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So, it's out. Does it live up to it's hype? Is it the World of Darkness with Superheroes? (No.) What is it, and is it worth the money? What makes it stand out from other games of it's kind? What the hell *is* it, anyway?

Artwork:

Eye-catching, and falls well within a game that's tangentally related to superheroes. Most of it is good, with a few that should have been dropped, but definitely above par.

One side-note: There is a picture, in the black-and-white section where all the rules and stuff are located. It is supposed to represent the Mega-Appearance Attribute (which I'll explain later on.) It is a picture of a young woman with breasts big enough to suffocate a horse, or perhaps a small elephant. (Good news: at least this time the breasts were *covered*, unlike some of the World of Darkness supplements. That already puts the game up a notch.) I was rather put-off by that, until I realized that it was probably White Wolf's insider jab at those comic-book artists (we know who they are) who draw all of their female characters as if they were implant-era Pamela Anderson in zero- gravity. So yes, it's tacky, but in a similar way to the new South Park movie, which is hard not to laugh at as it skewers everyone. Try not to be offended, and look at the picture as a spoof, not sexist ignorance.

Layout:

Again, White Wolf sticks to the winning Trinity formula by putting all of the rules in a black-and white section in the back of the book, while putting the setting information in a color section at the front. It works, and oh-so-much better than the mix of setting and rules in the World of Darkness game.

But do yourself a favor. Read the black and white section first. *Then* read the color section. Again. And Again. Then read the color section *again* after a few days. The problem, you see, is that the color section does an effective job of conveying the media saturation that the average person in the Aberrant setting negotiates on a daily basis. Sometimes, it's too effective. The information about the world the Aberrants live in *is* in there, you just need the time and patience to sift through the debris. Kinda like Usenet... Other than that, it is a sometimes hilarious world, sometimes a scary world, but one in which you can nod your head after looking at it and say, "Yep. This is what it would probably be like if we had these super-humans in our world."

Rules:

The rules follow the modified Storyteller system used in Trinity. Use ten-sided dice, often rolled in a bunch called a pool. If you roll a seven or higher, count it as a success. The difficulty of the situation is reflected by how many successes you need to achieve, and the dice pool reflects how likely you are to succeed, as well as the degree of success yo are likely to achieve. It is streamlined from the original Storyteller system, which is good, because trying to use the original Storyteller rules in this game would have been an unmitigated disaster. It flows, and the book provides helpful hints to keep it flowing. Thus, unlike other "superhero" games, it's combat section flows where others stutter or stall. It's character creation section and powers section is good, too. It builds on the premise that Aberrants are simply humans squared (to use a math term.) Mega- Attributes are simply regular human characteristics (strength, stamina, charisma, perception, etc.)taken to an extreme. The powers flow from these premises logically. It's pseudo-scientific explanation for where these powers come from (a strange tumor-thingy in the Aberrant's brain that allows the Aberrant in question to manipulate reality on th equanum level) is rather interestingly delved into. Bad news: in the game world, there is no magic or aliens, and gadgeteering rules are vague, for now.

Setting:

As I mentioned above, this is where the book shines, even if you have to sift through the sand for the diamonds. This is a very realistic world, where the gadgeteer sells his inventions to corporations and sets up a charity fund with the money, where the singer with the hypnotic voice uses it to make an album, rather than hypnotizing guards at the bank he's robbing, and where the silly-ass spandex- looking suits are actually *practical*. The super-villains (known as the Teragen) have an actual philosophy behing their madness, while the heroes can sometimes be anything but. And the vast majority of Aberrants, rather than diving headlong into heroism/villainy, are still just ordinary people trying to make sense of it all. But the normal humans around them seem to want to either be them, worship them, or fear and try to destroy/enslave them. "Congratulations, you're an Aberrant (which is a derogatory term; the proper term is "Nova.") You have the power of a god at your disposal, as well as all the baggage that comes with it. Now what?" And somehow, "I'm going to Disneyland!" just isn't going to cut it anymore...

All in all:

There are some things that should have been done differently, IMHO, but in the end, it is a solid game with an excellent setting. I like, and if you like superhero games but want something with a twist, you'll probably like it also.

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

ABERRANT Limited Hardcover Edition
Author: Achilli, Bates, Hatch, etc. Category: game Company/Publisher: White Wolf Line: Trinity Universe Cost: $29.95 Page count: 286 (plus ads) ISBN: 1-56504-625-0 Capsule Review by Carl L. Congdon on 07/03/99. Genre tags: Science_fiction Modern_day Far_Future Anime Conspiracy	So, it's out. Does it live up to it's hype? Is it the World of Darkness with Superheroes? (No.) What is it, and is it worth the money? What makes it stand out from other games of it's kind? What the hell is it, anyway? Artwork: Eye-catching, and falls well within a game that's tangentally related to superheroes. Most of it is good, with a few that should have been dropped, but definitely above par. One side-note: There is a picture, in the black-and-white section where all the rules and stuff are located. It is supposed to represent the Mega-Appearance Attribute (which I'll explain later on.) It is a picture of a young woman with breasts big enough to suffocate a horse, or perhaps a small elephant. (Good news: at least this time the breasts were covered, unlike some of the World of Darkness supplements. That already puts the game up a notch.) I was rather put-off by that, until I realized that it was probably White Wolf's insider jab at those comic-book artists (we know who they are) who draw all of their female characters as if they were implant-era Pamela Anderson in zero- gravity. So yes, it's tacky, but in a similar way to the new South Park movie, which is hard not to laugh at as it skewers everyone. Try not to be offended, and look at the picture as a spoof, not sexist ignorance. Layout: Again, White Wolf sticks to the winning Trinity formula by putting all of the rules in a black-and white section in the back of the book, while putting the setting information in a color section at the front. It works, and oh-so-much better than the mix of setting and rules in the World of Darkness game. But do yourself a favor. Read the black and white section first. Then read the color section. Again. And Again. Then read the color section again after a few days. The problem, you see, is that the color section does an effective job of conveying the media saturation that the average person in the Aberrant setting negotiates on a daily basis. Sometimes, it's too effective. The information about the world the Aberrants live in is in there, you just need the time and patience to sift through the debris. Kinda like Usenet... Other than that, it is a sometimes hilarious world, sometimes a scary world, but one in which you can nod your head after looking at it and say, "Yep. This is what it would probably be like if we had these super-humans in our world." Rules: The rules follow the modified Storyteller system used in Trinity. Use ten-sided dice, often rolled in a bunch called a pool. If you roll a seven or higher, count it as a success. The difficulty of the situation is reflected by how many successes you need to achieve, and the dice pool reflects how likely you are to succeed, as well as the degree of success yo are likely to achieve. It is streamlined from the original Storyteller system, which is good, because trying to use the original Storyteller rules in this game would have been an unmitigated disaster. It flows, and the book provides helpful hints to keep it flowing. Thus, unlike other "superhero" games, it's combat section flows where others stutter or stall. It's character creation section and powers section is good, too. It builds on the premise that Aberrants are simply humans squared (to use a math term.) Mega- Attributes are simply regular human characteristics (strength, stamina, charisma, perception, etc.)taken to an extreme. The powers flow from these premises logically. It's pseudo-scientific explanation for where these powers come from (a strange tumor-thingy in the Aberrant's brain that allows the Aberrant in question to manipulate reality on th equanum level) is rather interestingly delved into. Bad news: in the game world, there is no magic or aliens, and gadgeteering rules are vague, for now. Setting: As I mentioned above, this is where the book shines, even if you have to sift through the sand for the diamonds. This is a very realistic world, where the gadgeteer sells his inventions to corporations and sets up a charity fund with the money, where the singer with the hypnotic voice uses it to make an album, rather than hypnotizing guards at the bank he's robbing, and where the silly-ass spandex- looking suits are actually practical. The super-villains (known as the Teragen) have an actual philosophy behing their madness, while the heroes can sometimes be anything but. And the vast majority of Aberrants, rather than diving headlong into heroism/villainy, are still just ordinary people trying to make sense of it all. But the normal humans around them seem to want to either be them, worship them, or fear and try to destroy/enslave them. "Congratulations, you're an Aberrant (which is a derogatory term; the proper term is "Nova.") You have the power of a god at your disposal, as well as all the baggage that comes with it. Now what?" And somehow, "I'm going to Disneyland!" just isn't going to cut it anymore... All in all: There are some things that should have been done differently, IMHO, but in the end, it is a solid game with an excellent setting. I like, and if you like superhero games but want something with a twist, you'll probably like it also. Style: 5 (Excellent!) Substance: 5 (Excellent!)

ABERRANT Limited Hardcover Edition