**Not worth $30 USD. This game should be $20 and even then I would recommend not buying unless it was ≤ $15. This is not worth half the price of day one Nier: Replicant ver 1.22etc or Automata. And I'm not the one making that comparison, Sqeenix is by throwing Yoko Taro's name around to advertise this game.
6/10 game with 7/10 writing.
TL:DR- surface level aesthetic with lukewarm story and a cozy atmosphere.
For fans of Taro's other work, this game does not scratch the itch. It only reminds you that the itch is still there. Feels like a really watered down version of Taro from a mechanics and story standpoint.
Card Aesthetic and Single Narrator - Nothing below the surface:
It's a novel idea, and I was excited to see what tricks they were going to pull with this unique design choice. The answer is... nothing. It's just a rpg with static character art and zero character animations. It's exactly that and nothing more. The narrator (aka Game Master) has an alright voice and only breaks the fourth wall 2-3 times, exclusively for humor. There is one boss fight that uses cards in a mildly cool visual way, but that is spoiled by the trailer for the game. There are exactly 3 cards that have animations on the card face. XP and Gold numbers count up after battle, and the saving card has a jumping monster in it. And these just felt distracting in how they broke the established aesthetic.
Gameplay:
Extremely simplified turn based rpg gameplay. The only interesting mechanic in battles is each turn generates a gem that can be used as mana or saved up. Spells and powerful attacks cost gems and that's it. World navigation is the most interesting bit. As you explore the world one tile (card) at a time, the next ones flip over until you obsessively go in to every corner and edge to flip over every single wall tile because, 'what if?' It's an interesting idea that could have been explored more or be used to create surprising moments that shake up the status quo. But it isn't and it doesn't.
The encounter rate is way too high, leading to an over-leved party, and even if the rate was lowered the game would be extremely easy. That's fine, but when you have to wait for the battle board to be put down and all the enemy cards to enter so many times, just to finish off the battle with negligible resistance, even running away takes too long. It's not game-breakingly annoying, but it certainly is closer to detracting than adding to the experience. It's the same gameplay loop and animations from the first hour to the fifteenth with zero variability.
Story:
We like Taro games, that's why we are here. We can trudge through mediocre-to-bad gameplay if the story holds up well enough. Answer? It's just good. Not really good. Not bad. Not great. It's good. None of the twists are new or particularly unique for Taro games. There is no big twist moment, there is no meta narrative, there is not Taro surprise in this game. There might be some very mild ones depending on how you gauge things, but certainly nothing like you might be expecting or hoping for.
Overall:
A solid meh/10. It's not bad, but the design choice is paper thin with nothing underneath. The writing is better than the gameplay and design, but by a small margin. It's a decent enough way to unwind at the end of the day and it is undeniably cozy. But, there is no big hook at any point either in the design, the story, or the gameplay. It's all just alright. It's probably not worth developing your own opinion on this work by playing it for yourself if it doesn't appear to be immediately interesting without Taro's name attached.
6/10 game with 7/10 writing.
TL:DR- surface level aesthetic with lukewarm story and a cozy atmosphere.
For fans of Taro's other work, this game does not scratch the itch. It only reminds you that the itch is still there. Feels like a really watered down version of Taro from a mechanics and story standpoint.
Card Aesthetic and Single Narrator - Nothing below the surface:
It's a novel idea, and I was excited to see what tricks they were going to pull with this unique design choice. The answer is... nothing. It's just a rpg with static character art and zero character animations. It's exactly that and nothing more. The narrator (aka Game Master) has an alright voice and only breaks the fourth wall 2-3 times, exclusively for humor. There is one boss fight that uses cards in a mildly cool visual way, but that is spoiled by the trailer for the game. There are exactly 3 cards that have animations on the card face. XP and Gold numbers count up after battle, and the saving card has a jumping monster in it. And these just felt distracting in how they broke the established aesthetic.
Gameplay:
Extremely simplified turn based rpg gameplay. The only interesting mechanic in battles is each turn generates a gem that can be used as mana or saved up. Spells and powerful attacks cost gems and that's it. World navigation is the most interesting bit. As you explore the world one tile (card) at a time, the next ones flip over until you obsessively go in to every corner and edge to flip over every single wall tile because, 'what if?' It's an interesting idea that could have been explored more or be used to create surprising moments that shake up the status quo. But it isn't and it doesn't.
The encounter rate is way too high, leading to an over-leved party, and even if the rate was lowered the game would be extremely easy. That's fine, but when you have to wait for the battle board to be put down and all the enemy cards to enter so many times, just to finish off the battle with negligible resistance, even running away takes too long. It's not game-breakingly annoying, but it certainly is closer to detracting than adding to the experience. It's the same gameplay loop and animations from the first hour to the fifteenth with zero variability.
Story:
We like Taro games, that's why we are here. We can trudge through mediocre-to-bad gameplay if the story holds up well enough. Answer? It's just good. Not really good. Not bad. Not great. It's good. None of the twists are new or particularly unique for Taro games. There is no big twist moment, there is no meta narrative, there is not Taro surprise in this game. There might be some very mild ones depending on how you gauge things, but certainly nothing like you might be expecting or hoping for.
Overall:
A solid meh/10. It's not bad, but the design choice is paper thin with nothing underneath. The writing is better than the gameplay and design, but by a small margin. It's a decent enough way to unwind at the end of the day and it is undeniably cozy. But, there is no big hook at any point either in the design, the story, or the gameplay. It's all just alright. It's probably not worth developing your own opinion on this work by playing it for yourself if it doesn't appear to be immediately interesting without Taro's name attached.