Shadowrun is a beloved classic tabletop RPG taking place on Earth in the near future, after the return of magic in 2012. The world of Shadowrun is a combination of traditional fantasy and cyberpunk. Megacorporations rival governments in power, cybernetics are common, and mercenaries, known as shadowrunners, do the dirty work for those who can afford them. However, added to these common cyberpunk elements are many tropes of fantasy. Magic is relatively commonplace and wielded by shamans and mages alike, while common fantasy creatures like dragons, elves, dwarves, orks, and trolls live alongside humans.
The setting has remained a fairly popular one since its release, even getting adapted into a few indie video games. However, the most popular video games set in the Shadowrun setting have to be Harebrained Schemes' Shadowrun: Trilogy. The trilogy helped kick off a CRPG renaissance that is currently ongoing. With Shadowrun: Trilogy arriving on Game Pass, players might be interested in knowing which of the series is the best to start their adventures.
Shadowrun Returns Helped Kick Off the CRPG Fad
Shadowrun: Returns laid the groundwork for the entire series that would come after. It is a classic isometric CRPG with tactical turn-based combat, similar to the modern XCOM games. It also comes with an editor, allowing players to make their own campaigns. While Shadowrun: Returns is great, it does feel a bit like a glorified tech demo and its full potential isn't explored until later games.
The story campaign, Dead Man's Switch, sadly leaves something to be desired, especially compared to later entries. It is far more linear and the NPCs have a lot less development when compared to other CRPGs. It is the only game taking place entirely in Seattle, the intended setting for Shadowrun. Lastly, the campaign is a lot shorter than either Dragonfall or Hong Kong. Regardless, Dead Man's Switch is still a fantastic story and well worth experiencing.
Shadowrun: Dragonfall - Director's Cut Vastly Improved the Formula
Originally created as a second campaign for Shadowrun: Returns, Shadowrun: Dragonfall was later re-released as its own standalone game. Dragonfall takes place in the Free City of Berlin, which seceded from Germany following an anarchist revolution in 2039, leading it to become a haven for shadowrunners. Dragonfall significantly improves upon its predecessor by fundamentally having more of everything.
Dragonfall is a much longer story when compared to Dead Man's Switch, and one that offers the player more freedom and the ability to explore. Companions also have more character development and become permanent fixtures on the player's crew. Additionally, Dragonfall lets players save anywhere, rather than only at checkpoints like in Shadowrun: Returns. The Director's Cut also added new missions, redesigned the interface, and made some tweaks to combat to improve it overall.
Shadowrun: Hong Kong - Extended Edition Expanded Upon the Lore
Shadowrun: Hong Kong - Extended Edition is the final game in the Shadowrun: Trilogy, and unlike Dragonfall, was intended to be a full standalone from the beginning. Because of this, Hong Kong has a handful of additional quality of life improvements. The interface was streamlined and improved again, the art is some of the best in the series, and a handful of other tweaks and additions improved gameplay, including a reworked Matrix, which is the franchise's way to hack into computers.
The story of Shadowrun: Hong Kong takes place in the titular city, and is about the same length as Dragonfall, though the Extended Edition also includes an epilogue campaign adding a few extra hours of playtime. Like its predecessor, Hong Kong has a crew of characters that accompany the player throughout their adventure. Each companion has their own story and even many of the NPC vendors have deep and intricate backgrounds. Hong Kong is one of the richest and most detailed CRPGs out there in terms of storytelling and world-building.
The three campaigns in the Shadowrun Trilogy are entirely self-contained and don't need to be completed in any specific order. While each game is built on the same general foundation and shares a lot of similar mechanics, they do get polished up for each new entry in the series. For players wanting the most polished mechanical experience, Hong Kong is the place to start. However, Hong Kong's story is also very in-depth and can be a bit rough for someone new to the CRPG genre.
Dragonfall is often considered the better game to start with because of its improvements over Shadowrun Returns, while also being better paced than Hong Kong. For completionists, old-school fans of Shadowrun, or individuals who just want to start with the first game in the series, Shadowrun Returns is the best place to start. The game has multiple fun references to older games, and by playing in release order, players won't miss the mechanical improvements made in later titles when going back to play the first game.