In-depth game analysis by game critic Erik Twice. Learn all about your favourite games here.
JRPGs were my favourite genre when I was a teen. I loved them all, from Chrono Trigger to Final Fantasy to more obscure series such as Shadow Hearts or Shin Megami Tensei. For a while, they were all I would play. To me, they were synonymous with gaming, a pillar of the medium.
Until one day, I stopped liking them. And never did again.
Since Magic: The Gathering‘s release in 1993 there have been hundreds of customizable card games. Covering different ideas, mechanics and themes the genre has gone far beyond its humble origins and grown increasingly diverse.
And I think one of the most interesting examples of this growth is the way different games handle card draw. Let’s give them a look.
The battle against Red is one of the most epic and important fights in the history of Pokémon. It’s the last battle, the last challenge of the second generation and also the hardest of them all.
But amongst the reasons this battle is so memorable, the most important of them all is its context. Continue reading »
Huge concrete silos rise proud against the stunning American landscape. Factories and warehouses grow alongside a railroad, so infinite that it disappears with the horizon. Science and architecture present themselves as the bringers of a new, modern age where work and industry rule the universe.
In this world, two ideologies fight for supremacy. At least, in theory.
Powerful aliens meet in Cosmic Encounter. One of them, Chronos, has the power to go back in time and force the opponent to replay a battle if he loses. Another, Zombie, has immortal ships and Mutant always keeps 8 cards in hand, taking more of them from the deck (or his opponents) if necessary. The strangest of them all, the Schizoid, changes the winning conditions of the game itself, forcing other players to try and guess which one he has chosen.
And then, there’s the Philanthropist. Compared to these powerhouses, it not only seems weak, but counterproductive. Why would you want to give cards to your opponent? Doesn’t that help them? Many players glaze over him, dismissing him as a joke or a narrow way to help an ally.
But not only it’s a tremendous power, it’s an insidious one and also a great piece of game design.
