A trilogy of cyberpunk classics hack their way onto Game Pass today

Three forgotten cyberpunk games are ready to play on Game Pass today, in a day-one bundle. They are Shadowrun Returns, Shadowrun: Hong Kong, and Shadowrun: Dragonfall (Console), and they make up the Shadowrun Trilogy collection. If that makes the PC players among you a tad jealous, then there’s some reparation in the release of Total War: Three Kingdoms (PC). 

The three Shadowrun games were originally developed by Harebrain Schemes for the PC, and have been picked up by tactical stalwarts Paradox Interactive for release as a bundle on the Xbox. Shadowrun Returns and Shadowrun: Hong Kong are the ‘Deluxe Upgrade’ versions, while Shadowrun: Dragonfall is the Director’s Cut, and they all represent the latest and fullest versions of the games.

Fans of Paradox will be familiar with the genre of Shadowrun Trilogy. We are very much in the turn-based tactical space here, as the three games attempted to emulate the classic table-top Shadowrun board games that originally spawned the series. They are a melding of traditional cyberpunk with magic, as sorcery resurfaces and mythical beings like ogres and dragons return to life. 

The series is thirty years young, so we’re eager to find out how they fare on the modern generation of consoles. Expect reviews of all three as soon as we possibly can. 

We shouldn’t dismiss the arrival of the mighty Total War: Three Kingdoms on PC. This was seen as something of a return to form for developers Creative Assembly, as they looked to new frontiers for their real-time strategy. Set in 190CE, it places you at the heart of a total war for the entirety of China, as twelve warlords fight to be the next great dynasty. Reviews were stellar for this RTS-narrative mash-up, and those of you who have a PC and a strategic bent should give it a go. 

The remainder of the month is a little dry, but there might still be the odd surprise to moisten it. FIFA 22 (Console, PC and Cloud) and Naraka: Bladepoint (Console) are both due on June 23rd. On a positive note, there are no announcements of games leaving the service, so there is at least a net-gain of games.

Are you planning to embark on a Shadowrun adventure? Let us know in the comments or on our social channels.