5 comments about Logical Chess: Move By Move: Every Move Explained New Algebraic Edition.

1. I recently worked through my copy of this book. I must say it was very enjoyable to play through the games and read Chernev's explanations of the moves and the reasons behind them. I think Chernev did a superb job, and this book is a great game collection for anyone interested in chess. Newer players will certainly learn a lot.



2. This book is must reading for any novice! I will never again see a chess board in the same way! Many people, books and films state that principles of martial arts or samurai philosophy apply to everyday life, so much so that they constitute a guiding philosophy. In Japan and China people apply principles from war and strategy books such as The Art of War and The Five Rings to the world of business, and to great effect. Now, many films have also tried to do this with chess, but usually fall short. They usually end up making some blah statement, such as, "We are all pawns," etc. This book contains many fascinating quotes and principles handed down from the masters. As I read them one thing that struck me was that many of these principles apply equally to real life. For instance, Chernev's main lessen in this book is that the right move is determined by the requirements of you position. You assess the situation at hand, you have a goal, and there are only certain actions that will bring that goal about. Thus, the action you take is determined by what circumstance required.



3. Why "unfortunately"? Because Chernev put a lot of hard work into this book. He DOES explain every move--even if he has to go back to obscure 1820s books to say something new about 1. d4 when we see it for the 10th time. What's more, he does this without, for the most part, repeating the old libels about the "crazy" Steinitz or the "sadistic" Alekhine, etc., used by some authors to make reading about chess "exciting" without real work. Also, Chernev's love of the subtle move and the brilliant combination come through in the book, making us all remember why we like chess in the first place.
   
   Unfortunately, the book's analysis is simply bad. It is hard to blame Chernev for trying to simplify what is going on in complex positions--the book is, after all, aimed at beginners--but his simplification completely distorts the situation. Of the 30+ games in the book, almost *all*, apart from five or six, are symetrical open games (1. d4 d5 or 1. e4 e5) many of them using obscure openings few play nowadays (Colle system, King's gambit). Some of this is due to fashion. But a lot of it has to do with something Chernev constantly ignores or mistates, but is of cardinal importance--the *plans* of the two sides.
   
   Putting things very crudely, The King Indian's Defense and other asymmetrical openings allow black to concentrate on other plans--"building a solid position" for example--instead of that of immediate control of the center and rapid development. Why? Because, as Botvinnik noted, with such "asymmterical" plans white's first-move advantage is less prnounced. Conversely, the King's gambit is now unpopular since the main plan for white--attack on the black monarch--had been shown to lead to no more than a draw against accurate play.
   
   Not much of this gets into Chernev's book. For him, the only opening plans are "develop your pieces" and "control the center". For example, he says that the reason people play 1. ... Nf6 in reply to 1. d4 is "to not allow white to dominate the center with 2. e4". Similarly, he condemns 1. ... e6 is "less agressive" (in controlling central space) than 1. ... e5 in reply to 1. e4, but at least it "opens lines to two pieces", does not allow White to play the King's gambit, and is useful against "over-agressive players".
   
   Talk about oversimplification! Chernev's analysis is, I suppose, helpful to absolute beginners, showing them what is wrong with 1. h4 intending 2. Rh3, or with 1. e4 e5 2. Qh5 intending 2. Qxe5+ (which, after the "thematic" 1. ... g6, leads to 3. QxR, 4. QxN, 5. Qx anything she can get her hands on), though they too are left wondering why anybody ever plays "inferior" moves such as 1. c4 or 1. ... Nf6. For all others, Nunn's "Understanding Chess Move by Move" is so superior in every respect comparing the two would be pitiful. It's like, to quote Edward Winter, comparing a Rolce-Royce with a rattle-trap.



4. My 9 y.o. niece recently developed an interest in chess, and she was quick to learn the figurine notation--from Chess Informant, no less. But she had the unfortunate problem of being in an after school program for chess that was neither kid-friendly or (by the description) not doing a very good job either. Since I live a bit far I needed something educational, and after reading some reviews & visiting some bookstores to flip through, I eventually chose what I used from back in 1970s (I was a Fischer Boom kid then), and so I went back to what taught me the basics of play. There's a lot of others out there now but I went with what I knew, eventually I went on to get a Master rating in correspondence chess.
   
   This is a good book to explain why--that's the key concept--certain moves are played, and the themes, strategies & principles behind those moves. It's important to learn the Fischer observation: to get squares, you got to give squares. The ideas of attack & defense, and taking control of squares, ranks, files & diagonals, and learning to tell, at least at a rudimentary level, which are considered more important than others in selected situations. My niece still has to learn what 'fianchetto' means, and she's not ready for hypermodernism vs. classical theory or systematic study of openings or even examining game collections of the greats (something I strongly advocate for players beyond this stage); she has to crawl before she walks. That's what I want from a book that's more a primer. Later there are excellent tomes on short exercises & pattern recognition for identifying situations for tactical play, and to set up traps, and to avoid stepping in one. But those require some ability to 'think logically' ahead of the move; this explains why & now, and the basis for 'ahead'. It's concrete learning for the concrete player.
   
   In looking at other reviews I note that in some that 'theory is out of date'. So should I subject my niece to the shifting sands of the Sicilian Najdorf? The mind-boggling complications from the QGD: Semi-Slav ('let's look at some Alexei Shirov games'). How about the French Defence-Winawer variation with 7. Qg4? Or Alekhine's Defense where likelihood of dropping a piece are astronomical? In a word, no. The classic defenses like the Ruy Lopez or Giocco Piano are fine--one less likely to lose quickly in playing these, either by dropping material or getting pushed off the board. Or the Queen's gambit--the variations have since multiplied but the basic concepts on playing it in the early stages are still valid. Also, a beginner can play the Colle System without learning a lot of theory--it can be set up & played against just about every major defence. I could do without the King's Gambit, I can only think of Boris Spassky, the 11th World Champion, who would roll that out on occasion, and essentially retired from active chess since the 1980s.
   
   Other comments are about 'wrong analysis & errors'. True enough, but I like prose that identifies the purpose & some opinions about alternatives(if one wants a good collection of games of top level grandmaster play that easy to read & clear on concepts, read anything by the great Estonian GM Paul Keres). Also, GM Bent Larsen's retort "Long Analysis, wrong analysis," even as short as some are. What I don't like in "Logical Chess" are the occasional vague phrases like 'doesn't look appealing' without giving a concrete reason why. But that's common to any annotations.
   
   Short games: does anyone know what the attention span of a pre-teen is? I taught elementary school chess for a short time. I like short games--clear concepts, fast finish; it's a little early for endgames--scholastic chess games don't last too long.
   
   One has to learn the rules & principles of chess strategy before becoming an iconoclast. And for that I recommend to the intermediate-advanced player John Watson's "Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy."



5. I started playing chess less than a year ago and I bought couple of chess books. But none of them taught me this much!! This book is amazing, the way of explaining each game and its variations are incredible. I bought this book three months ago and I finished reading it yesterday. I learned that each move on the chess board has a meaning, and also how to play these moves more strategically. This book tells how to open the games and how to think more logically, the result is that the person who reads this book will see the chess board more clearly and make more brilliant moves. In the 33 games of this book I loved the queen pawn opening, especially the Colle system and I practiced this system with other players and I quickly demolished the king side of the opponent. Selected games are very nice games especially those games from Capablanca and Tarrasch. The diagrams are of high quality and the language is very nice to read!
   May be one or two minor point I would like to mention.
   Sicilian opening is one of the most popular opening nowadays, only one game explained in this book. I think she should have added little more opening traps in every opening. May be the author did not want to confuse the readers too much with variations!! But these are very minor things. Overall, this is a must for beginners, highly recommended. I give five stars!

5 comments about Call of Cthulhu: Horror Roleplaying in the Worlds of H. P. Lovecraft, 6th Edition.

1. Become an investigator, and soon realise that the most important thing in the world is trying to hang on to your sanity. Avoiding being
   destroyed by creeping monsters and crazed cultists, is good, too, but a quick axe murder might be preferable in some cases to a life and existence of crazed, terrified insanity.



2. If you want fancy books, this isn't it. In fact, this isn't as nicely done as prior additions. BUT...
   As a game, CofC is even more attractive to me than ever. With the d20 system taken over by endless amounts of crap, a simple, easy to play, easy to understand, very straightforward system that LETS YOU ROLE PLAY and develop a story is very welcome. The updated version does actually very little other than tweak a few bits and add a bit more source material, so you dont need to feel like you have to buy this if you have a prior edition.
   
   If you want a dice fest and super heroes in chain mail, play d20, if you want stories, characters, and fun, play CofC. The horror element doesn't even need to come into play!
   
   Monty Haul players, and folks who want to obsess "with what they can get" won't like this. People that want "a plan" for character development won't like it. That said, nearly every one I've ever played this with loves the game... but be warned, you're GMing skills will be put to the test because there is very little system to hide behind.



3. I haven't played the game for over two decades (I don't know what edition), but decided to pick up the sixth edition.
   
   I will separate my review into game play and content.
   
   **Content**
   Pros:
   Excellent content. Truly reminds me of the old game I played.
   
   It also goes further with more descriptions of monsters and new monsters.
   
   HP's backgorund, though already known by me, gives the reader a sense of history and where the game came from.
   
   Cons:
   Considering it is the sixth edition, I would have thought they would have caught all the typos and grmmatical errors by now. I am a tech writer and a little sensitive about this. (I would love to copy edit for you guys! It would be a labour of love!)
   
   Also, I wish they gave examples of how some of the skills were used. Or, for the ones that did have examples, go into more depth. The game is very skill intensive and they seem to have glossed over it.
   
   **Game Play**
   Pros:
   A lot of fun! What more can I say.
   
   Cons:
   Combat could be tweaked a bit more. And, you die like a dog when you encounter a "monster", but I think that can be attributed to the group that I play with. (Picture 1920's librarians yelling Booyah and rushing into combat with shotguns).
   
   **Conclusion**
   Overall, my rating does not reflect the quality of the game itself, but rather that after six editions they have not addressed the weaknesses of the design. But, they have beefed up the strong points of the game.
   
   Gameplay: 4 out of 5 stars
   Content: 2 out of 5 stars



4. I am a newbie in RPG games but I have to say that CoC is definitely one of my favorites. I am browsing thru the manual in my spare time (very lil) and I am definitely looking forward to run an adventure. The manual is well written, informative and quite complete. Sometimes its structure might be not perfect but it does the job and really provides anyhting you might need.



5. I will be a first time GM, and I've heard that CoC is not a game for beginners GMs, despite that warning, I found the book clear and easy to understand. I look forward to my first game, if I can ever get my gaming group to meet at the same time.

5 comments about Zobmondo: The Outrageous Book of Bizarre Choices.

1. Zobmondo is a hilarious book of with thousands of bizzare choices. The choices come from would u rather marry your first boyfriend/girlfriend or marry someone your parents chose for you? And would u rather take a bumpy two-mile ride sitting wedged (feet hanging out) in the main compartment of a small metal shopping cart or take a 25-mile ride in the empty but rotating bin of a cement truck? It's the perfect book for somebody who likes reading comedy books because this is the funniest book I have ever read.



2. Book arrived right on time for my daughters birthday party. It was in excellent condition when it arrived and the hit of the party!
   Thanks!



3. I bought this years ago from one of those wonderfully quirky book stores that you stumble across. My copy is now well worn. I bring this out at dinner parties, car trips, random boring waiting places etc. and it always receives a great reception. This illicits fantastic conversations with personal points of view and rationalisations being given. It really gives you an insight into your friends minds with questions you would never, ever think to ask but love to hear the answer of. Some questions are rather crazy but on the most part fabulous. One of the highlights of this book that noone else seems to have mentioned is the fun facts on each page relating in some way to the question. These are almost worthy of their own book but just make this one. I also own a copy of one of the Zobmondo board games which is also very fun. This one is a must have for the coffee table or car and is often carried around in my bag, which may explain its dog-earedness.



4. Zobmondo has proven to be a beneficial purchase due to its ability to entertain the reader & company. This book has broken awkward silences, opened many opportunities to learn more about my friends & left many friends & myself in hysterics! A great ice breaker & fun time with Zobmondo!



5. GR8 travel or relaxation fun book to share or read alone. Always an ice breaker too at a party!

5 comments about The Amateur's Mind: Turning Chess Misconceptions into Chess Mastery.

1. No book improved my play like this one did. If you're a rank beginner, it's too advanced for you, but if you are in the 1000 to 1700 range, it can drastically help you. Ever wonder what to do once you finish developing all your pieces? You'll never wonder again.
   
   I improved about 150 points in my USCF rating directly as a result of this book. (It REALLY helps against computers, too, because of its emphasis on positional play.)
   
   This book has all the same information as Reassess Your Chess, but this one is MUCH easier to follow. I have both books. Get this one, forget the other.
   
   This will take care of your strategy, for great tactics training see:
   
   Rapid Chess Improvement (Everyman Chess)
   
   Chess Tactics Art 3.0



2. I was a 1900 rated (slow chess) player on ICC (Internet Chess Club, a very popular website that bunch of Grandmasters and International masters play on) when I picked this book up. (The Complete Book of Chess Strategy by Silman helped me go from 1300 to 1900, and I deeply appreciate that book.) The Strategy book already taught me positional chess, in a way, and through practice I was able to see weaknesses on the board and execute it better and better through process. But I was stuck on 1900 for like 4 months, and I didn't get better. So I thought maybe my thinking process was wrong. So I started reading this and found out lots of the stuff I already knew. But the best thing about this book is that it DEMONSTRATES to you how to make those imbalances he discussed in an actual game count. So I read it, not VERY detailed, but I read every single word, like reading a novel (in novel you just go through fast but you make sure you know what's going and that's what I did), and guess what, it got me from 1900 to 2100! I don't feel this book is advanced at all, since I'm a very postional-based type of player and not very tactical (maybe that's what keeping me from going higher in rating who knows).
   
   Anyway, this is a very good book that teaches you the art of the game and how each piece should be used in a game. I liked it!



3. In "The Amateur's Mind," a book by "How To Reassess Your Chess" author Jeremy Silman, Mr. Silman looks at many of the areas of a chess game and shows how to play them (or how not to play them). To emphasize his point, he shows games of himself vs. an amateur and shows the common errors and pitfalls the average amateur encounters in his play. If you learn from the mistakes, and follow Mr. Silman's example (he's always better than the amateur and does the "right thing"), you'll be a better player.
   
   The book itself was helpful to me in that I, too, was an amateur (I didn't know my rating or anything like that, but I played at that level). Reading this book really helped me to think about how I played chess, and I think, certainly helped my play.
   
   The problem with this book is that Mr. Silman is EXTREMELY critical. He always highlights the bad play of amateurs, and very, VERY little of the good. I was hoping for a more balanced outlook, but that's not what I found.
   
   Still, the good outweighs the bad. After reading this book, I felt that I could feel what my opponents were thinking, and I knew how to respond. In fact, I'd call this book a chess-psychology book. Not only do we learn how the amateurs play, but we learn how they think (or at least how Mr. Silman's students think; I assume they represent the average amateur). Mr. Silman himself has written down what they verbally thought while playing some of these games, and often (with unnecessary harshness) points out if they're on the right mental track or not.
   
   Included in the back are some exercises, which you should do after you've read all the chapters, understood them, and have absorbed the material from each. These exercises are good for testing what you've learned from this book.
   
   This book, all in all, is very helpful, but not as much as Silman's masterpiece, "How to Reassess your Chess," but I think any chess player should have both: "Reassess" teaches YOU how to play a good game, and "Amateur's Mind" shows you how the opponent plays.



4. After giving "How to reassess your chess" such a bad review (one star) someone told me to take a look at Silman other book (Especially after he won the Chesscafe award for his latest book). And my opinion is that this is much better book for improvers. "The Amateur's Mind" is instructive (through the whole book) and gives a player (around 1500) a very good introduction in middle game strategic elements and planning.
   
   I believe I have to look at "How to reassess your chess" again, but until then I would recommend "The Amateur's Mind" as one's first book (1500-1800) in strategy and planning and for instance "Strategic Play" (1900-->) by Mark Dvoretsky as a good second book.



5. This is a advanced chess book for the improving player. It is beyond tactics or tricks, but dives into the positional element of the game. It deals with imbalances, Knight verses Bishop endings. It has sections dealing with weak squares and where to attack the other party. This book allows the average chess player to see the board clearer. After reading the book one will have a better understanding of the development and future of the game. You learn to read the weaknesses of the pawn structure and the defense to choose the best game plan for victory. This book improved my ratings on Yahoo. I am up to 1551 with a strong win over a 1575.

5 comments about Art of Attack in Chess.

1. I found this book to be very helpful in learning how to navigate the middlegame better. The concepts are very well organized. Beginners may find this book too complex and involved, but for those who seriously want to get better at chess this book is a must have!



2. This book is a super-classic, though no exercises to test, this does not matter,
   as this is not just a book of puzzles and so no need to give exercises for you to solve. In fact it is a bible of attack. After reading this book, your attacking power would be much, much improved and when solving those puzzles by John Nunn, Gallagher, combination motifs, manual of combinatioin etc, those previous difficult puzzels you cannot solve, may now be seem to be easy to you!!! Just look the the numerous reprints, so can have an idea how great this book is!!!! Now with the book in Algaebraic system, then there is no excuse not to buy it!!!!!!



3. great for about 1800+ rating players dont buy this as your first book it is too advanced .. this will get your attack working and winning



4. From the reviews I have read , I thought this book would improve my play . Note this is my interest -- I want to win games . I could care less if my attacking technique improves if I end up losing the game . I hope anyone reading this agrees with me . This is exactly the fault of this book . It teaches you ONLY attacking techniques that if not properly undertaken may cost you the game . Reading this book actually made my play loose . I had to look for desperate ways to get at opponent's king as my own position had too many holes . Needless to say I was under lot of pressure in my games due to aggressive attacking play . My verdict -- this book could decrease your rating in chess . Please take the reviews you read with a grain of salt . One man's meat is another man's poison .



5. I'm glad to have the algebraic edition of this timeless classic. Since attack is what chess is mainly about, this book is perhaps as essential as such cornerstones as "My System." Surely a must-have for anyone rated 1500+.

4 comments about From London to Elista: The Inside Story of the World Chess Championship Matches That Vladimir Kramnik Won Against Garry Kasparov, Peter Leko and Vesilin Topalov.

1. First I want to clarify and say that this book deserves its good reputation, and its high selling volume since it first came out is justified. One can enjoy penetrating into thinking process of the skilled chess professionals who had been interviewed from the Kramnik camp, as well as read excripts from the other GMs cited from different sources.
   Sheer amount of psychology involved into pre-game preparation is puzzling, and drive one to continuously read it. Concreatly, I was more interested into reading details of pre-game preparation process and post-mortem reactions, than of analysis of the games played. Fortunatelly, analysis material of the games is significantly lighter that that of the "San Luis 2005" book, but still it wouldnt mind if some more textual explanation had been added into it, especially at late opening phase mortals nowdays are hard to grasp.
   From historical perspective this is the book to have on your chess shelf to cover world championship matches starting from 2000 and leading to final unification match in 2006.
   Recommended.



2. If you are a typical chess amateur like me who loves to read chess books more for the anecdotes, and sort of wishes that the games and analysis would somehow automatically permeate through to my consciousness, then you will love this book.
   
   The stories and accounts are fascinating, Ilya Luvitov in particular asks some very sharp and direct questions and this brings out the best of Bareev. And snippets in between from thoughts of Kramnik and Lautier and the occassional quip from an Kasparov interview keep making the book more colorful.
   
   The games are full of diagrams and there is both sufficient text commentary that you dont need to setup a board and also there is enough analysis to keep one busy if one did get the pieces out !
   
   A book not to be missed, unique amongst all chess books in the way it captures the very heart of the human element of competitive endeavour.



3. After I have seen this book I must say that it is a "must" that anyone should have. It is shameful that somebody that wants to become the undisputed world champion, tries to win it by means that do not belong to the sport. To accuse someone and to have no proof at all of anything, it is only show of seomone who is not capable of getting anything via normal ways.
   Definitely Kramnik won "EVERY SINGLE POINT" on the chess board. I have seen the San Luis 2005 book, and I would say, that yes it might have some points in which Topalov could have worked on his own before computers were well developed. But, to try to win a WCC match by no sportive means. That's something else!. NO EXCUSE for that!!!
   I really like the book!



4. From London to Elista: The Inside Story of the World Chess Championship Matches That Vladimir Kramnik Won Against Garry Kasparov, Peter Leko and Vesilin Topalov I found the book to read easily and the material with analysis is very strong.

4 comments about Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction Signature Series Guide (Brady Games Signature Series Guide).

1. I was not sure if I would like this game. I read a review on IGN and took a chance. What a hoot!! I am not good at video games, so this game is a challenge BUT I am having a ball with it...
   
   Have a great Holiday!
   Smacka



2. This book helps find the few pieces I couldn't find. It was pretty easy to navigate and gave all the info I needed.



3. It is nice that you can depend on at least one good fun game on PS3,and this game has all the fun that the first in the series had, but updated nicely for the new console.



4. I got this (Ratchet & Clank Future) guide and game for my 15 yr old grandson, who loves the game and has found this guide to be of great help in locating quest areas and hidden items. The guide maps and instructions are very well done and is a good value for the price. I highly recommend this guide for those who desire to locate all of the hidden treasures and unlock additional items in the game.

5 comments about Cryptograms to Keep You Sharp.

1. This is the perfect book for cryptogram lovers. You can use none or up to 3 hints for each puzzle. Spiral bound makes it easy to use also.



2. This book is what I was looking for. Too many cryptograms book have 'too small type font' and are impossible to do. This one is good :)



3. I am an huge cryptogram fan. This book is great. The only nitpick I have is that the answers are printed one after the other, so you might wind up seeing the next quote if you go to check your answer. I love the spiral binding, and the fact that it is printed on thick white paper. I'm usually frustrated with cryptogram books because the paper is cheap and tears when you inevitably have to erase.



4. I am really enjoying the cryptograms in "Cryptograms to Keep You Sharp". I love the meaningful quotes, and the font size is perfect! The good quality paper and sprial binding are a big plus as well.
   
   Also, the hints are arranged in the beginning of the book, so you don't have to worry about having a wandering eye, and seeing the full solution when you only wanted a hint.
   
   Overall, I would highly recommend this book to both the cryptogram "pro" & "novice" alike - it's a great one!



5. This is a nice collection of cryptograms, mostly "quote-type". It has a few nice features: it is spiral-bound and has "hints" to help if you get stuck. Some of the letter substitutions, hints and styles become a bit too familiar (and easy). But this book is great to relax and enjoy a moderate challenge.

5 comments about How to Read Your Opponent's Cards: The Bridge Experts' Way to Locate Missing High Cards.

1. It takes a fair amount of work and effort to apply the techniques presented in this book. But it's time well spent. If you can master these skills you will be a very good club player. Be aware that its slow going as you have to follow every card play and think about whats going on.

   Why didnt the West lead hearts when he opened 1 Heart? Hmmm, probably because West doesn't have AK or KH, so the honors are split. That means East has 3 or 4 high card points. Since East already showed up with teh Queen of clubs, its liekly he's empty, else he would have raised Wests 1 heart opener. Therefore take the finesse against Wests Queen of Diamonds.

   The amazing thing is after a while I was able to play almost every honor in all the hands.

   This works, just takes effort to apply it. Spend your tiem counting HCP, and distributions, and you will become a solid player. You don't have to study 5 books on Sqeezes, 8 books on bidding, etc. Concentrate on the basics and you will greatly improve.




2. If you're looking for a book on deduction and card reading overall in bridge, you may want to look at other books on the topic. If, however, you are looking for a great book on how to think as declarer, this is the one you want. Lawrence shows a number of inferences and techniques that are not obvious until one has had them explained. For instance, when a player does not lead from a suit in which you are missing the AKQ, that player likely does not hold AK or KQ. The idea of "card placing by assumption" is not so much card reading as it is proper play technique.
   
   Lawrence has expanded tremendously on this topic in his "Counting at Bridge" software, but this book still provides great insight into how experts think about dummy play. Any novice or intermediate player will benefit.



3. One key difference between intermediate bridge players and strong players is that intermediate players play their own cards well, while strong players play their own cards plus the opponents' cards well, as well. This book will teach you the critical skill of card location: how to determine which cards your opponents are holding based on what they bid (or didn't bid) and what they've led (or haven't led).
   
   This book is small, but you're not buying based on word count. The knowledge is dense, with plenty of examples given as quizzes to help teach the material. Plan on reading the book carefully.



4. Imposible to do so with no item received



5. It looks like it's filled with insight. The only problem is the pages are not properly bound and as I turn them, they fall out of the book.

5 comments about Werewolf: The Forsaken.

1. I got this along with World of Darkness, Mage and Vampire. My group has decided to "graduate" from Dungeons and Dragons to World of Darkness because its much more sophisticated. In this game you play modern day werewolves who hunt evil spirits and keep a balance with nature. It mixes well with all the other 3 core games and you can easily do crossovers. This game is about modern day horror, not furry power rangers.
   
   The illustrations are incredible, White Wolf really produces amazing work. I cannot rate this game high enough. If you are bored with D&D or other munchkin games like Magic the gathering or even substandard imitations like WitchCraft from Eden Studios, then THIS game is for YOU.



2. Some of you may have read my review of Requiem. If not, then allow me to retread some of it in order to preface this review.
   
   When the Original World of Darkness ended, White Wolf promised something new to those who had been longtime fans and players of its games. They released Requiem first, but it wasn't until Forsaken hit the shelves that the promise was really fulfilled.
   
   Werewolf: The Apocalypse was about a dying race's futile fight. Geopolitics and ecological concerns injected themes that were off topic for the subject matter.
   
   Forsaken lacks these flaws.
   
   The mechanics, though sometimes convoluted, are strong. They serve the themes of the game in unique and interesting ways.
   
   The presentation is complete, and conveys the primal nature of the werewolf. The mythology feels old, as if told from the beginning of time. The individual psychologies of the various factions are understandable, compelling, and complex.
   
   The setting itself focuses on a much more tightly constrained level than its predecessor. Instead of a large region, the pack is intended to take charge of a small territory, dealing with the brutal threats of other packs, while at the same time hunting in the spirit world... both because it is their nature, and because it is their responsibility.
   
   Nothing save a few minor terms from Apocalypse are reused, although some concepts see resurgence (the spectrum of forms is nearly the same, and the five auspices are similar to their old counterparts.... though care was taken to make the new renditions distinct from the older versions). There are small nods to the old game, but generally speaking the themes, cosmology, and setting are all new.
   
   Though the Breeds of Apocalypse have been Excised (all werewolves descend from human lineages), the society and psychology of the Forsaken are remarkably lupine, and the game takes care to emphasize that fact. A legal code is counterpointed with a morality trait (a first for a Werewolf game) that allows the characters to find an animal ethic in acts that would be monsterous to a normal human. Make no mistake, Werewolves are savage beasts, not shape shifting world savers.
   
   As with Requiem, this game lacks a metaplot. The world is for the storyteller to develop... but discussion of past events, and history goes far to make the setting feel as though it were genuinely alive.
   
   I daresay there's more wolf in the core rulebook of Forsaken than there was in the entire revised edition of Apocalypse... and in a game called 'Werewolf', that's a good thing.



3. The book is great. It is a good way for those who want to start playing the WoD.



4. Let's begin by dispelling the idea that this is or should be seen as an update of the older Werewolf: the Apocalypse. Most other reviews of this product begin with the premise that it should be compared to its predecessor, and review this product from there. What follows, then, is a biased description that starts and ends with the other game.
   
   This is not Apocalypse. This is a new game. Some elements carry over, some do not. But the themes and stories one tells using it are drastically different and the game deserves to be reviewed on its own flaws and merits and not whether it changes your favorite concept from an earlier game.
   
   And from that perspective this game does very well. It mixes many traditional Werewolf concepts with a new spiritual slant. Its "dark animism" themes are entirely appropriate to the horror setting presented in White-Wolf's World of Darkness. Its concepts of pack and the local, territorial focus create a strong set up for a role playing group. It somehow mixes bestial fury and violence with elegant symbolism and mysticism, and presents the whole package through a dark lens that sets up exceptional stories for players to create.
   
   Do not be taken in by those who would compare Forsaken to Apocalypse. I've played both. People who prefer the later are looking for something different than what you'll find in this game. That's fine, but do not let them convince you that apples are bad because they prefer oranges.



5. Different system; better IMO. Wold of Darkness book will be a help in understanding this system.