In Issue 27 of
Abyss, Eric Olson thought that this resembled many older
Judges Guild products, both in quality and content, and pointed out "Judges Guild products may have been good enough for the market of 4 or 5 years ago, [but] it is definitely behind the needs of today and of little value. Palladium has produced a system which is a mass of dragons and magic, the heart's desire of many younger players of days gone by; but that is not what's needed today." Olson concluded, "If you have enough of the same old things we have been seeing over and over the past few years, save your money."" In the May 1984 edition of
Dragon (Issue 85),
Ken Rolston thought this RPG compared very favorably to the industry giant,
AD&D. His only caveat was that for the relatively high price — $20 — it should have included a box, dice and other player materials. However, he admired the "Attractive combat and skill systems. First-class magical character classes — complete with magical circles, mystic symbols, and elemental magics — offer simple but comprehensive fantasy magic. Nice treatment of alignments and deities. Contains an outline of a campaign world and a brief but imaginative introductory scenario." However, he concluded that since it was only a book, "At a price of $20 for a paperback, only a fair value." In the May-June 1985 edition of
Space Gamer (Issue No. 74), Jerry Epperson was more ambivalent, saying "
The Palladium Role-Playing Game is a game that aspired to greatness but fell just a little short of the mark. With the advent of
RuneQuest,
The Fantasy Trip, and
Lands of Adventure,
Palladium is just a little out of step. GMs who are looking to add spice to their
D&D games, or who really don't demand a great deal of realism from game mechanics, should by all means pick up
Palladium. But if you're searching for the ultimate in 'realism' and innovative design . . . keep looking." In his 1990 book
The Complete Guide to Role-Playing Games, game critic
Rick Swan thought that this game was too similar to
AD&D, noting that there were "no new systems, no new approaches, no new insights. The character classes ... aren't dramatically different from
AD&D, nor are basic concepts such as alignment, experience points and saving throws." Swan allowed that the combat system was original but found it too complex. However, Swan found some of the game elements such as the magic system, religion, and fairy lore "informative and fun to read.", and thought they could be easily transferred to other fantasy RPGs. Swan concluded by giving the game a rating of 2.5 out of 4, saying, "I can't imagine many players preferring this to
AD&D,
RuneQuest or any other of the established fantasy games." In Issue 127 of
Dragon, Ken Rolston reviewed the regional adventure guide
Adventures on the High Seas, published in 1987, and found much to his liking: "The Palladium fantasy campaign world is full of magic and monsters, just like FRP campaigns should be, and this pack contains a little bit of everything, from orcs and lost temples to pirates and crazed cult assassins... What it lacks in organization and sophistication it more than makes up for in enthusiasm and imagination." Ten years later, in the December 1997 edition of
Dragon (Issue 242),
Rick Swan reviewed the second edition of
Adventures on the High Seas, published in 1996, and called it "another winner." He rated the book 5 out of 6, saying, "The seafaring stuff [is] the best of its kind I’ve ever seen." In Issue 8 of the British games magazine
Arcane, Andy Butcher reviewed the 2nd edition of the game, and commented, "if you haven't got any of the other [Palladium] games and your campaign is based firmly in the Palladium World, then there's a great deal of useful stuff here." Butcher concluded by giving the game an average rating of 7 out of 10 overall. Butcher comments that ==Reviews==