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Edit: Below is my original review; however, this game is $25. Before buying this, take a look at the 5E homebrew called "The Enhanced". This is completely free and allows you to play superheroes in 5E.
This game is hard to rate. On one hand this game offers a promise. It advertises 5E with superheroes. It delivers 5E with superheroes. On that note, you're probably looking at this page because you want 5E with superheroes. You can buy it. It fully delivers.
I tried homebrewing superheroes and this system does so much legwork. Generic powers (spells) that anyone can take. A combination of Ancestry (Human/Alien/Mutant/etc.), Culture (Ancient Earth/Alien/Future/etc.) and your traditional backgroud works simple enough with a lot of room to actually make the character you're thinking of.
Reflexive powers that don't require power slots is a system that is very simple to pick up but for sure makes the characters feel like big screen super heroes over fantasy heroes. The game has a lot going right.
This game is Cyberpunk 2077 on launch. There is no reason for the book to released in the state it is in. None of this prevents you from playing, but it's grating.
We have:
- Missing bookmarks. If you want to find a power, you have to scroll.
- Constant copied and pasted sections from Dungeons & Dragons. Characters use powers not spells, that won't stop you from seeing references to spells.
- Missing references. Powers are missing from lists. They exist in the book, but the Swing power- the power vital to make a Spider-Man clone can only be found by flipping through the book and stumbling on it.
- I don't know what to call this, but in one section the Vitalist (Druid/Aquaman/Nature hero) is stated to need to prepare powers. Looking at their class entry this is clearly not the case.
- No. Character. Sheets.
The problems don't stop there. There's a lot that needs to be homebrewed. There aren't rules for minions. This is 5E so Matt Collville's minion rules work great. I shouldn't have to do that. Minions are absolutly needed for a superhero game. They have low level enemies that you could throw in- but that's not an ideal solution and any other superhero game on the market knows that. The game suggests you don't have to level up. It doesn't offer any alternative such as a Mutants & Masterminds equivalent of hero points. It just says "you could not".
All in all. I'm still running a campaign with it. My group actually loves it. This is great translation of 5E to superheroes. This is what the game sets out to do and it succeeds. If you're okay looking past typos, if you're using a VTT or online play where you already need to make your own character sheets, if you're okay with homebrew and digging through Dungeons & Dragons wealth of supplements and fan creations- this is a great level based, combat oriented superhero game. Something I think is missing on the market. I mean this unironically and this is well worth checking out. But man, continuing the Cyberpunk 2077 metaphor it's a gem in heavy need of polish.
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