I will not go into the new toys. Most are well designed to fill their tactical nitch and the art for the vast majority is excellent. Keeping with the NGR's visual of the Cyclops and the Triax triangle, the only items I found truly lacking in the art department was the Undertow, Fat boy Glitterboy and the cover. (A fat glitterboy? Really? Why would they make this when it could have just been a quadruped like the Rainmaker?
)First impressions of the book from a new to Rifts customer is the cover art. This is not a gripe I often have with Rifts books, but the cover to Triax 2 is rather boring and flat. Without prior knowledge of WB: 5, for instance, a new customer who thought the Jaeger bots on the cover looked cool blasting away at nothing (with a flat flaming background too? Really?) would be disappointed to not even find them in the interior art other than once. All in all I would rate the cover as one of the poorest in Palladium's catalog. A more dynamic cover showcasing one of the new robots or PA in action would have caught the eye better. For example the Black Knight art by Scott Johnson showcased his talent, this looks like a copy and paste from the CCG art from years past and could have been expanded upon to be more eye catching.
The first 32 pages I devoured and was well paced and full of possible campaign ideas. I enjoyed the timeline, the see saw of the war, and the NGR's tactics. Well done all around. However, I would have preferred if some of the art focused more toward what I was reading rather than having random images of gargoyles. A small 1/3 image of Jinna or the New Player would have been nice. Stats for Emperor Zerstrun would have been welcomed also. After all he takes down 5 other gargoyle leaders so he has to be an exceptional gargoyle himself... oh well.
The NGR black market info is well done and explains how Triax's good could get to N. America even with the CS trade sanctions. Kudos to the writers for this bit of plot. Whole campaigns could be played with just this information.
Info on the NGR's government and politics reads a little bland. More details on differing factions like the pro-Dbee versus anti-Dbee movements would have been welcome. Yes we have General Four-arms explained (and nicely done as well), but we have no idea just who the opposite faction is lead by. Also what about President Sperling's opposition? What motivates the Anti-Dbees? The CS, greed, possessed by hatred, or perhaps the New Player? Also mentioning a quick population breakdown of what D-bees are common in the NGR would have been nice. Dwarves have a brief blurb, but what about elves? Orcs? Azverkan? This seems like a lost opportunity to me. Perhaps a Rifter article?
I have issues with the Political Relations. The real bright spots in the Political Relations are the mention of the New Republic of Japan and Sovietski. The bad is England: None? Really? The reason given is mages, fairies, and ley lines, but 14 pages later the NGR is said to have so little contact with magic that they have little to any prejudice against it or its users. The writers just ret-conned the Kingdom of Tarramore in Ireland from WB: 3. (not to mention the Kingdom of New Camalot or Avalon according to RUE
). Both the relations with England and the NGR's views on magic seem hastily glossed over. A nation at war with demonic creatures that should have beings like Gargoyle Mages, C'ro Demon Mages, evil fairies, gypsies, and Blood Druids as agents should have a harsher view on magic. Then we also get the New Scandinavian Alliance vs. Lycanthropes blurb, but nothing about the wolfen tribes mentioned to be in Italy in WB:5. 
The major NGR cities each have a unique character and are interesting to read about. The addition of a map is useful as well. The failure to mention Freiburg is disheartening what with the new expanded views of the NGR toward D-bees. It again seems to be a lost opportunity to expand on the D-bee side of the NGR. The rebuilt Autobahn was meh. I could have done without it and its random mishaps table for info on Freiberg.
The information on Victor Lazlo was enlightening on his current affairs, but goes against cannon on the character. In Mindwerks he is stated to be an outlaw for stealing an ulti-max. Now he is giving interviews on NGR TV and makes speaking engagements? Must have had a hell of a lawyer to get that case dropped
.The enlightened view of the NGR toward psychics and mutants is all very well and good, but is contradicted when we are told that psi-stalkers are treated as indigenous peoples. This caused some head scratching and again is a lost opportunity to tell us about the various psi-stalker tribes in Europe. Or maybe another Sourcebook could be written on the various D-bees and mutants in Europe and how they are viewed in the NGR? Food for thought.
The Luftwaffe combat pilot O.C.C. struck me as a logical take on the NGR's use of cyborgs. I enjoyed its addition to the NGR's ranks. Its possible aircraft choices and the secrecy aspect of the O.C.C., however, limits the Luftwaffe's use in a party. Outside of an NGR military game anyway. A dedicated troop transport would have added utility to this class, but it specifically stats no transport aircraft in the description. Huh?
Well here are my hearty congratulations on a job well done to Brandon and Taylor. My minor complaints not with standing, Triax 2 is my current favorite WB and has sparked intrest in my players to try out Europe as a setting.
