattle underbelly, before transitioning to instanced maps for individual runs. These missions typically involve objectives centered on shadowrunning activities like infiltration, extraction, and data theft, advancing a central narrative such as investigating a friend's murder. For instance, early missions guide players through environments like a rundown mansion, requiring navigation to key locations while following directional arrows to maintain progression. Exploration occurs in an isometric, top-down view with point-and-click movement, allowing players to wander semi-open environments on each map to uncover paths and interact with the world. Players click on highlighted icons to examine objects, such as terminals for accessing information or environmental items that provide minor advantages, and engage NPCs through branching trees that enable choices reflecting the character's background and skills. These interactions often yield lore, clues for mission advancement, or opportunities to influence outcomes via persuasion, though remains guided and linear to emphasize story flow over free roaming. options, such as opting for ruthless or compassionate responses, can affect karma and unlock minor upgrades, fostering a sense of player agency in non-combat scenarios. Stealth and utility mechanics support non-violent approaches, with deckers using hacking to bypass systems, open locked areas, or disable threats like robotic enemies through a separate matrix mini-game. Mages and shamans employ magic for illusions or spirit summons to create diversions and avoid detection, helping to prevent alarms that could trigger reinforcements. While overt stealth is limited, players can position characters to approach unaware enemies from behind, and some maps include random encounters that add unpredictability during traversal. These elements allow for preparation before transitions into turn-based combat, emphasizing strategic navigation over direct confrontation. Missions vary in design, predominantly linear to shepherd players through the plot, but incorporate branching dialogue paths and optional side objectives for added depth and rewards. Side tasks, such as retrieving supplies for NPCs or rescuing individuals during a run, provide extra karma for progression and nuyen for gear, encouraging thorough exploration without derailing the main storyline. Though major plot branches are absent, these choices create replayability through varied and minor outcome variations, such as altered NPC relations or additional loot.

Campaigns

Dead Man's Switch

The Dead Man's Switch serves as the introductory campaign in Shadowrun Returns, set amid the sprawling urban decay of Seattle in 2054, where magic and advanced technology coexist in a dystopian world dominated by megacorporations. The narrative follows a customizable shadowrunner protagonist who awakens in a clinic to a pre-recorded message from their deceased fixer and ally, Sam Watts; this activates a "dead man's switch" that posthumously hires the player to investigate Watts' murder, drawing them into a web of intrigue starting in the gritty Redmond Barrens. As the story escalates from a personal whodunit into a broader conspiracy blending corporate machinations and mystical dangers, the player recruits a team of fellow runners—including specialists like the shaman Coyote—to navigate missions across Seattle's underbelly, from gang-infested streets to high-security facilities. Central antagonists include ruthless corporate executives, street gangs like the Halloweeners, and enigmatic threats tied to the serial killings plaguing the city, heightening the tension of alliances and double-crosses. The campaign delves into themes of betrayal, as trust proves fragile among shadowrunners and fixers, and the pervasive of Seattle's sprawl underscores the harsh realities of life on the fringes of corporate power, introducing players to the high-stakes world of illicit jobs and survival. Distinctive elements include the campaign's first showcase of decker mechanics, where players jack into the pre-Awakened Matrix—a wired, non-wireless network—using a cyberdeck to solve puzzles and combat hostile programs like Black IC, emphasizing the era's clunky yet immersive hacking paradigm. Additionally, branching choices in dialogue, alliances, and mission resolutions lead to varied endings, allowing player decisions to shape the conspiracy's resolution and the fates of key figures.

Dragonfall

Shadowrun: Dragonfall is a standalone expansion campaign for Returns, released in 2014 and later refined as the in 2014, shifting the setting from to the anarchic Flux State of in a fractured post-Wall . The story centers on a team of shadowrunners operating from the Kreuzbasar district, who investigate the sudden death of their leader, Dietrich, amid rumors of the Great Dragon Feuerschwinge's survival, gradually uncovering a conspiracy involving dangerous cults and rogue AI entities that threaten the fragile balance of the free state. This narrative arc emphasizes street-level intrigue and escalating global stakes, with missions that can be approached in a non-linear order during the mid-game, allowing players to navigate 's open hub world through contracts that blend espionage and magical elements. Key characters drive the ensemble-focused , with the player-created leading a fixed team of runners whose interpersonal dynamics foster deep opportunities. Dietrich, a punk-rock shaman who summons spirit familiars and provides buffs, serves as the initial catalyst through his mysterious death, while companions like Karra, a skilled decker specializing in hacking, contribute to the group's technical edge and personal conflicts. Other runners, such as the rigger Blitz, the combat specialist with her military background, and the anarchist Glory, each bring unique skills and evolving relationships, encouraging players to manage team morale and loyalties through dialogue-driven interactions that reveal backstories and influence mission outcomes. Moral choices permeate these dynamics, often presenting gray dilemmas—such as prioritizing self-preservation over heroic intervention—that affect companion approval, narrative branches, and the group's cohesion in true fashion. The campaign explores themes of versus control, highlighting the precarious freedoms of Berlin's Flux State where corporate influences and magical anomalies clash amid a of unregulated free states. Magic's resurgence plays a pivotal role, with ley lines in the setting amplifying spellcasting for mages and shamans, underscoring how awakened forces disrupt technological dominance and fuel activities. These elements the illusion of liberty in a world where fleeting power structures and hidden threats undermine communal ideals, all woven into a 12-15 hour story that prioritizes character-driven drama over the base game's more introductory structure. Dragonfall introduces unique elements that deepen its RPG depth, including expanded dialogue systems with specialized "etiquettes" (such as Shadowrunner or ) that unlock context-specific options based on character backgrounds and skills. Companion backstories are fleshed out through dedicated missions and conversations, providing insight into personal struggles like Eiger's past traumas or Dietrich's spiritual journey, which enhance immersion and replayability. The builds on the original's turn-based combat foundation by rebalancing encounters for greater tactical variety, redesigning the for improved accessibility, and adding features like companion-specific upgrades, five new missions exploring runner histories, alternate endings, and an expanded soundtrack. These enhancements, including save-anywhere functionality and refined team customization, make the campaign more polished and self-contained, emphasizing meaningful player agency in a morally complex cyberpunk-magic world.

Hong Kong

Shadowrun: Hong Kong serves as the concluding campaign in the Shadowrun Returns trilogy, set in the year 2056 amid the neon-lit sprawl of a . The player assumes the role of a shadowrunner returning to the city after a desperate call from their estranged foster father, Raymond, who has vanished under mysterious circumstances. This personal quest quickly escalates into a noir-infused tale of entanglement with warring triads, unearthed ancient magic, and deep corporate conspiracies, as the protagonist navigates betrayal and family secrets to resolve long-buried ties. The narrative draws heavily on influences, providing closure to the trilogy's overarching themes through intimate, character-driven stakes that contrast with the ensemble dynamics of prior entries. Central to the story are key figures like the foster father , whose disappearance drives the plot, and allies such as the triad leader Kindly Cheng, who offers protection and guidance in the criminal underworld. Other companions, including the rat shaman Gobbet and decker Duncan, emphasize the personal betrayals and loyalties that heighten the emotional tension, revealing how family connections expose vulnerabilities in a world of deceit. These relationships underscore the campaign's focus on individual heritage amid systemic corruption. Thematically, delves into the corruption permeating Asian megacities, where traditional Eastern —manifested through ancient magical artifacts and spirits—clashes with excesses like corporate and triad violence. This fusion highlights the protagonist's struggle with cultural and familial legacy, portraying as a pressure cooker of moral ambiguity and . Unique to this campaign are mechanics allowing players to influence city factions through alliances, affecting outcomes and leading to multiple endings based on choices in triad loyalties and corporate dealings. Combat evolves slightly from previous campaigns with refined tactical options in dense urban environments.

Development

Concept and

was founded in 2011 by , the creator of the original tabletop RPG, and Mitch Gitelman, with the explicit goal of reviving the franchise in video games following its last major console adaptation on the in 1993. Weisman, who had previously developed through his company Corporation starting in 1989, sought to bring the series back to its roots in tactical after a 2007 adaptation by failed to capture the essence of the earlier titles. The game's concept drew heavily from the tabletop RPG's foundations, blending cyberpunk dystopia with elements such as elves, orcs, and in a near-future world dominated by megacorporations. Inspirations included the conversation-driven storytelling of the 1993 SNES Shadowrun game and the tactical depth of classic PC titles like X-Com, which influenced the turn-based combat system's action points and isometric perspective. Weisman also cited the successful revival of the Fallout series as a model for respecting an established universe while adapting it for modern players. To fund development, launched a campaign in April 2012, setting an initial goal of $400,000, which was surpassed within 28 hours. The campaign ultimately raised $1,836,447 from 36,276 backers, enabling stretch goals such as a level editor, an additional campaign set in a backer-chosen city, and multiplayer co-op features—though the latter was ultimately cut from the final release. This success reflected strong fan demand for a return to the series' tactical RPG style, allowing the studio to produce a 2D game compatible with PC, Mac, and tablets. Early development faced challenges in securing licensing rights, as video game adaptations required separate licensing from Microsoft, the owner of the video game rights, while tabletop rights were held by Catalyst Game Labs. Harebrained Schemes obtained a license for the video game rights from and collaborated with to ensure lore consistency. Additionally, remnants of Microsoft's ownership of older video game rights complicated re-releases of classic titles and influenced the decision to pursue independent over traditional publishers. Balancing the cyberpunk and fantasy elements involved updating outdated technologies—like replacing physical datajacks with wireless interfaces—while preserving the gritty, immersive world-building central to the franchise.

Production process

Harebrained Schemes, the Seattle-based studio founded in 2011 by and Mitch Gitelman, handled the core development of Returns with a team that expanded from around 10 members at the launch to over 30 staff by the final stages, focusing on , programming, and . To ensure fidelity to the universe's lore, the team collaborated with veteran writers including Jason Hardy, Mike Mulvihill, , and Stephen Kenson, who contributed short stories and narrative elements integrated into the game's anthology-style structure. The game was built using the Unity engine, enabling a hybrid 2D/3D visual style that combined isometric perspectives with detailed sprite-based characters and environments. developed custom tools atop Unity, including a robust editor for creating levels, dialogue trees, and missions, as well as systems for AI to handle tactical combat navigation in settings. Development involved iterative alpha and beta testing phases, with early alpha footage shared publicly in March 2013 to gather initial feedback on core mechanics. Backers from the campaign received access to beta builds for updates, allowing the team to refine balance between magical and technological elements, such as ensuring spells like mana bolt competed effectively with enhancements and firearms without dominating encounters. This process extended to post-launch expansions, with : Dragonfall developed and released in February 2014 as DLC, followed by a standalone in September 2014, and : launching in August 2015. Key challenges included driven by stretch goals, which unlocked features like the in-game editor and additional content but diverted resources, resulting in the core campaign's story comprising only 25-40% of the originally planned depth due to the heavy load of toolset stabilization. Later efforts to port the titles to consoles and other platforms introduced further technical hurdles, though these were addressed in subsequent updates.

Release and expansions

Launch details

Shadowrun Returns was initially released on July 25, 2013, as a digital-only title for Microsoft Windows and OS X through , priced at $19.99. Linux support was added shortly thereafter via patch 1.1 on October 30, 2013. The release followed a brief delay from an earlier target to allow for additional bug fixes and polishing. Marketing efforts included promotional trailers debuted at PAX conventions, such as the PAX East 2013 highlight video showcasing and story elements, as well as exclusive beta demos provided to backers for early feedback. The campaign also featured tie-ins with the broader universe, including references to lore from ' tabletop sourcebooks to appeal to existing fans. Post-launch support began immediately with patches addressing bugs and balance issues; for instance, version 1.0.4 in August 2013 reduced cooldowns on certain abilities like shotgun kneecap shots and introduced , while subsequent updates refined combat mechanics and added localization options. The base game was later expanded with Dragonfall, released as a free update for owners in February 2014 and as a standalone in September 2014. This was followed by in August 2015, which became available as a standalone title. All three campaigns were eventually bundled together in the Shadowrun Trilogy collection.

Platform availability and updates

Shadowrun Returns was initially released for Microsoft Windows and OS X on July 25, 2013, with support added via patch 1.1 in late October 2013, followed by and Android tablet ports on September 26, 2013. The game became available on additional platforms through the Shadowrun Trilogy collection, which includes Shadowrun Returns along with its expansions and launched on June 21, 2022, for , , , , and Xbox Series X/S. It is also playable via cloud gaming services like . Subsequent patches, including those in 2024 and early 2025, have improved compatibility and performance on console platforms, particularly the . Post-launch maintenance included enhanced editions for the game's expansions, incorporating quality-of-life improvements such as redesigned interfaces, new music tracks, and bug fixes. Shadowrun: Dragonfall - Director's Cut, a standalone version of the 2014 expansion, was released on September 18, 2014, adding five new missions and alternate endings. Likewise, Shadowrun: Hong Kong - Extended Edition arrived on August 20, 2015, featuring a new six-hour bonus campaign and developer commentary. Compatibility updates have ensured ongoing support for modern systems, including patches for and later, as well as Linux distributions like . The iOS and Android versions were delisted from their respective app stores in May 2018 owing to GDPR non-compliance, though previously purchased copies remain accessible to owners. Community modding is facilitated through Workshop integration, enabling users to create and share custom campaigns, missions, and assets since the 2013 launch.

Reception and legacy

Critical reviews

Shadowrun Returns received generally favorable reviews upon release, with a Metacritic aggregate score of 76/100 based on 54 critic reviews. Its expansions, Shadowrun: Dragonfall and Shadowrun: Hong Kong, fared slightly better, earning Metacritic scores of 81/100 from 24 critics and 81/100 from 29 critics, respectively. Critics praised the series for its immersive cyberpunk-fantasy world-building, which faithfully adapts the Shadowrun tabletop RPG lore, blending magic, technology, and corporate intrigue in a dystopian Seattle and beyond. The choice-driven narratives were highlighted as a strength, allowing players to shape team dynamics and mission outcomes through dialogue and skill checks, evoking the role-playing depth of the original pen-and-paper game. Gameplay received acclaim for its turn-based tactical , often compared to modern titles for its emphasis on cover, positioning, and ability synergies among diverse character classes like street samurai, mages, and riggers. Reviewers noted the satisfaction of summoning spirits or deploying drones in high-stakes heists, with Dragonfall and refining enemy AI and adding environmental interactions like ley lines for magical boosts. The writing was a consistent standout, delivering noir-inspired stories with memorable companions and moral dilemmas; for instance, Dragonfall's setting was lauded for its atmospheric exploration of post-revolutionary Flux State politics. extended this with an improved Matrix decking system, transforming the previously simplistic hacking mini-games into more strategic node-based puzzles. Criticisms centered on repetitive mission structures, where many objectives boiled down to infiltration and combat without sufficient variety in non-linear exploration. Decking in the base game were frequently called shallow, functioning as isolated puzzles that felt disconnected from the main party tactics and underutilized non-decker skills. Launch versions suffered from technical bugs, including save corruption and issues, though post-release patches and the expansions' and Extended Edition releases addressed many of these, enhancing stability and UI polish. Some reviewers found the stories occasionally linear or unfocused, particularly in Hong Kong's sprawling conspiracy plot. Notable reviews underscored these themes. IGN awarded the base game 7.3/10, calling it a "solid tactics game" with engaging lore but critiquing its clunky interface and limited scope as a foundation for future content. PC Gamer scored it 74/100, praising the "surprisingly interesting story" and combat variety while noting the "visually underwhelming engine" and infrequent fights. For Dragonfall, PC Gamer gave 81/100, stating the "story rocks" with exciting encounters, despite lingering technical shortcomings. Eurogamer rated it 8/10, deeming it "superior to the original campaign in every way" for its professional polish and narrative depth. IGN's 8/10 for Hong Kong highlighted "excellent writing" and "superb music, visuals," though it lamented the lack of major innovations beyond the refined decking. PC Gamer's 70/100 for the same expansion viewed it as "safe" but effective, with strong world-building offset by familiar mechanics. Overall, the series was celebrated for revitalizing the Shadowrun universe through accessible tactical RPG elements, with expansions mitigating early flaws to deliver more cohesive experiences.

Commercial performance and impact

Shadowrun Returns achieved significant commercial success following its launch, with strong initial interest evidenced by a peak of 24,329 concurrent players on shortly after its July 2013 release. Sustained play was supported by post-launch ports to iOS and Android in 2015, as well as later console releases in 2022, alongside ongoing sales that maintained a dedicated, if niche, audience over the years. The title played a pivotal role in reviving the Shadowrun video game franchise, which had seen limited adaptations since the , by demonstrating viability for turn-based tactical RPGs in a cyberpunk-fantasy setting and directly leading to sequels like the enhanced Shadowrun: Dragonfall – Director's Cut in 2014. Its success influenced the indie tactics RPG landscape, inspiring titles such as by emphasizing narrative-driven, isometric gameplay in genre-blended worlds. In terms of legacy, Shadowrun Returns fostered a vibrant community around user-generated content, with extensive mods available on platforms like , including enhanced portraits, cyberware expansions, and custom campaigns that extended replayability. These efforts bridged and elements, encouraging crossovers with the original pen-and-paper RPG through shared lore and fan creations. The commercial momentum also facilitated ' acquisition by in June 2018 for $7.5 million, which provided resources to extend support, including console ports and trilogy bundles. However, in 2023, and announced they would part ways, with the studio regaining independence effective January 1, 2024.

References

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