Rating: 
Summary: It ruined the best game of all.
Review: I spoke to one of he developers as they were working on this edition of Mage. He was rude, uncouth, and had very little respect for the work that was done on Mage before this point. Rules in White Wolf should sort of remain even throughout all of the versions of the games. Certain things should be constant. Do you have to, when making any other kind of skill or "magickal" ability roll, in any of the other games, spend some of your successes on Duration? No, of course not. Beginning mages with low Arete (power) scores have few dice to play with. That was how one controlled the power of a Mage, by having realistic characters. But now mages who are Masters of Matter for instance, can't make a Rock and make it a permanent creation or change, without taking a great deal of time to do it. In any case, I've looked through this book, and won't waste my money on it. Mage is a game of Possibilities, and now it's become just plain Sad. And the Ascention War, Over? These people obviously have no understanding of what Mage is all about.
Rating: 
Summary: Mage, third edition, is the best thing I've read in a while
Review: I started off knowing little about the Mage universe, or much of White Wolf, the publisher either. Thanks to this book, as well as others, I AM HOOKED! The book skillfully outlines the basic story of the Mage universe, after the Ascension War is lost by the Traditions, and gives new readers a whole world, with spell ideas, great characters, and a whole of "grey area" for Storytellers to develop their Chronicles with skill and enthusiasm. There are those who don't like the new edition, as it is not as free with some areas as the previous editions were, but I have to say, if your looking for a great direction to take gaming, and are tired of primarily point based, systems, that leave less room for imagination, give this one a try. I also heartily recommend all of the other White Wolf products, for this line, as well as Vampire: the Masquerade, and Werewolf: the Apocolypse. Enjoy!
Rating: 
Summary: Good for beginners don't bother if you have the second...
Review: I think i understand the reasons behind the change of scope on Mage Revised, when i began playing the game (since first ed.) there were a lot of things left to one's criteria, fortunately my troupe of players get along quite well and together we made something great of a system full of holes. Don't get me wrong on that last comment, the concept of the game is the most inovative i have ever played on 12 years, but for newcomers i can understand the despair one could feel at the amount of freedom the system offers. As far as the old revisions went, they got you involved on a great scale war which spanned several realities in conflict, it was very easy to forget about the real place of the fight (Earth) and get involved in petty politicing with astral spirits (Umbrood) or just get lost inside your huge tradition full of all powerful archmages who could do things you would never be able to do in several lifetimes. What they did was to cut the strings and leave all the omnipotent players outside in order to put the low level apprentices (that means you) in charge of saving the world. It may sound fun for those who are new to the system and disapponting for all who have survived titanical battles in the past. They give a simpler (and better) look at magic, the difficulty to pull the legendary rabbit out of the hat increased a lot and is nearly impossible to leave earth now. My advice: Buy this if you have never played the system and if you really like it get the second edition so you can see the difference. If you have already played the game, don't bother and keep surviving under your own system. Why the three stars? If it was the first time i read about this game i probably woud have gone for the five stars, but since i have already looked at two other version of the system i really expected more from White Wolf, if they could do it with Vampire, why not with Mage?
Rating:
Summary: Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda
Review: I think the three words that are the heart of Mage: The Ascension Revised are the title of this review: Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda. There are so many things that could have been done to make this a wonderful product and a wonderful game. There would have been many people that would have loved a product on the same level as the Vampire: The Masquerade Revised and Werewolf: The Apocalypse Revised books. We should have been delivered that level of product. In the end, though, Jess Heinig delivers to us a product that feels rushed, sloppy, and depressing. The world setting has had a 180 degree turn around forced upon it (and it does feel like a forced thing, not natural), and took a setting where it was easy to view things with wild eyed wonder, and turned it into a bitter, desperate, constant struggle with life and death. Even to the point that your own magic (no longer with a -k) can contribute to this regularly with the new rules. Personally, I feel Destiny's Price was more than good enough of a supplement for those campaigns that played this way. This, though, is truly a matter of taste. What bothers me the most perhaps, is the sheer lack of quality in the book design. It's missing rules (for Wonders/Talismans), and gives a grand total of three pages of information on the Technocracy, the main antagonist in the game. In previous versions, we always were given information, stats, and some methods of operation for these mysterious men in black. White Wolf's (mainly Jess Heinig's) reaction to this is 'Buy Guide to the Technocracy!' (admittedly, a wonderful book), but why should I be forced to buy tons of supplements just to play the basic game and have a reasonable amount of world information? The layout is horrible, and it is difficult to find most things that actually were included in the book. The rules are clear, but read as a cut and paste from Justin Achilli's well written Vampire Revised. I could go on, in fact, I could probably rant for pages and pages. Needless to say, I have ceased purchasing any Mage: The Ascension products for the foreseeable future for as long as this is the way they're dealing with the Mage side of the World of Darkness. Buy this book only if you want the Revised Edition rules clarifications, as it makes a horrible beginner's entry point into Mage: The Ascension. Get the 2nd Edition book if you're starting. Many neighborhood game shops and used book stores still have it.
Rating: 
Summary: A great dissapointment
Review: I urge anyone who is just coming to Mage to make an effort to get a hold of the pre-revised edition. Although there have been many needed rules improvements (paradox now works in a fashion more consistent with the rationale provided for it, magick rules have been cleaned up and the annoying increased tendency to botch has been fixed), the setting is closer to the dark, hopeless, millenarian world of werewolf than the open and vibrant world of Mage. For starters, mages are now less powerful-they tend to gain more paradox, magick difficulties are higher and effects require more successes, and foci are harder to abandon. Spirit mages have been hit extremely hard by the "world winds" which make entering the umbra life-threatening. This device is, as someone else hs pointed out, completely inconsistent with the rest of the game line and is a transparent game device for forcing mages to stay on earth. The setting is heavy on doomy, millenarian elements that were not present nearly as strongly in the pre-revised edition. The intent seems to be to make mage into a gritty, street-level setting, closing off story possibilities rather than leaving them open. I never considered the open nature of mage to be a problem, and am displeased about this enforcement of a "meta-plot" I neither understand nor care about. The quality of the writing is also not nearly as strong-the fiction at the beginning is just one mage telling another about magick, with no story or atmosphere, and the little fiction pieces at the beginnings of chapters are gone. There is very little that helps you to understand the mood and power of the mage setting. In all, Mage Rev is smaller, less ambitious, and darker than the original. Buy it for the rules and use the orignal mage book for setting and mood information.
Rating:
Summary: Finally
Review: I've been involved with Mage since the release of First Edition. I've run it in all its incarnations, including several sets of confusing House Rules. Now, Mage 3rd revamps the magic system and makes it all work. Some may complain about the meta-plot - that's fine. But Mage has finally managed to capture the occult beliefs of different peoples, something it has always strived to do but fail throughout the years. This revision has helped the game immensely.
Rating:
Summary: Very Nice work
Review: It's part of the world of darkness so of course it's going to have a dark fate. Even if the world is dieing it's still fun to fight for it.
Rating:
Summary: Don't waste the Cash Find 2nd Ed if Possible
Review: Mage is in part a game dealing with Hubris. Mr Heinig and his lackies, including the always helpful Dierd're Brooks, have managed to show us just what that is by managing to wreck a perfectly good game for their own self aggrandizment. Little useful information exists within this travesty of what was once a very thought provoking game of wonder and struggle. It appears their objective is to make it impossible and absolutely unenjoyable to play this game. Granted, nearly 40% of the book is the same stuff that can be found in Mage 2nd Edition. Naturally for some of the information you'll need to buy more of their other publications (IE Avatar Winds rules are in a separate book)and it's apparent that White Wolf is simply trying to cash in on re writes that diminish the Magick of prior publications. Do they include any useful information? Sure they do, enough to fill a small pamphlet. Save your 30 bucks and buy a kaliedescope, you'll see a lot more magic in that than in Mage Revised. Unfortunately Jess Heinig(the Developer) and crew have decided that the more Enlightened you are, the less capable you are, and the More locked into your Paradigm you become. (One begins discarding Foci at Arete 6). Considering "Ascension" implies to rise above those limitations, they've certainly managed to give the Game a deceptive title. They've also decided to cut off access to the Umbra,(Once again those Pesky Avatar Winds) a place where mythic places and events of wonder can potentially abound, and essentially crippled at least one Tradition by doing so. Basically it looks like they're trying to do WW's version of Shadowrun by FASA(buy it instead). If there's any Justice in the gaming world, Jess Heinig, Died're Brooks and Co. will never work in the gaming field again. Luckily I got this Publication as a birthday present and didn't have to shell out my own cash to the Monstrosity of bad judgement that WW has become. I would suggest you shoplift or otherwise procure this "Game" instead of lining WW's pockets with your money.On a positive note the Art is really outstanding, but hardly worth the exhorbitant price of The Big Purple Book take 3.
Rating:
Summary: Second Edition still reigns supreme.
Review: Mage, although being my favorite game, is very hard for starters to learn. The rules are complicated, and so is the setting. It has the highest potential for improvisation and abuse. Revised clears up many of these rules problems, but limits the story potential greatly. Mage 2nd edition was a Universe spanning game. The revised edition seems to forget this. It makes the game very limited, and much less powered. The Technocracy (basically science wizards) has essentially won the war, and the Masters are trapped deep in the spirit world. This leaves only young mages around to fend for themselves, and teach an upcoming generation of mages the ropes. This serverely limits Mage in political games, and also in the spirit regions. The book neglects to mention most of these areas entirely. Especially the Digital Web. Rule wise, this is all cleaned up. The damage system makes mages more fragile. Spheres are much better explained, and Paradox is finally something mages can fear! Gone are the days of shooting fireballs down mainstreet, and not caring about who gets hit. This servely limits power-gamers, but to what end? The story aspect of this game was largely weakend.
Rating: 
Summary: Save for a few problems, pretty good.
Review: Okay, I have readt the reviews, I have heard the complaints, and I have read both version sof the game. here's what I have to say: The book, as a whole, is well done. It is a bit cluttered, and sometimes feels as if they were trying to stuff to much into one book. Editing missed a few side bars here and there, and there is an entire chapter missing, but when I think about it no one is perfect, and this is Mage. If they were going to make the book totally complete, it would probalby of cost a lot more then the nice perple thing you have on your desk, table, bookshelf, or incinorater. On the complaints, this is what I gotta say: "The Avatar Widns keep you from the Umbra" Not neccessarily. The damge done is not neccesarily lethal unles you have messed with your Pattern a lot, and have lots of Permadox, as well as have a high Arete rating. Without Permadox, you still need Arete of 7 in order to get killed. And its not that hard to get rid of really. And Storm Warden given to Dreamspeakers for free (which I do) works just fine. "Spirit Rules Are Missing" Umm, there really wasn't much there in the first place in 2nd Edition either. Word for word, there is just as much in Revised as there is in 2nd Edition. The only thing is that it sort of reset, so there is simply not as mnay rules. And the Spirit section is pretty damned big, rmember? Lots of stuff on spirits there. "There's hardly anything on the Techncoracy" Don't have the 2nd Edition book with me right now, but was there that much on 'em in the 2nd Editon book? the main problem was buggy typesetting, and lots of info got cut out. And why isn't there the standerd MIB? Because WW is trying to make them more laybable, like they did with Sabbat Vampires. That's why you don't see an evil pack of rabid Sabbat int eh back of Vampire, and why you don't see an evil MIB in Mage. "Its dumbed down." The main problem with Mage 2 was that it was too complicated for people. I mean, do you really need three sets of rules for countermagic? They simplified things, and even made some spheres useful, like, ummm, Prime? And so what if each tradition has just one specialty sphere and no special abilites, it makes it easier that every single group doesn't have their own unique mechanics. "No rules for Avatar Winds' Described in Spirt section, under Stepping Sidways. There is also reference in the quick summary at the end of that chapter, but its a typo. "No Wonders Rules in main book" They weren't in Mage 2nd either, and weren't available until Book of Shadows. And isn't this convinient, the Resources background actually is. And atleast they did put the rules for Wonders and Spirits in the book published right after the corebook. Same with Familliars and Sanctum, which are in an upcoming book, just like in 2nd Edition. "Its too limiting." Its not like White Wolf is forcing you to play a low-level street game. So waht if its darker, and more unhappy? Its the original developers fault for deciding this would fit int he WoD. They brought the place back in line with the other games. Besides, there is that nice hting called the Golden Rule, and fact that the Storyteller Chapter talks about alternate settings some. "Magic is too hard and I miss the K" I sorta think the "k" thing is sort of lame myself. And I think the Paradox rules make sense IMHO. And getting Paradox for shooting a fireball in Time Square should garter paradox, no matter what, if you succeed, fail, or botch. "The Masters are gone." No Masters means no old mages so old that they can't even operate a telephone telling you that they know wha's best to bring back the Mythic Age. Now Initiates are able to think on their own, and try new things, without some corpse of a sorcerer telling you what and what isn't right to do. "The Ascension War is over" I the same way the Korean War is over. The fighting has stopped, mainly because both sides have realized something. In all this fighting, they ahve forgotten who is important, Eart and the Sleepers. Now, they ahve realized that in order to get Mass Ascension, you got to get people riled up about it. The Technocracy is in just as much trouble as Mages are. The only ones benefiting lately are Nephandi and Hollowers actually. And soem other personal likes. Spheres are easier to use, and cleaerer on what htey do. More emphasis that htis is magic and not superpowers to nuke things with. And showing that you, the individual, is more important then some ideals form some ancient magus who can kill you with a thought because he can remember "the good old days." More emphasis on Paradigm, better foci rules, and the whole revised set of things. My complaints? Sure. Cutting stuff out for optional rules like Merits and Flaws, poor fiction. The fact that Christopher Shy, while doing the best artwork int eh book, can't seem to put emotion in those faces, and has to put body armour on them. And using Paul Lief Jones, though I do like his artwork sometimes, for Tradition Pictures. He's ruined my precious VA's, but his Dreamspeaker is pretty good. the fact that you have to buy GttTechnocracy to get any more info then what's presented laiden in text and the like, rather then showing the damned sidebars online. And finally, the lack of hard resonance rules. Okay, I probably went over the word limit, but I just needed to vent here. So happy gaming,a nd if anyone reads this who is new to mage, go grab Revised. it is more "younger means more imaginative and more possibilities" then "fight a cause that you are told is right because they were told its right" thing. Don't let these people scare you away.
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