Once in a while, you bump into a game - whether it be RPG scenario/campaign or console - where the concept is so very appealing it forces you to buy the system just so you can play it. This is one of those games.

The premise here is that the aliens have landed, and have blown away virtually every super-hero on Earth, together with all governmental opposition. The Evil Alien Overlords like to think that they are undisputed rulers of the planet. The player characters, however, have very different ideas. They are supervillains, and they have very clear ideas as to who should be doing any world-domination around here, thank you.

My partner is currently running this campaign for us, and we have not, it must be admitted, made our way very far into the potentially labyrinthine plot. What we have seen in the last few weeks has been well thought out, nicely balanced but not, thus far, quite so devious as the players - as witness what should have been our first fight, diverted by a swift illusion of very noisy pigeons and no hole in that roof at all, honest. The system itself is billed as being simple, quick and easy to run; I'm certain it will be, once we become accustomed to it. It has, thus far, achieved the most important criterion - it's FUN!

Best of all, there is no apparent obligation at any level for this to be a tale of personal redemption. You are (your own group's rules / conventions aside) entirely free to make a transition from evil genius to anti-hero, or to kick the aliens off-planet solely to free yourself to make your own bid to rule the world, with or without the assistance - or hindrance - of the rest of the party.

Play this. You are, I think, unlikely to regret it. ( )