About the best way to describe In Nomine's setting would be a cross between the World of Darkness and Disneyland. It's a theme that is never decided at any point in the book, from the introductory story to the "primary sources" in the back. The very first thing we notice about In Nomine is that is has some pretty goofy artwork, much of it obviously done for humor (an illustration near the front-a leather-decked angel who is pointing and smirking at some kind of demon-creature, and has a band-aid on his knee and a can of "His Blud" beer-is particularly cute), but even the illustrations that are supposed to be menacing or evocative of something are drawn in such a style that it's hard to take them seriously.Įxcept for the actual premise, which is about a rather serious subject and, as I recall, was hyped as such all the years Steve Jackson failed to release the game. The problems that plague it are second only to the delays in its release. That said, In Nomine's combination of ideas and implementation have to be seen to be believed, and I highly recommend taking my word for it. It isn't that I absolutely hate Steve Jackson Games or the people who created In Nomine-in all honesty, I respect that they were willing to try something interesting and different, especially something this bold. Hell, I didn't even specifically wish it would be written by people who could convince me they can tie their shoes without help.Īnd it is with all these points that In Nomine has failed. And, most importantly, I didn't say if I actually wanted something that, all said and done, would add up to a good game. I said nothing about what kind of setting I wanted, and nothing about illustrations or completeness or organization or writing or mood. I didn't say how long I wanted to wait for this magical, ever-supported setting, let alone that it wouldn't have been in excess of three or four years. So, as always, the wish got twisted around. It had been delayed so long that I was genuinely surprised to see the very book itself, almost as though some warping of reality occurred-as though I was looking at something that somehow violated the world's sense of logic and reality. So, years later, after an endless parade of missed deadlines, out comes In Nomine. After seeing Steve Jackson Games publish one setting after another, only to sweep them under the rug, I wished the company would publish one they would _try_ to keep alive. Usually, this is because the wisher's intentions and wording are perverted until the wish becomes something horrible. Anyone who keeps up with fairy tales or AD&D games knows the concept, the one where someone makes a wish and regrets it, even if the wish was sensible or socially responsible.