Well, I would consider both of those things issues which are only important from the standpoint of an observer. They're ideological problems. One doesn't affect the game itself in the least, and the other has been widely reported to be surprisingly well implimented. So yeah, I think we can set "all that stuff" aside. Because I don't think "all that stuff" is particularly important to the game itself.

It might be the first game I've considered "too ugly looking to play". It's not just that I don't like seeing a good license being soiled. The art direction -from what I've seen- causes me hurt. As far as the gameplay I'll really have nothing to say until there's a demo.

This preview on IGN makes the game sound very very cool, like a Counter-Strike with RPG-style abilities that stick with you as you play (but not when you log out).

The trouble here is that all those people who'd have been baited by the license - myself one of them - can't just set everything aside.

So let me get this straight.. Graphics now matter over gameplay? so if this game has great gameplay and its fun to play.. its not good because the graphics suck.. and it uses a license that should be used for an RPG?

Ok just making sure I'm keeping up here.

Agreed. Man law.

yeah pretty much why I used the word "if" as we simply dont know yet.. but writing a game off for lack of graphics and possibly not using the license for an RPG seems.. odd... or confusing for lack of a better word.

I'm not a fan of fantasy or magic-related games but this all sounds very interesting and I'm adding it to my list of games to watch...

You can unlock magical abilities and technological items that can give you all sorts of advantages. For instance, if you use enhanced vision to see opponents on the other side of a wall, you can teleport behind the group and slay one with a shotgun or katana to the back, and then teleport away before that person's friends can claim vengeance upon you. Or, if you're caught between two enemies, you can transform into smoke and watch the two enemies hit each other as the bullets pass through you. Other magical abilities let you summon a Tree of Life, which has a healing radius around it. You can also use a strangler vine to clog up a chokepoint with giant crystals that slow or even trap enemies. Tech items such as wired reflexes make you a lot faster, so if you're armed with a sword, you can use it to deflect incoming bullets, while glider wings give you limited amounts of flight. Magic and tech are meant to give you a lot more flexibility in how you play the game, but they're not really weapons in and of themselves. Instead, you'll rely on an arsenal of familiar conventional weapons, such as submachine guns, assault rifles, shotguns, sniper rifles, miniguns, and rocket launchers. The idea is that, when taking the conventional and mixing it with the unconventional, you get all sorts of interesting new dynamics.

http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/action/shadowrun/news.html?sid=6157706&t...

Hmmm...I am on the fence about this one. I will remain so until we get some good reviews from here or abroad.

Hardy har har.

Well, as long as my wife thinks the broad is pretty, then it's all gravy.

Bowchikka wow wow.

I think MS made a mistake by not releasing a Shadowru RPG. It would help their position in the marketplace more than this title will. The Xbox doesn't have a shortage of online fps. I am holding out hope for the game. This is a game that I really want to like since I love Shadowrun. I'll buy it, no matter what, just to support the franchise.

I agree with you, and I'll most likely buy it also just to support the franchise. I just hate doing that though cause sometimes I get burned bad.

So as long as it's not a popular IP, there's no need to actually use the IP that you're licensing, basing, and naming your game on?

I'm trying to come up with an assessment of that without being overly judgemental. It just seems to defy logic. What's the point of bothering with a license if you're not actually going to use it?

Guru has a point. My first exposure to Shadowrun was the SNES game. Currently, I own pretty much every Shadowrun sourcebook released to date and love the RPG.

That said, I'm still pissed at this game. Not because it was built as a team-based shooter - I like team-based shooters, and the genre somewhat fits the license. I'm angry because they threw out decades of developed backstory, characters, and setting and replaced it with a hacky, generic truncation of the established story.

Dragons? Gone. Matrix? Gone. Conspiracy and corporate double-dealing? Gone. What are we left with? Magic, Guns, and Elves.

"Social," you may be thinking, "surely it can't be all bad?" You're right. There are some things about this game that I like.

1) It's a team-based shooter. As I've said, I enjoy the genre. I would have preferred an RPG, but I'll take it.

2) The implementation of magic. It's not used as a weapon, but rather as a tool to support your team or enhance their capablities.

3) The gadgets look like they're going to make interesting changes in gameplay dynamics. In particular, the glider wings. I see shades of Tribes here, but Tribes was a great game.

4) 360 vs. PC play. I prefer keyboard & mouse for my FPS gaming, but only being able to play against other PC-owners narrows the playing field. This way, I'll have a wider variety of opponents.