Francesca Viganò
As always, before analyzing the first official expansion for Blade Runner RPG: FIery Angels in this review, I would like to thank Free League Publishing for sending us a digital copy. We have the opportunity to tell you more about this box set for the award-winning role-playing game based on the movies Blade Runner and Blade Runner 2049.
If you want to purchase the box set, you can find it directly on the publisher’s website at approximately 38 euros. The Foundry Virtual Tabletop module is also available for this module, at approximately 19 euros. I remind you that this is an adventure module and therefore requires the core manual that we have already analysed.
A Box Full of Contents
Blade Runner RPG: Fiery Angels is, as I told you, an adventure module presented in a box, exactly like the Starter Set. Inside the box, we can find not only the volume with the plot but also everything necessary to transport players inside the story.
So let’s look at what it contains:
- A beautifully illustrated and detailed scenario book with locations, characters, events, and leads to follow.
- Eleven handouts, including a variety of in-world artefacts and Esper photos.
- Seven full-color maps.
- A custom manila envelope for the players to keep their evidence safe in.
- Fourteen high-quality custom cards for non-player characters.
Related Stories
Although Blade Runner RPG: Fiery Angels is presented as a stand-alone adventure (or Case File), it recalls some elements of the story in Case File 01, Electric Dreams, contained in the Starter Set.
This adventure is the second chapter of The Immortal Game campaign. Therefore, if you want to connect the plots, remember that your players should start from Case File 01. To play both adventures, as anticipated, the basic manual or at least the Starter Set is necessary. In this module there are no pre-generated characters; those from the starter set or those already created for the first case can be used.
The plot is designed to be played by one to a maximum of 4 players, in addition to the Game Runner. I advise against (as the game directly does) tackling the plots with multiple players; some of the intensity would be lost.
Immerse Yourself in the Atmosphere of the Movies
If with Blade Runner RPG: Electric Dreams the link with the atmosphere of Ridley Scott’s 1982 film was very strong, in Blade Runner RPG: Fiery Angels we are thrown directly into the smoky interrogation room with an old Voight-Kampff machine to understand if the subject we have before us is Human or Replicant. A series of seven questions on a beautiful handout establishes the subject’s emotional reaction and tells us, with the related Insight rolls, whether or not it is a Nexus.
The plot starts with this event, linked to an alleged infiltration into Wallace Corp. The characters will discover a series of background stories bonded to the production of clandestine replicants and the Tyrell technology exploited in secret. As always, in order not to ruin the gaming experience, I’ll stop here with the analysis of the plot. I would like to point out, however, that the sequence of events is structured over four days and, depending on what will be faced or discovered each day, there will be different implications.
The NPCs are particularly interesting, and the fulcrum of the events is fundamental for understanding what lies behind the clues. Thanks to the exquisite handouts, they come to life before the players’ eyes and punctuate the scenes with great effect.
Blade Runner RPG: Fiery Angels Aesthetics Review
Aesthetically we are faced with another small piece of art. Free League Publishing confirms the excellent impressions that the basic manual and the Starter Set had already left. The product is robust, graphically very immersive and the handouts exude credibility and charm.
Martin Grip’s illustrations, which in some cases replicate those already seen in the previous adventure and the core manual (especially when talking about shared NPCs), are excellent and stand out for their rough and essential features.
The text remains in two columns and is still boxed, perfect for identifying topics as you scroll through the pages. Inside the volume, to help the Game Runner manage the plot, there’s a large conceptual map that connects places and events, demonstrating how complete the narrative is.
Tools at Your Disposal
Free League Publishing spares no effort and excels in making tools available to the gaming group that makes a difference. The images of the scenes, photographs of places and moments uploaded into the Esper system, are perfect not only as clues but also as scenographic elements.
Moreover the maps of the places to visit are extremely functional. If I can find one flaw is the absence of the Los Angeles map, which is instead available in the Starter Set. The Countdown of events is managed with extreme precision and the sequence of events that follow one another during the game allows you to manage tension levels on time.
Conclusions of the Blade Runner RPG: Fiery Angels Review
After enjoying the plot and observing the handouts, I can confirm that Blade Runner RPG: Fiery Angels is a truly valid product. The atmospheres of the films shine through in every image and the descriptions of places and NPCs.
If you have already explored the products in the Blade Runner RPG line, if you love movies or simply are looking for a product that can entertain you and help you explore the meaning of “humanity”, then this is the manual for you.
Aesthetically beautiful beyond words, with quick and very effective mechanics, it confirms itself as a game that deserves space in your library and on your gaming table.
