Stefano Buonocore
We want to start this review of Hellwinter: La Porta della Luna thanking Aristea Editions for sending us a copy. We were eager to try this gamebook also because of its connections to the world of Hellwinter, a multimedia editorial project whose role-playing game we have already reviewed. Expectations were high, and we can anticipate that they did not disappoint.
Anyone interested in trying this gamebook can buy the Italian version on the Edizioni Aristea website for 24 euros. Alternatively, you can purchase the box set which also includes the role-playing game and an illustrated map, at a total price of 44 euros.
To learn more about the project Hellwinter you can instead listen to the podcast Of Andrea Tupac Mollica, the author of The Moon Gate. With this formula, Andrea has published both a role-playing game campaign set in his twilight fantasy setting, as well as various short stories, radio plays and in-depth articles. While on the one hand, this helps you immerse yourself even more in the gamebook, on the other, it will allow you to pick up various quotes throughout the story. At a certain point, it will be impossible for you to read the speech of some characters without imagining their voice.
Volume Review of Hellwinter: La Porta della Luna
Hellwinter: La Porta della Luna is a nice volume in paperback format, with a satisfactory thickness (the pages are not numbered). The gamebook has an introduction for the context and mechanics of the game, e It consists of 400 paragraphs. The paperback cover is quite resistant and the pages give off a nice “paper” feeling. It’s about a volume of those to which playwear gives a pleasantly lived-in appearance.
The layout of the volume and the travel diary (the character sheet can be downloaded free of charge from the Edizioni Aristea website) are focused on readability: moving from one paragraph to another is particularly easy and does not slow down the gaming experience. The illustrations of Tazio Bettin and Maria Rosaria Monticelli are not very many, so as not to take away too much space from the game, but all very beautiful and well-kept. And the pages are “lightened” by smaller images, and decorations that help create an atmosphere.
Hellwinter’s World
If you are interested in learning more about the world of Hellwinter, you can also read our RPG review. For playing Hellwinter: La Porta della Luna you don’t need to know the entire setting. All you need to know is that in the Barony of Hellwinter since the moon was shattered, dark forces have been awakening. Demonolaters and witches are increasingly powerful, and a dark prophecy announces the imminent arrival of the Bloodless Traveler.
As anticipated, that of Hellwinter It’s a twilight fantasy setting. A dark setting, a world in the twilight with the imminent sense of the end. This helps create a game mechanic, Despair. It is a sense of ferocious apathy that overwhelms the entire game setting, and which can gradually erode even Dristan Dragonheart, the protagonist. Despair progresses as the game progresses, as Dristan faces situations that consume him and cause him to lose hope.
Review of Mechanics of Hellwinter: La Porta della Luna
The game has very simple mechanics to manage, but not boring. Let’s find three characteristics including distributing three points (Combativeness, Sagacity and Heart) plus a fourth, Blood, which acts as hit points. Every time there is a test to be faced, the relevant paragraph will indicate the difficulty to be overcome by adding the score of the characteristic to be used to the result of two dice of 6. However, each fight will have a different outcome depending on the score obtained.
You will be able to choose three from seven special abilities starting point to customize Dristan to give him additional abilities but remember that he will always remain a warrior and a hunter. You will also be able to customize weapons and equipment, starting with your trusty companion Selgar, a wulfheru who accompanies the character on his adventure. This is one of the many allies you can have during the game, each of which will grant you a different benefit.
The Adventure
Dristan Dragonheart is one of the Gray Companions, an ancient exploration force of the Barony of Hellwinter reconverted into demonolater and witch hunters. The wulfheru is one of its distinctive signs, each Gray Companion is accompanied by this loyal ally: a huge gray wolf that can serve as a mount and aid in combat. In Hellwinter: La Porta della Luna the protagonist receives from Colwyn Storm, his commander, the task of tracking down Sandor Wight, a dangerous necromancer.
The adventure features various moments of combat and exploration, but there is no shortage of social interaction. Don’t underestimate the latter because they can be truly decisive. The choices made during character creation will have a very strong impact on the game, and resource management can become a conditioning factor if these become too scarce.
There are many ways to get to the three endings, one of which is decidedly darker. In the 400 paragraphs of the game, there are choices that influence the story in an apparently unpredictable way, allowing for very high replayability; the adventure can change significantly right from the start. It was also included the “trophy” game mode. By achieving certain objectives during the game, it is possible to obtain bonuses to use in subsequent runs. Hellwinter: La Porta della Luna is therefore a gamebook that can be “platinized”; and once done Edizioni Aristea offers the player a free role-playing adventure.
Conclusions of the Review of Hellwinter: La Porta della Luna
Hellwinter: La Porta della Luna is compelling. The extremely simple mechanics are perfectly linked to the setting, and the adventure enhances both to the maximum. The gamebook is perfectly enjoyable as a stand-alone product, with the added value of high replayability. And, of course, it doesn’t just rely on dice rolls and role-playing mechanics, but also games of skill. It’s a good idea to take note of every important detail – you never know when it might come in handy. Inserting everything into the multimedia context of Hellwinter increases its effectiveness exponentially.
Andrea is an experienced and successful gamebook author, but he doesn’t rest on his laurels. The soundtrack available for free on the Edizioni Aristea website and the QR codes that allow you to start it at the right paragraph, the trophies to unlock and the references to his other works contribute to making the gaming experience extremely vivid and engaging. Hellwinter: La Porta della Luna is an absolutely recommended game book for both beginners and fans of the genre, guaranteeing everyone several hours of fun.
