This most excellent review recently appeared at
www.rpgnow.com and I thought you folks might like to take a gander:
I've checked this out and I have to say "Prometheus" takes a novel approach to playing a science fiction game. I personally like my sci-fi less "space opera" and more within the realm of a realistic future, and I think Prometheus touches on a lot of those believable elements.
First of, instead of attempting to cover the entire universe (or galaxy) in one bite, I think the developers made an exceptionally wise choice of focusing on one small and familiar area - our solar system - and really taking the time to flesh it out.
Prometheus begins with a nice little introduction that sets the stage for the kind of situation and characters that will appear in the setting, and I liked this a lot.
The rules immediately begin with races (which, thank God, did not have space elves or, for that matter, space DROW). There are some very unique races here that are perfectly suited for this setting, and nowhere else. It goes to show there was a lot of creativity and imagination in this game. The races seem to be founded on the concept that genetic manipulation/engineering will come to rewrite (no pun intended) the very nature of mankind; this is actually quite believable, considering what is occuring today, and adds a nice twist to what would otherwise just be a single human race. There are combat machines, androids, and various sub variants designed to fit specific planetary or environmental roles. I believe this has actually been a concept discussed by NASA as concerns efforts to colonize other worlds in the far future; design better humans for the endeavor, instead of attempting the impossible with the limitations of non-organic technologies.
Classes cover the available professions in the setting nicely; I don't imagine anything could possibly be missing from this list (which ranges from Corporate Lackeys to psychic Sensitives, to classic Smugglers and cargo Haulers). The skill section introduces some new skills designed specifically for the futuristic setting, and I think would also work well if translated into other sci-fi games. The skill, Pharmacology, also gives us a glimpse of what warfare is like in the 24th century - a nice little teaser that hints at the advancement of medical technology.
There are a number of Feats here that are more than just "fluff", but rather real benefits needed for the kinds of actions and adventures of the Prometheus setting. Many of these feats are different in that instead of simply affecting the character, they provide a bonus to his spaceship or space fighter, for example. In this way, feats become an almost communal concern, and parties will certainly need to coordinate how the develop and how to best complement each other.
The equipment section is well done (I especially like the idea of getting extra money if you have a Profession skill; makes perfect sense to me), with some funky new devices I've never heard of in sci-fi ("Euro eel net", "laser garotte", "sky shear"). What that means is this game doesn't just recycle the same old tech, it adds a number of new devices that are actually pretty innovative in concept. The miscellaneous equipment section appears a bit light, but it does provide some interesting forms of medicine.
A final note - the Starships section is fantastic. It is not a sketchy look at spaceship design, or a brief look at example space vehicles, but rather an in-depth look at technologies, drive systems, how space combat works, with game rules. If anything, Prometheus certainly makes vehicles stand out as part and parcel to the experience. In this case, the best was certainly saved for last.
