I've played the game a couple of times - it actually seems fairly balanced. We played with the maximum number of people and with a smaller group, and I have to say the game shines with more players - they are often forced to interact more and things tend to power along.
Remember that with more players, more monsters start appearing - this is a big thing.
Curses *are* annoying, but it's a co-operative game. The point is if one player gets cursed, a smart group will then share out the load to get that curse lifted quickly - or things can end up going to hell in a hand basket before you know what is happening.
As for the cards - I love them. I don't quite understand the complaint of shuffling them every time you draw a card. We don't do that, you just place the discarded card at the bottom of the deck. Overall, a much more elegant system than a book.
A truly excellent game!
Conan