It’s very rare that a DEMO catches my eye, but how could I resist when this game is being created by two of my favorite entities? Square Enix has produced many of my favorite games, and, as most of my friends already know, I am a HUGE fan of Final Fantasy. The second entity I am referring to is Yoko Taro. Yoko Taro has had a hand in creating some amazing titles, and his creativity is through the roof. He is also known for how weird his stories tend to get, and for how emotionally scarred he leaves his players (I am not even joking). You might know Yoko Taro from games such as Nier: Automata & the Drakengard series (minus the 2nd game of course). Yoko Taro has also dabbled in games of all kinds as far as genre goes, even going so far as to have a hand in several mobile apps (I am currently playing through Nier: Reincarnation as I type this).
So, not only was my favorite company giving the reins to one of my newest obsessions (as far as game directors goes), just the weird style and presentation of the game got me interested. So, what is so weird about Voice of Cards? Well, lets get into my thoughts so that I can break it all down for you.
- It’s a card game – but it’s not:
Initially, I thought the game was going to be a tactical card game (similar to Triple Triad in Final Fantasy – or like Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories) – but luckily, this is not the case! Yes, the game is made of cards, but it plays just like your old-school RPGs. It plays exactly like classic Final Fantasy where battle is turn-based and you can attack, pass, cast spells, or use items. Your characters level with experience, and you can outfit them with new weapons and armor in order to increase their stats. The unique gimmick of this game is that spells are cast by using ‘gems’ and these gems are accumulated per turn. You have free attacks as well, but the more powerful a spell or special attack is, the more gems it is gonna cost. So, there is a sort of strategy that is supposed to come into play here.
Monsters also fall into elemental types, and each element has a different element that it is weak to, thus further adding to the strategic aspect of the game. Cards show you an enemy’s defense as well as their HP, and their attack stats, though, I never had to bother much with looking at any of the numbers other than the HP. Occasionally a spell might require that you roll a dice to add something to that attack or spell.
With that being said…because it’s not actually a card game, I find that this sort of RPG is a lot more accessible for people to play, but at the same time, it is bound to dissuade those that pick it up because it lacks the actual structure of a real card game. Also, the style choice might dissuade those that choose not to try the game out first because they think it operates like a card game.
- The game style is beautiful & unique!
The style of the game is interesting in that the world really is just made of cards. The cards are laid out to show the environment, with certain cards depicting people, and other cards depicting buildings while the rest just shows what kind of terrain you are traveling on (as well as boundaries to where you can and can not move). The character designs are all very interesting and very detailed. While some character models are re-used, they weren’t repeated enough that I got tired of looking at them during the demo, and of course, the main characters are all very stunning.
As for the map travel itself, it looks a bit odd since it’s just a full screen of cards that are being flipped over as you move. I want to like it, but part of me just sees it as lazy and not fully engaging. But, at least the story is good enough to sort of drive you through the boring bits and the music was good too.
- Movement is clunky, but fast-travel is nice.
There isn’t really much to say. When you are traveling around the map (whether in a town or out in the field) you are a small, golden, game piece that is moved with the left stick. You are free to move in whatever direction you like so long as the terrain allows. As you move, cards will flip over to show you where you are. Sometimes these cards are buildings, sometimes they are people, you can find treasure chests, and you can also encounter special events. As you travel you will also have random enemy encounters, but these are not shown on the map, they just happen (like classic Final Fantasy encounters). Movement is very clunky and not as responsive as I would have liked it to be. The only upside of the slow-traveling is that once you have flipped cards over, they stay up-facing and you can then fast-travel to any previous cards you have crossed by using the right stick. This makes going back-and-forth really convenient which I can appreciate.
- Music is beautiful and the story seems interesting:
The music in this game has so much to offer, even just from the demo. It fit the atmosphere so well, that medieval fantasy music that really got you immersed in this universe, only to be finished off with music with the haunting vocals that a lot of Yoko Taro’s other works are known to contain in them. So, if nothing else is really selling you in this game, I can guarantee that the music will be one of the things that does!
Now, if only I could say that about the story. The story, at first, held a lot of promise. There is something called the Ivory Order, and we know we are in a Kingdom of sorts that is ruled by a Queen. But then, that’s really all we know. The people love the Ivory Order for the work they do with medicine, and the medicine produced in this world seems very central to whatever is happening in this universe. Monsters have started to appear at an alarming rate signaling dangerous times to come, and after saving the royal treasure from a skeleton boss, that is when we get ready to receive our reward, only for a Dragon to suddenly appear. The Great Evil has returned to these lands…aaaaaaand then the demo ends. So, it seems like a very typical fantasy game thus far, but again, I can’t say too much because this is just the demo.
But for how short the demo is, I really wish there was a heavier focus on the story, and I can only hope that the story gets better in the retail version.
- Mini-games & Multiplayer!
There are some fun extras to do in the demo (and just in the game in general). While playing the game, towns do have buildings which focus on a card game which allows you to win items that can help on your journey. You can play this game with basic rules and, the more you play, the more modes of play you unlock for this particular game. It’s very basic and nothing to write home about, but, for those not wanting to grind enemy battles to save up gold for some items, this mini-game might be a fun alternative. Likewise, a multiplayer mode for the card game was added which might be fun to do if you have some friends to play with. But for me, the mini-game was something to try and then move on from. I don’t see it as something I would be playing a lot if I got the full-version of the game.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, this game doesn’t seem ‘bad’, but I’m not 100% sure that I was sold on the demo. The demo itself was entirely too short. Even though I made it a point to travel everywhere I could and battle everything, the demo only lasted me a little over an hour. That might be typical, but, with as much as this game claims to offer, I just didn’t see enough of it to know that I will like it as a long-term investment.
Also, multiple people have already come forward to say that the demo was just way too easy. Now, I am the type to travel to every square and buy every item, so, naturally I was over-leveled for the final boss of the demo. But, even then, to not even have to use a healing salve or the inn to rest my party members does show that there is some real issues with the difficulty. I am not sure if this will change in the retail version as we are not fully sure how the game starts and/or if we are playing as the same characters that we get in the demo. Either way, my hope is that they include a difficulty option if nothing else.
As stated before, this is not a card game and is more like a classic Final Fantasy game. This does bother me because, instead of choosing such a simple aesthetic that might turn a lot of people away, they could have just made a pixel RPG and called it a day. I do find the style to be a little lazy except when it comes to the character cards.
One thing I did appreciate was the fact that you can “collect” cards as you travel…and these cards offer some more story in the game. NPCs and player characters all have added stories on their cards which you can unlock by doing certain activities within the world. This is a mechanic that appears in many of Yoko Taro’s games, and I have always appreciated the extra detail and added lore. So, that is something to be somewhat excited about at least. The narration in the game was actually okay…and I didn’t mind it. Maybe some other people might not like someone constantly talking over their battles or reading a story aloud, but it was something I enjoyed and I do feel it helps immerse someone in the universe just that much more. All this game really is, is fancy Dungeons & Dragons. It is a classic RPG that is narrated with a simplified style to make it seem like you (the player) are merely experiencing a story through cards- as in, you are someone sitting at a table or in a tent while someone else guides you through a scenario. There are even RPG elements such as dialogue choices in the game, though, it is unclear how such choices may or may not affect the gameplay itself.
I did like the added details to the game such as the character’s cards being placed on a table during battle, and the dice-rolling mechanics. Again, to me, it just feels like playing Dungeons and Dragons…which is something I really enjoy. But, I wish the level of detail they put into the card table and the small candles on those tables translated into the map travel. The details on the cards for characters is so detailed and mesmerizing, and then map-travel is just so…blah. So, the demo to me, was very hit-and-miss. I think what has me the most interested in this game is that I have seen the types of universes that Yoko Taro creates. In most of his works, nothing is as it first appears. So, while the story at first seems boring and typical, in the back of my mind, I am just waiting for it to take that dreadful or emotional turn that will keep me glued to the screen!
I did find myself asking questions while playing like: “Why is medicine regarded as a Royal Treasure? Who is the Ivory Order, really? Who is the narrator and how did we even come across him? While we play this game, what is happening in the real world?”
So, despite the story itself being a little lack-luster and leaving much to be desired, it did plants some seeds of thought which made me interested enough to possible buy the game once it comes out. A job well done, perhaps?
So, would I recommend that you go out and pre-order this game? Not really…not yet.
Play the demo, see how you feel, and if you’re still unsure, then wait for the reviews to come out once the game has released. Some things to note is that this game will be digital only (no physical release), and, for those that are fans of the Drakenier universe (like me) and thought that maybe this game might be related to Drakengard & Nier, Yoko Taro has come out himself to say that this game is not related in any way.
But tell me, what do YOU think?
Did you play the demo? What did you think of the game style? Are you going to pre-order the game? What do you think of the price? Do you think the story will have that classic twist like most of Yoko Taro’s works?
As always, let me know your thought and opinions in the comment-section down below. Thank you all for your continued support of this blog, and I will see you all in the next one!
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OMG Girls Game! 
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