This game is a solid 3 of 5. It's not bad, but it's not as amazing as the other reviews might lead you to believe.
This game in a single word: Complicated.
Everything about this game is complex. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, but it's not a good thing either. If you want a fun carefree card game experience, you will NOT get that here. If the sense of overwhelming power you get from a deck you've been cultivating all run is what brings you to these games, try Monster Train instead.
There's a lot of mechanics in Vault of the Void, probably to many. Hearthstone went through and purged old Keywords because they found it to be confusing for new players and unnecessary in the long run. I've only played for a couple of hours. Runs are long, so that's enough time to unlock all the characters and not much else. Let me list of the notable keywords that I remember.
Shii. Future Strike. Frenzy. Vulnerable. Weak. Slow. Echo Wall. Solo. Vision. Opener. Follow-up. Zen. Rebound. Sift. Bleeding. Expel. Swift. Heavy. Rage. Combo. Zeal. Zen. Shock. Balanced. Discharge. Overcharge. Clot. Purge. Ghost. Slay. Inert. Volatile.
I'm definitely missing some. I haven't even played the fourth class yet. On top of all that, they tried some new things with blocking, where blocking essentially 'heals' damage on the turn it would be dealt. So the enemy threatens you with 10 damage, then you have to put up 10 block that turn to keep from getting hurt. You see their intent to threaten you before you are actually threatened. I like the mechanic, but it's another case of complicating game play where it wasn't necessary. There need to be some simple elements. Some things that are just immediately understood.
That's what my negative review boils down to, and it's the reason I want to give this game a middle score, not a bad one. Complicated is NOT bad, but many people who review it are seasoned card game players like me. This game is not easy to learn. It's not fun to play until you understand it. It's hard because understanding it is hard. I've definitely died because I lost track of effects.
I'm not saying don't buy it. If you have played other card battlers and you're looking for something that will challenge the way you think, then you should absolutely try this. But if you are casually interested, then try something else first. Slay the Spire or Monster Train.
If the Dev is reading this, you've done a great job. I'm not done playing it. I'm only saying that you should consider streamlining a few things, what can be simplified and what can go? Do we need burn and poison when they're basically the same? Could overcharge be "Gain one Temp Mana"? Something that is still a keyword, but it's understandable immediately. Every keyword is one more thing to remember. Clot could be "Remove x bleed" I know that makes some cards wordier, but how many times is clot used? Is it necessary that it has its own keyword?
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