Martial Arts Brutality

Whenever CCGs enter the picture, gamers immediately think of long matches and a lot of waiting, mainly because it takes time to come up with a good strategy. However, that is not necessarily the case if you take a more casual approach to the genre, because action can easily be a component in CCG matches. Granted, it takes a bit of creativity, but someone might have done it.

Martial Arts Brutality might seem like a pretty regular CCG at first, given the fact that you face your enemies using decks of cards, but things change once the combat begins. Hence, instead of playing the cards and watching the action unfold without your input, you actually have to throw punches and play fast-paced mini-games in order to deal the actual damage.

To begin with, you have multiple cards to play with, each one of which is actually a martial arts move. There are many types of kicks and punches, and they all require quick actions and a steady hand. In order to connect the hit, you have to trace a pattern on the screen using your mouse. Going outside the lines results in a failed move, which adds a lot more excitement to a pretty stale formula.

Action is not constrained to attacks, however, because it’s just as important to defend. Whenever the opponent’s turn comes and the hits start to fall, you have to block them using a very similar mini-game. This keeps the action flowing and prevents players from getting bored, which is a very good take on the subject. Naturally, it’s also possible to collect better cards with more powerful hits.

Speaking of which, each card has certain attributes that impact its ability to deal damage. Thus, some hits target weak points like the liver or the face, so it’s entirely possible to incapacitate your opponent very quickly using  well-placed punch. As far as the graphics are concerned, don’t expect an awful lot in this regard, but the game is certainly not ugly either.

All things considered, Martial Arts Brutality really delivers in terms of action and gameplay pace, because it is unlikely any other CCG out there. Thus, if you are tired of boring card battles where nothing actually happens, this can be the perfect solution for you.