How many of you, watching the anime of Cowboy Bebop, haven't they at least once dreamed of living an adventure among the stars in the company of Spike and his companions? Thanks to the GDR distributed by ManaProject this wish will become reality, but saying it like this would only be something reductive, because we are faced with one of the richest gaming experiences in recent years. Long-time fans will rejoice with joy, and new cowboys will find themselves discovering thrilling adventures to say the least, discovering step by step a multifaceted universe and fascinating like few others. Let's find out together Cowboy Bebop: Role Playing Game in our review.
A future inspired by the past
For those who don't know him, Cowboy Bebop is a incredibly particular universe: Set in a hypothetical 2071the solar system as we know it has been changed by various events, first of all the almost total abandonment of the earth, following an accident that destroyed the Moon. However, the inhabitants of the solar system travel between the stars thanks to the Astral Gates, and also live in the other planetssuch as Mars, Venus, the moons of Jupiter and so on, and the Orbital Stations.
However the vision of this particular future it is at the same time a lot “vintage”given that the original animated work dates back to 1998, and the ideas that arose from this retrofuturism They are incredible. First of all, we are faced with a Solar System with a multicultural flavour, with the various planets and their respective inhabitants characterized ad hoc, but above all visual, “scene” and narrative vibeswhich are very reminiscent of the films Westerns of the 70s. So in addition to ordinary people, the universe also sees the presence of gambling, unscrupulous corporations, bandits, and obviously bounty hunters.
Finally, as with the series, also in this role-playing game there are countless musical referencesfrom the names of the traits, the types of approach (musical genres, from Tango, to Rock, to Blues etc…), and special skills (called Grooves), up to the names of original sessionswhich perfectly match those of each episode of the animated masterpiece.
An extremely rich manual
Although it is not essential to have seen the animated series to play, it is highly recommended that the Big Shot (the narrator) is aware of the Cowboy Bebop universe, because the game manual that Mana Project has proposed to us is rich, indeed, very rich. It's about over 270 pages of detailswhich they practically describe whatever comes to mind: that you are looking for how create a character, the description of settings and the various planets, the religions, the society and the cultureor maybe you want to create one prey to hunt, or you still want details on the card for yours spaceshipabout villains or how to create one… everything is here.
TO visual level we are talking about an important manual, very refined in aesthetics right from the cover, littered with photos taken from the anime and quotes of all kinds. A true feast for the eyes, which from chapter to chapter surprises every time: we move from the various explanations, to the map of the Solar System to have a visual counterpart, to pages almost entirely dedicated to photos, up to the aforementioned factsheets ( even those of the gods characters from the Bebop crew!).
Between Sessions, Clocks and Turns
We won't go into detail, because they are very specific, but the parts that make up each game session have different mechanics, which will determine the progress of your game. “Sessions”: It is practically as if each Session corresponded to a episode of an anime.
Generally every self-respecting Session must be outlined for good from the Big Shot, which based on the threatat the speed of events, and toapproach that the players will want to have when solving them, they will define some “Clocks”: these are a very interesting tool, which precisely establish and clearly communicate the approach of a crucial moment.
Another interesting thing about the Sessions you will play are the three defined key points “Breakthroughs”. Each of them represents a pivotal point in the story of the episode, with specific and clear objectives, threats and rewards. These are divided into:
- MANAGEMENT: calm situation, with the characters preparing for events;
- 3, 2, 1…: the hunt is on, and the characters dedicate themselves to investigations, action scenes, and so on. Often the goal is to reveal the secret of the Bounty;
- Let's Jam!: the final act that concludes the episode, the face to face that determines success or failure.
There are others too mechanics and minor variableswhich as mentioned we will not describe in detail, but know that everything happened built ad hocto better personalize and make the actions to be carried out increasingly precise and specific and expand your range of possibilities.
However, we would like to say that in Cowboy Bebop: Role Playing Gameyou can also jump straight into the fray: in fact, you can play everyone (and that's what we mean EVERYONE) the episodes of the animewhich they were meticulously reconstructed Session by Session within the manual, with everything you need to determine the game already set (Genre, Groove, Secret, Clocks, Turns, narration and so on…).
Taking up another of the game's mechanics, which makes it even more cinematichave also been proposed Personal sessions (those dedicated to specific characters) ei Fillers, which you can also create in your customized adventures. Without a doubt this is one of the things that hardcore fans will appreciate the most, increasing the level of immersion immensely.
Last but not least, there is also a glossary quick for players, to always have the terminology used in the manual at hand.
See You Space Cowboy…
In conclusion, we are faced with a very long love letter to Cowboy Bebopa work that is nothing short of respectful of the 1998 animated masterpiece, with images, quotes and an avalanche of feels. This Mana Project product is certainly the result of an absurd studymeticulous, and which was best paired with a game system that did not discount the cinematic cut of adventure, keeping the role playing part powerful.
In short, a degree of fidelity incredible, which makes Cowboy Bebop: Role Playing the forbidden dream (no longer) of every avid fan of the series. Not just a game manual, but practically a real encyclopedia of the world of Cowboy Bebop, probably among the most complete ever. It's difficult to think of a better product.
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