Description
So, after talking about it briefly long ago (as Gaming Highlight #14), I finally took the time to capture this game and play it over a day or so...
Many people are familiar with the "Shadowrun" franchise by FASA, Fantasy Productions and Catalyst Game Labs, whether it's through the tabletop role-playing game, various video games based on the franchise (the most well-known of which are the SNES/SFC and Gen/MD games) or collectible trading card game, but there is a lesser-known subset of merchandise based on the popular franchise that was only released in Japan. Affiliated with (but not based on) Saiki Kazuma's obscure Japanese manga of the same name (also known as Shadowrun: Tokyo) which was printed between 1996 and 1998 by Dragon Comics, "Shadowrun" for Mega CD was developed by Group SNE and Compile in 1996 as the last official game released for the system and little is known about this version other than it's loosely based on FASA's universe, it removed certain characters, and it endorsed the "Act Against Aids" campaign.
Taking place in the 21st century (around 2053 AD), the world was undergoing a transformation due to the emergence of beings that had originally only existed in legends such as "Elves" and "Orcs", also referred to as "Meta-Humans". A "Wizard" had appeared who could perform various miracles and the world awakened as a result with magical power that was dormant being revived as well as the progress of technology leading to extreme advancements in human modification and "Cyberware". Further progress led to the development of "The Matrix", a cyberspace where consciousness can be integrated with machines and sent to an electronic world, creating a pivotal moment for human and meta-human existence, but not for the better. Everyone struggled for power among giant corporations that controlled the world and the brighter the light produced by these supposed "miracles", the darker the shadow they cast...
These shadows gave rise to a specialized type of professional clad in modern-day miracles born from technology and magic, doing work behind the scenes that arose from complex conflicts. These unusual folks were known as "Shadowrunners", and this game follows the story of four said runners as they confront a few "Mysteries of the Week". The main heroine, Mao, is a young "Street Shaman" and one of the rare individuals who can feel spirits and use magic. She works alongside the brash man Rokudo, a "Street Samurai" whose skills often place him in danger and on the frontlines. Rounding out the team is D-Head, a "Decker Elf" (the most tech-savvy of the group) and Shiun, a "Former Company Man" whose connections and age make him the most experienced of the runners. The game won't dive much deeper into these character's backgrounds or motivations outside of Shiun, who surprisingly gets a fairly lengthy solo outing.
Unlike the other SR games, this title is about 85% Text Adventure where the players hop through menus to look, talk, move or otherwise interact with the world, and about 15% tactical strategy game where the player moves spaces, does magic or melee, and uses guns in battle. These segments also typically have a bit of exploration in a conventional top-down JRPG fashion, but serve no purpose other than to break up the TA portion (there is nothing worthwhile to find in these areas outside of enemy encounters). The novel elements in the gameplay come from using the dice-rolling conflict resolution system of the TT game and augmenting gear with Cyberwares... with a major caveat.
I'll just be frank; while this game oozes with style similar to hits like "Snatcher" or "Rise of the Dragon", it is comparatively rough and also doesn't do the I.P. enough justice. I'll start with the most obvious thing -- why is this on a CD? The game's volume is not particularly large (it can be cleared in about 8-10hrs), the graphics and sound are on the upper end of stock Gen/MD hardware (a compliment by most metrics, but for the system's FINAL CD game...?) and the few "actual FMVs" are blurry slideshows. The gameplay is also flawed; as there are finite missions and no traditional leveling, the player quickly runs out of money to outfit the team with gear, cyberwares or magic, so the conflict system is skewed where player and enemy miss like crazy until mid-game (and magic is basically useless, so Mao is basically useless) and fights drag... what you see in this video is about all you'll get visually too as spells are far from flashy. The Matrix is another letdown, where nodes and progression are on rails and you basically can't fail. The dialogue, of which there is plenty, is not particularly engaging, which isn't great for a game that basically lives or dies off it, and NONE of it is voiced (Shinobu Murakawa is one of the scenario writers... "Maken-Ki", "Date a Live", etc.). I love Compile, but the rushed ending and credits also allude to a relative shoestring budget. It's just a rare curiosity and the system's swansong.