When comparing Shadowrun vs Cyberpunk 2020, the Slant community recommends Cyberpunk 2020 for most people. In the question“What are the best tabletop RPGs?” Cyberpunk 2020 is ranked 17th while Shadowrun is ranked 23rd. The most important reason people chose Cyberpunk 2020 is:
With its system for creating character traits and backstory, CB2020 inspires players to build well-rounded characters with adventure seeds built directly into their histories. Skill-checks are based on a D10 roles plus attribute and skill values against difficulty levels, and combat tends to be quick and dirty, keeping the focus on the action and allowing for cinematic gameplay.
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro In-depth character creation
Pro Deep character creation and fast-paced action
With its system for creating character traits and backstory, CB2020 inspires players to build well-rounded characters with adventure seeds built directly into their histories. Skill-checks are based on a D10 roles plus attribute and skill values against difficulty levels, and combat tends to be quick and dirty, keeping the focus on the action and allowing for cinematic gameplay.
Pro Faithful rendition of "cyberpunk" fiction
Pro Universal Stat+Skill+d10! roll-system for determining success
There is a universal roll of using a character's appropriate Stat, a Skill related to that stat and to the action needed, and an exploding d10 die (if you roll a 10, you will start to have adequate "critical hit" thrills by rolling some more, but if you roll a 1 that is a potentially dangerous Fumble on the Fumble Chart, 60% of the time).
Cons
Con Character creation can take a long time
Con Urban Fantasy isn't for everyone
Con Chance may be more important than strategy
With a system that gives every roll a 10 percent chance to be a fumble or critical hit (respectively), gameplay can at times become somewhat arbitrary. Some players and GMs may find this high level of randomness enjoyable as a way of disrupting well-conceived plans, and the excellent fumble tables in particular contain loads of hilarity and mayhem. Others may feel the need to 'hack' the rules a bit.
Con A future that is almost an alternate history at this point
Set in a time that is almost upon us, the 1980s vision of the dark future can seem anachronistic, and it may require serious suspension of disbelief for anyone who did not grow up with the genre. Imagine cassette tapes were still around, mobile phones were still the size of a brick, and wifi was rare and expensive.