Rating: 
Summary: A great game ruined by the involvement of the meta-plot
Review: Where to begin. I feel sorry for anyone who comes to Mage having never played or run it before, and picking up this book to start it all off. Revised was the biggest mistake White Wolf made in destroying a lot of what was good about the original game.The meta-plot becomes so intrinsically linked with the entire game that it even permeates the rules and the advice given to a would-be Storyteller. This features a contrived plot device called the Avatar Winds that stop Mages (yet strangely no one else...) crossing the Gauntlet, which also serves to cause all the Masters to leave Earth, and cuts off anyone outside of Earth from those inside. The game is not generic as old 2nd edition was; it's heavily keyed to the modern, post Ascension War era. Don't even think about trying to run a game outside of this, because this book is absolutely no help for that. Wondering who the Technocracy is, or how they work, what the Umbra is - don't bother, because you won't find it here. Magick is harder (it's no longer magick, it's mere magic), Paradox is more severe, basically Mages have suffered so that the balance of the rest of the World of Darkness can benefit. Yes, now your average Vamp-angster has some numbers with which to throw at the previously dynamic mage, and the Garou-munchkin some stats to get killing with. Mage has been dumbed down, so that any idiot can now play, rather than the mature, relatively intelligent people it used to require. So if you want a mediocre game that works nicely with crossovers with the lesser games, Mage Revised is the one for you. If you want what Mage is all about, get a copy of the old 2nd edition (1995), or else play Sorceror Revised - they're better than Mages now anyway.
Rating: 
Summary: The best of the best.
Review: White Wolf for years has turned the world of RPGing upside down with its unique storyteller system. And with Mage the Ascension they have truly achieved their pinacle. This is a game of adventure, mystery, romance and searching that keeps the player constantly evolving his/hers roleplaying abilities. Vampire is about the struggle of power and domination, Werewolf is the story of redemptiona and triumph. Mage is a tale of one's own personal adversties in the face of enlightenment and discouragement. For those who have played the other WW venues, this is definately a must. Challenge your own limits and see how far you can go towards finding your worth.
Rating: 
Summary: A good game, but not for the inexperienced...
Review: White Wolf's take on magic in the modern era. I had mixed expectations. The concept is impressive and original. The basic premise is that the world works along the lines that everyone believes it works along. For a long time people believed in magic, so that was how the world worked. Then a group came along who explained the world through technology, and now the world works that way. The remaining schools of 'traditional' magic are fighting against extinction in a world which dismisses magic as impossible, unwittingly making it impossible. If a mage does something with no rational explanation, reality will backlash on them, so mages need to conceal their spells by making them 'coincidental'. For example, shooting someone with a lightning bolt will have nasty consequences, unless the victim happens to be standing near to an exposed cable (which could have electrocuted them, even if it isn't likely) This is called Paradox and is a nice innovation. Paradox is unpleasant magical effects that sadistic GM's will enjoy greatly. If you're lucky, your watch will run backwards, it you're unlucky you'll end up with your reflection attacking you or get evil spirits following you everywhere. Something else is that there is no fixed 'spell list'. Instead there are nine areas of magic. For example, Matter allows you to weaken, transmute, heat or cool solid matter or even create entirely new substances. You can combine different areas to get truly spectacular results. This rewards imagination and as such, is a pleasant change from the slot machine (put in magic points or the equivalent and get a spell out) most other systems use. Bad points: Needless jargon. This is what makes the game baffling to the new to a large extent. The writers of this game had a thesaurus and weren't afraid to use it. Would you guess that 'Quiet' is something nasty that happens to mages who overuse magic or that 'Tellurian' is a fancy way of saying 'the real world'? I never liked this habit White Wolf has. It may add to the atmosphere, but I just find it confusing. Another negative point is another layer on the World of Darkness continuity. Another faction the normal people never notice? Another sinister world-controlling force? It doesn't mesh well with the other games-apart from maybe Wraith. I find this game works best if you run it on it's own, ignoring the other settings or just having one other 'co-exist'. Good points: The basic WW system is easy and intuitive to learn. Character creation is quick and easy and uses a point-based system that means most characters will start off more or less equal. The magic system can be bemusing until you get a handle on it, but build up a stock of magical prowess and get the hang of avoiding paradox and you'll have a lot of fun. I'll say it again, Mage needs imagination by both the players and GM. Hack-n-slashers should stick to Werewolf or Vampire. But put some effort in, and it's easily the best White Wolf game to play.
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