Shadowrun Sixth World Beginner Box Review
I originally posted this article on A Pawn's Perspective on May 14, 2020.
RPG starter boxes seem like they’re making a comeback, so why not release a new edition of Shadowrun in time for its 30th anniversary with one? The Shadowrun Sixth World Beginner Box contains everything you need to get started in the cyberpunk world of megacorps, Deckers, Street Samurai, and Shaman. Inside you’ll find a stripped-down version of the Sixth World rules, a map of 2080 Seattle, an adventure, several pre-generated character folios, reference cards, and a set of dice.
The production of this set is stellar, with quality components that will last longer than the actual use of the boxed set. The shining items inside are the character dossiers, each much more than just a set of pre-generated stats. Each dossier includes a full-color, in-depth look at the character contained within. This helps players get a much better feel of not just the numbers behind each individual, but who they actually are.
Unfortunately, the set’s quick start rules are marred with multiple errors throughout. They’re not game-breaking, but give the product a rushed feel almost as if it were pushed up ahead of schedule to meet the 30th-anniversary milestone. The rules within are much streamlined compared to 5th Edition, so I’m hoping these issues are addressed in the Core Rules. Coming with pre-generated characters, there’s also no character creation rules. Something in common with the D&D Basic Starter Set, later to be fixed by Wizards of the Coast with the D&D Essentials Kit. Hopefully, Catalyst comes out with something similar eventually.
Now that we’ve covered that bit, how’s the actual adventure? Cliche, yet fun, though a bit short. As I stated earlier, you’ll get more life out of the actual physical components than you will out of the content from this set. Don’t fret, though. The box is still an excellent value for what it contains. If you’re looking to get into Sixth Worlds, this is the way to go. You’ll hit the ground running much faster than you would with the Core Rules.
A copy of the Shadowrun Sixth World Beginner’s Box was provided free for this review by Catalyst Game Labs