Shadowrun Returns

Common Sense Media says

Smart but mature strategy RPG has sex, swearing, and blood.

Age(i)

2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17

Quality(i)

 

Learning(i)

Write a review

Shadowrun Returns gallery

What parents need to know

Positive messages

This game is largely what players make of it. Players will be forced to consider character motives throughout the mystery-style story and make their own decisions as to how to react. The narrative could play out as a campaign for justice or simply as a raging hunt for a paycheck. Along the way, players will need to use their brains to think strategically, developing combat strategies while carefully reading text to solve contextual puzzles.

Positive role models

The personality of the player's character is largely up to the player, who can select response options in dialogue. He or she may be played as a greedy, self-interested, vaguely villainous mercenary or as a slightly dodgy but mostly loyal and honorable freelancer. Other characters in the game range the gamut from clearly evil to unequivocally noble and good.

Ease of play

The action begins pretty simply to start, then slowly ramps up to harder levels. Play outside of combat can be more challenging, forcing players to memorize important bits of text and clues within the environment to solve puzzles or progress. Menus can be a bit confusing to start, but come into focus through use.

Violence

Human heroes fight using guns, blades, and magic. Blood can be seen emanating from wounded enemies, but the action is depicted from a bird's-eye view, making it difficult to make out much detail. There are no cinematics or slow motion moves to enhance the style or presentation of attacks.

Sex

Several female characters are presented in skimpy outfits, exposing cleavage and dancing in a nightclub. Dialogue includes light sexual innuendo, and it's suggested some secondary female characters are associated with the sex trade, though no explicit evidence is provided.

Language

Several instances of light profanity, including words like "damn," "ass," "bastard," and "bitch."

Consumerism
Not applicable
Drinking, drugs, & smoking

The player's character can order and imbibe alcohol at a nightclub.

Privacy & safety

No privacy or safety concerns.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know Shadowrun Returns is an unrated turn-based strategy role-playing game with mature themes and some bloody violence. It is available for download through Steam and unrated by the ESRB as yet; but its predecessor, Shadowrun, was rated M for Mature. Profanity is light but frequent. Sexuality is suggested in some scenes by dint of location (a bawdy nightclub in which several characters can be seen drinking alcohol), some female characters' skimpy clothing, and dialogue with faint but unmistakable innuendo. Only about half of the game involves combat, but these scenarios involve both guns and bladed weapons and wounded characters bleed red. Given the mature content, this game is best suited for older teens and above.

What kids can learn

Subjects

Language & Reading

  • reading
  • reading comprehension

Skills

Thinking & Reasoning

  • logic
  • strategy
  • analyzing evidence
  • applying information

What Kids Can Learn

While elements of Shadowrun Returns focus on strategy and logic, we don't recommend it for learning because of its mature themes and graphic violence.

What kids can learn

Subjects

Language & Reading

  • reading
  • reading comprehension

Skills

Thinking & Reasoning

  • logic
  • strategy
  • analyzing evidence
  • applying information

While elements of Shadowrun Returns focus on strategy and logic, we don't recommend it for learning because of its mature themes and graphic violence.

This Learning Rating review was written by Chad Sapieha

User reviews

Review this title!

Parents say

Not yet rated
Review this title!

Kids say

Not yet rated
Review this title!

What's it about?

The result of one of the most successful crowd-funded game development campaigns yet, SHADOWRUN RETURNS is a mature strategy role-playing game set in a dark future in which the world is inhabited not only by humans but also trolls, elves, and dwarves. Players take on the role of an underground freelancer investigating the death of a friend. About half of the game is spent exploring the game's richly realized world and chatting with non-player characters in an attempt to dig up clues or complete side-missions. The other half of the game is spent in combat, where the player takes turns moving his or her character(s) around a grid and attacking enemies with guns, melee weapons, and even magic. Everything is presented from an overhead, isometric perspective, with players using naught but a mouse to control most of the action.

Is it any good?

QUALITY
 

It's clear that the team of indie game makers who built Shadowrun Returns put a lot of love and effort into this game. The futuristic world is loaded with bits of detail, and the many-branched dialogue trees are bursting with interesting conversations and ideas. Time spent exploring and investigating is rarely dull, thanks to no shortage of objects to investigate and interesting characters to chat with. That players get to mold their character as they like through the decisions they make is the sugar on top.

The combat doesn't quite live up to the conversations, but it's still pretty fun. Battles tend to be a little too short and easy, especially at the start, but as the game progresses and players earn more abilities and additional gear and weapons it slowly grows more sophisticated and satisfying. It's not quite up to the lofty standard set last fall by XCOM: Enemy Unknown, but Shadowrun Returns is nonetheless multifaceted and enjoyable little game of role-playing and turn-based tactics.

Families can talk about...

  • Families can talk about developing a character. Do you tend to make dialogue selections that give your character a heroic personality, or do you like to explore your dark side and make him or her seem more villainous? What are your reasons?

  • Families can also discuss the depiction of women in games. Do you think games set in the future do women a disservice by presenting them in the same degrading roles -- such as sex trade workers -- some women have historically occupied? Should writers of speculative fiction pay greater heed to the growth and evolution of women's rights, or ought they have free license to create whatever sort of world they care to imagine? 

Game details

Platforms:Windows, Mac
Price:$19.99
Available online?Not available online
Developer:Hairbrained Schemes
Release date:July 25, 2013
Genre:Role Playing
Topics:Magic and fantasy
ESRB rating:NR for (Mac, Windows)

This review of Shadowrun Returns was written by

Chad Sapieha

About our rating system

  • ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
  • PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
  • OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
  • NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids of any age.

Find out more

Quality

Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

Find out more

Learning ratings

  • Best: Really engaging, great learning approach.
  • Very Good: Engaging, good learning approach.
  • Good: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
  • Fair: Somewhat engaging, okay learning approach.
  • Not for Learning: Not recommended for learning.
  • Not for Kids: Not age-appropriate for kids; not recommended for learning.

Find out more

About our buy links

When you use our links to make a purchase, Common Sense Media earns a small affiliate fee from Amazon or iTunes. As a nonprofit organization, these funds help us continue providing independent, ad-free services for educators, families, and kids while the price you pay remains the same. Thank you for your support.
Read more

See more about how we rate and review.

Great handpicked alternatives

For kids who love role-playing and creative games

Role-Playing Games (RPGs) for Kids
Creative Games
See all recommended game lists

Browse more games

Top advice and articles

What parents and kids say

Write a user reviewThere aren't any reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

Poll

Did our review help you make an informed decision about this product?

Poll

What are the different ways that you access Common Sense Media ratings and information? (Check all that apply)

Essential Apps Guide