Item - Hong Kong Hustle

Hong Kong Hustle is a cyberpunk-themed gamebook where you play as Sheeran Crow, a "Nexer," or a hacker skilled in navigating Nexus, a global network accessed through a neural connection via a device implanted in the brain. As a renowned data thief, you’ve uncovered something valuable during your latest heist, making you a target for Weilan-Tassier, the corporation managing Nexus. The gamebook's story focuses on your desperate escape through Hong Kong, as bounty hunters come after you. The setting is a climate-ravaged Hong Kong where cutting-edge technology, neon lights, and ancient traditions mix with stark poverty and opulent wealth.

The writing is rich with cyberpunk neologisms, and the atmospheric descriptions immerse the reader in a frenetic and decaying futuristic Hong Kong. The author vividly conveys everything from the smells of spices to the strobe lights and electronic rhythms of the nightclubs.

The gameplay system is simple yet effective, with two core stats: Combat and Willpower, to which you allocate 15 points (with a maximum of 9 and a minimum of 6) and start with 18 Resistance points. Success in challenges is determined by rolling two dice and achieving a number equal to or less than the chosen stat. You also select two skills from a list of six, establish your network of contacts, and choose equipment. Throughout the adventure, you may also track certain codes that influence the story’s events.

Combat is often unavoidable if you don’t make optimal decisions. Fights take place both in and outside of Nexus, using straightforward mechanics: if your attack succeeds, you deal damage, but if the enemy's Resistance isn’t reduced to zero, they automatically inflict damage on you. While the system seems basic, specific situational rules add variety and excitement to the combat.

The game also includes Nexus-related puzzles, where you need to decrypt codes and hack digital barriers to access critical information.

The gamebook offers many choices and paths to explore, encouraging multiple replays. It’s not particularly difficult (I completed it on my third attempt), but after finishing the main game, there’s an “Objectives” mode where you choose one of twelve goals to achieve. Once you succeed, the game ends immediately, offering a fresh challenge.

The artwork is the weakest aspect. Although the cover is evocative, there are only six full-page illustrations inside, with smaller illustrations that tend to repeat. Interestingly, each page has printed dice that can be used if needed by flipping through the book at random. Another unique feature is the inclusion of suggested music tracks to accompany your futuristic Hong Kong adventure.

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