Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment
Platform: PC
Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft is the most addicting card game I have ever played. What makes it even better is that it free and will soon arrive on mobile devices so you can play anywhere you go. Currently only for the PC this card game provides quick fun enjoyment that anyone can get into.
Story
This is a just a digital card game so there is no story or campaign. The cards are based off the characters from the Warcraft series so you will see familiar faces and minions. You can play as nine different heroes from the Warcraft universe including Jaina Proudmoore, Malfurion Stormrage, and Anduin Wrynn.
Each card does have funny descriptions though so you can expect the good quality level of Blizzard humor in the cards themselves. The characters on the cards will make much more sense if you have played games like Warcraft III and World of Warcraft. Let’s just say some unexpected legendary heroes from the game area as valuable cards.
Gameplay
Hearthstone is very easy to pick up with the ability to learn the basics of how to play in just minutes. You choose between nine different classes that each have special abilities and access to class specific cards. A deck is comprised of 30 cards that you can built and there are tons of strategies that can be made with different cards.
All cards have a mana valuation to them to balance their effects and cost. At the beginning of your turn you gain a mana point increasing what level cards you can use. Having a deck full of high end cards will leave your early game vulnerable, but having a deck only of low level cards will make it hard to finish off your opponent.
It is a delicate balance that requires a lot of trial and error, but fun and rewarding when you understand what strategies to look out for. Good thing there are plenty of guides and Twitch streams to help you if you learn more from others than from losing. Finding new strategies to beat your friend with can be really fun, like destroying them with a murloc deck in just a couple of turns.
Cards have a ton of different abilities and stats, but are explained on each card. They are easy to understand which makes the game so easy to pick up. Everything you need to know is said on the card already. The trick is knowing if you should have it in your deck and if it combos well if your other cards.
Winning games and doing daily quests will award you with gold. This in game currency can be used to buy booster packs give you cards with at least one being of rare value. You can also disenchant your cards for dust which can be used to create cards of your choosing. The more you play the more options you will have to build a deck how you want it to be.
There are 3 game modes that are offered in Hearthstone. You play against AI opponents in practice mode which is recommended so you can unlock basic cards for each of the different classes. You can also go against online opponents in random matches to test your deck and your strategies.
The last mode is Arena which costs you an entry fee just to particpate. In Arena you will build a temporary deck with random cards. You will be given three random cards and you decide which one you want until you have a full deck. The more matches you win in Arena the better the reward you get at the end.
Hearthstone is a create change the card game formula since it creates a easy to learn card game, but give it enough depth to be very challenging and interesting. It is Blizzard’s philosophy of easy to learn, but hard to master at its finest.
Graphics
Hearthstone is a simple looking game, but has special effects that make this great to look at. The artstyle fits the theme of Warcraft very well. There are also special effects when using abilities and spells that add a lot to the game. Placing a super rare Legendary card onto the field will not only make your opponent cringe, but make you look cool doing it.
Hearthstone looks great and plays great. If I had little nephews and nieces, I would totally be excited to have them play this game when it comes out on mobile devices. Their parents might not be too happy I got them addicted to yet another mobile game, but hey thats one more gamer for me to play with.
Audio
The only real audio you can interact with is preset emotes. This makes it so you can’t really anger your opponents and troll them to get a reaction. This is good since for quick matches this game offers you don’t really need too much besides the hello and good game.
The heroes sound amazing though, but that is because these are the Warcraft heroes. They always sounded amazing so having them sound great in this game should come as no surprise. Card effects also sound pretty cool.
Downsides
The biggest downside is how hard it can be to actually master the game. At the highest level the mistakes that cost you the game could have been made several turns before. It is not easy to know your mistake and learn from them if you don’t even remember them.
I am personally not a big fan of how many cards have random effects, such as getting rid of a random card from your hand. I am not saying there shouldn’t be cards that have unique costs to them, but when playing a card that randomly damage different opponents it adds just a bit too much luck into the game.
I understand this game is built on luck anyway since this is a card game, but Blizzard did an amazing job of balancing the game to make it based more on strategy and your deck. They added just a little too much luck with all these random effect cards.
Also legendaries card are currently just too uninviting. I understand that you need to have powerful cards in the game, but allowing a deck to be built mostly with legendary cards is not fun to go against. It makes it so all decks have similar builds with legendaries when it should have more variety.
Pros
– Easy to learn
– Free-to-play
– Quick Matches
Cons
– Just a little too much random
Conclusion
Hearthstone is a game that you should try out and have your friends try. If not now at least when it comes out on mobile devices. Since it is free you have nothing to lose but the endless amount of hours spent on it. That is unless you want to pay money to unlock cards faster than by all means you can do that too.
9.5 out of 10