Hi Everyone!
As you may know, Game Informer magazine did a big article about us in their February issue. For those of you who didn’t see it, here’s the art from the article. Please note that these images are not in-game screenshots. They’re concept pieces assembled from real game assets and posed characters. Hope you like them!
Edit: Added a couple shots of the SRR Editor in action.
Armitage! /Swoon.
wow these look really nice. These aren’t screenshots, but the might as well be, this game is looking better to me than i really expected. keep it up guys/dolls, i can’t wait!
Lovely stuff. Glad to see it all starting to take shape.
Wow! This is looking way better than you’re early art, and I’m super happy to see that you guys fixed the Orks, or at least gave us a few cool ones.
Nice to see Armetage as well!
Thanks! The art style has remained very cohesive. Really happy to see the continued use of rich color to bring to life this futuristic world.
Eh… looks a lot like a Farmville or other social game. I guess we’ll have to wait and see but so far I’m not feeling this art tone, it seems to strip the grit off the cyberpunk theme.
i have to agree :/
Actually this art style is a lot like in the original PnP game books. Colorful and a little bit cartoony. Thats the style of Shadowrun, this is not your everyday cyberpunk
I am not loving this art either. I am hopeful that this is not the final. If it is, I suppose I can’t bitch. I bought it sight unseen, but I probably would not have purchased the above…
Aww man This is looking somewhat Awesome. Its making me all nostalgic to play the SNES version all over again. *pulls out droid, starts up emu software*
Awesome. Can’t wait!
Whoa. I can hardly wait for this. You guys are making dreams come alive!
Hot damn, these concept shots look awesome. I like the colors, the drawn 2d sprites over 3d mesh. Excellent job.
I’m really digging the 2D art. Curious question though… How will the lighting work if the backgrounds are 2D?
With that being said, I think 3D is overrated for backgrounds for these types of games. You get so much more detail with 2D artwork.
Anxiously awaiting release…. I hope it lives up to and surpasses my memories on the SNES version.
If Armitage is in the game does that mean Joshua has a chance of being in the game as well?
Dude, I hope so. I loved the Genesis version of this game way more than SNES. Joshua is the real hero. I loved doing Matrix runs and boosting my deck stats to make the big bucks. Renraku Archology runs were bloody tough unless you had a good hacker/decker.
Great looking stuff, Maclusky looks pretty boss.
Really looking forward to the game.
mention not farmville. isometric has a long and glorious history in gaming prior to that bitrot, and shall not be sullied by it. also, you kids get off my lawn.
Really loving how this games progressing, if they can get it close to those bullshots then I’d be stoked, pity shadowrun online wasn’t following a similar art style.
This is looking really awesome. Can’t wait for the playable version.
Really happy with the art-style and the projected look. I really hope that you can grow this after the initial game. Would love to explore this ip some more.
damn this is giving me goosebumps…
Enh, I know I’m not alone in saying I’m not really “down” with the art style and the models. It’s just too cutesy and doesn’t do the Shadowrun world justice. I definitely want more of a gritty, dystopian Bladerunner world that a stylized WoW/JRPG game that looks like its target is the pre-teen crowd. I think going forward I probably won’t be so quick to jump on KS projects if this the result.
Lol idiot.
Dude, you make me sad. Serious or trolling you make me sad.
To each his own. I agree with him, though I don’t think it will keep me from buying the game. I didn’t get in on the Kickstarter thing. My exposure to shadowrun was only pen and paper so the other games may also have this style. For me, and judging from the other replies it may just be a few of us, would prefer a grittier art style.
Well *this* is the style of Shadowrun, always have been if you played the original Pen and Paper. If you want classic , “gritty” , everyday cyberpunk… try Cyberpunk2077 thats the original. Shadowrun is a much cooler and more original setting and this art direction is full bulseye for me. 5/5
Why is the art style so damn cute. This is Shadowrun. This is street warfare. This is blood, sweat, cum, and tears. Where is my grime?
Wow, and your comment happens to be just behind Cutter who spouts the same inexplicable sentiments. Could it be that they are possibly related in some way? >.>
I agree with them. I played the RPG back in the day and the Sega game. This version looks very cutesie to me. I agree that Cyberpunk is a darker game, but Shadowrun was not Carebears. Sex, drugs and rock and roll with machine guns added on is Shadowrun. I am sure the art will appeal to some people, but it does not work for me at all.
looking great. and its dark enough. after all this has to become a game that’s appealing to a larger crowd, not just hardcore lore purists. i say money well spent!
2d but amazing looking.I hope the anmaition is good as well.
Great! Piles of garbage and magic circle are really amazing!
I know isnt it brilliant ! This is the true Shadowrun style, its unfortunate that few people dont recognize it. And the whole 2d background is fantastic and pure win.
Echo Tomlin, Aaron, and Cutter. This is Shadowrun, not the Sims, Farmville, or Pokemon.
Way to bright and cartoonish, where is grit, grime, seedy underbelly.
I want FASA Shadowrun, not this Mega-CD Shadowrun or 3rd+ Edition (or god forbid 4th/5th edition) crap.
There’s a lot of care and detail put into the settings that I like, but for me the mood really feels a little off. I wish it had more darkness, grittiness and grime like some people have mentioned to put the cyberpunk “shadow” in “Shadowrun”.
Or maybe I just need to mess with my monitor brightness. Either way, good job so far.
Too cartoony! It’s not a game for 5 year olds.
Did you ever open a Shadowrun rulebook and see the illustrations inside ?? Hell even the npc portraits in SNES game are cartoony. People are used to classic cyberpunk which this is not. Dont expect anything typical about this fantasy setting.
Actually one other quick comment but the problem is (I think) the artist; I’m thinking as I look at Strikefleet Omega and the style looks near identical. You all really need to bring another artist in on this. Either as the primary/main/source artist or to scrub the final product and grime it up / at hard edges.
To all those complaining about the artwork: This is not a finished product. Keep in mind that the in-process work and the final game may incorporate those elements you think are lacking. It may not. In either case, please frame your complaints as constructive criticism that the team can build on. Don’t just say, “I don’t like this.” And don’t attack the artist(s). For example, “I would like to see the art grimed up more and more shadows.” People are putting a lot of time and effort into building an incredible game, and your off-hand remarks, well-intentioned or not, are not helpful and are destructive to the creative process.
Whilst I agree with a need for decorum in criticisms, unfortunately this has been an ongoing complaint that has been sounded out since the first artworks appeared. I fear that we will be stuck with this Disneyesque artwork upon release….oh well. I just hope the gameplay overshadows this. My disappointment remains…
Its not “disneyesque” its Shadowrun. The complainers are around 10 % and its those people who dont understand the setting (or dont want to). Your dissapointment is unfortunate but you brought it on yourself. Like I said before, you cant expect anything conventional about Shadowrun.
With all due respect, I played the PnP game for many years. Whilst I’ve never played the SNES or Sega computer games, please don’t be so quick in your presumptions.
As backers to this project, we all have a right to express what we feel is working well and what isn’t. There was a lot of colour used in a lot of the artwork, but it was also proportional.
Street Samurai Catalogue, for instance has very proportional looking Ork and Troll Street Samurais.
In fact, just looking back through my old rulebooks the only real disproportions in body shapes amongst all the awakened races seems to be particularly larges noses and a distinct penchant for large shoulder pads….but then again the game was invented in the late 80′s and who didn’t want shoulder pads back then?
There was quite a lot of “dark” & “moody” pieces as well.
I simply feel that, proportions aside, I don’t get the same sense of danger, mystery, suspence, drama etc from this artwork. It simply feels a little too childish. Hence the “disneyesque” remark.
That said, it has improved somewhat…I just hope it continues.
No matter what the final characters look like in-game, I am quite sure I will absolutely love this game and be immersed in the world that I enjoyed so so many years ago.
AWESOMMMMEEEEEE!!!!
what i haven’t figured out till now is, if you are able to customise your char or if it will be an unchangeable prototype.
Looks amazing! Really digging the look and feel and detail of it all. Brings me back.
This is looking great. Kinda surprised by the style you chose, but the detail is awesome and the style works great IMO. Could be a bit darker in places, but overall: Awesome.
Looks awesome
Any plans for bringing the editor to Linux as well (afterwards)? I know it’s extra work, but hey, it works to your advantage as well: Harebrained Schemes employees can now develop new content directly in Linux and test it straight away rather than having to port it first
An OS like Ubuntu for example, is free and can be rapidly deployed in your work environment. No need for a licence or, in the case of OSX, more expensive hardware to do your development.
Keep up the good work guys, game looks great, I really dig the art style and atmosphere you bring to the screen.
Characters look too cartooney. No buy!
These maps would look awesome with realistically proportioned characters like those we saw in Fallout 1. and 2.
Will the editor be part of the game? It would be massively useful for pen-and-pencil SR game masters for developing the gaming plans!
And yes, please have the editor also run in Linux. You know that Steam now runs under Ubuntu and derivatives?
I think the game is looking fantastic. Don’t change a thing, keep on with the vision you all have for the game. Don’t start doubting yourselves because of a loud minority. It will be great in the end.
Once again, fantastic and keep up the great work.
Still not liking the cutesy feel of the characters, if they get a bit more gritty and such it would be alright. They all look a bit too clean cut and World of Warcraft rather than the messed up cheap-implant-ridden future I always think of for Shadowrun.
Try the early rulebooks to see how ogres, orcs and half-orcs look in Shadowrun. WoW did not invent the “cartoony orc”
Looks great . Really.
let’s see how teh tactical gameplay will work.
The big concern is more for TAblet users / Ipad users.
I hope that the tablet version (or iOS) version will not be a truncated version of the PC.
Unfortunately, most of tactical game on Ipad are very simplistic and does not allow a real strategy because of limited options, bad ergonomy (no zoom, small map, etc…..).
Your challenge is also here Guys ! do not disapoint Tablet users. They’re the future !!!
I like the style so far. But one question:
The art style looks like cell shaded. Not like the traditional pixel art I love so much (Fallout for example).
Why is it so? Because it’s not the final product? Or is the reason that the graphics have to be scalable for all the different devices?
I have to admit I am missing the pixel style and I am little bit disappointed.
VOTE Dunkelzahn For President 2056!
Loving the detail, Chumz.
The extraordinary presidential election was in 2057, though.
Looks awesome! Can´t wait to see it in action
Wow, the level editor looks pretty slick. Thanks for the new shots!
Amazing ! Awesome SNES vibe.
I want my game I want my game I want my game I want my game
I want my game I want my game I want my game I want my game
I want my game I want my game I want my game I want my game
I want my game I want my game I want my game I want my game
I want my game I want my game I want my game I want my game
Do I need to continue ?
Looking very very good. My team is looking forward to this big time. I love the painted look to the scenery, and the characters stand out just enough to be noticeable. Keep up the great work!
Some say Cute and cartoonish. Some seem to think the art lacks grit. I can’t think of any kind, or even neutral, way to describe the impression those comments give me of the ones leaving them. So I won’t.
I enjoy the style very much. No one should mistake being colorful for cute. Shadowrun has always had plenty of neon and other forms of bright flashy styles. Fits perfectly. And there is plenty of ware and grime where there is supposed to be.
The level of detail is great. Amazing when you consider how its all modular and going to be in an editor that any of us can use. Recently game devs have been disappointing the hell out of me. Even so I have high expectations of HSB and not a single thing I’ve seen so far has shaken that faith.
This is really happening, isn’t it? If it isn’t, please, don’t tell me and leave me to my delusion, because that delusion is AWESOME.
Re: “the atrocious, hideous, kid-friendly, bright, cutesy, tootesy, meh meh get out of MY Shadowrun art” :
Yeah, you tell’em boys! Using neon tones and dashes of colour to make elements visually pop? Exaggerated features, especially on metahumans? An outrage! This has Never! Been! Done! Before!!! in Shadowrun art.
Unless you count esoteric stuff like the cover of the First Edition rulebook (which has basically the exact same colour palette as the screenshots).
Or the Street Samurai friggin’ sample character. Or Lord Torgo. Or the SNES and Genesis games. Or NARL. Or basically any piece of full color Shadowrun art, and most of the b&w stuff, too, except for the tiny subset of pictures you choose to construct your reality from.
Srsly, people? I’m not telling you to SU and chill, but if you did that anyway? That’d be great.
Very nice. Reminds me a bit of Crusader: No Remorse. However, I agree with the comments calling for a bit more “dark and gritty”. I have no doubt that it will be fun either way, but please put a little Ridley Scott “Blade Runner” style into it if you can.
Piles of garbage and hardware, wet alleys and neon signs, graffiti … Its all there
I am not trying to be too negative, but I Kind of agree, its a little too cutesy for my taste. Something I might expect from a FB game and not a gritty dark world game like SR. Needs to be more gritty and dark like fallout 1 and 2. I cannot take is seriously. Also, the models are really tiny and bit hard to see. This is a far cry from the type of dark gritty image that the (original) SR books have which is very dark and gritty. Hopefully it will change, its beautiful art and would be great in a different game, but not really something for SR I think.
Looking great!
The art looks fantastic and the best thing is that it also feel like a shadowrun game should feel.
Maybe lighting could be slightly darker in the final version though, I always loved the dark athmosphere of the SNES Shadowrun.
I really don’t like the cartoon art style
Does not look very cyberpunk to me. Much to clean and farmville like. Should be much darker imho. (shadowrun on SNES was dark) where is the rain? where are the reflections of neon light on wet pavement. Why is there no garbage on the streets? Go and watch Blade Runner or Escape from New York for inspiration. Think about the first line of Neuromancer: “The Sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel.” Thats the feeling man.
I think the environments look pretty darn good. What has and continue to put me off are the character models. They remain cartoony in character and proportions.
I also understand this game is certainly NOT post apocalyptic, so I enjoy the color palette and neon Bladerunnerish vibes. And this is coming from a fan of Fallout 1/2 and infinity engine games.
Overall a very nice update. I look forward to the continued iteration and development of this product. But please be mindful of those who have already assisted you via kickstarter and want to see the “grit” remain in ShadowRun. I can understand a need to be accessible to a new audience but don’t forget your fans here.
My first post and i must say. This game looks exactly how i want it to look and im more excited than ever. I hope you guys can keep it up and make this game an amazing experience!
This is awesome. If this style allows as much narrative and immersion as the original Fallouts I’ll be ecstatic.
Did anyone here who is saying “Looks too cartoony!” even play the SNES or Sega Genesis games?
Go back and look at those sprites and character portraits, then compare them to this.
Same style.
This is meant to be a continuation/same style as the those games.
Keep up the great work Harebrained-schemes!
Th characters look far better than the original SNES if you ask me. It’s far more detailed and it has more varied shapes… SNES sprites Comparison “http://spritedatabase.net/game/2048″. The grim and the atmosphere look just about alright, not as cheesy as the SNES one though… hope you’re planing to add advance lighting effects like shadow and bloom… then it will really shine.
Cutesy? Cartoonish? Seriously?
Wow… ok… wow…
Ever play the SNES version of this? Think this but 1000x more detailed. Cutesy? Sorry, no, not even close. I love this style. Everytime HBS pounds out new examples, it makes me glad they’re dedicating the time to the detail of this game and their dedication in getting it right the first time. Disney didn’t make this game. This isn’t a princess maker sim or farmville or anything like that.
Keep it up, HBS! Don’t let these haters and nay-sayers change your concept! This is awesome! (Even if there’s no random weather generator… =p )
Looks great but I hope there will be some other guns. It’s not a little silly to see corporate security guards sporting antique (by this time) AK47s. Some attention put toward making appropriately sleek cyberpunky/futuristic firearms would be appreciated, as well as appropriately outfitting NPC in scenarios. I’m thinking primarily of the Deus Ex: HR weapons when imagining the kind of thing I would like to see.
Scumbag megacorp – spends billions on expensive hardware, gives mercenaries and security guards surplus soviet assault rifles from the previous century.
Your request for sleek futuristic firearms confuses me. Weapons in the tabletop all look like this. You see AK-47s, I see AK-97s. Things don’t change that much, there’s only a handful of “O_O” weapons in the books, including Gun Heaven 2′s Troll Sniper Rifle. Here’s examples on how the guns look:
http://1-media-cdn.foolz.us/ffuuka/board/tg/image/1339/46/1339464346222.jpg
http://0-media-cdn.foolz.us/ffuuka/board/tg/image/1336/44/1336440693672.jpg
If you want a really fancy-looking weapon, keep in mind that’s a really good way to get traced and fired.
Very good.
I like the style except for the short legs orks problem.
The ambiance should be a bit more “dark” though IMO ( hard to explain how; maybe more garbage or thing slike that. In a way the SNES game seems darker).
But it’s awesome though
I’ve been running shadow run stories for a good few years now and I gotta say that the system is complex and rewarding. So honestly having somebody with earned skill and respect return us to the rightful way of playing and not that terrible shooter is a blessing. Any artsyle they choose is a purely cosmetic addition to a wonderful system. If the art still colors your decisions there is always the mod community to help you out. So in the words of Arnold the kindergarten cop “stop whining”.
I can understand the nostalgia for the snes version. I’ve had the chance to play it. It was released in 1993 around another little known as xcom. There is certainly some parallels in the stylistic approach with cartoony graphics and the recent updated games. But I would guess many of us fans of the series are older gamers now… If we were ten and playing the snes shadowrun well we are now approaching 30. With obvious + or – age.
Like I said before I like the environment art but the characters look to be aimed towards a younger sort of gamer. Where I would expect a lot of us want to see this series mature and branch to a more sophisticated level. I am just thrilled it is an isometric game, with a crpg system based on a classic fanchise as rich in history as shadowrun.
Well said…
The Artstyle is okay with me but the Head of Armitage looks way too big. Good old big Heads mode … ? Anyway: For me it come down to gameplay and tactical depth. Hope the Game won’t be as shallow as Jagged Alliance Online and probably Shadowrun online …
I thought this game is suppose to come out in march, now they say they’re not done with the engine!?! And I agree with some people, the art-style is too cutesy/cartoony. It should be darker and bleeker. Won’t stop me from buying the game, though.
I’m curious if this’ll be on steam? I’ve heard a lot about Shadowrun and looking up the rules for possibly starting a game at a later date as I have quite a few ideas as to what to do with it. I’ll certainly pre-order it on steam if it gets there, which I hope it does.
I think that the concept art looks too cartoonish, but the art in the screenshots of the editor looks much better. The art of the Quick Start Rules or the Shadowrun Companion of the 3rd edition looks better in my opinion.
Loving how this is coming along,
I have preorded and cant wait till it is out,
I like the graphics so far, i am sure there will be parts of the world more sleek and others more dirty. I think it is a pretty good effort on the Artist and devs part, I am glad that it’s look doesnt offend me, though i think if the world and story is immersive enough one could go past that
Keep it up guys, you cannot please everyone.
All these screens are pretty neat !
I can’t wait to have the editor and create some missions !!
It looks good. I love the fact the orc cop looks kinda like Christopher Meloni in Law and Order SVU.
I’m not sure which 1st edition Shadowrun books you guys remember, but none of the covers of the novels or the game guides looked like they drawn by a collaboration of artists that worked on Ben 10 and Samurai Jack and Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends.
Disproportionately large torsos, and long arms, in comparison with the legs? You can sugarcoat this all you want, the art isn’t bad, but it doesn’t have the feel of the original Shadowrun games on Genesis/SNES or the look of the artwork on the old Shadowrun materials. This is pretty much Cartoon Network.
I got into the kickstarter for this because I was under the impression that PC was going to be the lead platform and it was going to be a game for those of us who remembered the original universe, but it’s starting to look more and more like the iPad is the primary target device, and the primary target audience is teenage males 10-17.
GOOD!! SUPER!!
What a lot of people forget is that there’s more to the game than just the art style, though the art is the first thing I’m concerned about too. There’s the tactical elements, the pace of the game…does it make your blood race? Does it keep you glued to the screen? If so, then it’s already an amazing game.
As for the art, I’ll buy it like it is, even if the finished product looks like this. Do I like the amount of color? Absolutely…color inspires people, grabs your subconscious mind, gives you an attachment to the game…and lack of color does not always equal gritty. The idea isn’t to make a desaturated Skyrim clone. But I will agree that slightly more proportional/real-looking art may be a bonus. If I were to make any recommendations at all, I’d say definitely keep the color, and possibly add some grit.
But will I still buy it? Absolutely. Am I completely excited? Beyond a doubt. I can’t wait, HBS…so do what you think is right, and I’ll be waiting on the edge of my seat for your game.
It doesn’t really look like Shadowrun to me. I mean…Where’s the grit? Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure the game will be good, but I’m not digging the art style so far. The SNES game was blood and rust. This looks more like…Well, I can’t really put it into words but it’s a pretty sharp contrast from the Shadowrun I’ve come to know.
I really strongly dislike the art style it’s way to cartoony, I really like the SNES style of game if they did that but enhanced the look of grittyness that would be amazing. As of right now the colors make it look like an old school WB show like gargoyles or Dark wing duck.
Everybody at Harebrained Schemes are trying their best to produce something of quality given the amount of MONEY and TIME they have to release Shadowrun Returns. Its art style may not be for everybody, but it’s certainly much better than the likes of the cartoons mentioned above; and, for all you people know, this could all change (even by the slightest) by the time the game is released anyway, but that’s besides the point.
Harebrained Schemes’ budget for the game is much smaller than other popular games that you’ve all grown-up with and/or love to bits. Also, it’s not like its development team is large to begin with. Besides, making something look “cartoony” is sometimes a bitter compromise between lack of funds and appealing to all fans of a particular game.
Just remember that this is simply CONCEPT ART, not actual screen caps of gameplay footage (with the exception of the level editor, obviously). I don’t doubt that they’re all working around the clock to ensure they produce something of quality and not just some mainstream piece of tripe that people will forget about a decade down the road.
This is going to be so awesome.
I don’t think this art looks too cartoonish. It’s beautiful and atmospheric, I’d love to see such graphic in actual game.
Keep up the good work, HS!
I hope that there can be a voice editor, and we could implement voices into the game through the srr editor, I feel will make this game stand out from the rest.