- Collect decks of cards to use in strategic battles.
- Uncover fully voiced stories for each character.
- Chat with other fighters in the Shadowverse Park.
Card fighters are right up there with my favorite genres of all time bagels And narrative role-playing gamesso even though I have no idea about Shadowverse lore, I don't need any convincing when it comes to giving Worlds Beyond a try.
The gorgeous graphics, vibrant animation, and cool character designs are all very welcome, but honestly, the fact that it's a CCG is enough to lure me in.
As expected, everything is very similar to Hearthstone, not only in mechanics, but also in the battle design. I really enjoyed Blizzard's flagship CCG, so I have no problem diving straight into its Shadowverse counterparts – but what makes this game even more interesting is that there's some really deep (and fully voiced) storytelling to be explored here, especially since all the characters are so interestingly created.
It would almost be criminal to say that card battles aren't the focus here, because you can also, if you want, just wander around Shadowverse Park – a social hub where you can interact with other players and collect goodies from time-limited events.
You have a cute little avatar that you can customize and a lovely room that you can also decorate, all of which add a special flavor to this isekai universe.
Of course, the battles themselves are extremely strategic and I just live for matches like this. In particular, the Evolution mechanic allows you to buff your minions—er, followers—with additional stats; They can also attack if deployed in the same turn to give you an advantage over your enemy.
The map packs are still gacha sets, as expected, but the characters and classes and their backstories are so interesting that it's damn hard to resist the urge to collect them all.
It all feels incredibly polished, and with all the effects animating every card and every turn, winning is immensely satisfying—if you manage to draw the right deck, that is.
Shadowverse: Worlds Beyond is free to download on iOS and Android, and can be purchased in-app if you're interested.
