He argues you have to give RPG players the ”ability to explore, both physically as well as emotionally,” different paths they want to go. It will be presented as an ”anthology”.
Different writers will contribute stories to Shadowrun Returns. Multiplayer could see a way into the game in the form of ”PvP mode” for deathmatch or co-op RPG play.
There’ll be no open-world RPG play like Skyrim or even Kingdoms of Amalur, but it won’t be an entirely linear experience either. It’ll be closer to The Witcher. ”Admittedly this is a space we’re still charting out, but I do believe that a good RPG at its core has to be a branching structure,” said studio boss Jordan Weisman.
”You have to be able to give the player the ability to explore, both physically as well as emotionally, different directions that they might take.” Future updates to the game are likely as the story is being set up as an ”anthology” so new content could be easily added over time.
Online play could arrive in the form of ”a PvP mode for deathmatch arena play, or cooperative RPG play”.
The game’s engine is entirely open to having multiplayer, but not at launch. ”We got very excited and I mentioned it in a video and then we sat down and realised in the time frame and realistic budget, even that we were starting to see the fans might extend us to, it would stretch us too thin to commit to that for launch,” he continued.
The studio is also determined to strike a retro stylish look with Shadowrun Returns. “We want to make sure that we capture that essence without being dated. That’s a fun challenge, but also one that we know will take several iterations to get right,” explained the creator. Shadowrun Returns was successfully funded by Kickstarter by over $1m.
