4 out of 5 rating for Numenera Core Rulebook
This is going to be a quick a dirty review, acting as more of a discussion rather than a full on coverage of the game. Let us be honest, Numenera doesn't need anyone to tell them to buy the game because probably a million gamers have done that already.If someone is thinking of buying Numenera, the first thing I would tell them is that you are buying the core book for the world. Monte Cook has stuffed the core with so much little details and locations that a GM is spoiled for choice. There are so many varied adventure hooks and plot elements that you can read one section of the book and come away with 10 campaign ideas. I ran my Numenera game based on a small blurb in a section and it turned into a sprawling adventure with mechanical dragons and a war to save the spider people. If you have got the imagination, Numenera offers you a fully realized world that feels unlimited in its possibilities.One of the best things about Numenera is that the game can run the full gamut of genres. I remember watching a review of Numenera a while back and the reviewer was disappointed that his players didn't get into the dark world that is Numenera. The thing is, the world of Numenera is kind of ridiculous. The core book is 100% serious with its "dark" and "depressing" themes. The problem is, you are playing around with crazy gadgets that may or may not work. You can befriend a mutant dog and dress it up in armor. There are a lot of cool and dark things in Numenera but unless you have the right players or atmosphere you should embrace the absurdity of Numenera. The game that I ran was both bizarre, epic, funny and dark at the same time (there were cyborg spiders). The core book may try to bash the idea that this is a dark and oppressive world into your skull but, like every RPG the game, theme and tone are completely in the hand of the players and as the GM you shouldn't try to bring the mood back to serious just because the core book says you should.That being said, the rules of Numenera are very simple. It is billed as a rules lite game and that's an apt description. This is a great newbie game (I ran my game with two friends new to tabletop games) with simple mechanics. If you are looking for something more then these mechanics will leave you high and dry. At first, I was very angry with how simple and backwards a lot of the mechanics seemed to me. It felt like the book was hampering the GM's ability to tell a story for a more player driven experience. Some games can get away with that, but I feel that Numenera is weaker for it. I immediately threw out those particular rules and I felt the game was better for it. My opinion is that a game should never hamper the GM and that's my biggest problem with Numenera. The game feels the players are the most important aspect of the game. That's just not true. The GM and the players work together to tell a story. Open world games are the big thing right now with a more player driven experience. If that's your thing then Numenera will deliver but if you are like me and feel that each person at the table is important, then you might want to play fast and loose with the rules. Another thing, if you are an experienced tabletop gamer then you might want to just take the world of Numenera and nothing else. Understand, the rules in Numenera are simplistic almost to a fault. You can have a great game with the world but the rules will leave you wishing for either a more in-depth experience or a more tactical one depending on the kind of player you are. I have been playing games for a while now and I felt the rules were a little too simple but they do get the job done. Best bet would be try the rules once and see if they fit with your style. If not, don't feel bad about fitting another system into Numenera because it's not that hard.Do I like Numenera? Yes and no. I think the world is great, but the mechanics are lacking and sometimes just plain bad. The hype for this game was insane though so there are many opinions that may be colored by that hype. Though I bought the core at a discount and felt it was a good purchase, you might think differently. As with every piece of media, take reviewers' opinions with a grain of salt (including mine). It's nice to be excited for something but don't get swept up by that initial excitement because it could end up biting you in the butt. When I initially read Numenera I was kind of pissed by the mechanics and wanted to go on a crusade against the hype. But I didn't and my opinion has cooled. Numenera is a great world but not a good game. Should you buy it? Yeah probably. It is a beautiful book with great pieces of fiction (though the PDF copy is missing art assets). If you have gamer friends, odds are that one of them owns Numenera. Ask to read it and you can get a good feel for what Numenera is like.Thanks for reading.
