Here are the basics. It costs $40, can be played via Xbox Live, and is rated Teen. You can play up to 4 players and it was the brainchild of BANDAI NAMCO.
The real questions though have nothing to do with the above. The game is based on a storyline where your character discovers they are a culdcept, essentially a magic user whose magic is based on cards in a deck that you use. As the game progresses you learn more of the destiny that you have as you battle to become the most powerful in the world. In-between plot progressing scenes, which are predetermined, is the meat of what the game is.
You will be lead by the plot to events where you and 1 or more culdecepts fight in a battle. Unlike RPG’s and other games this is not a physical fight. It might be best described as a combination between Monopoly and Magic.
At the start of a battle you are transported to a battlefield comprised of colored squares arranged in multiple configurations. You roll dice to travel around the board, as you would in Monopoly, passing forts along the way back to your starting point. Each fort you pass adds a small amount of money to your pool, as does passing the starting point. If you land on any square that is empty you have an option, leave it be or claim it. This is where the Magic portion of the game begins to appear. You have up to 6 cards in your hand. They are made up of creatures, spells and items. Creatures are used to capture colored squares, items are like buffs that allow increases to hit points and/or attack strength, and spells can have many effects, like increasing cash or throwing a lightning bolt. It’s all pretty straightforward.
If a square is empty you use a creature card and claim it. If your creature matches the color of the square you get a bonus. If another player lands on a square you have a creature on they can either pay you the rent (which increased as you up grade it – like adding houses or hotels in Monopoly) or battle your creature for the square.
In a battle there are several effects that can affect your winning or losing. Attacking first, special bonuses against certain colors, upgrading creatures, Items cards, and other factors can all help/hurt your chance to win. The actual battle is pretty direct with each card taking damage based on the creature/item used and the losing card being burned, smashed, or otherwise appropriately destroyed.
It sounds simple, but ask anyone that has played a collectible card game (CCG) and they will tell you that the strategy employed can be wrenching. As your character develops the playing field they gain value for all their properties and the first to hit a certain level (which increases as the game progresses) and reach the start point wins. The prize includes new cards for your deck, and upon reaching certain objectives gear that you can use to modify the appearance of your character in the plot scenes.
The cards for your deck can be modified by you in-between battles. So you can set it to specialize for a particular battle or your own preferences. The better you win the rarer and powerful the cards you can win, as well as a higher number of cards are provided. At a maximum you can get 12 new cards for an outstanding win, and there are hundreds of different cards available. It’s unlikely you will win, or even see every card available in the first run through.
The graphics of the game are most noticeable in the illustrations used to show the card effect/creature/item. Like with Magic they are fantasy oriented and highly stylized. The artwork is very improved from the prior version of the game. The artificial intelligence of the game is also much better, increasing in strength more evenly as you progress. While the first couple of battles will be very easy, and the game will give you a tutorial as you engage in the battle (which makes logical sense as they tell you about new abilities and options), later battles will become more of a challenge.
Each battle can take up to about an hour to finish. Like I said it’s not as simple as checkers, but far easier to learn than Chess and more engaging than Monopoly, I think.
If you like hack and slash, FPS, real time strategy games or anything that needs to involve spies, rifles, world wars, or aliens wielding ray guns you may not enjoy this game. If you like to work through puzzles, outthink opponents, and tweak your performance with upgrades and substitutions to your strategy, this is your game.
Fans of the original will like the increase of creatures and items, plus the improved AI. New players that are even moderate CCG players will enjoy the animation ability to play online. Complete neophytes to either will likely enjoy this as a great change of pace game.
I have been looking forward to this game, and thankfully it has lived up to my expectations. I expect this to be a sleeper, and a hit, much like the first was. Check it out and let me hear what you think of it.
No comments:
Post a Comment