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Coming form the hardcore AD&D school of violence, I'm a little leery of White Wolf games. They have an aura of snootiness about them that implies you can't resort to good ole' fisticuffs if the situation warrants it. Demon Hunter X changed my mind.

In fact, the most satisfying aspect of Demon Hunter X is it's all about beating the living snot out of every sneering werewolf, every smirking vampire, and every other self-righteous maneater that figures humanity is a slow-moving delicacy. Demon Hunter X is violent, gloriously so, and yet it still emphasizes a grudging respect for the powerful shen that are looming everywhere.

This is probably why the book isn't going to thrill fants of the World of Darkness series. In a sense, Demon Hunter X is the answer to the painfully hip elitism that's rife through the Vampire games. If Vampire is the alternative answer to role-playing -- playing the monster instead of playing on the side of humanity -- Demon Hunter X brings us around full circle: human warriors with swords hacking up supernatural forces and rifling through people's wallets. Surely, this is a hack-n-slasher's dream.

Being a fan of anime helps too. The demon hunting Shih aren't necessarily religious fanatics, which sets a tone different from traditional RPG roles of good vs. evil. Shih are forces of nature, just like the shen -- they just "remind" the shen of that. There's a certain amount of heroic fatalism, of admirable amoralism, that lurks beneath the surface of the Shih and their mission. It takes a few anime movies to really comprehend what that's like. There's even a picture in Demon Hunter X that looks suspiciously like Vampire Hunter D. Any book that attempts to emulate 'D and even partially succeds is a book worth buying. And yes, this book has those funky flying scroll-spells that demons loathe so much.

Everything else is gravy. Strike Force Zero is a sort of Men In Black against the Supernatural. It ties into the World of Darkness, which is nice. The Numina (psychic) powers of the SF0 are interesting but not nearly as detailed as the Shih "bridges" of magic.

The role of Demon Hunters has been attempted by Rifts (see the Demon Queller in Rifts Japan) and Mayfair Games (see the Slayer in the Demons supplement) without nearly as much detail or style. A common theme for anime fans, the exciting world of the Demon Hunter has finally been given the proper treatment. What else is lurking in anime films that has yet to be explored?

Although I may not be a hardcore WoD fan, this book was detailed enough to make me purchase it on the source material alone. It also made me consider playing a new game, and that's the best recommendation I can give it.

Style: 5 (Excellent!)
Substance: 5 (Excellent!)

Demon Hunter X
Author: Jim Moore Category: game Company/Publisher: White Wolf Cost: $15.00 Page count: 112 ISBN: 1-56504-202-6 Capsule Review by Michael Tresca on 02/03/99. Genre tags: Asian/Far_East	Coming form the hardcore AD&D school of violence, I'm a little leery of White Wolf games. They have an aura of snootiness about them that implies you can't resort to good ole' fisticuffs if the situation warrants it. Demon Hunter X changed my mind. In fact, the most satisfying aspect of Demon Hunter X is it's all about beating the living snot out of every sneering werewolf, every smirking vampire, and every other self-righteous maneater that figures humanity is a slow-moving delicacy. Demon Hunter X is violent, gloriously so, and yet it still emphasizes a grudging respect for the powerful shen that are looming everywhere. This is probably why the book isn't going to thrill fants of the World of Darkness series. In a sense, Demon Hunter X is the answer to the painfully hip elitism that's rife through the Vampire games. If Vampire is the alternative answer to role-playing -- playing the monster instead of playing on the side of humanity -- Demon Hunter X brings us around full circle: human warriors with swords hacking up supernatural forces and rifling through people's wallets. Surely, this is a hack-n-slasher's dream. Being a fan of anime helps too. The demon hunting Shih aren't necessarily religious fanatics, which sets a tone different from traditional RPG roles of good vs. evil. Shih are forces of nature, just like the shen -- they just "remind" the shen of that. There's a certain amount of heroic fatalism, of admirable amoralism, that lurks beneath the surface of the Shih and their mission. It takes a few anime movies to really comprehend what that's like. There's even a picture in Demon Hunter X that looks suspiciously like Vampire Hunter D. Any book that attempts to emulate 'D and even partially succeds is a book worth buying. And yes, this book has those funky flying scroll-spells that demons loathe so much. Everything else is gravy. Strike Force Zero is a sort of Men In Black against the Supernatural. It ties into the World of Darkness, which is nice. The Numina (psychic) powers of the SF0 are interesting but not nearly as detailed as the Shih "bridges" of magic. The role of Demon Hunters has been attempted by Rifts (see the Demon Queller in Rifts Japan) and Mayfair Games (see the Slayer in the Demons supplement) without nearly as much detail or style. A common theme for anime fans, the exciting world of the Demon Hunter has finally been given the proper treatment. What else is lurking in anime films that has yet to be explored? Although I may not be a hardcore WoD fan, this book was detailed enough to make me purchase it on the source material alone. It also made me consider playing a new game, and that's the best recommendation I can give it. Style: 5 (Excellent!) Substance: 5 (Excellent!)