[Review] Westward

 

Introduction

The name’s Davenport. I review games.

So the other day I hear a knock. On my wall.

I go outside, and what do I see?

A 15′ steam mech. Driven by a cowboy.

“Howdy, pardner!” he says. “I done moseyed up on ol’ Bessie here to git you to review Westward, the steampunk Western roleplaying game!”

“A steampunk Western game?” I says. “Okay, I can get behind that. But I gotta ask: What’s a cowboy know about building a steam mech?”

“Shoot, ain’t nuthin’ to it,” he says. “Well, ‘cept all the math. ‘Specially the decimals.”

“The decimals?”

“Yep!” he says. “Always gotta be worried ’bout the last roundup.”

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[Q&A] Eloy Lasanta & Jeff Zitomer (H. P. Lovecraft Preparatory Academy)

[19:34] <+JZitomer> Hi everyone!  I’m the designer of The HP Lovecraft Preparatory Academy RPG coming from 3rd Eye Games!

[19:34] <+Eloy-3EG> And I’m Eloy Lasanta, owner of Third Eye Games who is the publisher of HPL Prep. lol

[19:35] <+Eloy-3EG> and if you’re wondering, yes, I’ll just be restating everything Jeff says. 😛

[19:35] <+VictorSerrano> Lol

[19:35] <+JZitomer> And since he’s the boss, it’ll be canned, pre-approved answers.  😉

[19:35] <+JZitomer> Fire away!

[Review] Victorious

Introduction

The name’s Davenport. I review games.

So the other day there’s a knock at my office door, and it’s Sherlock Holmes. That’s right, the Sherlock Holmes. Deerstalker hat, pipe, the works.

I ask him what brings him by today.

“Elementary!” he says. “I’ve come by today for a review of Victorious!”

“Okay,” I says. “So what’s Victorious?”

“Elementary!” he says. “Victorious is a roleplaying game about Victorian superheroes!”

“Victorian superheroes?” I says. “So why’d they send you by with this gig? You ain’t exactly a superhero.”

“Elementary!” he says. “Why, with my exceptional mind and extraordinary skills, not to mention the fact that I am a remarkable physical specimen, I am easily a match for that bat fellow you Colonials are so fond of.”

“Uh-huh,” I says. “And where’d you get to be such an all-around amazing guy?”

“In elementary school, of course!”

[Review] Of Dreams and Magic

Introduction

The name’s Davenport. I review games.

So the other day a superhero walks into my office — cape, underwear on the outside, the whole nine yards.

“Let me guess,” I says, “You want me to review a superhero game.”

“Huh?” he says. “Oh, this!” He looks down at himself. “This is just my Animus.”

“Your what?”

“My Animus. My dream form.”

“Okaaay…” I says. I’d seen this type before. Best to humor’em. “So what’s the job?”

I’ll be damned if he doesn’t break out a pouch full of herbs and chalk and rat skulls. Before I can say a word, the guy does a Voodoo ritual right there on my desk. And when he’s done, there’s a rulebook sittin’ there. Of Dreams and Magic, it says.

“…Was that your superpower?” I says.

“Oh, no,” he says. “That’s just some magic I picked up along the way. Here, I’ll give you the PDF copy, too.”

He proceeds to pull a freakin’ datajack outta his skull and plug it into my trusty laptop.

“What in the Hell kinda game is this?” I says.

“Like the title says, it’s about dreams and magic,” he says.

If this is what this guy’s dreams are like, I think to myself, I know someone who’s been hittin’ the sauce before bedtime.

Anyway, here’s the review.

[Review] The Singularity System

Introduction

The name’s Davenport. I review games.

So the other day a Gladius light starfighter with Handling 3, Mobility 3, Tactical Speed 1000, Hull 20, Armor 8, Plasma Torpedo Launcher (Centerline), Top Mounted Pulse Laser Turret, Systems 3, ReAct -10, Fire Control System, Crew Protection, Hardening 5, and Shields 20 lands outside my office.

The pilot hops out, and when he takes off his helmet, I see that it’s Devon Oratz of the End Transmission Games crew. I invite him inside, and he tells me he’s got a review gig for me: The Singularity System, an all-purpose science fiction roleplaying game.

“All-purpose?” I says. “Well, it had better have aliens and cybernetics and psionics and spaceships.”

“Well,” he says, “most of the aliens and the cybernetics and psionics are in our supplements — the rules modules. But boy, do we have spaceships! Mechs, too! And loads of other types of vehicles! Here, take a look!”

Turns out he was right. He shows me pages and pages of vehicles.

I tell him that I’d give it a go, but I warn him that I’m not one for readin’ page after page of starship specs.

I couldn’t say much for his ride, either. Everybody knows the Gladius ain’t got nothing on the Dragonfly starfighter with Handling +1, Mobility 3, Tactical Speed 500, Hull 30, Armor 10, Turbolaser (Center Line), Belly Mounted Turret (Pulse Laser Turret), Two Rocket Pods, Six hardpoints, System 6, ReAct -10, Fire Control System, Hardening 6, Shields 60, Chaff 8, ECM, and Damage Control.

[Review] Yggdrasill

Introduction

The name’s Davenport. I review games.

So the other day I answer a knock on my office door, and who’s standing there?

A Viking. With a shield and an axe.

And glasses.

“Hullo,” the Viking says. “Andrew Peregrine, line developer, at your service. I’m here to tell you about Yggdrasill, the fantasy game of Norse adventure!”

Turns out he was a Viking with glasses and a Limey accent.

“Your helmet doesn’t have horns,” I point out. ‘Cause it didn’t.

The Limey Viking chuckles. “Well, two points: First, I’m dressed as a Norseman, but not as a Viking. All Vikings were Norsemen, but not all Norsemen were Vikings.

“And second, Vikings didn’t have helmets with horns. That’s a myth.”

“You mean like them worshippin’ Odin?”

“No, that was real.”

“Odin was real?”

“No, Odin was a myth.”

“…A real myth?”

“Yes. And in Yggdrasill, Norse myths are real.”

“So in Yggdrasill, Odin is real”

“Yes.”

“But Vikings still didn’t have horns.”

“No. That myth is a myth.”

“…Okay. So Yggdrasill is a game of Norse adventure with myths that are real.”

“Precisely!”

“But Vikings were never horny.”

“That is not what I said!”

Sheesh. There’s no pleasin’ some people.

Anyway, here’s the review.

[Review] Chill 3rd edition

Introduction

The name’s Davenport. I review games.

So the other day I’m sittin’ at my desk catchin’ up on the funny pages, when all of a sudden the temperature drops about 40 degrees. I’m just about to get on the horn with the landlady to complain about the A/C goin’ on the fritz — again — when a message in blood appears on the wall.

GREETINGS, FOOLISH MORTAL, it says. ARE YOU PREPARED TO FACE THE HORRORS OF CHILL?

“I won’t have much choice until the landlady fixes the damn A/C,” I says. “And by the way, I hope you’re gonna clean that up…”

I hear what sounds like a dead guy sighin’.

NO, FOOLISH MORTAL, the writin’ says. CHILL THIRD EDITION.

And from outta nowhere, a floatin’ rotted hand plops the core rules on my desk and disappears.

“Oh, right!” I says. “I heard about this. The horror game. I hear they really cleaned up the rules this time around, too. Sure, I’ll be glad to give it a look.”

I figured I’d better get to reviewin’ it right away, too.

After all, the writin’ was on the wall.