Shadowrun Chronicles: Boston Lockdown Reviews

We have rounded up a first batch of reviews about Shadowrun Chronicles: Boston Lockdown that a number of publications have producing since its release. It’s a mix of cool and more positive reviews, though they all seem to agree that the game is a tad too shallow for its own good.

Rock, Paper, Shotgun, scoreless.

Add in a freeform skills upgrade system (again very similar to Shadowrun Returns) which means your character can be all bruiser, part hacker, a mage/machinegun mashup or whatever mix you decide to put your points into, and you’re looking at a game which just about keeps its head above mediocrity. It’s a shame the same anything-goes mindset doesn’t apply to the mission structure and the story, because the dryness, repetition and general rudimentary air is what will ultimately keep me from coming back for more, but if you want a few hours of XCOM-lite with cyberpunk trimmings and the option for co-op, you could do a lot worse than Shadowrun Chronicles.

Metro, 6/10.

Shadowrun Chronicles is a fun, fast-paced action strategy and the co-operative elements are a very welcome novelty. But it feels lightweight and undercocked in almost all areas, most obviously the story and role-playing but the combat as well. We assume that Shadowrun Returns is a more authentic adaptation, if only because it makes more use of the franchise’s unique setting, but it, and particularly follow-up Dragonfall, is most definitely a better game.

Entertainment Buddha, 74/100.

Shadowrun Chronicles has a solid premise, but never lives up to its predecessors. Trading gameplay depth for a streamlined experience, Boston Lockdown is an interesting online effort that is fun but relatively shallow.

Hey Poor Player, 4.5/5.

(Shadowrun Chronicles: Boston Lockdown didn’t exactly set itself up with a milk run, trying to splice a turn-based RPG with an MMO. The visuals are sometimes a bit drek, but the tactical combat is pretty wiz. Overall, if you daisuki the thought of playing old-school CRPGs with another runner, this BTL is definitely worth some of your hard-earned nuyen, chummah.)