Restore Freedom to the Galaxy - A Star Wars: Age of Rebellion Review

Fantasy Flight Games

Star Wars: Age of Rebellion was Fantasy Flight Games' second RPG set in the galaxy far far away. Released in 2014, it came out almost exactly a year after their first foray, Edge of the Empire. Departing from lovable scoundrels and grim bounty hunters, Age of Rebellion instead focused on the ace pilots and daring revolutionaries that made up the Rebel Alliance. Both games employ the same basic mechanics and proprietary "Narrative Dice." As the name implies, Age of Rebellion allows players to play out the Rebellion's desperate struggle against the Galactic Empire. 

 While both games are built around the same foundations, Age of Rebellion does lack a lot of the freedom and flare offered by Edge of the Empire. Even so, this trench run proves to be a successful one.

Second Verse, Same as the First

 Much like FFG's now defunct Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay, every one of their star wars game lines share the same ruleset. Thankfully they've learned well from those days in the Dark Millennium. Edge of the Empire and Age of Rebellion are truly compatible, in contrast with the constant patching over and quibbling needed to integrate the disparate 40K game lines.

Fantasy Flight Games

The two systems are so similar that entire sections of the core book are almost completely identical, with the occasional reworking to better fit the military context. Consequently, Age of Rebellion takes everything that works from its predecessor. And unfortunately, the few things that didn't.

Injury rules as written are put players out of the fight to soon, while also needlessly limiting the lethality. More frustrating, starship combat is still just as punishing and unsatisfying. Dogfights are such a key part of the Rebellion's identity that it's