[Headline]

EDGE CITY

[IMAGE]

Author:
Grant Zelych

Publisher:
Imagineering Design Inc.

EVALUATION

[IMAGE]
[IMAGE]
[IMAGE]
[IMAGE]
[IMAGE]

Welcome to "Edge City", which stays for "Fastforward Adventure in the 21st Century" !

EC is an adventure game for 2 to 4 players (It can be played with more players, but it would be recommended to have a second set of the game to have enough random cards for a larger game.). Each player takes the idendity of one of 8 possible "Data Rippers", which are Computer Hackers. Depnding on which character you take, you get one item of equipment to start the game with. A player wins the game by eliminating all other players from the game.

[IMAGE]

The game itself is set up in a "Blade Runner"-like 21st century city. There are 3 special locations, the Business Dome, the Research Park and the Tech Plex which a player can travel to. All the other quarters of the city are called "Sprawl Zone", which means that these arenīt controlled by anybody but are something like urban "no-mans-land". Each player starts the game in a location of his choice and can travel to all other places by using the City Transport System. When ending movement in a Sprawl Zone, a player must draw up to 2 random event cards: He might be attacked, offered something to buy, get allies or might be exposed to a change of the zone heīs in. Money is replaced by Data-Points, which might be drawn by successful Rips (=Hacks) from Megafirmīs Data Files.

Equipment of the Rippers is divided into 3 classes: Hardware, which is used to strengthen the Ripperīs combat abilities; Software - used to give a Ripper advantages in Data-Space and Bioware, which gives bonuses in both areas. This equiment may be bought or stolen from the Tech-Plex, it might be offered in a Sprawl-Zone, or if might be taken from an other Player in a Real-Live or Data-Fight.

During the game, players spend Data Points to advance in Rank, until they finally reach their fifth rank: "Hacker Legend". When there, a player who has required access to special security software might Data-Attack other Players and remove them from the game....

The game was not very easy to understand (mainly because of the many new Tech-Words used in the rules), but after reading the rules two times, there unfolded a very nice and interesting game. Itīs something like "Talisman" goes into Timewarp. In fact, both games are really similar (apart from their settings). Players try to get stronger by experience and equiment, and they battle each other in order to win the game. Itīs good that there are many random event cards which change the monotous appearance of the city zones and this makes a different game each time. Another point is that a player cannot loose until the finish is reached when one player tries to remove the others. Very good are the Data-Rips, which are resolved on a clever usage of personal attributes.

To my mind, this game is an absolute must for everyone who wants to play an high-tech-adventure-game.

G@mebox Special: Additional Character for Edge City

[IMAGE]

Perhaps anyone knows the computer-games "Quarantine" and/or "Road Warrior"? These games are set up arround the story of a Cab-Driver named Drake Edgewater who tries to escape from a prison-city called "Kemo" (itīs a concept which seems to be taken from the Carpenter-Movie "Escape from New York" with Kurt Russel). I really enjoyed playing these games, and after getting Edge City I decided that Drake Edgewater would perfectly fit into this city. Does anyone agree ?

So I have drawn a picture of him, using "Madmartigan" from the Willow-game as a base :-) . Now I have uploaded him for public use.

Rules: Drake starts with the "Assault Taxi". When he uses it, he must spend 1 DP for driving it for the full amount of TP (Only spending money for gas and bullets :-) ). The only point is that he cannot lose the Taxi except if itīs taken from him by use of force.

If anyone decides to use this character, let me know what you think of him....


Looking for this game? Visit Funagain Games!


[Gamebox Index]

Kulkmann@aol.com

Copyright © 2006 Frank Schulte-Kulkmann, Essen, Germany