Francesca Viganò
Before delving into the review of Shadow Streets: Long Night’s Moon I would like to thank the author Luca De Marini for sending us a physical copy of the game so we could talk to you about it. It is a Dragon Game or a game based on the Musha Shugyo: the Way of the Warrior engine that we have already told you about. To play you will need the character sheet or the pre-filled character sheet, a pack of cards to keep track of Action Points and Special Points.
The Musha Shugyo special card deck is available with the basic manual, but alternatively, a normal card deck can also be used.
If you are interested in purchasing the game after reading this review, it is available on the Acchiappasogni Publishing Association website for 25 euros.
A Special Packaging
At first glance, Shadow Streets: Long Night’s Moon does not look like an RPG. The aesthetics of the packaging are reminiscent of those of 80s video games, immediately transmitting the mood it wants to bring to the table.
The cardboard is sturdy, although this type of opening from the top always requires attention so as not to let the contents come out when you don’t want them. But let’s look together at what the dark and gloomy box of Shadow Streets: Long Night’s Moon contains.
Once the package is opened, waiting for us we find:
- The rules manual, including an adventure
- 8 postcards with the locations of Crestfall City, the setting of this game
- 4 pre-generated characters
- 1 card with a summary of the rules
- 12 double-sided minion cards
- 12 double-sided Champion cards
- 4 double-sided boss cards
An Arcade Game
That Shadow Streets: Long Night’s Moon is a combat-based game is clear from the cover. To make it even more compelling, the author created a specific rules module for this manual starting from Dragon Fighters: Arcade Adventure. This is designed to immerse players in the atmosphere and action of classic scrolling beat ‘em up games like Final Fight or Street of Rage.
During the adventure, the characters move from one scenario to another; each is unique and presents a sequence of enemies called Waves, culminating in the clash with the Final Boss. Scenarios are identified by a postcard and contain specific challenges.
The main objective in Shadow Streets: Long Night’s Moon is to overcome all the Scenarios, defeating the Waves (made up of Minions and Champions) and the Bosses that stand between the players and the resolution of the Arcade Adventure.
Shadow Streets: Long Night’s Moon Character Review
In the Shadow Streets: Long Night’s Moon package there are 4 pre-compiled characters, presented on a convenient 10×15 cm format card which summarizes the characteristics and special moves on one side and presents the background and fighting style on the other.
However, if 4 characters seem too few to you, know that you can unlock, playing, a certain number of secret characters. The bosses of the adventure present in the manual can then be interpreted in subsequent adventures.
It is naturally possible to create your character by following the rules of the basic manual or using the app.
Prepare for Combat
In Shadow Streets: Long Night’s Moon the fight is divided into a succession of phases.
First, the initiative order is established by carrying out a test, to add the result to the character’s speed. Whoever has the highest speed is first in the initiative, which remains unchanged throughout the scenario; the NPCs instead all act together based on the NPC with the highest speed.
To carry out a test, you roll a six-sided die. In some cases, one or more bonus dice are added; the manual specifies whether the test result is the highest or lowest of the rolled dice. In any case, no more than 4 dice can be rolled at the same time,
After establishing the initiative, the initial AP (Action Points) are determined: each Character obtains AP equal to their Speed value. These Points can be spent to perform various combat actions. Only at the beginning of the fight does each PC also obtain 2 Special Points.
Shadow Streets: Long Night’s Moon Combat Review
The phases of the actual fight follow a precise order, in a way not different from those already seen in Musha Shugyo:
- The Preparation: the player draws 2 Resource Cards from the Resource Deck and obtains several AP equal to his Speed value which are added to the character’s reserve.
- The Attack: during this phase, the character can attack or move provided he has enough AP available. Attacking, defending, counterattacking, moving and all other Actions cost AP. This phase ends when the player has no AP remaining or decides to pass.
- The Final Phase: Any effect that works in the Final Phase activates. If the character still has AP remaining, they will remain in his possession and will be added to those he will obtain in the Preparation phase of the following turn.
Different Levels of Difficulty
Each Scenario of Shadow Streets: Long Night’s Moon contains a Summary Card which indicates, for each Wave, which NPCs to include in the game. The number of Players and the Difficulty set for the Adventure can modify some parameters.
There are three difficulty levels:
- Easy for the NPCs to be presented with the Life points indicated in the appropriate chapter.
- Medium, where each NPC gains 5 more Life Points.
- Hard: in which each NPC gets 10 more Life points
It becomes clear that, as the difficulty increases, the possibility of reaching the end of the adventure victorious decreases.
Long Night’s Moon
At the end of the book we find the adventure Long Night’s Moon, which gives the title to this manual.
It is a sequence of events and frenetic clashes that take place over a very long night. Players will find themselves immersed in an adventure full of mystery, action and morally difficult decisions. Between urban legends and inexplicable phenomena, the full moon will become a symbol of fear and fascination and will illuminate events that only the bravest will dare to face in the landscape of Crestfall City. As always, we won’t give any further spoilers, leaving you the pleasure of exploring the adventure from start to finish.
Shadow Streets: Long Night’s Moon Aesthetics Review
Undoubtedly. as we have seen in this review, Shadow Streets: Long Night’s Moon is a particular product. Tiger Lynn Art’s illustrations are perfect for conveying the atmosphere of an old arcade fighting game.
Il formato è A5, la copertina flessibile e in totale il volume conta circa 70 pagine. La rilegatura è abbastanza robusta da consentire di aprire un gran numero di volte il volume senza particolari danni. Il testo è suddiviso su due colonne e le immagini si integrano bene nel contesto senza rubare troppo spazio. A voler guardare il testo nel dettaglio, in alcune sezioni è un po’ piccolo e la scelta dei suoi colori (come nell sommario) non aiuta una lettura agevole.
Conclusions of the Shadow Streets: Long Night’s Moon Review
As is also the case with Shadow Streets: Long Night’s Moon, this game is well supported with a list of materials that can be downloaded directly from the dedicated site. Among the most useful things is the map of Crestfall City, already present in the volume but not as convenient to use in session. You can also find the PDFs of the scenarios and the secret characters to unlock.
As you have seen in this review, Shadow Streets: Long Night’s Moon is a very particular game, dedicated to lovers of 80s arcades and for all those players who see combat (possibly martial) as a central aspect of the role-playing game. It is therefore a very specific game, which does not put narrative in the classic sense at the center of attention. But, for this type of atmosphere or for an action-packed evening with friends (perhaps a little over the top), it is perfect!
