Typically, you see a recreation that simply feels prefer it was meant for you, and Card-en-Ciel is that for me. A card-based roguelite with an anime artwork fashion meant I wanted to assessment this one. Nevertheless, that form of anticipation results in excessive expectations, which meant I puzzled if it could meet these or fall flat.
Card-en-Ciel is a card-based dungeon crawler developed by Inti Creates, the builders behind all kinds of sequence like Azure Striker Gunvolt, Gal Gun, Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon, and Blaster Grasp Zero, to call a number of. Card-en-Ciel is constructed as a love letter to those sequence, incorporating earlier video games all through the Inti Creates lineup and turning them into playing cards and worlds. I personally don’t have a lot expertise with different Inti Creates properties, so this wasn’t for me, nevertheless it is perhaps neat should you get pleasure from one of many video games featured.
Card-en-Ciel is about in a future world with full dive VR video games, the place the video games are extremely sensible however under-regulated. You play as Neon, a gaming detective, who will get known as in to analyze error knowledge within the recreation world of an unreleased VR MMO, which is overlapping with different recreation worlds, and that is the place the crossovers come from. Every stage is a unique recreation world, with completely different playing cards which are featured; a few of these recreation worlds are from current video games and others are video games created totally for Card-en-Ciel. These fictional video games are actually enjoyable, too, with clear inspiration coming from current genres that I discovered to be surprisingly thought out, to the purpose that I want there was extra of a narrative focus, if solely in order that I may discover out extra about video games like Love Above the Rooftops, a romance visible novel about large robotic women, and President Ex Machina, an motion recreation in regards to the president getting put right into a cyborg physique. It obtained to the purpose the place a lot element was put into describing these, that I saved Googling video games and character names, solely to seek out out they weren’t precise video games. Inti Creates, I feel this implies it is advisable to really develop Students of Elfilia or Kizuna Join!
Gameplay is, in some ways, a religious successor to Mega Man Battle Community, with every encounter happening on a grid, 3×3 for you and 3×3 for any enemies. You employ playing cards to both assault or goal an enemy’s assault, which may finally break an enemy, leaving them unable to assault or transfer. You can even use playing cards to maneuver, so you’ll be able to keep away from assaults and place your self higher. All of that is bolstered by muse playing cards, which come into play when sure situations are met and enhance your deck for that exact encounter.
The playing cards in your deck reset for (nearly) each degree, which signifies that an enormous a part of the sport is deckbuilding on the fly and studying new card mixtures, and I feel Card-en-Ciel does this very properly. Nearly each degree launched playing cards that I had beforehand prevented or not put in my deck and compelled me to be taught new methods of taking part in them. Throughout every flip you often have three power to make use of on playing cards, so, for probably the most half, playing cards that value three power aren’t going for use for battles with a number of enemies. Nevertheless, in a single degree you may get a muse that, as soon as situations are met, lowers the price of three power playing cards. This results in some actually enjoyable technique, the place a deck that labored in a single degree is sort of unattainable to run in one other degree.
My largest gripe with Card-en-Ciel is that, whereas the aspect tales are enjoyable and properly thought out, the principle characters don’t do a lot for me. The preliminary setup of a digital detective is neat, however Neon and Ancie (your predominant companion all through) don’t have a lot in the best way of personalities, which makes overarching story beats fall flat. Ancie particularly appears to exist simply to fawn over Neon, with none actual persona to make it endearing. Additionally, whereas a whole lot of the cardboard artwork and music appears nice, the setting you play in at all times appears the identical. There’s a whole lot of effort put into making fascinating settings and playing cards, I simply want that we’d really get to see it extra. A lot thought was put into making these methods match their fictional settings, however we don’t get any probability to see these settings, past Neon saying that it’s that exact world.
Card-en-Ciel’s gameplay is extremely enjoyable, which makes it a simple advice for anybody who has appreciated video games like Slay the Spire or Monster Prepare however desires an anime twist to it. Nevertheless, should you’re searching for a extra developed story or characters that transcend simply offering window dressing for the core of the gameplay, I’d advise warning. I actually loved my time with Card-en-Ciel, particularly for somebody who loves that form of card-based roguelite, however I simply want Inti Creates would give us extra from the story and presentation.
