Harebrained Schemes launched its Kickstarter for the standalone tactical RPG Shadowrun: Hong Kong. It’s not to fund the game, as it’s already fully-funded, staffed, and planned for a mid-2015 release. The Kickstarter is only to increase the production budget so more features can be added.
So, as the game is definitely on its way in some form, now seems to be an opportune time to take a look at the game’s cyberpunk take on the Hong Kong of 2056.
The screenshot above surmises the contradictory set-up of this future Hong Kong – commercial neon lights hanging over dodgy and dank sidestreets. According to Harebrained Schemes, it’s a bustling and highly successful business center, but has a dangerous underworld where people will buy and sell anything that comes their way (drugs? organs? babies?).
That might seem pretty dire already, but a 30 year conspiracy is about to shake Hong Kong up and, would you know it, it kicks off just as you arrive. Brilliant.
This conspiracy seems to have something to do with a supernatural force that consumes everything it touches. It’s spilling over Hong Kong, and ends up cornering you in Kowloon City.
This force is only one of your problems, though, as the city is full of triads, tongs, and gangs. And, as Shadowrun’s tech-meets-magic world demands, there’s plenty of wild magic and cybertech falling into the wrong hands.
Luckily, you will have an experienced crew to run you through the ropes. Included is Gobbet, an ork street shaman and follower of Rat. Then there’s Duncan Wu, a muscular security specialist. And Is0bel, a dwarf decker trained by hacktivists.
