An enjoyable multiplayer experience which may suffer from some longevity issues if the content doesn't hold up over time
You can't go into this game expecting it to be what it is not. There is no single-player game, no deep story background (despite its RPG "roots"), and not a huge amount of content. This amount of content is probably the only real complaint with the game though. The lack of a single-player element is really no knock to this game, particularly considering how multiplayer-centric most shooters are becoming nowadays. It worked for UT and Quake 3, why not Shadowrun? How well its maps, weapons, etc hold up over time is really the barometer of how this game should be judged, but unfortunately that isn't feasible in this day of the "review it now" mentality. Thus, I will give you my impressions as of now.
The game seems well balanced and its concept fairly well fleshed out. The use of magic and tech is a nice addition, but probably one you will have seen in some capacity in other games. Not that this is a bad thing though, as we all know a refined combination of other games can be just as great a game as a completely novel one. There is an intricate balance in place amongst these powers that may not hit you until you do something that tries to counteract it. For instance, on defense I was playing as a troll (the "tanks" of the world) that was utilizing the strangle power to block off rooms, the smartlink targetting upgrade, and the resurrection ability. While I didn't think of this when choosing these powers, the usage and maintenance of a strangle eliminated just enough essence [see: mana] points to prevent me from rezzing people and vice versa. This nicely prevents certain player combinations from becoming the cookie cutter setups you see in so many other games with "customizable" powers. It also allows you to tailor a setup to your play style, offensive/defensive role, etc without fearing that you've gimped yourself. The intricate balancing of these powers shows that a lot of thought went into them behind the scenes in ways that you may never notice. These powers and their mixing is what keeps the game new and refreshing even between numerous rounds with the same people. Your experience with this game, due to its solely multiplayer nature, is really dependent on the quality of these teammates and opponents though. Teamwork, effective balancing of powers and races amongst a team, etc really makes for a far more rewarding experience. Due to integrated voice with Live (both Windows and 360) you can be sure that the people you are playing with should be using it. Communication, both of current status of the team and of strategy, is key to winning effectively. The lone wolf in this game is not the most effective strategy and usually results in a quick death (and subsequent body destruction preventing your resurrection). This is a testament to FASA getting their aim of a team based shooter into the game and ensuring that it is how people play it. Unfortunately, it also closely ties your experience to the quality (and not just their skill levels) of the other players around you. In the hands of a good group of players this game can be filled with hilarious and shocking moments, battles of true thought and countering, and a lot of fun.
Yet this game is not without its flaws. The graphics are nothing spectacular, but are serviceable by all means. Some of the effects (the glowing Tree of Life being my particular favorite) are really rather beautiful. The characters have almost a claymation appearance to them in both their movements and overall look (particularly the trolls). The locales are fairly standard fare and appear as such graphically as well. Essentially, the graphics are nothing that will (with a few rare exceptions) make you stop and go "Awww, purdy", but they aren't ugly enough to make you cringe when you see them. In effect, they are undistracting either way.
The sound of the game is one of my biggest complaints. Many of the weapons don't have that oomph with the bass that guns usually do in shooters and that I enjoy immensely with a large subwoofer. In fact, most of the sound effects of the weapons sound pretty generic overall. Again, like the graphics, they are nothing to write home about and are merely serviceable to a slightly lesser degree than the graphics. In addition, and perhaps this is a blessing in disguise, I have not noticed any music in game yet. Given that this is a multiplayer only title, this may be a positive thing as you won't have to listen to the same music over and over again. Instead you can utilize that wonderful soundtracks feature of your 360. I can't help but wonder if music that changed depending on the team's performance (other factors such as corpse hitpoints do) might have made it a bit more engrossing.
What I see as the biggest problem and the biggest question mark with this game is the amount of content it has given its price. Had this game retailed for $40, I think its reception would have been completely different. However, it is a full-fledged, $60 next gen game and thus must be evaluated as such. As of my limited experience with the title, it seems well balanced and the maps appear to be laid out well; particularly when you consider the usage of powers and how they can truly alter a map's structure. If this game is as well-balanced as it appears to be upon first inspection, the amount of content it shipped with may very well be quite a significant amount and give it a lot of longevity. However, should any of these elements show weakness then the amount of content will most likely be considered extremely lacking. Thus, the value of this game is truly difficult too grasp. In addition, Live opens the possibility up that there may be downloadable content (free or paid) that may extend this further. Even just a handful of new, free maps would probably drastically alter many people's opinions of its value despite how difficult that element is to judge now and for the next few months. If nothing else, consider that most popular multiplayer shooters often devolve into a small set of the entire map collection anyway.
In closing, take Shadowrun for what it is and don't expect it to be what it is not. If you do, you will most likely be pleasantly surprised by the title. It does what it sets out to do (to provide a solid, entertaining, somewhat new multiplayer experience) rather well. Examining Shadowrun from a gameplay and entertainment perspective you could do far worse. For those that its concept really clicks with, you will have found a little gem of a game. Most people will find a well rounded, engaging, enjoyable shooter that has some neat tricks up its sleeve; and that isn't a bad thing at all.