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Shadowrun

EMAIL PRINT xbox360

8.0 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 57 critic reviews
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Based on 123 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Microsoft

Developer: FASA Studio

Genre(s): First-Person Shooter

Players: 16

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

Release Date: May 29, 2007

Summary

Shadowrun is a multiplayer first-person shooter based on the much beloved RPG franchise. Shadowrun propels team-based combat into a new dimension with a revolutionary blend of modern weaponry and ancient magic. Up to 16 players battle for control of this new world through Windows Vista's Xbox 360-to-Windows Vista online compatibility. In Shadowrun, vie for supremacy in a constantly evolving battlefield where advanced technology and ancient magic provide an unprecedented and high-velocity tactical action experience. After a 5,000 year absence magic has returned to the world of 2021, and global corporate might battles a relentless ancient order to harness this reawakened power. Be a part of the RNA global megacorp and bring order (and profit) into a world of chaos, or join the Lineage to keep magic wild and free at all costs. Choose a side and wage war for the future of magic in the new world of Shadowrun. Dive into a universe where ancient magic co-exists with deadly weaponry, and experience a revolution in multiplayer FPS gaming. Purchase advanced technology and magic each round in an extraordinary arms race to improve your abilities and open up new tactics for your team. Use your cybernetic eye to spot your enemy through walls, teleport behind your opponents in the blink of an eye, trigger a hologram as a distraction then cut them down with a burst from your rifle to clear the room before they even know you're there. [Microsoft]

Cheat Codes & Hints: GameFAQs

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

XboxAddict

In sum, don’t let the pricepoint keep you away from this game. This is one of those rare games you encounter where the gameplay is addicting, refreshing, refined, and innovative - making this highly recommended as a purchase. It really is worth the cost.

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ZTGameDomain

I have found myself playing this a lot more than the Halo 3 beta, which a lot of my friends are angry about but Shadowrun is very addictive.

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GamingTrend

The game shows that they spent a fair amount of time looking at the user interface and game balance. Now it is down to how Microsoft and FASA choose to support the title in the coming months and years will really see how well it is adopted.

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Gamer's Hell

Overall, Shadowrun successfully put an inspiring twist on the popular FPS genre, but this game isn’t meant for everyone.

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Gamestyle

If you look past the tenuous link to the license and the admittedly dodgy art design, you may just find a game that is quite unlike any other, and is excellent to boot.

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Console Gameworld

Shadowrun is far from perfect and the things that are missing will definitely be missed by many, but it is a very fun take on an old FPS formula and offers addictive gameplay that will make you overlook otherwise major flaws in game design.

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Game Almighty

This is a great game. If you’re willing to abandon your preconceived notions as to what a Shadowrun game should be and simply accept it for what it is, you’ll find a deep and complex first-person shooter that is tons of fun and packed with variety.

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1UP

The vaunted cross-platform play works mostly as advertised (including Achievements associated with killing/resurrecting users from the alternate platform), but we still have to question whether it's worth the hassle and cost for PC users.

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AceGamez

There's no denying that I love Shadowrun to bits - it's almost like World of Warcraft meets Counter-Strike. I love RPGs and I adore FPS games, so Shadowrun seems as if it was made just for me!

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AtomicGamer

Overall, the actual game itself is pretty fun. The magic and tech abilities are good fun and, while the weapons don't have much variety, they are at least balanced. However, the lack of variety when it comes to game modes and maps is what makes this game a mere shadow of what it could have possibly been.

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Gamer 2.0

On the whole, Shadowrun could’ve been packaged at about $20 cheaper rather than leave gamers wondering where the majority of their paycheck went.

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GameZone

If there was ever an example of a new game that should have been released as a downloadable game, Shadowrun is a top candidate.

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Armchair Empire

The basic elements are all there and, as long as you go into the game with your eyes wide open as to what to expect, Shadowrun offers a very solid experience.

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MS Xbox World

Shadowrun is a magnificent multiplayer adventure that is sure to keep you entertained for as long as you wish to play.

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VGPub

Shadowrun is a good online FPS.

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Gaming Target

At the end of the day, Shadowrun is meant for the dedicated shooter fans on the Xbox 360, and for those people the experience will satisfy.

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TeamXbox

There's simply not enough meat here to keep the attention of fickle gamers, as the limited number of maps and gametypes will get old fast. Still, the game gets much more enjoyable the more you play, particularly if you have a solid supporting cast around you.

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Kombo

Any FPS player itching for something new and fresh should definitely check out Shadowrun, anyone else will probably want to save their money for something a little more substantial.

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Planet Xbox 360

There is no way that a title that does not feature any sort of single-player gaming should cost full price (one exception would be World of Warcraft) and it is obvious that Shadowrun would have sold better and scored better in reviews had it been twenty dollars cheaper.

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Gaming Nexus

There's definitely a lot to like in Shadowrun, but at the same time there's almost an equal amount of stuff to dislike.

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Official Xbox Magazine

Shadowrun is definitely good--"Counter-Strike with magic" works very well--but it should be great. [Aug 2007, p.76]

Cheat Code Central

Level design is mediocre and the lack of any single player mode makes the game feel unsatisfying.

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Extreme Gamer

Shadowrun has its own flair working in its flavour, but when you compare it to similar online shooters like Unreal Championship; it comes up a little flat.

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Total Video Games

Shadowrun isn't the tech demo that it could have been, thanks to the wealth of magic and gadgetry on show, but the restricted gametypes and lack of a Campaign means that it ultimately comes up short.

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Jolt Online Gaming UK

Quite why this wasn’t released as a budget title is a mystery, because while it is a good game, it’s not a particularly broad reaching or good value one.

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Da Gameboyz

Overall, Shadowrun is not as good bang for your buck as many other games currently on the market. Given the $60 plus price tag, Shadowrun fails to live up to other formidable first person shooters already available on the Xbox 360.

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GameTrailers

Though Shadowrun is a first-person shooter, it still manages to include a lot of the qualities that made the original RPG a hit. At the same time, with just a few multiplayer modes and a paltry nine maps, the fun only lasts for so long.

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GameSpot

This multiplayer-only shooter does absolutely nothing with the Shadowrun name, and its unique strengths are offset by a lack of variety.

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IGN

Shadowrun has no visible persistent statistics, no way to modify character models, nothing, outside of Achievements, to serve as reward. As gamers, it's rewards we crave, be it of the narrative variety, in-game items, new options or modes, or something entirely different.

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Electronic Gaming Monthly

Sadly, match types come in just two flavors: artifact raids or kill sprees, which makes $60 seems extortionate. [Aug 2007, p.78]

Game Chronicles

The name, Shadowrun, comes with its own legacy, but this game really trashes that history and leaves us with a slightly broken and totally incomplete multiplayer element, and when multiplayer is all your game can offer, you had better get that part right. Unfortunately, FASA didn’t.

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GamingExcellence

In the end, the major problem with Shadowrun is expectation. What Shadowrun turns in is a budget priced effort with some truly cool ability concepts, but not enough to warrant its premium title price tag.

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GameShark

At the end of the day Shadowrun can be fun if you ignore the poor use of the brand on which it is based and the intermittent connectivity problems.

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Digital Entertainment News

Shadowrun doesn’t just trample on the memories of the classic RPGs many people fondly remember. It’s a sham and a rip-off, especially on the Xbox 360. If you absolutely must buy this game, buy it on the PC. Better yet, don’t buy it at all, at least not until it hits the bargain bin.

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GamePro

It's hard to make a glowing recommendation about a $60 game that includes virtually no offline mode, lacks variety in its weapons and match types, and suffers from rookie blunders in terms of presentation and interface. It all points to a rushed, chaotic development cycle.

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Worth Playing

A prime example of potential wasted. Even getting past the terrible use of the Shadowrun license, the game itself just feels half-finished. The lack of variety and polish that shows in every stage and every character model just accentuates this every time you put the disc into your 360.

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GamerNode

If you don't mind spending full price on a game you'll have to subscribe to Xbox Live to get full enjoyment from, and if you don't mind a game with repetitive and limited gameplay modes and weapons, then there's nothing stopping you from getting Shadowrun, as the game is fantastic.

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Game Informer

The nine maps available aren’t nearly enough, the lack of rankings and leaderboards provide no incentive to hone your skills to perfection, and the extremely meager offline options drag everything down.

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Talk Xbox

Shadowrun is a tragic example of great potential and poor follow-through.

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Pelit (Finland)

Shadowrun fails to impress. While the core gameplay principles are well designed and the game has a balanced feel to it, the experience turns out to be underwhelming. There is simply nothing flashy nor exciting about Shadowrun. [Aug 2007]

G4 TV

The game is definitely over-priced. With that said, this is still one of the most engaging new multiplayer-only games out there.

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DarkStation

Sometimes you have too much of a focus on one area of a game that the rest seems to fall by the way side, and thus is the case here.

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Edge Magazine

Shadowrun has too many cooks: it’s a heady broth initially, and the possibilities might seem unmatched, but ultimately it turns out to be limited fun. [Aug 2007, p.88]

games(TM)

Shadowrun has stacks of good ideas; it just fails to rest them on a bed of good value and substance. [Aug 2007, p.104]

PALGN

Shadowrun is a decent multiplayer with a great idea that needed some more time to be fully utilised.

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Xboxic

It is a shame that it appears that most of its long development time was dedicated to balancing and testing online play against Vista users, instead of actually finishing up the game to meet 2007’s common expectations from a dedicated multiplayer title.

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Boomtown

I can’t help but think that if Microsoft had worried less about putting PC gamers on Xbox Live and more about giving us 360 owners a complete game we could have had something special here, but it just hasn’t happened.

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GameDaily

It comes up dreadfully short in content, with no single-player campaign and only a handful of maps.

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Official Xbox Magazine UK

In terms of graphics, in terms of variety, in terms of accessibility, it’s a failure on both 360 and PC. Overall, we’re coming down on the side of foolhardy over brave.

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Games Radar (in-house)

The innovation and surprise goes no further than the dwarves, trolls and magic. As much fun as those elements add to the shooter genre, they're simply not enough to compensate for the absence of everything else.

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Eurogamer

A well-designed, well-conceived game.

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Computer and Video Games

The biggest disappointment in this otherwise fairly enjoyable shooter is the lack of content once you've finally grasped the formula. There are only nine similar-looking maps to choose from, with more expected down the line via downloadable content.

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Game Revolution

Shadowrun’s impressive array of skills and magic gives standard first-person shooters a run for their money, but its lack of game modes or rewards or even a rewarding feeling slows this game to a walk.

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The Onion (A.V. Club)

Perfect for anyone who used to pit their G.I. Joes against their Dark Crystal dolls.

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Play.tm

Beyond its shameful lack of a single-player component, which its gameplay attributes are absolutely screaming out for, Shadowrun feels somewhat unfinished, like a beta trial for better things to come - only it is a finished offering and it is never going to deliver.

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GameSpy

Fans of shooters will find, quickly enough, that the absolute reliance on purchased abilities over skill makes this a poor Counterstrike-style title. RPG fans will, likewise, find that there aren't enough RPG elements to make a whole game out of. And both sides should have the common sense to realize that when a company sneaks out a test game disguised as a full retail product, you don't reward it by buying it.

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Gaming Age

Rent it for a bit if you're particularly interested, but what could have really been a solid game turns out as almost half of one with an obvious focus on the unorthodox abilities that is just not going to cut it.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 8.0 (out of 10) based on 123 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

grant g gave it a6:
The multiplayer is great, and there are so many ways to set up your character in the matches, and all the sets are fairly equal, so no one becomes incredibly dominant in multiplayer. the unique abilities and tech items give this game so much potential, but the developers completely fail to do anything with this game outside of the inventive abilities and the few maps. there are a very few maps, many of which are just smaller versions of larger maps. and since there is no story mode to this game there should be more maps. shame on you microsoft and FASA for taking a game that could have easily been one of the most acclaimed games of the year and selling the idea short.

Rob G gave it a9:
I don't, have never,worked for MS or fasa like some reviewers have suggested. Yes this game lacked a single player campain. I would have liked to see what they could have done with that. but dont really care. What was there was a stunning team based mutiplayer game that I spent weeks and weeks on enjoying it more the more I played. There are a few things like this on PC mainly mods for quake 3 or Cs but nothing as well thought out as this and nothing like this on consoles. I really do wish do an update perhaps without the shadowrun tag that upset so many. This could have been massive if they had marketed it right, hosted some tounements, this is the sort of game that could have been continually updated, and people would have paid for map packs etc never mind. FASA I would like to thank you for , in my humble opinion, my most memorable and most favourite game on the 360 so far nov 2008 as i speak.

Todd W. gave it a9:
An excellent TEAM based FPS. With so many tech options and magic abilities the game never feels the same.

HM M. gave it a10:
I cannot for the life of me understand the reviews for this game. As of writing this (27th May 2008) the game has been out 1 year almost to the day. As promised by the developers at the time, this game doesn't get old and the good points far outweigh the bad. YES there aren't many maps compared to other FPS’s on the market, YES you cannot customize the characters appearance in game and YES there are no leader boards or stat tracking outside of the current game score sheet. If however you can get past these small inadequacies you will understand what an absolute gem of a shooter this really is. This game still remains one of my favourite shooters of all time and considering I’ve been playing this game since day one, £20 (I bought the vista version) seems like the wisest purchase of my life! Do yourself a big favour and pick this game up – this surely has to be the most underrated game on any system by a country mile.

Matt N. gave it a9:
I love this game. Although it has basically no story to it, its pure simplicity is the best thing about it, the graphics are superb and it's cheap in shops. Sure there aren't many weapons or magic abilities but that means that you have to master using the ones you have got.

Daz D. gave it an8:
Does exactly what it says on the tin. A great online shooter that is exactly that. Shame there was no campaign though.

pizzathehutt gave it a3:
Good idea, bad execution. For an online game you sure do have a lot of problems with mass boots. This should be a value priced game due to the lack of offline and the visual blandness of this game.

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