80
One of the most exciting
online CCGs released
yet. It could use more
singleplayer content, but
for PvP, it’s tough to beat.VERDICTout real-world money and that
doesn’t sit quite right.
Master Duel does have a fairly
player-friendly crafting system using
its other in-game collectible
currency, card parts, but I did
eventually end up buying a pack of
2,000 gems for $12 to finish out my
Thunder Dragon deck. And oh boy,
does Konami ever try to reel you in:
the same level of polish in duelling is
present in pack opening, with
over-the-top animations and
sparkling indications of rarity.
But it’s hardly the most egregious
free-to-play monetisation out there.
Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel is a lean butpolished gem of a competitive card
battler that channels the storied
legacy of the physical card game and
its 10,000-plus cards into an
accessible package. While it’s light on
solo activities, it offers a compelling
competitive experience, so if you’ve
ever wanted to learn a TCG, this
might be the best way to do it yet
without (totally) breaking the bank.TOP: (^) Master Duel
makes card games
feel massive in scope.
ABOVE: (^) It’s easy to
spend time in the
deck-building screen.
ABOVE: Boss monster summoning animations are intense.
Konami put a lot of
effort into making pack
openings look cool.