Shadowrun Online will see itself into the Steam Early Access by the end of the month. Initially aiming for a 2013 release Cliffhanger Productions has seen some setbacks due to coding restrictions and funding.
The game’s Kickstarter campaign ended in the summer of 2012 breaking their $500,000 target. Backers have been patiently waiting for their promised access. On March 31, players and backers will be able to get their hands on the game via Steam’s Early Access program.
Like most Steam Early Access however, the Shadowrun Online that will soon be playable won’t be close to the game’s final version. This initial release is described as a prequel to the game’s main campaign, and while including much of the core gameplay, will not include Shadowrun features like hacking, character progression, or items.
Updates containing more features, and more missions, will be periodically loaded into the game every 4-6 weeks.
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In the video update, Cliffhanger Productions managing director Jan Wagner explains how they want the community’s help in making sure the core gameplay of Shadowrun Online is right before adding more features. He also goes into detail as to why Shadowrun Online missed its original promised release date of 2013, saying the game is a year late because an all new code base had to be made from scratch in order to achieve their vision.
As with most Early Access through Steam, it’s really a tool for developers to get the feedback from their dedicated fans on Alpha builds.
Shadowrun Online made it onto our 5 Kickstarter Games To Throw Money At list in 2012. Other noteworthy projects include Aussie developers Studio Grow and Stoic Studio’s The Banner Saga.
We would love to hear from you about some up and coming crowd funded games you think are worth a look.
