So which is the better game: Dragonfall or Hong Kong?

[himmatsj]

I'm hearing some mixed stuff. If I were to ever play ONLY one Shadowrun game...which would you recommend? HK or DF? Apparently, HK has too much length and useless stuff to read...is that true? Which is better gameplay wise? Which has a more gripping and focused story? Better setting?

Thanks!

[OptoNick]

- Narrative/characters/dialogues:

Both are great, but with slightly different focal points. I'd say that I prefer epic proportions of main conflict in DF, and HK is superior with smaller details. Still think that Glory's arc is my personal favorite among them, but characters' plotlines in HK feels a lot more deeper, and no less entertaining.

- Gameplay:

That's easy- HK is an obvious improvement. Some folks don't like implementation of new Matrix, but the matter of fact that it became more complex and interesting, even if it's not your cup of tea.

- Soundtrack:

Not as catchy as DF OST, but very well suited for the environment and ambience. Some tracks re-uses tunes from DF, and these are the best tracks, IMO. Though I absolutely adore string parts in few melodies.

- Visual design:

HK >>> DF. Really good job.

[dlux]

Dragonfall is the better game. Both Dragonfall and Dragonfall: Director's Cut.

[rasabt]

Hong Kong could be better, perhaps half a year from now...but as it stands DR:R and the directors cut are the goto.

[sanddorn]

İlk olarak himmatsj tarafından gönderildi:

Apparently, HK has too much length and useless stuff to read...is that true? Which is better gameplay wise? Which has a more gripping and focused story? Better setting?

Thanks!

I'm biased with regard to setting, having lived several years in Berlin. They even mention Poel, a mid-size island right next to Wismar, where I live now.
Regarding walls of text, the method Tab + 1 still works, that is:
Tab/Enter where there is no choice,
Otherwise hit 1.
That way you get thru all dialogs without losing too much face or limbs. Works so far as expected.

[sanddorn]

In any case, the lore/fluff is still strong in this one (Messerkampf!)

[Lazydrones]

HK definitely has a few good characters and overall the character depth, NPC details, backstories etc. The matrix is also a nice change in HK with with a cooler setup and mechanic. However, that being said, HK is also a massive wall of text (i know this was a stretch goal).

I think some of my NPC characters' dialogue chains are stuck. Eg: with Racter, I continuously get ALL of his dialogue options everytime I go to talk to him and it has failed to advance beyond that. I also feel that Crafty is at the same sort of dialogue wall, it just ended and I am no longer able to continue to inquire further about her research.

Overall though, the scenes are setup nicely, albeit they dont feel as gritty and grungy as they did in DF or SRR in most places. I also feel that the missions in DF were a little more involved or just plain better thought out. The missions in HK feel far too straight forward and do not have much depth to them. Quick, boom, done.
The Runners from DF were also better. Though I do love Gobbet.

[Jormundgand]

I prefer HK over DF for the following reasons

• Improved matrix -- the old matrix was kind of boring. It was just normal combat with different powers/weapons and no cover. Really. It was just as wrong as it could have been. Even if you don't like the new version, you have to admit that it's better than just copying normal combat and removing stuff
  
• Improved combat -- while the mechanics themselves haven't changed, the combat scenes have improved a lot (especially compared to the original SR:R).
  
• The world is more vivid -- this is both due to better and more text which describes the world, such as the shadow world BBS as well as just how the maps are made. The characters there don't feel as much as furniture as it does in DF (well, perhaps except vendors and character you can talk to). People will have their feet dangling of a peer f.ex.
  
• Better story -- well, at least, it's better told IMHO. The dreams are particularly nice. The fact that everybody and their grandmom have the same or at least similar dreams, also make the story more interesting. In particular, I think it's nice that it makes me feel less interesting. I'm not having the dreams because I'm special, just because I'm around.
  
• Cyberware -- I haven't had the chance to install any cyberware yet, but from I can tell, it's more or less what it should be, from the books. The only thing I could imagine is wrong is how it affects magical defence. TBH I don't know if the rules of 5th edition, which I believe this game is based on, uses the same defence mechanics against magic as 3rd edition did (that's what I'm used to).

[octopiii]

HK the combat is better with the extra options. There are a lot of "pointless" conversations though. Dragonfall I felt had a better story that didn't require me to read a bunch of background information.

[karmavirus]

The missions are at least twice as long in Hong Kong, most of the time. A lot more use for deckers, riggers and even a little magical assensing. I liked the story a little better in Dragonfall, though the one for Hong Kong sure beats the tar out of Dead Man's Switch still. The biggest improvement other than cyberware is hands down the crew members. They are just way more interesting and fleshed out than the ones in the older games, each with their own side mission too. I would get both though. Hell, I'd get all three. I'm a Shadowrun junkie for over a decade, so the setting just locks me in. My Kindle has about 120 Shadowrun eBook novels on it. :P

[Marcos_DS]

İlk olarak Lazydrones tarafından gönderildi:

HK definitely has a few good characters and overall the character depth, NPC details, backstories etc. The matrix is also a nice change in HK with with a cooler setup and mechanic. However, that being said, HK is also a massive wall of text (i know this was a stretch goal).

I agree there is a massive amount of text in HK, but the writing is excellent and if you like to read, you will get your fill. It's a bit sad that so many seem to consider this a weakness instead of a strenth of the game, guess it's a matter of preference...

[Sexy Dudeldag Man]

i actually liked the reading.

i must admit storywise i liked dragonfall a little more. especially with the AI. What do we have in HK in comparison? the plastic guy? but on the other hand HKs runs have been a big pleasure.. to bad i dont remember dragonfalls runs so much.

for the npcs i found the HKs companions a little more stylish but at the end i felt more connected with the companions from dragonfall.

[neon[5]]

I just started with the hong kong, but ive finished dragonfall and SR returns long time before. Id say so far, that honk kong is better, than dragonfall, better writing, deeper characters, and, also I dont feel like a nurse as I did in the dragonfall. Honkong has more polished mechanics, like matrix, cyberware and such.

Both newer games however have the same feel and structure of the mundane: prologue-side missions-brakethrou-side missions-breakthrou-side missions-finale, which wev seen hundrets of times in games like mass effect/kotor/dragon age and if you ask me, its terribly boring by now. Plus in dragonfall all those characters were a mess, they would not survive for five minutes in a playground, other kids would just pick up on them.

Now the first Shadowrun Returns, even tho its UI isnt that good and all, the story is unique and much better. Even tho, there is something you can call chapters, they dont gave much away. More importantly, there is no "look, this is a superepic quest against the ultimate evil and even if you are young and inexperienced now, one day you will face it and kill it and save the world" at the start as it is in every ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ game nowadays. Why all the story tellers feel the urge to tell me whats gona happend in the first paragraph?

[BrianDavion]

HK has some definate mechanical improvements, and ultimatly both HK and DF are fantastic games. the question should not be "what do I buy" but "what do I buy now, and what do I save for later?" and for THAT my advice is to grab dragonfall first. Dragonfall right now feels slightly more polished (give HK time and it'll be plenty polished too) the stories are both top notch, and botha re highly enjoyable. HK however has some GAMEPLAY improvements that may make going backwards harder

[Frib]

Storywise, DF hooked me more, straight from the beginning in the very first mission. While HK's first "oh drek" moment was more intense than DF's "oh drek" moment, DF's moment hooked me more and immediately made me want to figure out what happened and do something about it by making them pay.

The way the end goal are presented in DF also has my preference, as in HK I felt like I was too much an outsider (which is true of course) so I didn't get that connection that I got in DF and the Kreuzbasar. I cared more for the people in DF than in HK.

HK's writing is excellent, and you can find a lot of information about everyone through dialogue. A lot more than DF.

Mission wise, HK seems to have a lot more variety in how you handle them. DF had a few that really got me thinking (MKVI and to a lesser extent Bloodlines) that I didn't really get in HK. HK's missions felt more straightforward; you had a lot of options to get to your goal, but the goal itself wasn't that special and didn't require much thought to deal with any twists that show up.

Character wise, overall HK > DF with the exception of Glory, which had an amazing backstory and mission. HK is a lot more fleshed out compared to DF.

HK's matrix is much better than DF. HK's gear is also much better. HK's combat feels worse, because the AI seems to be really dumb at times. Maybe it's the same in DF and I'm just too much of a veteran and I didn't notice before, but sometimes it's really really stupid and easy.

Overall it's hard to say. Personally, I guess DF had me hooked more than HK and if you are starting out, I'd say DF. For replayability, HK seems better due to more variety. But both games are great in their own way and you should play both!

[Steefy_92]

İlk olarak TehDuke tarafından gönderildi:

Dragonfall is the better game. Both Dragonfall and Dragonfall: Director's Cut.

Hahahhahahahahahaha

This tells me that you only played DF:Director's cut because, DF on launch is no where near better from HK, if you compare DF at launch and HK, it comes down to what you prefer but HK as it is now has superior mechanics and visuals where as DF at launch was more polished version of Shadowrun Returns with richer, better story/plot and couple of polished features it was no where near to HK , expect story part (hands down to that).