A lot of the trappings
around Duelyst will make longtime Hearthstone players feel perfectly at
home. You can select from several factions--equivalent to classes--and
enter practice matches against AI, online matches with other players, or
a tournament mode where decks are built on-the-fly. Three losses in a
single tournament (a mode which is still in development and is therefore
not always available) equals elimination, while the number of victories
dictates the value of the reward a player receives. There are orbs
instead of card packs to purchase with in-game or real currency, but
they function in much the same way. Once opened, they spit out cards of
varying rarity for the game's different factions, as well as a neutral
faction that you can freely utilize. Unwanted cards can be broken down,
coveted cards crafted, and decks can be customized to your heart's
content.
It
all sounds so very familiar, but a match in Duelyst doesn't actually
bear many similarities with Blizzard's blockbuster card game. Rather
than playing cards as static objects on a 2D board, Duelyst's battles
are set on a grid with opposing generals starting out on either side.
Cards are then played to summon minions, but instead of being static
actors on the board these minions (along with your general) can be moved
around a set number of spaces in order to close-in on and attack the
enemy. Ranged fighters and certain spells or abilities can accomplish
that from a safe distance, but for the mostpart both minions and
generals will need to get right up in a foe’s face to deal their damage.
There's
much more to Duelyst than playing the right cards at the right time, or
building the perfect deck. Positioning can be just as important as any
other element of play, and for every deck built around a highly mobile
play style there's another built around denial of movement and rigid
board control.
The way minions can move and attack vary
depending on the type of minion and the faction they belong to. Many
Abyssian minions are low cost and low damage summons for example, but
Abyssian spells are great for beefing them up to quickly overwhelm an
opponent. Meanwhile, The Vetruvian faction favors flying minions who
move unimpeded across the board. A Vetruvian player could build up their
forces in an isolated corner out of harm’s way, then descend on the
opposing general in a single turn. It’s a system that can feel a little
intimidating if you’re not used to worrying about physical space when
you lay your cards down, but the various faction specializations make it
quite fun to experiment.
It’s
also worthwhile to experiment with the character at the helm of your
deck. There are multiple generals in each faction that a player can
choose from, each with their own distinct abilities that play to their
faction’s strengths. Generals can also be enhanced by playing artifact
cards which give them weapons and abilities. The right general combined
with the right artifacts can be absolutely devastating, but three hits
and they’ll be disarmed.
The card system could
potentially feel restrictive to someone coming to Duelyst from a
strategy background, while a card gamer might find the board-based
aspect an unnecessary complication. For those new to both, it may just
feel overwhelming. There are a lot of very clever moves to be made when a
solidly built deck, a lucky draw, and thoughtful board placement all
converge, and thankfully Duelyst has a built-in way to show some of them
off in the form of solo challenges.
Solo challenges are
presented like a puzzle, where you enter what appears to be a
match-in-progress and are charged to end it in one turn by using a
specific ability or trait. As an introduction to advanced techniques,
these challenges are incredibly helpful because they provide practical
examples and let you learn through experience, rather than by following
explicit, dry tutorials.
Unfortunately, practice mode is
far less fruitful. The AI in practice matches is almost always
predictable and easy to defeat. If I'm looking to develop and test
strategies against a particular faction and their preferred techniques,
playing against AI which hardly ever employs faction-specific
capabilities isn't going to do me much good. Even if I want a more
general form of practice, playing against AI that wastes turns on
meaningless moves is not going to provide meaningful training. Solo
Challenges make up for this in a way, but hoping for the perfect storm
of cards in your hand and placement on the board so you can execute on
that super hot trick you just learned isn't the most reliable strategy
in an actual match.
Visually,
this game captures a bright and wonderful retro aesthetic, but as much
as I could appreciate its style, I still found myself pining for the
glossy, gilded illustrations and animations found in similar games.
Duelyst's art is absolutely well done, but it fails to leave a lasting
impression.
Duelyst overlaps enough with similar games
in the genre that stepping into it doesn't feel like starting from
scratch, but it still manages to distinguish itself with some clever
additions. While it still has its faults, those faults never overpowered
the satisfying feeling of executing a perfect play. Even if you're
still devoted to your competitive card game of choice, Duelyst is
definitely worth a look.