The Short of why this game is amazing:
- Evocative Musical Theme
- A Sense of theologically cosmic dread
- Well Fleshed out setting
- Mechanics that highlight drama and player expression
- Stunning layout that ties it all together and helps hammer home the mood
Reading this game gives me the same vibes as when listening to the Evangelion Entry Plug Sound: It captures that uniquely 90s flavor of elegant mecha that all at once is awe inspiring and dread inducing.
The musical theming here shines most of all, with stats being musical terms and spells being literal songs. It's immediately intuitive, yet feels fresh and evocative.
The setting is perfectly fleshed out, focusing on the broad strokes of themes, mood and technology while letting GMs and Players hash out smaller personal details on their own. Frankly the setting alone is enough for me to recommend this game, but the way it pairs with the systems to create a truly inspired world is awesome (in the oldest and newest sense of the word).
Character creation practically begs for player customization and expression, while still maintaining a level of mechanical depth that's refreshing to see in a fairly rules-light system. Duets in particular are a stand-out mechanic, allowing other players to boost a song's cast.
What's perhaps most amazing here is that there's actually no art of the mechs or angels themselves in this book. Yet through Blazing Hymn's stunning layout and intentional prose you'll almost instantly have a clear picture in your head about the kind of world you're stepping into.
If this game has caught your eye, I can't recommend enough that you pick it up and give it a read!