[Maxwell Luther]

Excellent review. It is a very flexible system and cheap to boot, especially if you have OD&D/1e/2e stuff laying about as it is a simple matter to convert them for use in C&C by simply subtracting all the ACs from 20! And even if you don't have a lot of the old material, a quick perusal at the local second hand shop (or online) is sure to net you a mountain of material for less than the price of a single 4E core book.

It's this point that brings me to the one niggle I have with your review. The PHB really is all you need to run the game when you take its backwards compatibility into account. The Monsters & Treasures book is great, and I bought it, but if you have any of the old D&D material you've got monsters and treasures aplenty and it may well be pointless for you to buy the second book unless, like me, you're a completist and want to support the system. Even the CKG isn't necessary, as is evidenced by the fact that the game has been out and thoroughly enjoyed by many for 2 years and there's no sign of it (although it sounds great and I'll buy it when it finally sees the light of day).

I think the best compliment to the game (and it's biggest difference from 4e) is the fact that it is much more streamlined and flexible than OD&D/1e/2e, but you can run all the older material without a hitch and the feeling is almost the same as the one I had when I first played the game back in '84. In fact, this is the game that I plan to run my children through when they get old enough so that first RPG experience is similar to mine, starting with 'Keep On The Borderlands'...