Forget the horrible pile of dung that was Digital Web v1. The new edition redeems the Web, the Virtual Adepts and the whole idea of a war between Tradition Technomages and the Technocracy for control of the Internet. This book makes it viable, interesting and playable.
The Good:
Now there are more rotes for Webslinging, and you don't need Arete 4+ to use them. You can do just fine with Arete 2 and the right mundane Abilities. All of the needed rules for adventuring in the Web are there and they passed my mates' BS test; they didn't die laughing or throw the book across the room, so it's accurate enough for most Mage players.
There are now Corrupted Sectors, so all you Wyrm/Nephandi fans can get in on the action. Techie realms are SRVRZ; Wyld realms are just that.
You can have daemons do your dirty work for you, but most of the time you'll have to twip someone else's daemons to get where you're going. Some of them are weak and annoying, while others are virtual forces of nature that Kibo couldn't blow away.
The Bad:
The Race got restarted and now everyone begins with a clean slate; the Adepts got screwed. There is severe dissention and rumors of Adepts and Voiders breaking away to form a new faction. The Web is no longer a private club for Mages of any creed; Sleepers can and do break in now, and in ever-greater numbers, with the usual effects that such events create.
The Ugly:
Fortunately, the worst that it gets is the Image-like need for all of the women to be top-heavy. This doesn't include the quasi-abstracted pictures, which have their own problems.
The Verdict:
Get this! You wanna do C-punk netrunning? You can. You wanna use this with your Glass Walkers? You can. Malkie Mad-Net? You got it! It's all that and more, and it's less than $20. That much utility is a bargain, so don't pass it up.
Style: 4 (Classy and well done)
Substance: 4 (Meaty)
