Shadowrun is perhaps one of the most famous role-playing universes in gaming. It depicts a time in the near future in which elves, trolls, orcs and dragons have emerged into reality. Imagined by Jordan Weisman, the designer and founder of numerous game companies, Shadowrun has taken form as a pen and paper role-playing game, an action-figure game and a first-person shooter. However, Shadowrun Returns is the best iteration yet.
The first chapter of this in-depth, turn-based role-playing game features a detective story. An “old friend” has been murdered, but before his death he made a taped message asking players to find his killer. The trail leads through the fascinating streets of post-emergence Seattle as the tale unfolds with an intensity that keeps gamers interested.
The story in Shadowrun Returns is good, the graphics are great, and the combat is fantastic. Imagine battles taking place between AK-47-wielding samurai, orc wizards, and characters who can hack into and travel through the “Matrix” (for lack of a better word). Better still, the combat scenes make use of cover and depict weapons realistically.
Additionally, the game ships with a complete editor. Fans have already uploaded high-quality content that can be downloaded and enjoyed by others, or players can create their own adventures. Either way, Shadowrun Returns is a blast. It’s tailor-made for those who love turn-based gaming.
Metro: Last Light is the sequel to Metro 2033 – the best creepy shooter that gamers have never heard of. Both titles mix the horror-survival genre with the first-person shooter genre and flavor it with the well-written series of novels by Dmitry Glukhovsky.
Metro: Last Light is set in the Metro tunnels of post-apocalyptic Moscow. Players lead their characters through these dark and foreboding passageways while fighting a wide range of humans, mutants and strange animals in their attempt to complete the game’s central quest – delivering a critical message to a neighboring settlement in the Metro.
In most levels, the characters travel alone; although occasionally they have guides. Either way, the tension is always high. The game has some Call of Duty elements, such as violent shootouts, but it also draws heavily from Resident Evil, often forcing players to conserve ammunition and search for weapons.
Metro: Last Light tells a great story and features exciting quests and tense battles. It and Metro 2033 are two of the best shooters currently available.
ARMA III is the third coming of what is widely regarded as the most realistic military shooter on the market. Set in the 2030s, it pits NATO forces against those of a resurgent Iran.
ARMA III’s graphics engine renders simply beautiful images, and its depiction of weapons – from assault rifles to main battle tanks to attack helicopters – is spot-on. What other game lets players zero their sights before heading out to battle?
While the massive multiplayer sandbox is a blast to play in, the game’s single-player content is somewhat less impressive. However, the developers at Bohemia Interactive have promised that a more robust single-player campaign will be released in the near future as free downloadable content.
Mark H. Walker is a retired U.S. Navy commander and the author of over 40 books. Read his insight into gaming, writing and living at overdaedge.blogspot.com or markhwalker.com.
Originally published in the March 2014 issue of Armchair General.
