ShadowRun Beta NDA Lifted

 So… I’ve been slacking on the programming.  Why?  Because all my free time’s gone into playing a wee little game called ShadowRun.  I used to play a bit of the pen & paper game, so I was a bit nervous about the transition to it being an FPS…

 But, simply put, the game rocks.

 I mean, it rocks.  It’s really, really good.

I can’t wait for the game to come out so my friends and I all can buy it and play together.  This is the game I wanted PDZ to be; this is game GoW should have been; this is, quite simply, the best online experience I’ve had so far.

 I guess I should talk a bit about why it’s so good.  The game is played in CounterStrike fashion, where you get cash at the beginning of each round to purchase weapons and tech to give you an edge.  Of course, the winners get more cash, etc.  The key to the game isn’t just a balanced player, but a balanced team.  For each weapon, tech, or magic ability there is a corresponding weapon, tech, or magic ability to counter it.  The game is very balanced.

 Most importantly, the game is a blast to play.  It pays to experiment with the different classes and enhancements to find your niche.  I don’t know that I’ve foudn mine yet… but an elf (natural healing) with a katana (close combat, third-person view) supported by a minion (the giant blue thing in the picture) seems to work for me.  Well… I typically die most rounds, but I have a blast doing it.

 So yes, Microsoft has a certifiable hit on their hands.  ShadowRun = FPS goodness.