MatchBot
08-03-2007, 12:40 PM
Shadowrun will be the first game allowing Vista PC and 360 gamers to play against each other in up to 16 player matches. Whilst there are concerns that PC players will have increased accuracy and therefore an advantage, it does look very promising and should definitely be worth a rental.
It has now been announced that the game will see an April the 2nd release, although it is still unclear whether that is only the States or worldwide.
Read on for a more detailed insight and head over to our community section to see some more screenshots.
FASA Studio -- the developers behind the highly successful MechWarrior franchise -- and Microsoft will bring Shadowrun to both the Xbox 360 and Windows Vista enabled PCs on April 2. The attractive team based first person shooter, based on a 1989 PC role-playing game of the same name, lets up to 16 players frag one another using a host of weapons, from sub machine guns to advanced cybernetic technology. Most importantly, it allows PC users to play alongside or against Xbox Live fanatics, thanks to Microsoft's Live Anywhere.
Shadowrun takes place in the year 2021, a time in which magic (after a 5,000 year absence) has returned and humans battle to control it. On one side stands the money grubbing mega-corporation RNA, which seeks to put a dollar value on this magnificent power. Its enemies, an ancient group known simply as Lineage, want to keep it free. Both sides inevitably clash in numerous and bloody battles. Players choose a side and a race (selecting from humans, trolls and dwarves), then battle for their group's respective cause in a never-ending online war.
Like most person shooters, the game features the usual assortment of weapons such as pistols, submachine guns, a wicked sniper rifle and even a katana, which automatically switches the camera from first to third person perspectives when picked up. While these instruments of death do an excellent job at tearing enemies apart, players need to balance the use of more advanced technology and most importantly, magic, if they intend to survive firefights for more then five seconds. The ocular implant (Fuchi CV Enhanced Vision) allows them to see characters through walls, a nifty piece of equipment indeed. The Renraku SoarPak Glider, on the other hand, lets them escape death, if at least for a few minutes more, by carrying them over the action.
While running, gamers pass through walls, both vertically and horizontally. So for example, someone just about to die can melt through the floor, land on another level and make a quick getaway. Or, they can resurrect their teammates, the goal to not only add one more soldier to the fight, but to also make some extra cash. Much like the popular shooter Counter-Strike, players earn money that they use to purchase weapons and equipment. They also possess essence, the stuff that enables them to use magic (it rises and falls, depending on the type of magic used, and always replenishes). The player that resurrects loses essence, as it must be used to keep the other person alive. On the flip side, that revived player hands over a portion or his or her earnings, thus creating a lucrative something lost/something gained dynamic.
In addition to the aforementioned magic, gamers also take advantage of the Tree of Life, an ethereal tree that replenishes the health of all those that come near it. However, and if players feel especially devious, they can destroy it using conventional weapons.
Unlike other shooters, most notably Gears of War and the Halo series, Shadowrun's multiplayer campaign overshadows its single player component. Players don't embark upon a solo quest full of cut scenes. Rather, they take part in a series of training missions designed to prepare them for online play. Fortunately, the game features bots, so gamers can practice for as long as they wish, though many will argue that these computer-controlled characters don't feature the intelligence, and most importantly, the cunning of a live opponent. With that being said, Microsoft hopes to flood the online arena with thousands of players, thanks to its Live Anywhere technology. Shadowrun lets Xbox 360 and PC gamers play together using the same user-friendly options one finds on Xbox Live. In fact, unless someone announces their platform of choice, no one will know who's using what. PC players can even use the wired/wireless Xbox 360 controllers and headsets (support for wireless Xbox 360 peripherals coming soon).
Barring some unforeseen calamity, Shadowrun should be one of 2007's best shooters as the first multiplayer game that bridges between the PC and the Xbox 360.
GameDaily (http://gdc.gamedailyxl.com/2007/03/06/gdc-shadowrun-impressions/).
Images:
http://xbox360media.ign.com/xbox360/image/article/760/760666/shadowrun-next-gen-20070201034610964.jpg
http://pcmedia.ign.com/pc/image/article/767/767075/shadowrun-next-gen-20070222065836076.jpg
http://pcmedia.ign.com/pc/image/article/767/767075/shadowrun-next-gen-20070222065856106.jpg
http://pcmedia.ign.com/pc/image/article/767/767075/shadowrun-next-gen-20070222065857263.jpg
http://pcmedia.ign.com/pc/image/article/767/767075/shadowrun-next-gen-20070222065859528.jpg
It has now been announced that the game will see an April the 2nd release, although it is still unclear whether that is only the States or worldwide.
Read on for a more detailed insight and head over to our community section to see some more screenshots.
FASA Studio -- the developers behind the highly successful MechWarrior franchise -- and Microsoft will bring Shadowrun to both the Xbox 360 and Windows Vista enabled PCs on April 2. The attractive team based first person shooter, based on a 1989 PC role-playing game of the same name, lets up to 16 players frag one another using a host of weapons, from sub machine guns to advanced cybernetic technology. Most importantly, it allows PC users to play alongside or against Xbox Live fanatics, thanks to Microsoft's Live Anywhere.
Shadowrun takes place in the year 2021, a time in which magic (after a 5,000 year absence) has returned and humans battle to control it. On one side stands the money grubbing mega-corporation RNA, which seeks to put a dollar value on this magnificent power. Its enemies, an ancient group known simply as Lineage, want to keep it free. Both sides inevitably clash in numerous and bloody battles. Players choose a side and a race (selecting from humans, trolls and dwarves), then battle for their group's respective cause in a never-ending online war.
Like most person shooters, the game features the usual assortment of weapons such as pistols, submachine guns, a wicked sniper rifle and even a katana, which automatically switches the camera from first to third person perspectives when picked up. While these instruments of death do an excellent job at tearing enemies apart, players need to balance the use of more advanced technology and most importantly, magic, if they intend to survive firefights for more then five seconds. The ocular implant (Fuchi CV Enhanced Vision) allows them to see characters through walls, a nifty piece of equipment indeed. The Renraku SoarPak Glider, on the other hand, lets them escape death, if at least for a few minutes more, by carrying them over the action.
While running, gamers pass through walls, both vertically and horizontally. So for example, someone just about to die can melt through the floor, land on another level and make a quick getaway. Or, they can resurrect their teammates, the goal to not only add one more soldier to the fight, but to also make some extra cash. Much like the popular shooter Counter-Strike, players earn money that they use to purchase weapons and equipment. They also possess essence, the stuff that enables them to use magic (it rises and falls, depending on the type of magic used, and always replenishes). The player that resurrects loses essence, as it must be used to keep the other person alive. On the flip side, that revived player hands over a portion or his or her earnings, thus creating a lucrative something lost/something gained dynamic.
In addition to the aforementioned magic, gamers also take advantage of the Tree of Life, an ethereal tree that replenishes the health of all those that come near it. However, and if players feel especially devious, they can destroy it using conventional weapons.
Unlike other shooters, most notably Gears of War and the Halo series, Shadowrun's multiplayer campaign overshadows its single player component. Players don't embark upon a solo quest full of cut scenes. Rather, they take part in a series of training missions designed to prepare them for online play. Fortunately, the game features bots, so gamers can practice for as long as they wish, though many will argue that these computer-controlled characters don't feature the intelligence, and most importantly, the cunning of a live opponent. With that being said, Microsoft hopes to flood the online arena with thousands of players, thanks to its Live Anywhere technology. Shadowrun lets Xbox 360 and PC gamers play together using the same user-friendly options one finds on Xbox Live. In fact, unless someone announces their platform of choice, no one will know who's using what. PC players can even use the wired/wireless Xbox 360 controllers and headsets (support for wireless Xbox 360 peripherals coming soon).
Barring some unforeseen calamity, Shadowrun should be one of 2007's best shooters as the first multiplayer game that bridges between the PC and the Xbox 360.
GameDaily (http://gdc.gamedailyxl.com/2007/03/06/gdc-shadowrun-impressions/).
Images:
http://xbox360media.ign.com/xbox360/image/article/760/760666/shadowrun-next-gen-20070201034610964.jpg
http://pcmedia.ign.com/pc/image/article/767/767075/shadowrun-next-gen-20070222065836076.jpg
http://pcmedia.ign.com/pc/image/article/767/767075/shadowrun-next-gen-20070222065856106.jpg
http://pcmedia.ign.com/pc/image/article/767/767075/shadowrun-next-gen-20070222065857263.jpg
http://pcmedia.ign.com/pc/image/article/767/767075/shadowrun-next-gen-20070222065859528.jpg