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Shadowrun: The Twilight Horizon $18.00
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Shadowrun: The Twilight Horizon
Publisher: Catalyst Game Labs
by Sean H. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 03/24/2013 20:04:38

Twilight Horizon provides information about the new Triple AAA megacorporation in the Shadowrun setting, Horizon, additionally Las Vegas is updated for the Sixth World of Shadowrun and there are many, many plot hooks and adventure ideas. If you want to incorporate Horizon as a major player in your Shadowrun campaign (or to have your ‘runners visit Vegas) this product will prove a worthwhile resource.

Twilight Horizon begins with a short piece of fiction and then moves into the meat of the book, starting with an overview of Horizon Corporation, the youngest of the “Big Eight” megacorps that dominate the Shadowrun setting. For a book focused on Horizon, the description of the corporation is very short, only seven pages (though various points are expanded upon later in the book) but gives a basic overview of the way Horizon works especially the intra-corporation ‘consensus’ that guides how the corporation acts.

Vegas gets a few more pages (21) and provides a good lay of the land for action taking place there. It’s a crazy town. The bulk of the product is fifteen semi-linked adventure frame works, primarily aimed at experienced runners, that chronicle Horizon’s continuing evolution among the megacorps including one that takes places at the Sixth World’s evolution of the Burning Man festival! A wide variety of NPCs are provided for the various adventures and other Horizon-based adventures. Lastly, some updated rules for simsense and persona fix chips, both businesses that Horizon is deeply invested in.

Overall, a useful game master’s resource for the evolving world of Shadowrun if Horizon or Las Vegas is likely to be involved in your campaign.

Disclosure: As a featured reviewer for RPGNow/DriveThroughRPG, I received my copy of this product for free from the publisher for the purpose of this review.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
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Shadowrun: The Twilight Horizon
Publisher: Catalyst Game Labs
by Roger L. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 03/13/2013 07:58:37
http://www.teilzeithelden.de

Vielen kommt es so vor, als sei die Horizon Corporation plötzlich aus dem Nichts entstanden und habe sich einfach so neben die anderen Triple-A-Kons geschmuggelt, noch bevor es jemand so recht bemerkte. Ganz so falsch ist dieser Eindruck nicht, aber ... wie kann das sein? Das beleuchtet Catalyst Game Labs mit dem Quellen- und Kampagnenband The Twilight Horizon.

Erscheinungsbild

Das hier besprochene PDF umfasst 154 Seiten. Derzeit ist bei DriveThruRPG.com kein Print on Demand-Exemplar verfügbar; man muss also mit der PDF-Variante dort vorlieb nehmen. Andernorten kann man allerdings das Buch auch als Printausgabe bekommen. Abseits der Umschlagseiten ist das Buch inklusive der hier und da eingestreuten Zeichnungen schwarzweiß gehalten. Trotzdem sind die Details der Zeichnungen gut herausgearbeitet und auch sonst findet man sich dank schwarz hinterlegter Bereiche und anderer Formatveränderungen schnell und gut im Buch zurecht.

Inhalt

Die Horizon Corporation hat in der jüngsten Zeit erhebliche Aufmerksamkeit von den Shadowrun-Autoren bekommen. Einige Abenteuerbände haben diesen Kon zum Mittelpunkt auserkoren (A Fistful of Credsticks, Anarchy Subsidized, Colombian Subterfuge), auch in Büchern wie dem Corporate Guide finden sich Informationen zur Horizon Corporation. Was also enthält so ein separater Band und lohnt sich die Anschaffung, vor allem bei Vorhandensein der vorgenannten Bücher?

Eingangs wird im Buch nach der fünfseitigen Teaser-Story darauf verwiesen, dass der Quellenband sich durchaus auf Informationen stützt, wie sie in den schon genannten Titeln erwähnt werden. Hinzu kommen Titel wie Artifacts Unbound, Spy Games, War!, Jet Set und Corporate Intrigue, die empfohlen werden, um bei der Umsetzung von Inhalten aus diesem Quellenband noch weiter in die Tiefe gehen zu können oder umgekehrt, wo man nachschlagen kann, worauf die eine oder andere Information aus The Twilight Horizon basiert.

Das Einleitungskapitel ist spannend geschrieben und bietet alle paar Sätze bereits versteckte Ansätze für mögliche Runs. Wer also beim Lesen von Quellenbänden schnell kreativ wird in dieser Richtung, den wird bereits das erste Kapitel ziemlich glücklich machen. Man erfährt Hintergründe zum Kon, einerseits reine Informationsweitergabe, andererseits ein bisschen Geplauder aus dem Nähkästchen. Es geht darum, wie ein SimStar CEO eines Megakons werden kann, wie der Konzern so schnell so viele mächtige Verbündete schaffen konnte, und nicht zuletzt wird der Umgang mit den Mitarbeitern und die Philosophie des Konzerns unter die Lupe genommen. Horizon setzt auf kollektives Wissen und kollektive Weisheit, fragt ständig das Befinden, die Meinung und die Wünsche der Mitarbeiter mittels Umfragen während der Arbeitszeit ab, speichert Daten der Mitarbeiter „zu deren Sicherheit“, kurzum: „What’s good for Horizon, is good for the world!“ Und offenbar funktioniert dieser Ansatz hervorragend. Das nächste Kapitel ist Las Vegas, der Neon-Stadt, gewidmet. Es ist mit gerade einmal zwanzig Seiten recht schlank ausgefallen, bietet aber doch etliches an Informationen. Zu dieser Fülle gehören Beschreibungen der einzelnen Distrikte bis hin zur angrenzenden Mojave-Wüste und ihren „critterlichen“ Besonderheiten, doch es werden auch reichlich Etablissements beschrieben sowie Hinweise über gängige Freizeitaktivitäten. In Vegas steht das Spielen natürlich an erster Stelle, und das reicht von bekannten Spielen wie Blackjack und virtuellem Poker über ungewöhnlichere wie Keno und Pachinko, die im Buch näher erläutert werden. Und zu Vegas und Spielen gehören natürlich auch Drogen und Sex, und auch hier bietet das Buch einige Anregungen. Es ist sogar einigermaßen fokussiert auf solcherlei, wie ich finde. Darunter finden sich Standardlocations ebenso wie völlig schräge Ideen, zu denen etwa „Rena’s House of Pancakes and Bondage“ zählt. Es kommt natürlich auf den einzelnen an, wie er solcherlei Inhalte wahrnimmt und findet, in meinen Augen zeigt dies einfach, dass Shadowrun sich selbst nicht allzu ernst nimmt und allerlei Raum für Verrücktes bietet. Und wenn nicht in Vegas, wo sonst?

Kernstück des Quellenbandes bieten allerdings Plotaufhänger für Runs rund um Vegas und Horizon. Auf fast hundert Seiten werden insgesamt dreizehn Plotideen aufgeführt. Das hierbei gewählte Mittelmaß ist sehr ansprechend. Natürlich findet man keine Details in dem Maße, wie man dies bei reinen Kampagnenbänden erwarten kann, dennoch bleibt es nicht nur bei Brotkrumen, sondern die einzelnen Plothooks wurden ausreichend ausgefleischt mit Motivationen, Örtlichkeiten, NSC mitsamt Werten, einer groben Aufteilung in verschiedene Plotunterpunkte und derlei mehr. Aus meiner Sicht genau die richtige Mischung, um neue Spielleiter nicht völlig allein im Regen stehen zu lassen, bereits erfahrenen Spielleitern hingegen noch genug Raum zur freien Ausgestaltung zu geben.

Alle dreizehn Plotaufhänger hier im Detail darzustellen, würde zu weit gehen. Trotzdem an dieser Stelle einige Hinweise, welche Bandbreite diese so abdecken. Zunächst zu nennen wäre da Self preservation, wo der Aufhänger darin besteht, dass die Runner dem Kon auf den Schlips getreten sind. Vielleicht auch nicht, aber zumindest fühlt sich der Konzern auf den Schlips getreten und hat ein Kopfgeld auf die Runner ausgesetzt. Nun ja, Kopfgelder kann man ja wieder zurück ziehen … wenn die Runner zu der einen oder anderen Gegenleistung bereit sind. Das sind sie doch, oder?

In Technomancer uprising weht der Wind aus einer ganz anderen Richtung. Die Technomancer und KI kämpfen um ihre Rechte und werden dabei, nicht ganz uneigennützig natürlich, vom Horizon-Konzern unterstützt. Das wiederum gefällt der UN gar nicht und der Kon gerät ins Schwimmen. Grund genug für eine militante Technomancer-Gruppe, einen Virus in den Konzern einschmuggeln zu wollen, um mal wieder klare Verhältnisse zu schaffen. Eine besonders nette Idee bietet der Aufhänger Red Rain in Anknüpfung des „Blutregens“ von 2073: Salt Lake City steht unter Wasser und Tage dauernder starker Regen hat die Abwasserrohre überlastet. Die Menschen mussten sich in höhere Etagen von Gebäuden retten. Und darunter befindet sich natürlich auch die Zielperson der Runner, die diese extrahieren sollen. Besonders gelungen an den ganzen Plothooks ist der Mix aus mundanen, technischen, magischen und sonstigen Schwerpunkten. So ist gewährleistet, dass man so einige Runs mit derselben Gruppe und denselben Charakteren spielen kann, ohne dass es langweilig wird. Im Gegenteil wird jeder der – zumeist ja gegebenen – Archetypen über kurz oder lang seine besondere Nische finden können, um zu glänzen. Zum Abschluss bietet das Buch noch zehn Seiten Character Trove, eine Sammlung von etwas mehr als dreißig unterschiedlichen NSC, die man im Rahmen der vorgestellten Plots oder auch in ganz eigenem Setting gut einsetzen kann. Und als sei das noch nicht Service genug, finden sich diese sogar noch alphabetisch gelistet ganz am Ende des Bandes.

Der Appendix – ein bisschen das beliebte Postscriptum der Quellenbücher, wie mir manchmal scheint, stellt noch diverse Hard- und Software vor, die man kennen sollte, vielleicht auch einsetzen mag, um Vegas und die Horizon Corporation noch einmal plastischer ins rechte Licht zu rücken. SimSinn, Aktiv- und Talentsofts, diverse Formen von Personafixes mit Beispielen, Mood Chips, Dream Chips, Trip Chips … hier bleibt kein Wunsch offen.

Preis-/Leistungsverhältnis

Das Verhältnis zwischen Preis und Seitenzahl sowie Aufmachung ist grundsätzlich okay. Dass die 154 Seiten allerdings prall mit Informationen und Anregungen gefüllt sind, verschafft dem Buch einen deutlichen Mehrwert, so dass ich die Investition fast schon als wirklich günstig bezeichnen würde.

Fazit

Wer Interesse an der Horizon Corporation oder an Las Vegas als Spielort hat, ist mit diesem Buch wirklich gut bedient. Die zugehörigen, schon vor längerem erschienenen Abenteuerbände schaden nicht, sind aber auch nicht zwingend erforderlich. Die Beschreibungen sind lebendig, die vorgestellten Örtlichkeiten und Gimmicks kreativ, der Aufbau ordentlich und übersichtlich … hier hat man wirklich so ziemlich alles richtig gemacht.

Unsere Bewertung

Erscheinungsbild 4/5 Schwarzweiß, solide bebildert Inhalt 5/5 Top! Umfangreich, kreativ, toll zum Schmökern und Auffinden gleichermaßen Preis-/Leistungsverhältnis 5/5 Viel drin für einen fairen Preis Gesamt 5/5



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Shadowrun: The Twilight Horizon
Publisher: Catalyst Game Labs
by Adrian S. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 07/22/2012 23:03:32

Even though Horizon has received a fair amount of attention in the last year, products like this show that it is warranted. In previous editions, the familiar mega-corps like Ares and Renraku were continually referenced, but to give the true vision of an evolving game world, new players are required. Focusing on Horizon gives Catalyst a new mega-corp to flesh out and to show that change is not only possible, but a constant, in Shadowrun.

The choice of Horizon and the inner workings of its management is one which resonates with the readers modern sensibilities, yet extends these concepts to firmly root them in the cyberpunk genre. I made reference to this in my review of ‘Fistful of Credsticks’, and the writers have done an excellent job of continuing this work. The combination of the sinister Consensus (and how it can be manipulated) as well as the BTL-styled methods of employee engagement all show how truly Machiavellian the mega-corporation of the future can be. The opening and concluding chapters of this book are really the benchmark for how this is done. To be honest, it makes me want to run a game focused on the player-characters as Horizon employees, and then maybe (just maybe) leading to an extraction as they uncover the truth behind the company.

The book also includes a setting chapter for Las Vegas, which is fairly short, yet hits the mark. There is plenty of information here to build a ‘run (or full campaign) with and enough interesting quirks to make the location memorable (murder snow, anyone?). This section reads well, and the continuing BBS-style commentary is always welcome. These comments, littered throughout all sections of the book, are perhaps the unsung hero of the SR line. Those who follow the sourcebooks and various aspects of metaplot will always find tie-ins to other products and oblique references – the understanding of which makes you feel a little like the member of an inner circle.

The next fifteen chapters run in a similar vein to recent products like ‘Jet Set’ where the Plot Point system is used to give an almost fleshed out plot. It contains enough ideas to kick start a good few sessions, yet will require some work by the GM to make it flow smoothly. They are definitely not full modules, but with a couple of hours work they can be.

It was gratifying to see the range of situations and potential runs in the book, as there is a mix between melee, matrix and mystic in flavours. Again, the overarching statement about these chapters is that they are written well, and there is a solid attention to detail. It will be interesting if Catalyst decides to create more material for books like this and release short ‘PDF Plot Point’ books akin to their other smaller publications. Coupled with ‘Missions’ it could be an interesting way to fill the module niche for the line.

I like this new format for Shadowrun sourcebooks, but it is very firmly aimed for the GM. Whilst the final chapters do have some new Simsense data which could be acquired by PCs (no entirely sure they’d want it though), it is predominantly a storytelling tool. Overall, Catalyst has given us a sound product which extends the metaplot in a logical and interesting way, and I look forward to the game designers taking a similar approach with other corporations.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
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Shadowrun: The Twilight Horizon
Publisher: Catalyst Game Labs
by Alexander L. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 03/20/2012 06:31:00

Originally posted at: http://diehardgamefan.com/2012/03/20/tabletop-review-shadowrun-the-twilight-horizon/

I was actually kind of surprised when Catalyst Game Labs announced The Twilight Horizon, if only because they’ve done three Horizon based adventures in the last year alone. We’ve had A Fistful of Credsticks, Anarchy Subsidized, and Columbian Subterfuge, all of which were great adventures (Anarchy Subsidized even won our Adventure of the Year award), but there had been so much focus on Horizon that I assumed that time would be spent on one of the other mega-corps to balance things out. Instead, we’ve now got a campaign book that is (mostly) devoted to Horizon, along with XXX adventures focused around Horizon, the city of Las Vegas, or both.

Like most campaign/adventure anthology hybrids that CGL puts out, you’re not getting fully fleshed out scene by scene scenarios for your gaming group. The adventures that books like this, Corporate Intrigue and Jet Set contain are bare bones. They give you the basic plot, important information and how the adventure should flow, but other than that, the GM/DM/Keeper/whatever is on their own. This means the adventures here are best in the hands of experienced Shadowrun GMs. Streamlining adventure content like this forces a GM to be more creative and it allows them to be more flexible with how the adventure unfolds. At the same time, if you don’t know the system or the setting like the back of your hand, there’s a good chance you’ll stumble at some point – especially if the players known Shadowrun better than the GM. Of course the solo missions and the excellent Shadowrun Missions line give you every tiny detail along with multiple possibilities that could occur within each scene of the adventure. Those are what a new or less experienced GM should pick up. Then once they feel confident about their ability to run adventure or even put them together, they should go for a campaign book like this. There’s no right or wrong as to which adventure style you should go with. Just see which best meshes with how you like to run a game and stick with that.

There are a few minor nitpicks as some reused art and a whole host of spelling/grammatical/typographical errors, but if you purchased the PDF, you’ll probably see those cleared up in later updates. With that out of the way, let’s talk about the twenty different sections within The Twilight Horizon and see if Catalyst Game Labs’ newest Shadowrun book is worth picking up.

  1. Bust. This short piece of fiction revolves around private dick Jimmy Kincaid and his attempt to find a kidnapped man and his son. It’s a really good piece and it sets the stage for the Vegas aspects of this book wonderfully. My only complaint about the story is that it ends somewhat abruptly. It feels like there should be more of the story, with at least the climax or perhaps even a full half of the plot to go. I’d really have liked to see this finished. Perhaps we’ll see that with the interactive fiction line CGL has going. 1 for 1.

  2. Horizon Today. This section of the book takes place in Jackpoint, the Shadowrun forum for the elite of the profession. Here we see the runner titled “Sunshine” giving a breakdown of what’s going on in Horizon today. Like most Jackpoint sections this section is written from Sunshine’s point of view with the occasional commentary by other runners thrown in. I liked the writing style here but unfortunately, there isn’t a lot of substance to go with the style. As this is meant to be a book about Horizon, you would think the actual section on the company would cover its history, the key players and its rise to Mega-Corp status. Instead it’s just mostly talk on the Consensus, the program that guides the company’s actions and policies, and information about a growing feud between Horizon and technomancers. Again, it’s interesting and well written, but it falls extremely short of what should have been here. This is written as if the person reading it already has read (or owns) every bit on Horizon CGL has published. The likelihood of that…isn’t good. Newcomers and Shadowrun fans on a budget should have been thrown a bone here. 1 for 2.

  3. Vegas, Baby. This section starts out with a quick piece of fiction about the ‘Runner Mechanic, and then it goes into a JackPoint style sourcebook on the city of Las Vegas. This section is told primarily by Turbo Bunny, although characters like Mechanic and Sunshine. It’s the longest section in the book and man, it’s exceptionally well written. This is exactly what “Horizon Today” should have been. Hell, it should be the standard bearer for any city/location piece CGL does from NOW ON. You get an in-depth look at Vegas, important districts, a list of casinos, a look at movers and shakers and more! There’s even a time a timeline for Vegas going back to 2010 to “modern day” (for Shadowrun). These twenty pages alone are worth the price of admission. 2 for 3.

  4. Self-Preservation. “Self Preservation” begins the adventure section of The Twilight Horizon. In the first adventure, the players have someone cheesed off Horizon enough that the mega-corp has put a hit out on them. I really didn’t like this adventure if only because it highlights the problem people will run into with the more vague adventures like this. There’s no real reason WHY Horizon is after the players; the GM is forced to come up with one (the book gives some half-hearted examples though) . Even worse, if players have actually done the Horizon based adventures, this is more likely to annoy them than be something they have fun with because the situation simply won’t make sense to them. There has to some suspension of disbelief after all. The adventure has the players trying to influence the Consensus to veto the hit that is out on them by doing things like infiltrating Horizon to fixing the Academy Awards. Again, this is hard to believe, because if a Mega-Corp puts a hit on you, getting inside it is going to be insanely tough. I don’t know. This adventure just felt implausible and too far-fetched to be believable, and this in a game where we’re approaching a Dragon Civil War or where anthropomorphic personifications of fire can run an orphanage that is secretly a breeding ground for insect spirits. Even the adventure finds itself to be incredulous at times. The eventual SHOCKTWIST ending makes it all the more eye-rolling for everyone who sits through it. Play this one at your peril. 2 for 4.

  5. Technomancer Uprising. A good chunk of this adventure is actually a recap of a trid (newscast) transmission here a technomancer calls out the mega-corps and the UN on their unwillingness to grant technomancers equal rights. Said technomancer also then goes off on Horizon for the hypocrisy of their would-be pro-technomancer stance in light of their actual actions. From there we go into the adventure itself, which has runners digging up information on Horizon to see if their public stance on technomancers actually matches what they say and do when the camera are off them. It’s a pretty intense adventure that will drastically change things for not only Horizon, but technomancers around the world. It’s all a very grey area adventure, and it will have characters (and better yet, their players) debating on if the ends do justify the means. Most interesting is all the extra information about other current Sixth World storylines characters can discover in the first leg of the adventure. “Technomancer Uprising” can be used as the step stone for other adventure arcs, which is a nifty added bonus. 3 for 5.

  6. Friends in the Right Places. This adventure is a quasi-continuation of the last one. Here, the Runners will be engaging in four missions on the behalf of Technomancer. The adventure is evenly split between resucing/protecting technomancers and politicking between various militant groups. I like the balance between violence and diplomacy here as it gives a variety of characters a chance to shine. This adventure also airs a huge dirty secret about Ti Tairngire. All in all, it’s a pretty important adventure to the metaplot and a lot of fun to run through. 4 for 6.

  7. The Heart of the Head. This is one of the most intense adventures I’ve read in a while. No matter how the runners play it, lots of people are going to die and the PCs will more than likely have a hit out on them by a major organization. Doing this mission will also adversely affect Amazonia in its war against Aztlan, cause civil unrest in the Tir and more. This is definitely an adventure a GM needs to think twice about running because no matter how the players complete this, their days amongst the living are more than likely numbered. I’ll come right out and say that there is a 99.99% chance one of your characters will be killed horribly by Clockwork. Yes, THAT Clockwork. Now, this is a well written adventure and I enjoyed it very much, but it definitely is going to call into question what lines the players are willing to cross and whether or not the side they are serving is actually as bad, if not worse than the corporation they are trying to take down. Like I said, this is INTENSE and it’s not only a campaign changer, but a Sixth World changer to boot. 5 for 7.

  8. Desert Howl. For those that pay close attention to the metaplot and/or Jackpoint sections of Shadowrun books, the fact that Haze is your Mr. Johnson in this mission should either be enough to get players to agree to this adventure sight unseen, or have them run screaming for the hills. This adventure has you playing back-up for Haze as he combs the Mojave desert for…something. That something turns out to be spirits. LOTS of spirits. What happens next depends on the fast talk prowess of the characters…and the ability o keep Haze’s snark to a minimum. It’s a fun little adventure with lots of monsters instead of the old sneaking around corporate HQ standby that the other adventures in this book are full of, so “Desert Howl” really stands out because of that. It’s a nice change of pace and a lot of fun. 6 for 8.

  9. Metahumanity Ablaze! Burning Man comes to Shadowrun. Well, it’s not REALLY Burning Man, as it takes place in Death Valley and it’s a little more anti-corporation than the really thing, but Metahumanity Ablaze! Is definitely an homage to it. This is a really fun conspiracy laden story in which nothing is what it seems and the combination of a strange festival and corporate intrigue makes this a very memorable adventure. Note that it’s a very long one, with eight full scenes to go through. It make take two or three sessions to complete depending on how off track things get, 7 for 9.

  10. Inside the Smile. Working for Aztechnology always seem to be an issue for some PCs as they’re generally made out to be the most evil of the megacorps. Of course, if you’ve been playing all of the adventures in this book successively, you’ll probably be willing to work with just about anyone if it means doing damage to Horizon. Does that include Aztech? If so, the players will be heading back down to Bogata to not only grab some Dawkins Group hostages but then imitate them and infiltrate the most secretive branch of Horizon. This adventure requires players to be good as espionage and subterfuge, which is always something I enjoy. Don’t worry though – there’s some mindless violence towards the end. Another fun adventure and another one where PCs will probably have internal conflict about what they are doing. 8 for 10.

  11. The Depths of Revenge. So this is a direct continuation of the previous adventure and once again it’s going to force players to really decide who they think is worse: Horizon or Aztechnology. Now, if the PCs are simply cold blooded mercs, there won’t be any real discussion. Otherwise, the climax of this adventure is well…pretty outright evil as the players will be assisting in wonton slaughter. The neat thing about the adventure is that they are given a chance in the climax to change sides and prevent the slaughter…which of course means turning on their client, but this not only makes for good storytelling, but it also shows the writer realized the adventure might be a hard sell to players and built in a nice backup plan so GMs don’t have to scramble. I love it when adventures cover all possible angles. 9 for 11.

  12. Astral Weakness. Hey, you? Do you like the Ocean’s Eleven Movies? Ever wanted to see how a casino heist would play out in the Sixth World? Well, here’s your chance to experience it. The PCs are hired to hit a casino and take only a single object from it – a mysterious artifact. Sure it’s a MacGuffin, but I was shocked it took this long to get an adventure with this plot. It’s a short adventure, but it’s fun, has some good comedy potential and since most players have never done a run against a casino, you’ll get to see your friend wrack their brains coming up with all-new, all-different strategies. 10 for 12.

  13. Vision Quest. This is a tie-in to the previous adventure and also something only experienced GM’s should try due to the fact the players will be split into teams of two or three and you’ll have to constantly cut back and forth between the scenes going on to keep anyone from feeling neglected or bored. If done right, this is a pretty impressive adventure and it’s one players can’t “beat” – only survive through. It’s a tie-in to the previous adventure, nets players triple the usual Karma and is a great way to enforce that PCs adventures don’t always end after they get paid; there can be long running consequences. 11 for 13.

  14. Red Rain. This is the third adventure in what I call the “Kaze” leg of the book, albeit it only subtly connected. Hopefully none of the characters you “know” are attached to Salt Lake City in any way. It’s damn near completely underwater in this adventure. Ten days straight for torrential rain with a colour that seems more at home in Vampire: The Masquerade than in Shadowrun. Anyone with half a brain would know this is not a location to go to – it’s one to run the hell away from. So of course your PCs are going in exchange for a dumptruck full of nuyen. All this for a single person and their computer program too. Some players/characters might have a problem helping one person when literally hundreds of thousands are dying, drowning, starving and so on, but that really allows for a good deal of role-playing. It’s rare when runners are actually there having to deal with a (un)natural disaster like a flood or hurricane, so it not only makes for a good setting, but also throws runners off their usual course of action. After all, it’s one thing to point a gun at a corporate stooge and take their data. It’s another to leave a bus of orphans to drown. This is kind of a feel-good adventure in a lot of ways, which is rare in Shadowrun. You also get a nice look at how Renraku (?) actually cares for its employees, which is another nice touch. 12 for 14.

  15. Tracking Trouble. This adventure also takes place in Salt Lake City, about two to three weeks after “Red Rain.” It seems the water falling on SLC has magical properties and while people are interested in those, the people behind the flood ate interested in something else – making a bigger, longer and more dangerous storm hit Las Vegas. This particular adventure thankfully centers on the fomer and it’s a straight hijacking and delivery run. It’s simple, straightforward and well done. 13 for 15.

  16. The Breaking Point. This is another extremely dramatic adventure and it’s a great way to cap off the playable portion of the book. Players are going to have to deal with a two-fold crisis in Vegas. The first is The Consensus going homicidal, albeit in Horizon’s usual PR-driven way. The other is the return of Kaze and its attempt to turn Hoover Dam (aka The Dam in the Sixth World’s time) into a foci for one of the largest rituals ever performed. Have fun with both of these prongs kids. The adventure is pretty taxing and most characters won’t make it out alive unless they are smart, lucky and possible purchased the Street Legends trait by saving up 50 Karma throughout their career. It’s a pretty insane affair which will see everything from Street Samurai doing battle with their own cyberware down to a massive battle of wits with an insanely powerful spirit. This adventure is quite memorable if you’ve played the other adventures in this book. But it loses a lot of the drama and tension if you haven’t. Still, like everything else in The Twilight Horizon the adventure is well done and definitely worth experiencing. 14 for 16.

  17. Character Trove. All the NPCs you’ll need for the adventures in this book. Always handy to have and even handier to have them in one spot in case you want to use these in other adventures. 15 for 17.

  18. The Late Show. A short story displaying the aftermath of “The Breaking Point.” It’s cute, to the point and highlights the real problem with The Consensus which is that even the best human can be a jerk at times. 16 for 18.

  19. Appendix. A JackPoint ending that covers Simsense programs. Doesn’t really fit with the rest of the book but it does a fine job of explaining the topic to newcomers while giving some in-depth detail to long –time Shadowrun players. You also get an interesting look at the Horizon corporate structure and how very different it is from the typical 9-to-5 corporation. 17 for 19.

All in all an 89.4% quality rate. That’s extremely good. Most of the adventures are well written and fun to play through and several are quite memorable whether or not you care about the game’s meta-plot. I can’t say I LOVED any of the adventures in here like I have in other adventure anthologies but out by CGL, but what’s here is of consistently good quality across the board. Even the two things I gave a thumbs down to still had some strong points. All in all, this is definitely a collection well worth picking up if you like running pre-made adventures. You get thirteen adventures, a high quality guide to Vegas and a few assorted other things for only eighteen bucks. Twilight Horizon might be a game changer for the kinder, gentler mega-corp, but it’s one hell of a ride.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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