2022 was a year marked by creative and decidedly innovative bets, consistent with an audience whose tastes are increasingly moving away from the norm established prior to COVID-19 and, although I had the happiness of playing several truly amazing titles, the one that stood out among so many jewels before my eyes was the unexpected Voice of Cards -specifically, Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars, Voice of Cards: The Forsaken Maiden Y Voice of Cards: The Beasts of Burden.
Voice of Cards is a trilogy developed by a team made up mostly of the staff in charge of the Dragenkard and NieR sagas., known for their incredibly deep narratives, excellent gameplay mechanics, and preppy aesthetics. All of this is carried over into Voice of Cards, of course, but in a radically different and unexpected way.
One voice, dozens of stories.
it was just in October 2021 that Square Enix published Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roarsbut less than four months later it was followed by Voice of Cards: The Forsaken Maiden, released in February of this year, and finally by Voice of Cards: The Beasts of Burden as its third installment, published just this past September, all for Nintendo Switch, PS4 and PC; this feat was possible not only thanks to the efforts of the developers, but also to the particular characteristics of these three titles.
Voice of Cards It is exactly what it indicates and at the same time much more: each installment introduces us to a charismatic game master who will guide us to a world made up entirely of cards on top of a game board, in which the characters come to life solely thanks to his voice, and where battles are decided with the use of dice, all in a style that simulates tabletop RPGs to a hilarious level.
The aesthetic is unique and fun, especially for those who enjoy board games in general, but, although we are talking about a world built with cards, it should be noted that it is not a card game —also called deck-builders— ; In essence, it is a traditional RPG that knows how to fill us with nostalgia, reminiscent of those RPGs of yesteryear that were characterized by their rather simple mechanics and a strong taste for fantastic adventures.
Source: Square Enix Announces Voice of Cards Sequel With The Forsaken Maiden
Voice of Cards is a JRPG with a more than interesting twist
Although made of cards, in Voice of Cards we can explore this dangerous world as tiles on the board, meet new villages, interesting characters and stories that are not afraid to disturb you at times, fight monsters, discover treasures, and, like all good adventurers, get into in trouble from time to time. The game mechanics vary slightly from one installment to another, but they never get too complicated, it’s more of an enjoyable experience than a true challenge.
The battle system is turn-based, extremely simple except for the fact that the use of any special ability is limited to the number of gems you have each turn., and for the occasional inclusion of Happenstance Cards, special cards that randomly generate advantages or disadvantages to all units at the start of each turn, an entertaining element but that can generate some tension when we face the biggest ones. Having said that, these dynamics are nothing more than additions designed for you to pay attention to your plays, without stressing yourself too much.
It does not take more than one dimension to generate life
Of course, despite having such a flashy approach, it’s also one where it’s easy to lose player interest when the novelty wears off, but with Yoko Taro as its creative director, best known for being the creator of the masterpiece that It’s NieR:Automata, the stories we delve into in Voice of Cards aren’t just fun, they’re also surprisingly dark, haunting, and deep, which is especially true for Voice of Cards: The Beasts of Burden, the latest in the series. trilogy.
The characters in each installment, which could well be boring when played entirely by the game master, overflow with personality and charisma, to the point where you even forget that they don’t have their own voice while you laugh at their witticisms or are shocked by his suffering; even the non-playable characters have their stories, so it’s very interesting to unlock access to each of them. And, if we add to this the colorful and stylized designs by Kimihiko Fujisaka, there is no doubt why they are so easy to become attached to.
At this point, it should be noted that, despite its great charm, each Voice of Cards title is quite short, even with the inclusion of different endings; it is more appropriate to think that it is the same game divided into three acts ingeniously linked together than three separate installments, although act knows how to stand on its own without problems.
At the height of a great adventure
But a pleasant surprise for me was the excellent soundtrack, which for those who have played Dragenkard or NieR is instantly recognizable as having composer Keiichi Okabe in common, alongside Oliver Good and Shotaro Seo.
Precious and perfectly set to the genre of the plot, the melodies of Voice of Cards also maintain a certain somber tone that allows a glimpse of the sorrows that the characters of this world carry, thus accompanying the intertwined feelings of despair and melancholy that permeate each narrative.
The Voice of Cards trilogy was an unexpected gift from Square Enix and Alim, whose simple presentation is deceptive as behind its charming facade hides the very high quality that characterizes the games of Yoko Taro and the team that makes them. possible; That is why, despite the great titles that this year brought us, this beautiful and melancholic trilogy managed to become my favorite of 2022.
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