Shadowrun is one of the most dynamic and complicated shooters available on the Xbox 360 and this depth can intimidate newcomers. Although Shadowrun’s wide assortment of racial traits, gear, magic, and tech can take some getting used to, once players familiarize themselves with them, they will be rewarded with a unique multiplayer experience unlike any other. Here are some general tips to help the uninitiated begin their run through the shadows.
You never know when a Troll with a Katana is going to just warp into the room.
1) Complete the tutorials in their entirety. Even if you have played a million shooters before, you’ll have no clue what’s going on if you don’t learn what the powers and gear do. This game does a lot of things differently than other FPS games, and the control scheme takes some learning. I also recommend a few bot matches initially to get a feel for the flow of the game and as a chance to experiment with different combinations of powers.
2) Buy Resurrect (Rez) 1st, or at least very early on. (If you’re playing Attrition (Deathmatch) you absolutely want to buy Rez before anything else. Bodies can’t be destroyed in Attrition, and you can Rez more often than in the other game modes.) If you can bring back your team mates from the dead, you will have a much better shot at winning rounds, and it’s an easy way to make a lot of money to buy cooler things later on. It’s Ok if a few of your team mates don’t buy it to focus on the attack, but everyone should buy it in either the 1st or 2nd round. (You’ll get extra money the next round if you do this, so it helps everyone.) Talk to your team and make this clear… You should buy Rez if you like winning rounds.
3) Don’t assign Grenade, Tree, Rez to a main button… use Quick Cast. You only have a limited number (3) of buttons to assign your powers to, but you will often have more abilities than the controller can handle by the end of the match. However, you can quick cast powers by holding down B, moving to the ability, and hitting the Right Trigger. Master this, and you will be able to multitask like nobody’s business. In fact, the main difference between the seasoned players and the newbies is the ability to access the ability menus rapidly. Practice makes perfect.
4) Know thyself. Think about how you like to play other games, and make a player that suits your play style. I like stealth games, so I tend to get Smoke for limited invulnerability and visibility, along with a katana and boosted reflexes. Each possible variation of Race, Weapon, Tech, and Magic will play a bit differently, so look at the powers during the tutorial, and start thinking about which ones seem to suit how you want to play. I usually alternate between the speedy elf ninja build (good for stealth killing, chasing flag bearers, and grabbing the flag/artifact) or the hardy Troll with smartlink, minigun, and tree (Great for defending the extraction point to prevent the enemy from capping the flag.) Finally, make sure and tell your team mates what kind of build you are creating so they can choose complimentary characters.
5) Most powers have more than one use. For example, Tree of Life, which is used to heal teammates, can also be used to block entrances. Gust can break your fall or hurt Glider and Smoke users. There are numerous secondary and tertiary uses for your powers, and you should toy around with them and see what they are. Gust, for example, has tons of cool uses.
6) Use the D-pad to quickly communicate info. Your D pad can ask for help or show your team any enemies you see by bringing up an icon on all your friend’s screens. If you have enhanced vision activated and hit d pad, you’ll be able to see through walls and a quick press up on the d pad shows your team what you see. They won’t see locations, but they will know which room the baddies are in.
7) Help your team. This game doesn’t just reward kills; it also rewards Rezing and healing team mates. You’ll get more money for supporting your buddies, as mentioned earlier. Some character variations are all about supporting the other people on your team, so play that way if it suits you. Communication is really important in Shadowrun. Get a strategy going and let your team mates know what you’re up to.
8) Smoke is a n00bs best friend. When you start out, it can be a bit overwhelming with people zipping about brandishing swords and mini-guns. If you find yourself dying a lot initially, buy Smoke and use it whenever you are taking fire, especially from an enemy whose position you can’t discern. A dwarf with smoke can be a real prankster. Chasing down trolls and draining them of their valuable essence while remaining largely unseen is a great strategy for knocking out the other teams heaviest hitters.
Good luck and happy hunting!
