Really and truly a great game. Simple rules, quick characters, and elegant resolution. Provides information on everything from starving to burning to death, and has enough background information to start a campaign right away. <br><br><b>LIKED</b>: Easy to learn, easy to play, easy to campaign, easy to have fun!<br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: Ship-to-ship combat is possibly the only thing that needs work, and you should take them up on their suggestion of using their Ships of the Line game to supplement your broadsides.<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Excellent<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Very Satisfied<br><BR>[THIS REVIEW WAS EDITED]<BR>

Holy crap, this is amazing. I have picked up probably every anime-related rpg every, from Teenagers From Outer Space, to Project A-Ko, to Mekton, BESM in all of its incarnations, and even the abominable RandomAnime game. I even have a few from Japan itself. By far, however, OVA has had the simplest rules, the most detail, and overall keeps the true feel of anime in its many genres and incarnations. While I haven't had a chance to play this with any of my friends yet, many have already taken a look through the rules and are eager to start. Probably the only thing that stood out was the lack of technical information for weapons, armor, and vehicles. However, any veteran of the Feng Shui game system, where such things are props, and therefore, not important enough to bother with outside of how big of a boom they make, will understand that OVA is doing it right for this style of gaming. Kudos to OVA also for having comparatively good and consistent artwork (something that has been severely lacking in BESM's recent version, and similar recent offerings to the anime game genre).<br><br><b>LIKED</b>: Well written, well illustrated. Also good that the writer has been keeping the errata updated.<br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: Could use a little more in the way of abilities, and maybe a short bestiary for easy, off the fly NPCs and beasts.<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Excellent<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Very Satisfied<br>

Deep7 products are easily some of the best stuff on the market if you want easy, last-minute games to play. The rules are simple and self-explanatory, its easy to improvise most situations, and they are decidedly deadly. Shriek is my personal favorite (third time I've bought it, but only because the previous two disappeared under "mysterious" circumstances). What was going to be a one-night horror adventure based on one of my favorite Japanese thrillers, "Another Heaven," became a short campaign that scared the crap out of the players. Since the updated version provided actual powers for the baddies, things are gonna get even crazier.<br><br><b>LIKED</b>: Ummmm...Everything!!<br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: Nothing wrong here.<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Excellent<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Very Satisfied<br>

A very good way to build custom characters and NPCs for the D20 system. Especially if you like more cinematic characters or video game style characters (ala Final Fantasy or KOTOR), this works well. Very nice that you get two versions, one with pictures and one that's more print-friendly. Helps to save a lot of ink. It could be even more innovative, including things like character hooks. I'm using this to make a new campaign where the main characters have untapped potentials, giving them a pool of experience points that they can use for bonuses or abilities they "suddenly" discover during the game. It'll be up to me, the GM, to ultimately decide how those abilities came about (deal with a demon, surge of adrenaline, etc.), but it gives the players a better chance for survivability in a higher-powered campaign.<br><br><b>LIKED</b>: Very complete, easy to understand and use, and lots of examples.<br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: Maybe, just a little too long.<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Very Good<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Very Satisfied<br>

This is an easy to understand, easy to use alternative for the mess that D20 modern is. While Mutants and Masterminds has a simple point system, you really can't make non-powered characters with it. Point Buy Numbers, on the other hand, allows you to make pretty much everything from the gritty cop to the powerful psychic, with very little effort required.<br><br><b>LIKED</b>: Easy to understand, easy to use, not so easy to abuse.<br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: Could've been a little more innovative than the Buy the Numbers alternative.<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Very Good<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Satisfied<br>

This is a pretty good system, all in all, with a good basis in real-world physics. While I haven't had a chance to use it in any of my games yet, it does seem easily adaptable, even to games not given as examples in the rules (Cyberpunk, Fuzion, and D20).<br><br><b>LIKED</b>: Offers a nice, fresh alternative to weapons, for those who prefer grittier, tougher, meaner combat.<br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: Maybe not enough examples of weapons.<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Very Good<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Very Satisfied<br>

A fairly good product, and very playable. It can be simplistic at times, and sometimes can't really seperate itself from silliness. It would also benefit from studying the ability system used in Final Fantasy X. But otherwise almost perfectly captures the feel of console RPGs.

If you are a hard-core, long-time gamer, just set this one down and go pick up Warhammer. If you are a beginner, or the proud parent or influential adult connection of a future young gamer, then you can boost this rating by two and definately get it. It's easy enough to learn, and fun enough to play to get the next generation hooked.

Illustrated beautifully. The system, on the other hand, just leaves you wanting something better.