It’s been well-documented that I am not a gung-ho digital collectible card game (DCCG) player. Sure, I’ve dabbled within the world of Hearthstone (who hasn’t?). It’s just that these games seem to fall into my lap for review purposes. Fortunately, I have not come across a DCCG that I haven’t enjoyed, at least in some capacity. Mythgard - from Rhino Games - continues that trend, as my time spent in the open beta has been nothing short of a good time.
Not In Kansas Anymore
Mythgard is the latest digital collectible card game to grace the platforms of Steam and mobile devices (Android/iOS) as a free-to-play title. The game opens with chapter one of its Story mode, which puts players in the shoes of various characters within the world of Mythgard. Instead of settling on either a realm of fantasy or a real-life setting, Mythgard combines the best of both worlds. Gods and other ancient deities roam the modern world. Mortals have had enough of being at the bottom of the pecking order, leading them to rise up against what’s left of the mythical creatures, using magic and new-world technology to wage war and gain control of the world.
The first chapter of the story held my attention long enough to want to know where it was going. There’s quite a lot happening at once, but it does show potential for some fun endgame lore. Ultimately, it’s likely that I won’t be playing for the story, but I can appreciate Mythgard’s for what it is, since it aides in joining the worlds of fantasy and real-life in fun ways.
Familiar-Yet-Refreshed Mechanics
If you have ever played Hearthstone or Magic: The Gathering, you’ll feel right at home in Mythgard. The tabletop interface and overall flow of the game plays strikingly similar to Hearthstone. This is a good thing for bringing in new players, as the learning curve is far simpler than that of, say, The Lord of the Rings: Adventure Card Game. However, the game is still plenty complex enough for devout DCCG fans to build their ultimate deck.
The game’s deckbuilding structure allows players to construct multi-colored decks (which was often my strategy, as well as my downfall, when playing the physical version of Magic: The Gathering). The developers state that Mythgard “‘solves’ the issues of mana screw/flood found in CCGs that have resource-specific cards while still presenting an interesting check on deck building.”
Card types that have long been considered to be genre staples, such as “taunt,” are avoided in Mythgard, but don’t let that lull you into a false sense of security. As tempting as it may be to go directly for the kill, there is a definite long-view strategy that involves controlling and defeating opposing minions first, before your opponent's offensive lineup overwhelms yours. Similarly, Mythgard also reexamines traditional card “lanes,” which adds a whole new complexity to how each battle unfolds.
Beyond the game’s story mode, Mythgard provides a ton of content to keep players busy. Puzzle, Gauntlet, and Brawl game modes add to its PvE content, while Arena, Casual, and Ranked comprise its PvP modes. Melee mode allows players to team up with a partner for 2v2 action as well.
All of the standard DCCG components can be found as well, including pre-made decks (some of which are created by the community and updated weekly), collection galleries, daily missions, and a store to purchase additional card packs. All progress and collections can be accessed across devices, whether you’re playing on PC or your mobile device, which is a huge draw for the game.
Ready For Chapter Two
The early gameplay of Mythgard, coupled with beautiful card designs that are reminiscent of Magic: The Gathering, provides plenty of insight as to how the final version of the game will look. Rhino Games mentions that Mythgard brings with it features that players will love, while putting “pretty much every other CCG to shame.” Although that might be a bit grandiose, I have enjoyed what I have experienced thus far in the open beta so much, that Mythgard is already fast becoming my one of favorite DCCGs.
There is no hard release date as of yet, but stay tuned to TheGamer for more details on Mythgard following its time spent in the open beta.