Now this is a tricky one.

Tricky not only because the game is such an unusual one, but also because it feels almost like two different products. The setting and system seem so divorced from each other that you could divide the book neatly in two and use them separately if you wished. Of course, that's not necessarily a bad thing; it means that for the cost of the game, you're getting a neat bundle of background information and a generic rules set.

Anyway, the game is set in the modern, everyday world. The only difference is the existence of @ctiv8 itself; a semi-viral computer program that profiles and connects people in order to facilitate political activism. If you have it, it's because someone you know tapped you for membership. If you go along with it, it's because you want to make the world a better place through your own efforts.

What does this entail? Almost anything. One example from the book involves tracking down spammers to their legal sanctuaries and dealing with them in an appropriate fashion; another proposes the theft of a new strain of drought-resistant GM crops, and a subsequent delivery to famine-ridden villages in Niger.

As you can tell, the game is openly political, and not in the same way that Vampire and other power-struggle games are political. The writer describes it as a 'militant liberal' point of view; put simply, @ctiv8 is about people deciding what's right and what's wrong, and then doing something about it. The background information is very good in this respect, with news articles and short essays designed to make you think about the way things are. The art and layout are functional enough.

In addition, the game takes an unusual approach to some standard RPG elements. Characters do not advance between sessions, and often you won't even be playing the same character next week. Each mission will have a different selection of activists, chosen for their skills and backgrounds, and it's entirely possible that some of them won't make it out alive.

So the fluff gets a recommendation from me; it's doing something different, and doing it pretty well. It all falls down a little on the crunch side, though. As mentioned, the rules are a generic system slightly adapted for this game, and they could do with some work. The core mechanics are unclear in places, and while there are plenty of examples, the examples sometimes contradict the rules text. In one place, there's an example with no rules text to back it up. The system itself seems solid enough, with some oddities if you look at it too closely.

Like I said at the start, though, it would be simple to plug in another system if you preferred. And if you do like the Xpress system, you can easily use it to run other games. At this price, you win either way.

The game gets three stars from me, but be aware that this is an average: four for the setting, two for the system.<br><br> <b>LIKED</b>: The background.<br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: The mechanics.<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Acceptable<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Very Satisfied<br>