Shadowrun Trilogy
- June 25, 2013
- Harebrained Schemes
Shadowrun Trilogy has a ton of atmosphere, and if you’re looking for a strong narrative RPG you could do a lot worse.
Complete your tactical RPG Shadowrun collection from developer Harebrained Schemes with this definitive bundle which contains: Shadowrun Returns + Deluxe upgrade (includes Anthology pdf + Official Soundtrack), Shadowrun: Dragonfall - Director's Cut, and Shadowrun: Hong Kong + Deluxe upgrade (includes Art Book pdf + Official Soundtrack).
Nintendo Switch
PC
Playstation 4
Playstation 5
Windows
Xbox One
Xbox Series X|S
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- The Shadowrun Trilogy offers a well-written narrative with engaging storytelling and strong character development across all three games.
- The games feature excellent controller support and are approachable for both newcomers and veterans of the RPG genre.
- The atmospheric settings of Seattle, Berlin, and Hong Kong provide a unique and immersive cyberpunk experience.
- The technical performance on the Switch is poor, with issues such as stuttering frame rates, long loading times, and unresponsive controls.
- Combat mechanics are simplistic and could benefit from more depth and impact.
- There is a lack of new content for players familiar with the original PC versions, and the visuals do not take advantage of next-gen hardware.
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The Shadowrun trilogy is praised for its rich atmosphere, featuring immersive worlds and compelling narratives that enhance the tactical RPG experience. Set in vibrant locations like Seattle, Berlin, and Hong Kong, the games offer well-crafted stories, engaging characters, and a plethora of dialogue choices, making it a standout choice for both newcomers and seasoned RPG fans.
“Shadowrun Trilogy has a ton of atmosphere, and if you’re looking for a strong narrative RPG, you could do a lot worse.”
“Shadowrun Trilogy is an excellent trio of tactical RPG titles that serve up wonderfully atmospheric worlds, well-written stories, and entertaining turn-based combat to boot.”
“Three fantastic RPG adventures in one great package, perfect for newcomers to the genre and diehard RPG fans alike. Seattle, Berlin, and Hong Kong are superb settings for well-written, atmospheric stories, brilliant characters, lots of dialogue choices, and plenty of twists and turns along the way. Top-notch writing and fun XCOM-lite combat.”
- optimization3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has been widely criticized, with users reporting significant performance issues such as stuttering frame rates, long loading times, and unresponsive controls across all platforms. Additionally, next-gen hardware is underutilized, failing to enhance visuals or performance, and serious bugs can lead to game freezes, making it difficult to recommend the game at launch.
“However, constant performance issues, including stuttering frame rates, long loading times, unresponsive and sticky controls, and a serious bug that freezes your game entirely at points, means that this is a series of ports we find it very difficult to recommend picking up as things currently stand at launch.”
“Performance on Switch is pretty poor across the board, with constant frame rate issues in the first two games, long loading times, and unresponsive button prompts in all three. Both Dragonfall and Hong Kong are affected by a bug that completely freezes your game during certain interactions.”
“No new content for previous PC players; it doesn’t utilize next-gen hardware to improve visuals or performance.”
- story2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The story across the trilogy is praised for its strong build-up and fantastic storytelling that enhances with each installment, effectively translating the original PC experience to console with excellent controller support.
“Good build-up across all three games; the story is done well.”
“A faithful reproduction of the original PC games, with excellent controller support and fantastic storytelling that improves with each installment in the series.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has been widely criticized, with users reporting frequent performance issues such as stuttering frame rates, long loading times, unresponsive controls, and a critical bug that can freeze the game entirely. These problems are prevalent across all versions, making it difficult to recommend the game at launch.
“However, constant performance issues, including stuttering frame rates, long loading times, unresponsive and sticky controls, and a serious bug that freezes your game entirely at points, means that this is a series of ports we find it very difficult to recommend picking up as things currently stand at launch.”
“Performance on Switch is pretty poor across the board, with constant frame rate issues in the first two games, long loading times, and unresponsive button prompts in all three. Both Dragonfall and Hong Kong are affected by a bug that completely freezes your game during certain interactions.”
- graphics1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The graphics have been criticized for lacking new content for previous PC players and failing to take advantage of next-gen hardware to enhance visuals or performance.
“No new content for previous PC players; it doesn’t utilize next-gen hardware to improve visuals or performance.”
“The graphics feel outdated and lack the polish expected from a modern title.”
“Textures are low resolution, making the game look unappealing compared to other recent releases.”
- gameplay1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by accessible core mechanics and concise playtimes, making it an ideal choice for both newcomers and veterans of tactical RPGs. It is highly recommended, especially as part of the Xbox Game Pass.
“With surprisingly breezy core mechanics and fairly short running times for all three entries, it's a perfect series for newcomers to the genre and tactical RPG veterans alike. It's another fantastic addition to Xbox Game Pass that we highly recommend you check out ASAP.”
Critic Reviews
Shadowrun Trilogy Review - An Enduring Blend Of XCOM Turn Based Combat And Cyberpunk RPG Beats
Though the technical presentation of the three games encompassed in the Shadowrun Trilogy is modest, each of them nonetheless provides an entertainingly told narrative wrapped up in an old-fashioned CRPG shell with involving, but not especially sophisticated turn-based combat. If you're after a whole lot of cyberpunk RPG goodness with a very unique cyberpunk setting, great world building and entertaining writing, then the Shadowrun Trilogy is just the fix that you need.
80%Shadowrun Trilogy: Console Edition Review
If you can stomach its rough exterior, Shadowrun Trilogy is an easy recommendation for RPG fans. The games' straightforward structure makes them approachable in ways that other tabletop-based titles on PlayStation aren't, and the role-playing options are engaging throughout. Combat could do with a bit more punch, and the technical issues are an annoyance, but there's a lot of value to this well written sci-fi-fantasy package.
70%Shadowrun Trilogy Review
A very good bundle of some very good games, Shadowrun Trilogy packages together some of the best cyberpunk-meets-fantasy stories. While far from what can be considered classics, all three of the titles on offer are lots of fun nonetheless, as long as one can stomach the somewhat simplistic combat, and the tiny text that almost renders the Switch's portability useless.
70%
