As much as I love this game's classic, "Dungeon Master-led" tabletop framing, the experience of playing it pales in comparison to most modern turn-based RPGs. Its 20-hour runtime is held up by tedious battles, where you repeatedly funnel magic points into whichever character has the best damage-dealing move. This would be less of an issue in a game with shorter dungeons or less battles overall, but the rate of random encounters here is unbelievably high - in some cases, I was forced into fights every other step.
Forsaken Maiden is at its best outside of the action, especially when using low-stakes situations to showcase its colorful writing and wide cast of characters. I grew attached to Laty early on, when she enthusiastically interrupted a sailing expedition to ask if she could go fishing. These kinds of scenes leverage the physicality of the cards themselves: when Laty hooks a fish, a card rapidly flies across the screen before falling back down into your "hands." It's charming details like this that make Voice of Cards novel, but as of now, I think it's hard to recommend.
Forsaken Maiden is at its best outside of the action, especially when using low-stakes situations to showcase its colorful writing and wide cast of characters. I grew attached to Laty early on, when she enthusiastically interrupted a sailing expedition to ask if she could go fishing. These kinds of scenes leverage the physicality of the cards themselves: when Laty hooks a fish, a card rapidly flies across the screen before falling back down into your "hands." It's charming details like this that make Voice of Cards novel, but as of now, I think it's hard to recommend.
Paper Maiden
I was a big fan of the first Voice of Cards game which played with classic JRPG tropes and put some twists on them, with many great jokes.
This second episode in the series is pretty much more of the same but the tone shifts a little bit to a more serious one.
The jokes are still here but it is overall a more dramatic story than the previous one.
I did enjoy it but weirdly not as much as the first game. The navigation between different islands and the pacing of the game felt a bit sluggish to me. I also felt like the difficulty was a bit off sometimes, with some random difficulty spikes.
I would still definitely recommend it to any JRPG fan who is looking for a different experience and I definitely look forward to playing the third and currently final game in the series.
I was a big fan of the first Voice of Cards game which played with classic JRPG tropes and put some twists on them, with many great jokes.
This second episode in the series is pretty much more of the same but the tone shifts a little bit to a more serious one.
The jokes are still here but it is overall a more dramatic story than the previous one.
I did enjoy it but weirdly not as much as the first game. The navigation between different islands and the pacing of the game felt a bit sluggish to me. I also felt like the difficulty was a bit off sometimes, with some random difficulty spikes.
I would still definitely recommend it to any JRPG fan who is looking for a different experience and I definitely look forward to playing the third and currently final game in the series.
I was a little worried that this game was dropping so soon after the first Voice of Cards game, but luckily my worries were misplaced! Pretty much everything positive I said about The Isle Dragon Roars also applies to The Forsaken Maiden - the presentation is great, the simple combat system is fun and addictive, and the writing is of the high quality you expect from a Yoko Taro project.
The thing that elevates The Forsaken Maiden above its predecessor is Laty. The entire story here is a character study of Laty, and it's phenomenal. Laty is mute so seeing her relationship grow with every character she meets gives you a really interesting look into her personality and character development without ever hearing her speak. Honestly one of the best character arcs I can think of in a JRPG, and its worth playing the game for even if it doesn't seem appealing to you otherwise.
The thing that elevates The Forsaken Maiden above its predecessor is Laty. The entire story here is a character study of Laty, and it's phenomenal. Laty is mute so seeing her relationship grow with every character she meets gives you a really interesting look into her personality and character development without ever hearing her speak. Honestly one of the best character arcs I can think of in a JRPG, and its worth playing the game for even if it doesn't seem appealing to you otherwise.
The Forsaken Maiden is in improvement over the first Voice of Cards in multiple ways. Most notably the story, characters, and combat have more to offer. If I could only recommend one game in this series it would be this one, although I do kinda miss how the previous game had a true ending. This one has multiple endings based on a choice near the end but there's no ultimate good finale. It does add to the emotional value but there's really not much reason to do all endings since they're nigh identical in concept.
As I started playing this game, I was wondering why this one seems to be rated lower than the first one, the vibe seemed to be very similar, the same style… and then I found out. There is only one companion you can properly upgrade equipment on, the rest of them stay with you for a very short time or there is a storytelling reason preventing you from upgrading a weapon and such.
On top of that, I really wish they would do something about running away from combat or at least make the random combat less frequent. Taking out the gameboard, waiting for cards to be laid out, rolling for escape takes way too long as in 20 -30 seconds EACH TIME, depending if you also have to wait for happenstance cards (yes I timed it, in one part the combat was every five tiles and I was losing my mind :) ).
The one saving grace and the reason I pushed myself to finish it was the story, one after a true Yoko Taro fashion. Saying more would spoil this so I shall leave it there. Oh, and I do recommend playing with music on, it is wonderful.
On top of that, I really wish they would do something about running away from combat or at least make the random combat less frequent. Taking out the gameboard, waiting for cards to be laid out, rolling for escape takes way too long as in 20 -30 seconds EACH TIME, depending if you also have to wait for happenstance cards (yes I timed it, in one part the combat was every five tiles and I was losing my mind :) ).
The one saving grace and the reason I pushed myself to finish it was the story, one after a true Yoko Taro fashion. Saying more would spoil this so I shall leave it there. Oh, and I do recommend playing with music on, it is wonderful.
i will tell you a story with my voice and cards
Got through a solid 70% of the game before I had to put it aside for work stuff. Grand storytelling experience, even if it does fall into a few classic fantasy clichés. There weren't any outstanding improvements to the fluidity of the game or the battle system, but the story was lovely and I felt an attachment to each character.
Ana 3 karakterin diyaloğu yok neredeyse tüm oyun tanıştıklarınız üzerinden ilerliyor. Senaryo ve karakterler ilk oyundan daha zayıf. Gameplay anlamında ilkinden tek farkı harita üzerinden oynadığınız minigameler. RPG kısmı ilk oyundan daha kısıtlı. Kısaca ilk oyun daha iyiydi.
Voice of Cards: The Forsaken Maiden is moreorless identical in function to its franchise progenitor, The Isle Dragon Roars.
It's pretty much the same game. Mostly. All the mechanics are the same. The story is much better and the combat is a little deeper with a couple extra wrinkles to it. If you liked the first one, you'll like the second one even more.
But I didn't love some changes. It seems like the map is a little more closed off (more 'you can't go here' moments) and there are a lot more random encounters and events which can pull the game to a slogging crawl. I also ended up being significantly overleveled for a lot of encounters. I also felt the end of the game dragged much too much.
The better combat and better story though make up for it. A welcomed improvement over the first game. Makes me look forward to playing the third game in the series, but not excited enough to buy it at full price.
It's pretty much the same game. Mostly. All the mechanics are the same. The story is much better and the combat is a little deeper with a couple extra wrinkles to it. If you liked the first one, you'll like the second one even more.
But I didn't love some changes. It seems like the map is a little more closed off (more 'you can't go here' moments) and there are a lot more random encounters and events which can pull the game to a slogging crawl. I also ended up being significantly overleveled for a lot of encounters. I also felt the end of the game dragged much too much.
The better combat and better story though make up for it. A welcomed improvement over the first game. Makes me look forward to playing the third game in the series, but not excited enough to buy it at full price.
Il ripetitivo e poco stimolante gameplay affossa la spettacolare narrativa di Yoko Taro.
The VOC series hits its stride here
Yoko Taro and Company's second entry into the Voice of Cards series is another exciting, yet mildly aggrivating, adventure into the quirky world of its eccentric creator. While stylistically there is nothing different from the first game (which makes sense granted the tight turnaround in release windows,) I had an overall enjoyable time with the fresh cast of characters and their beautiful character portraits. Music again was fantastic, as longtime Taro collaborator Keiichi Okabe has been elected to compose, and dare I say is even better overall than the first game. Because I normally do not speak on specific plot points in my reviews, as to avoid spoilers, I won't speak on too much as style and presentation are practically that of The Isle Dragon Roars. I do think the story overall in this game could have been better, and its ambiguity is something I always love from Taro, however I'm not sure if it was told in the best way.
My gripes with The Forsaken Maiden are that it's a genuinely aggrivating experience at some points from a gameplay perspective, there are moments where it's just genuinely so annoying that it nearly becomes unbearable. The random encounter rate for example is abysmal, namely on the ocean which de-emphasizes exploration. The game piece movement is laughably slow, I get that this is probably done to enhance the "board game feeling" of flipping over cards as you traverse, but feels awful over time. This game also has an odd bout with difficulty. Now I get that games do not need to be easy, they shouldn't necessarily cater to the players wishes and be a cakewalk, however Voice of Cards' endgame chapter is straight up unfriendly to the player in many ways. The inability to save at certain points is weird, the lack of warning before difficult fights is even weirder, and at one point it becomes more or less impossible to grind for the last few levels.
Combat in this game felt... bad at points. One of the cooler things is how often they thrust you with temporary party members who all bring something unique to the table, however when you are without those party members, only one of the members of your team feel actually good to use in combat. The other major party member is good as a buff mage in the four person parties, but when reduced to your typical three feels very underwhelming. Fights that feel like they SHOULD be a breeze late game are just, too long for really no reason.
One funny thing with VoC: The Forsaken Maiden was that sometimes the DM/Narrator would be reading a prompt, stop the take, and restart the voice line for the card. This was hilarious and happened a good four to five times throughout the game. I don't know why, I didn't find any of the takes to be egregious, but an interesting choice to leave them in on release.
If you are a fan of Yoko Taro/JRPG's you may like this game quite a bit, if not you may want to pass. Even though I was a bit down on the negative aspects of the game, I had an overall good time.
My gripes with The Forsaken Maiden are that it's a genuinely aggrivating experience at some points from a gameplay perspective, there are moments where it's just genuinely so annoying that it nearly becomes unbearable. The random encounter rate for example is abysmal, namely on the ocean which de-emphasizes exploration. The game piece movement is laughably slow, I get that this is probably done to enhance the "board game feeling" of flipping over cards as you traverse, but feels awful over time. This game also has an odd bout with difficulty. Now I get that games do not need to be easy, they shouldn't necessarily cater to the players wishes and be a cakewalk, however Voice of Cards' endgame chapter is straight up unfriendly to the player in many ways. The inability to save at certain points is weird, the lack of warning before difficult fights is even weirder, and at one point it becomes more or less impossible to grind for the last few levels.
Combat in this game felt... bad at points. One of the cooler things is how often they thrust you with temporary party members who all bring something unique to the table, however when you are without those party members, only one of the members of your team feel actually good to use in combat. The other major party member is good as a buff mage in the four person parties, but when reduced to your typical three feels very underwhelming. Fights that feel like they SHOULD be a breeze late game are just, too long for really no reason.
One funny thing with VoC: The Forsaken Maiden was that sometimes the DM/Narrator would be reading a prompt, stop the take, and restart the voice line for the card. This was hilarious and happened a good four to five times throughout the game. I don't know why, I didn't find any of the takes to be egregious, but an interesting choice to leave them in on release.
If you are a fan of Yoko Taro/JRPG's you may like this game quite a bit, if not you may want to pass. Even though I was a bit down on the negative aspects of the game, I had an overall good time.
I love it when yoko taro depresses the shit out of me.
I love the aesthetic of this series, and it's great that Square Enix has a model now where they can release cute stories within this framework, but I do wish that they would smooth out some of the wrinkles that mar the experience. The same complaints from the last game are still around here, and the story is somewhat weaker so it doesn't have that intrigue to carry it as well. Despite that, it's still a fun & classic adventure, and I'll be sure to keep up with this series.
The Yoko Taro flavour is definitely stronger here than the first one, the story is a bit darker than the first VoC. The first VoC was too easy- this one is better balanced. It's a good little JRPG that's not too short and not too long.
Here we have yet another successful venture in the Voice of Cards series, featuring all the telltale charm from the first entry, as well as some improvements in the presentation and quality of life features.
While "The Forsaken Maiden" lacks the stellar pacing of "The Isle Dragon Roars", it instead focuses on its characters and refines its mechanics, leading to a genuinely thrilling and heartfelt third act that feels earned in every sense.
As always, Yoko Taro's projects hit a very specific, beloved part of my brain. I can't wait to eventually tackle the next Voice of Cards entry when I get the chance.
While "The Forsaken Maiden" lacks the stellar pacing of "The Isle Dragon Roars", it instead focuses on its characters and refines its mechanics, leading to a genuinely thrilling and heartfelt third act that feels earned in every sense.
As always, Yoko Taro's projects hit a very specific, beloved part of my brain. I can't wait to eventually tackle the next Voice of Cards entry when I get the chance.
The only card game that made me cry
Yoko Taro doesnt miss
i played the first one and this one on their release day, but i kinda wanted to write some lines about them, as they're made by Yoko Taro and mostly nier team (and the return of Fujisaka, the chara-designer of drakengard!)
Voice of Cards is a pure traditional turn based RPG with an pretty original design : everything is a card.
despite the gameplay being as basic as possible, its strength is in its storyline and the way it is told by the narrator.
The story and the characters are deep and interesting despite the short duration of the game, and you will suffer from it, as with each passage of yoko taro, while the soundtrack is carried by the fantastic Okabe and Monaca.
I prefer the 2nd one, mostly cause of the characters being more deep (i need to play the 3rd one tho)
yoko taro never misses
Voice of Cards is a pure traditional turn based RPG with an pretty original design : everything is a card.
despite the gameplay being as basic as possible, its strength is in its storyline and the way it is told by the narrator.
The story and the characters are deep and interesting despite the short duration of the game, and you will suffer from it, as with each passage of yoko taro, while the soundtrack is carried by the fantastic Okabe and Monaca.
I prefer the 2nd one, mostly cause of the characters being more deep (i need to play the 3rd one tho)
yoko taro never misses
There's quite a lot to like about voice of cards: the forsaken maiden. There's relaxing, beautiful music. There's some great writing, especially in the collectable cards you get from interacting with monsters and NPCs. There's an enjoyable story. But all of it was let down by the terribly high random encounter rate.
The actual gameplay and combat mechanics are as basic as it gets, but what it lacks in substance it more than makes up for it in style. Yoko Taro knows how to make an interesting video game, whether it's the writing or the artwork. Terrific series, nice short experiences.