After playing the same AI opponent several times, I noticed their tactics were never the same. More advanced races will use tactics and even feints to try to manipulate the battle in their favor. Wild animals attack you without mercy, using every card available in a frenzied assault against you. Instead, who your opponent is goes a long way into deciding what tactics you may use in each battle. Developers took great care to make sure games against the AI did not boil down to who can lay the biggest cards on the table. The game play is just as robust as the visuals. You may be too engaged in the conflict to notice, but little touches like a leaf drifting in the wind really immerse you in an experience and not just a card game. Instead, battle boards are stocked with ambient sounds and beautiful effects to create a living world. Players aren’t placing cards on stagnant mats. HEX also uses its digital resources to give the game a soul. ![]() These concepts would be impractical or clumsy in a standard TCG, but now they are suddenly viable in the digital world.Įach location provides an escalating challenge the further you venture into the campaign. Once the card’s socket is filled, it receives a permanent upgrade you can use in your deck. Some cards have sockets that can be filled with gems. However, the best use of the technology comes in socketable cards. Champions also have special abilities that can alter cards or the entire battle themselves. The upgraded card immediately gets a stat boost and remains that way for as long as it’s in play. Some cards can be played to upgrade other cards. HEX goes well beyond these basics by taking advantage of the digital platform. This is done by playing various creatures, upgrades, and spells to attack and defend. The goal is to get the AI’s champion to zero before yours. Each champion has a particular health value. If you’ve had any experience with TCGs, the core mechanics of the solo campaign will be very familiar. In reality, HEX has created a MMOTCGRPG, but that doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue well.Ĭhampions can be customized by faction, race, sex, and class resulting in dozens of possibilities. These decisions are not just cosmetic, but they determine how the starting deck is built and what cards will be available once the deck can be customized after the first battles. Players can choose their champion’s faction, race, and class. The wealth of customization would be impressive in a role playing game, but for a card game it’s staggering. Players will now be able to customize their own champion, who acts as the leader of a player’s deck. Sure, the latest update includes improvements to the interface and allows HEX to shed the game’s beta tag, but the real jewel is the addition of solo campaign mode, the Chronicles of Entrath. It may seem odd to review what appears to be just an update to game that’s been online for sometime, but it’s a milestone release for HEX. From the opening interface to the depth of gameplay, HEX appears to be ready to showcase the expansive possibilities of the newly dubbed MMOTCG (Massively Multiplayer Online Trading Card Game) genre. Thankfully, the answer to that is a resounding yes. The question then is did HEX Entertainment end up with a game that matches the dedication behind it? It’s the attention to these details that separates a timeless classic from a forgettable mess. HEX CEO Cory Jones and his staff at HEX Entertainment may have put their heart and soul into the development of the Shards of Fate – Chronicles of Entrath, but no amount of passion can make up for shoddy mechanics and poor game play.
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