Francesca Viganò
Also in this case, as always, before delving into the review of the Heart of Darkness module for Alien RPG, I want to thank Free League Publishing for sending us all the digital material to be able to tell you something about this product.
If, after keeping me company in deep space, you would like to purchase this module (presented in a practical boxed set), you can find it directly in the Swedish publisher’s store for the price of around 30 euros. As with the other products in the publishing line, the module for the Foundry Virtual Tabletop is also available. This specific module is also accessible on the online gaming platforms Roll20 and Fantasy Grounds.
If you missed our review of the basic manual, I recommend you go and get it. I would also add that to be able to tackle this module you need the Alien RPG core book or the Starter Set.
The Last Act of the Draconis Strain Saga Campaign
The company found a new lifeform, and they want you to study it. Their offer’s uncharacteristically generous—you catalog this organism, determine how they can use it, and bring it back so they can slap their patent on it. Fairly routine stuff. In exchange, they’ll hook you up with a cushy corporate department head position, secure you a book deal, and make sure the institute of your choice gives you tenure. Did I mention the money? There’s a lot of it. Simple survey, sample, and analysis job. Seemed too good to be true.
Of course it is.
With this incipit begins Alien RPG: Heart of Darkness, a cinematic adventure module for the Alien RPG role-playing game. If you have already read the reviews of Alien RPG: Destroyer of Worlds or one of the Starter Sets, you may already have an idea of how a session of this adrenaline-filled and frenetically paced role-playing game can proceed.
The adventure is also written in this case by Andrew E.C. Gaska, science fiction author and, among other things, a consultant for the franchise for the Fox film company.
As always, trying not to give spoilers, let’s see what the characters will face in cosmic space where, remember, no one will be able to hear them scream.
A High Adrenaline Adventure
We said that Heart of Darkness is the last chapter of Draconis Strain Saga, the first campaign for Alien RPG; the first two are Alien RPG: Chariot of the Gods and Alien RPG: Destroyer of Worlds. This scenario can be played in three or four sessions by a group of a minimum of three and a maximum of five players.
Players play as members of a scientific team from the Weyland-Yutani Corporation company, sent to the plasma collection platform of Erebos (a station orbiting a black hole) to investigate the vital signs found, signals that should not be there. The station lies beyond the recognized Frontier of space, a dangerous place in many ways. The team of characters will have to solve the mysteries related to the unknown vital signal in collaboration with the station’s small crew and a prison work team before the black hole swallows them all.
Alien RPG: Heart of Darkness has a highly claustrophobic plot with very dense timing and the constant feeling of not having enough time to resolve the increasingly difficult situation. Although the three adventures of the Draconis Strain Saga campaign feature completely different pre-generated characters, players who face them in succession will find a thin thread connecting them here.
The Materials in the Box
As I mentioned at the beginning of this review, the Alien RPG: Heart of Darkness module is sold in a box set which contains:
- The module with all the adventure scenarios
- A huge double-sided map (864x558mm format) of the Erebos space station
- Seven pre-generated characters
- 38 custom cards for each character’s weapons, secret messages and objectives
- Maps and handouts
Even in the case of Alien RPG: Heart of Darkness we are faced with a box. Once again I underline the validity of the editorial choice; in this way, there is no risk of the many materials proposed for playing being lost or simply damaged during transport.
The module is approximately 80 pages long and describes, as in previous adventures, not only the actual plot but also details the star system in which the Erebos station and the black hole around which it orbits are located. As always, the game environments and the NPCs are presented with care and precision. At the end of the volume, we find three appendices that add important information on the xenomorphs and present new equipment and vehicles.
Alien RPG: Heart of Darkness Aesthetics Review
Alien RPG: Heart of Darkness does not betray the editorial line; it is a highly graphic module, with full-page printing in which the background of the space dotted with stars welcomes the text boxes.
The illustrations are not many if we exclude the details of the NPCs presented in the plot. Even in this case, however, the images by Martin Grip and Gustaf Ekelund are more than sufficient to convey the tones of the plot. In general, all the images provide the reader with a precise and particularly immersive narrative, helping him to imagine and describe the various situations. The maps instead resemble those reproduced from the terminals of the spaceships of the film series.
The layout remains in two columns, and the text is framed as if we were reading it directly from a screen; in my opinion, these are winning editorial choices that we find throughout the entire line of this wonderful RPG.
Conclusion of the Alien RPG: Heart of Darkness Review
I can safely say that the Alien RPG: Heart of Darkness does not disappoint expectations at all, concluding the campaign with a perfect plot to give that distressing and catastrophic atmosphere that characterizes the franchise.
It is in all respects an excellent editorial product that can provide highly enjoyable evenings to those groups of players who love stories full of tension and oppressive scenarios, without necessarily being fans of the film saga.
