Shadowrun: Dragonfall - Director's Cut

The best story in the Shadowrun Trilogy of HBS games

Holds true to the lore. Worth the $$.

Simply frustrating that a game doesn't support multiple monitors. You can either run it fullscreen and risk the game not responding if you do anything else on your PC, or run it in a window and not see half the UI under your taskbar.

This game is way better than its price asking for
The game is a bit buggy and the UI is kinda crude but the gameplay , story and setting are really cool
If you like CRPG and Xcom style combat and wanna read something real good. This is for you

If cyberpunk was isometric, it would need better world building and story to be comparable.

Shadowrun Dragonfall DC is a standalone expansion of Shadowrun Returns, which tells a non-related story. So you can play them in any order. It was a 2014 release originally.
This is a RPG with turn-based combat and its own system. It's based on a tabletop system with the same name "Shadowrun". Shadowrun Returns, Dragonfall and Hong-Kong is the release order. After I liked the first one, I continued.

You control a team of four which you can pick from different combinations of classes. Game has a semi-linear progression; you can do some "runs" in any order and there are multiple ways to solve the issues you encounter. This leads to many different conversations, rewards and ultimately different endings. With some reloading at key points, I was able to get all achievements with 2 playthrough. (hard difficulty). Your teams’ skills determine what you can or cannot. There are combat skills and non-combat skills tied to Karma system. Especially, hacking - Matrix- is quite original.

+++ Setting: Shadowrun's depiction of Berin and future cyberpunk setting is quite good, it's unique (at least for me) and well written dialogues are also good. You can easily immerse in that kind of world. In shadowrun, magic and technology mixed in a cyberpunk setting. Elf hackers and troll street samurais possible.

++Gameplay: Information gathering between missions and NPC characters are nice, although interactions are very limited. You usually have 1 new dialog tree per completed run for each NPC. You finish a mission, talk to everyone, no one has anything more to say.
Combat has proper challenge on hard. If you don't run to cover you get blown to bits, if your spells are not good you will have a hard time, very hard is also doable, just more misses. AI does not change between difficulty.

-+Sound: Well, there is no voice-overed dialogue, since this was a kickstarter project I guess. Music is good. Effects are average.

-Technical: I had to run game in windowed, fullscreen was not alt-tab friendly. After a while saving loading takes time and sometimes turns do not end. (W11 pro , Rtx 4080, Ryzen 7700x) Graphics were not impressive then, 10 years later, well you get the point.

Overall if you want a good story, a small nicely packed RPG with cyberpunk flare, and ok with an old game it's good.

One of the best RPGs ive played, i love this series.

I've played through “Shadowrun: Dragonfall - Director's Cut” a few times over the years. It’s a pretty good but fairly short game with a limited number of missions before the ending rolls by. Most of the time is spent fighting and, in my case, missing most of my shots, which only prolongs the fights further.

There's no voice work in the game at all, which I don't mind, but the heavy reading may not appeal to everyone. The story is great, and the world is suitably dystopian for the setting. The locations are detailed and bring the in-game world to life, though I do wish there were a few more missions to complete. Playing a specific race with a higher skill cap doesn't make much of a difference since you’ll have a hard time reaching those higher numbers before the ending, and that’s a shame. (6/10)

This game gives you Zero help during the tutorial. Do not buy this game unless you have played the previous ones or want to do a bunch of research to beat it.

This is a wonderful. The game has great easy to learn hard to master gameplay. The best part is the expert story telling. The choices you make have meaningful option thus causing to repeatedly replay it to see the different endings.

This game has been my introduction to the setting of shadowrun.

It is not the type of game I usually play, gameplay wise(so it has made me sweat so much lmao) but it has been a very interesting experience.

The best aspect for me has been the dialogue and the characterisation, the world building. I'm interested in exploring it further. i like the crossover between fantasy and cyberpunk, although I do find the concept of the cycles to be funky.

All of the companions have been quite interesting and I was surprised that I liked the one I expected not to like that much the most. I have my nitpicks about some choices in the game(especially regarding Glory, but at the end of the day, I actually think it was well written. What often isn't the case with stories of abuse and indoctrination in a lot of media).

I feel like this is one of very few rpgs where I feel like there really is no good ending. A few of the choices do have a big importance on the future of the setting, but essentially... I like the message about "personal impact" and that we are programmed to believe that it doesn't matter in the long game, while the game doesn't have a "standard" happy ending. It does not contradict the message, but... it is kind of realistic. You get it. Like gotta admit, I am still thorn between what choices would be considered right, so to speak. Which is kinda cool, because I took a big pause to complete the game and was still thinking back about those.

Besides my skill issue with the gameplay aspects... It's a great game. Definitely enjoyed it. No rating on a scale because that sucks.

I missed out on the new Shadowrun titles when they released, having been a fan of the SNES version I always wondered what became of the IP. I absolutely recommend Dragonfall and even the first new iteration Shadowrun returns. I found myself Playing these titles to completion, each day I was eager to start back where i left off excited to see the stories to their conclusion, and The sound track is great too.

This was a nice break from the open worlds I usually kill time in. This games reminded me what it felt like to play a semi-linear game with great pacing and well fleshed out characters. The turn base combat is very satisfying and the classes leave me willing to try them all. If you were a fan of the original you'll love this, heck if you love the cyberpunk genre in general you'll probably be a fan of these titles. 10\10 and I don't give that rating away lightly.

xcom like gameplay, good story.

don't really want to write anything, just leaving a good review

Although I felt it took a bit of time to get going I really enjoyed Dragonfall. The game does a good job of capturing the feel of Shadowrun with the story, and the decision making, being its strong point. There's something about the combat that feels a little clunky or slow - it could be more polished but that's something of a minor criticism. The Matrix sections are not the best, particularly because they are too similar to the real world bits and missing the opportunity to do something different. However, there are some moments where it almost clicks with simultaneous combat and hacking interleaving. Considering you can pick this up for only a few pounds when on sale it's well worth a look.

Best of the the Shadowrun trilogy, in my opinion. Best story, improved mechanics, best companions

If you like turn-based isometric games, fantasy, cyberpunk and all around good time- this is your sign to get this game. And if you are wondering which Shadowrun game, specifically, I would choose this one if I could only play one.

The best story out of the Shadowrun trilogy, love the choices the game gives you, with multiple approaches to each mission.

Me encanta la ambientacion Fantasia/Cyberpunk. Historia interesante, el sistema de combate se podria mejorar pero esta bien hecho

An excellent followup to Shadowrun: Returns, if you liked that, you'll love this. It is a bit harder than the previous instalment, so be aware, but it offers wonderful characters, an amazing story and an atmospheric feel that is hard to beat.

They squeezed every penny out of that budget. Truly memorable characters and quests, the best Shadowrun video game period. Would be perfect with gamepad support and bigger text.

Good Game

Great game! Interesting visual style, very solid plot well-grounded in Shadowrun lore, likeable characters, and INCREDIBLE writing. Seriously, the game is worth playing just for the amazing dialogue and characterisation. Mechanics / gameplay is pretty straightforward which I consider a win, but fans of more complex systems might find it lacking, I guess. There are still some bugs / glitches in 2024 and at times it's just a bit clunky, but these are minor and by no means overshadow how good the game is. Just remember to save the game from time to time and you're golden.

Since the whole trilogy is on sale so often, there's really no reason not to get this if you're an RPG fan!

It's definitely one of my few favorite games. Story-rich and stylish cyberpunk/fantasy RPG in a turbo capitalists dystopia, where some worldwide competing private conglomerates were left and have completely taken over all economy sectors and finally also taken over our liberal and sovereign civil nations. Private conglomerates are only interested in their own security, secrecy, gated communities and doing researches in hidden departments. They enslave humankind for profit and power. Game is based on the pen and paper shadowrun from the 80s. i paid 1€ on sale =)

Great world design and story. Despite being old this game still shines in 2024. You will enjoy it.

I don't like the characters and the overall -not serious- tone of the game, the fact that you basically don't have an UI visible most of the time is unforgivable.

Directors cut still with a lot of game crushing bugs.
Limited fun with repititive fights.
Very clunky game management - poor character development
would not recommend

As long time fan of the Shadow Run universe i'd love to see more

Fun game, good story

I can't do it. I booted up the Shadowrun Return games for old times sake (mainly because I started reading some Shadowrun novels and was disappointed by them). I knew the games had their issues and suffered through Deadman's Switch (had to cheat a little because of a game breaking bug that prevented me from progressing). I remembered Dragonfall was way better. It is, but it still sucks. Same issues: characters blocking tiles preventing you from moving there, useless dialog options that lead nowhere, hit percentage is a joke, healing is still stupid (I don't care if that's how it works in pnp), and all the good ol' random bugs that you need to reset your save state for in order to move forward. The only thing I like about the game is its story, and it's not even that great. It is way better than the novels I've read though. And just like the review for the novels, all the good reviews are rooted in nostalgia or just because they're huge Shadowrun fans. Meh.

I liked this better than "returns". This is a wonderful game, and the love that went into this shows.

This is a really fun game. Urban fantasy is a fun genre that doesn't get as much love. This is a huge upgrade over the first.

Shadowrun: Dragonfall is developer Harebrained Schemes second foray into the storied world of Shadowrun.

The mechanics are based on the tabletop game and are very solid. One of Shadowruns greatest strengths over many other cRPGs is the lack of any classes - you can essentially build however you want.

If you've played Shadowrun Returns, then Dragonfall is essentially a longer and improved version of it. Everything has been expanded on - there's more side content, there's more equipment, there's more (and imo better) story and most of all, your party members have more of a personality this time around.

If you haven't played the previous game, then no worries - the stories are connected only in the sense that they take place in the same world.

The story itself is pretty linear, with some major deviating decisions along the way that will affect the outcome of the ending.

Whether you're coming off of SR or are a newcomer, I highly reccommend this game!

A little too uneven in both story and gameplay to give a full recommendation, but gets a lot better towards the end. As per usual for these kinds of games, getting invested in the backstory of all the other characters helps a lot to keep the game interesting throughout. The addition of self-made/community campaigns is also really cool.

Killing a dog is trickier than a dragon.

nice alt tab crashing (:

100% recommend at sale

I was a huge Shadowrun fan and used to play the tabletop RPG. This game does a good job of capturing the brillance of the game.

The best of the shadowrun games

Gosh, the narrative in this game is great.

It's just a wonderful, interesting story about a little family of mercenaries dealing with a series of heavy issues. Cozy in a way, it's paced wonderfully, and has interesting enough combat to not groan when the bullets start flying. 'sgood.

Excellent characters and world building

Game has it issues, being 20 years old. User interface is terrible, dialogue shows up at right side of screen and caused some neck strain when playing this on huge television screen. There is a fog of war everywhere, including home base and there's very little player can do with squad inventory. There's squad turn based tactical combat, but XCOM this is not and I don't believe it ever tried to be.

Game shines on writing department. Regardless of Shadowrun setting featuring fantastic creatures and people finding that fascinating or a a bit silly, it doesn't really matter that much. Characters are multidimensional and make sense in the world regardless if you agree with their opinions or not. Same can be said about story, which belongs on intellectual and more timeless aspect of Cyberpunk than promotional pictures let out.

I played newer game in Shadowrun trilogy, Hong Kong about 6 years ago. I found it too long for what it had to offer. Shadowrun: Dragonfall is much easier to manage. There's enough different decisions to be made in game that multiple playthroughs are possible.

Anyone interested about what is possible when writing for video game should play this game. It's a stellar showcase about how medium and setting can be used constructively instead of backing in some unimaginative corner.

Ah, yes, Shadowrun. A 1989 table top role playing game that, unfortunately, I never have gotten the chance to play with other people made it into the videogame world. Shadowrun: Dragonfall is not a new game, it was made in 2014, and I’m writing this review ten years later in 2024 after testing it out on the Steam Deck.

It actually holds up really well. I had no issues with the game that seemed to be directly related to the fact that I was playing it on the steam deck and for context I played through this game twice to get all the Steam achievements. First, play through, I had no issues at all. It ran smoothly all the way to the end. The second play through, there was a minor frustrating game freezing bug that had me restarting a fight four times before things sorted themselves out. 

In the end though, it was over all an enjoyable experience. The game had an interesting story set in a dark cyberpunk meets fantasy setting with a bad of engagingly roguish characters with dark and troubled pasts. It really sparks the imagination.

First session I was a Half-Troll cyborg that specialized in unarmed combat and had some basic healing magic. The second session I was a hyper charismatic decker(hacker) that specialized in bypassing security and whipping around a shotgun when everything else failed. You build your character into whatever you want using a skill point system instead of a strict “class” system. I had a blast with both, making dramatically different decisions story wise and strategy wise. The customization options really kept that TTRPG feel while at the same time keeping the story tight and organized without making a player feel railroaded.

So, thumbs up, in the end. I was surprised that this game didn’t have a Steam Deck rating, considering how well it ran for me.

still fun in 2024

great story

Great intro to crpgs for any beginner, and improves on pretty much everything from the first game.

The world building still shines, absolutely love the setting, and on my way to the 3rd and sadly final game in the series.

Shadowrun: Dragonfall is fantastic.

Well, at least when it doesn't suck. Which, in my opinion, it luckily only does during one specific quest. You see, this second game in the franchise takes everything from the first one and expands on it. Including that one horribly bugged quest, in this case "APEX Rising" (not sure how to get through, maybe don't summon spirits and make sure you kill the enemy decker in the matrix?).

That being said, I absolutely love this game. The presentation, the writing, the story, the core gameplay .. all great, immersive and fun. As others have pointed out, the story is mostly linear without much choice, but trust me, you probably won't mind too much because it's so well told. The turn-based combat is fun, I actually prefer it to X-COM for being rather fast paced (no tedious turn-based traversal of huge maps).

Not sure what else to say, go play it already!

Good game decent workshop content

Brilliant Game a classic

Having started the Shadowrun Trilogy with Shadowrun Returns, I can say that Dragonfall is far superior. Shadowrun Returns feels like a tech demo or a rough first draft compared to Dragonfall. This game has aged well.

The engine is identical to Shadowrun Returns. I'd recommend folks consider starting with Dragonfall, since its engagement and polish are miles ahead of the first game.

Owned this game for quite a while before I played it. I enjoyed the hell out of the game. Only real issue is in the late game, would experience freezes resulting in crashes every now and then,