Gwent: The Witcher Card Game

It would seem like every popular game franchise receives a CCG spin off sooner or later, and the trend is on the rise. The genre is highly malleable and open to new interpretations, on the other hand, so there are always new ideas that can be introduced to keep the fans engaged. Unfortunately, not all developers strive to come up with new mechanics, so people are pretty skeptical regarding CCGs nowadays.

Gwent: The Witcher Card Game is CD PROJEKT’s attempt to expand the Witcher universe and provide the fans with a different spin on the story, while also trying not to dumb things down too much. Hence, it looks and smells like a classic CCG at first, but the gameplay is unique, and there’s a fair bit of strategy involved in every match. In fact, the mechanics are complex enough for the game to be played at a pro level.   There are five factions to choose from, including the Scoia’tael, Skellige and the Nilfgaardian Empire, each one of which features unique cards with special abilities. Each match usually spans over multiple rounds, and it’s not necessary to win all of them in order to come out victorious. In fact, sometimes it’s wise to lose a round in order to gain the upper hand and win the match.

There are three lanes for each type of card, namely melee, ranged and siege. The actual goal is to reach the end of each round with more card points than your opponent, so it’s not always necessary to attack unless you need to reduce the opponent’s points while preserving your own. You can also create your own decks if you are not happy with the included ones, as well as craft new ones if you have enough resources.   Speaking of which, in-app purchases are present in Gwent as well, but they do not affect the game in a negative fashion, so you do not need to worry about pay-to-win situations. Lastly, the artwork is about as gorgeous as you can expect from the creators of The Witcher, especially since some of the cards are animated. Every unit is gorgeous and a pleasure to look at, and the original voice actors are present here as well, which makes the game feel authentic.

In the end, Gwent: The Witcher Card Game has all the right elements to keep you busy for a very long time, and this is barely the Open Beta version. Hence, the gameplay is complex and enjoyable, the cards come in huge numbers, and the graphics are top-notch as well.