Nomad Mystic There and Back Again
I feel similar the Nintendo Switch is the perfect home for digital deck-building adventures, then I'm glad to see that Nomad Games are bringing their library of releases over to the platform. Afterward releasing Deathtrap Dungeon Trilogy belatedly final year, they're dorsum once again with Mystic Vale – a tabular array-height championship that doesn't pit you lot against monsters in a fantasy setting, but instead challenges you to restore nature to your dying land. On paper, it doesn't necessarily sound like the most exciting of concepts, simply it really makes for a really good time and acts as an ideal introduction for newbies to the digital deck-building genre.
Firstly, I cannot emphasise enough how important the tutorial in Mystic Vale is. Think you tin can just dive into a game and learn it as you go on? Think again. Whilst Mystic Vale is a adequately easy-going championship for newbies to the genre to get to grips with, it has a fair few mechanics that can take a while to fully sympathize. In fairness, the tutorial is really well-structured and goes into a decent amount of depth without overwhelming the player from the get-go, so it'll certainly go a long way in making sure players are well-prepared for their first competitive feel.
Mystic Vale's concept is based around restoring nature across a cursed country, with the histrion using their deck of cards to strengthen their field during gameplay in society to reap the nigh rewards. This consists of the 'Planting Phase', which is where you fix your field by assigning the cards from your deck and combining them to create more powerful and therefore resourceful options, and the 'Harvest Phase', where y'all'll purchase all-new cards with your resources in order to continually strengthen your field. You know what, I'1000 really simplifying information technology there because there'southward quite a lot more to both the 'Planting Phase' and the 'Harvest Phase', just provided you followed the in-game tutorial information technology doesn't accept too long to get the grasp of Mystic Vale's mechanics.
There are plenty of different things to consider when using cards though, with things similar the 'Decay Tokens' causing bug – your turn will terminate if y'all take three 'Decay Tokens' on your field, and since they're associated with a lot of the cards you'll use, yous accept to manage them carefully or combine other cards in club to nullify their consequence. The placement of your cards plays a big role besides, especially since they're all assigned a 'top, 'centre', or 'bottom' position, with merely a combination of the three able to exist used in conjunction. It means that you've got to be careful when purchasing cards during the 'Harvest Phase' and ensure that you utilise each different carte'south strengths efficiently if you lot want to earn the 'Victory Points' required to be deemed the winner.
And so yeah, a lot of that probably won't make sense to players who haven't had the chance to really dive into Mystic Vale, and then I'll sum information technology upwardly: you apply cards to plant a field, combine additional cards in order to strengthen your resource, purchase new cards in lodge to reap more than resources and make your land more fruitful, and then you win by earning victory points. You're competing against others who are besides looking to set up their own perfect country, but it's a fairly peaceful game with no real conflict or battle taking identify – you're just trying to restore nature in your ain piece of land.
The most important attribute of Mystic Vale is whether or not it'southward actually whatsoever fun to play. Well, I've ploughed through a good amount of games so far and have found it to be pretty addictive, especially now that I've learnt some of the tricks of the trade and have a few victories under my belt. Mystic Vale can look intimidating at outset glance and the whole concept of simply looking after your land might not sound like the virtually exciting for the genre, just the combination of building your deck and and so combining your cards ends upwardly making for a really satisfying experience – especially when you manage to smash together the perfect trio of cards that actually assistance strengthen your field. In that location's less of an accent placed on simply getting the 'best' card as there is on combining the ones you have at your disposal in efficient ways, and managing to do and so and snap upwards that victory is just really rewarding.
You tin play Mystic Vale in single player, local and online multiplayer, so there are enough of ways to tackle the game. Whilst I haven't spent a lot of time in the multiplayer modes and so far, I do look forrad to heading online and facing off against others to show off my deck-building skills. Sure, I expect I'm going to accept a fair few beatings at the hands of more experienced players, but it'south certainly one of the better ways to learn new strategies and understand more about the game.
One matter that I was a piffling concerned about was how well the game would actually control on panel, specially with all of the dissimilar cards and menus yous have to flick between. Thankfully, everything works actually well on the Nintendo Switch, especially on the handheld mode where the affect controls make it a cakewalk to play effectually with your deck. Don't get me incorrect, a controller works well too, just information technology isn't as intuitive every bit simply being able to tap at your cards right in front of you lot.
8/10
Summary
Whilst it might not necessarily offer the fantasy battling of the typical deck-building table-tiptop games that I like to play, Mystic Vale hooked me in from the commencement thanks to its unique implementation of card-combining and rewarding gameplay mechanics. I haven't had this much fun looking tending to my fields since I played Stardew Valley…
Mystic Vale is certainly an addictive game though and ane that I tin can see myself coming back to for some fourth dimension, particularly with the online multiplayer and the convenience of playing on the get. Here'southward hoping that Nomad Games continue to bring a strong line-up of digital table-summit releases over to the Nintendo Switch.
Developer: Nomad Games
Publisher: Nomad Games
Platform(due south): Nintendo Switch (Reviewed), PC
Source: https://www.useapotion.com/2020/03/mystic-vale-review/