Play Shadowrun Online

Shadowrun on the Sega Genesis came out in 1994 from Beam Software, a time when console RPGs were really stretching their legs. It dropped you into a grimy, rain slicked future where magic had returned and corporations ran everything, a setting that felt distinct from the usual fantasy fare on the system.

You control a mercenary named Joshua, investigating your brother's murder in a sprawling, dangerous city. The game plays out screen by screen, mixing real time combat with hacking into corporate computer systems using a deck. You talk to contacts, buy cyberware upgrades for your body, and manage your nuyen, the in game currency. It is a difficult game; you can easily wander into areas where enemies overwhelm you, and managing your resources is a constant pressure. Navigating the interconnected city and its secrets makes you feel like a small part of a very large, indifferent world.