Review: Apocalypse Prevention, Inc.
Third Eye Games is Eloy Lasanta’s fledgling RPG company, who released their first product, Apocalypse Prevention, Inc., in late 2008.
Apocalypse Prevention, Inc. (API) is a shadow corporation that has protected humanity from the supernatural forces in the world since the Black Plague. They have their hands in just about every facet of human life and have personally stopped the world from ending more times than one would guess. Humans make up the vast majority of employees and agents to fight against evil supernatural forces, other beings also inhabit our planet.
In this world, Demons live side-by-side with humanity. By definition, demons are either humans that have been altered in some fashion (such as vampires or mutants) or they are beings from other dimensions entirely that have traveled to Earth for a multitude of reasons.
Together, they work to protect the world on a daily basis.
API is divided into 6 chapters: Character Creation, Combat, Magic, API Organization, Demonology, and Telling Stories for API.
Character Creation is a 5-step process for determining the basic characteristics of one of the API races (Humans, Burners, Changelings, Lochs, Spectrals, Taylari, and Wolf People).
The Combat chapter is where API really shines. The Dynamic Game System is worth the price of admission alone. At first it looked a bit overwhelming to me, but after getting into the game, it was actually a quite simple system.
Magic is a simple process that excels due to the use of the stamina trait from Character Creation. What is very cool about this is that characters can very much make a spell “their own” by the use of bonus points. It’s also refreshing that cybernetically-enhanced characters can use magic, which is not something common to games.
The chapters on API Organization and Demonology are the “fluff” of the book, and really give players an immersive glimpse into the world of API.
Finally, Telling Stories for API is a GM paradise, covering the hooks, XP distribution, and the antagonists for the setting.
The Good
This is an extremely solid product, with only limited typos. I really enjoyed the artwork which helped to accentuate the feel of the setting that API attempts to place the PCs in. It is all-in-all a very immersive world.
The mechanics are splendid and will be perfect for a multitude of settings beyond even API. I have already considered attempting to use them in my next session of Beyond the Supernatural.
As an extra (and unintended, I’m sure) bonus, this is a perfect RPG to use HorrorClix miniatures as player pawns.
The Bad
None.
The Ugly
There’s a watermark on every page that takes the form of a blood splotch. It is a bit distracting and takes the focus from the text.
Product Summary
Name: Apocalypse Prevention, Inc.
Publisher: Third Eye Games
Game concept: Eloy Lasanta
Category: Role Playing Game
Cost: $12.95 (PDF)
Year: 2008
SKU: N/A
ISBN: 978-0-615-26496-7
Rating
