The Yu-Gi-Oh TCG hit its peak for me from 2011 to early 2014 and this game encapsulates one of those formats. The core gameplay of buying packs of cards, building decks, and dueling randoms is simulated effectively and is strong enough on its own to keep me playing basically every Yu-Gi-Oh game.
Where this game differs, and unfortunately marks the end of, is in its story mode. Even with it's crummy 3D models, weird cowboy aesthetic, and bad racing minigame, the simple act of having a story mode completely changes the game feel. Playing as a character and physically moving around in a world contextualizes the deck in a more intimate way. The deck becomes a part of your character instead of a tool to accomplish your goal. It's the difference between playing a role in a role playing game and playing a card game in a digital card simulator. The difference is subtle but it's there.
I hope future games bring back story mode. If this game proves anything it's that they don't even really have to try that hard.
Where this game differs, and unfortunately marks the end of, is in its story mode. Even with it's crummy 3D models, weird cowboy aesthetic, and bad racing minigame, the simple act of having a story mode completely changes the game feel. Playing as a character and physically moving around in a world contextualizes the deck in a more intimate way. The deck becomes a part of your character instead of a tool to accomplish your goal. It's the difference between playing a role in a role playing game and playing a card game in a digital card simulator. The difference is subtle but it's there.
I hope future games bring back story mode. If this game proves anything it's that they don't even really have to try that hard.