Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook

I have not played a game with 4th Ed. so this review is just on the surface and based on impressions.

First off, just want to kudos to WotC for trying to simplify the D&D mechanics to attract new blood. Too bad they took it in a wrong direction.

As others have already mentioned, this edition was a step backwards. For years, it's always been CRPGs attempting to simulate the tabletop experience. 4th Ed. was the other way round. D&D became too mechanical - to the point that it feels like a video game, and not a role-playing game. There was too much focus on combat-oriented rules. The 4th edition did not come out of 3.5 - it came out of D&D miniatures.

I liked the skills simplification, but I disliked the class-specific powers. It felt like an attempt to provide options, but instead it created stereotypes ala MMORPGs. Multi-class no longer exists - just like MMORPGs... in their place are silly feats that lets you use powers from other classes.

Based on these almost enforced stereotypes, three of my favourite characters can't be satisfactorily recreated - the mechanics don't support the flavour. Some of the saddest changes (to me) are the revamp of ranger favoured enemy and animal companions (gone) and the removal of spell schools. But I did like the idea of turning some of the more utility spells into rituals - made sense. Oh, and I also hated the way they changed the way tieflings look.

But overall, it's too different from the D&D that I know. Perhaps I'm biased, perhaps I'm not. I had no problem transitioning to 3rd Ed. but I honestly don't like 4th Edition.