The Avatar
03-04-2006, 10:24 AM
Phantasy Star 3: C.A.R.D Revolution jumped straight out at me from the shelf as I walked by it. Im serious, the bloody thing took my wallet out, and walked me over to the cash register and told me to pay or I would get pain.
Now, me being the big sissy I am, immediately paid for this game and went home to play it.
For the next three days, each time I got up to stop playing, I was physically threatened. Honestly, I rang up work and told them I couldn't come in because I was in a bit of a hostage situation. They actually had the gall to call me a liar AND dock me pay. I couldn't believe it!!
But, as with most hostage situations, I developed a bad case of Amsterdam Syndrome. Wait, that doesn't sound right.... Switzerland Syndrome? No, Stockholm Syndrome...no, ahh I think it was actually called Munich Syndrome. Yeah, that sounds about right!
PS3: CARD is shockingly enough, a card game. It is an online game that you have to pay for. I checked it out and it really isn't that cheap. However, on the plus side, when you play online, not only do you get to fight against human players from around the globe, but you also get to download quests and extras.
Here in lies the first (and biggest) problem with the game: If your memory file is corrupted (which has happened to me once), you lose everything. You lose your player data, your earned cards, your quests, even your account becomes a bit of a bitch to set up again. The worst part is that the memory files are copy protected, so you cant even back them up just in case.
But, forgetting that particular badness for a second, let us delve into the game basics. PS3:CARD is played out on a chess like arena. Hero or Arkz are the two seperate sides of this game and though they have a few cards in common, both play very differently.
Hero's or Hunters, use weapon cards and equip weapons onto their bodies, while on the Arkz side, they summon monsters and use them to do the dirty work. Both sides require mastering if you're going to play the offline missions all the way through.
I used to prefer the HeroSide, but after three years, I have found that the DarkSide(Arkz) have much more powerful abilities that are easier to use and unlock. But, then again, this may only be because I haven't unlocked the right cards for HeroSide yet!
Okay, you choose your guy, choose your deck, and select a level. Off you go for your adventure! First off, you roll dice with your opponent to see who goes first. Highest number wins. Once the first player turn is established, the game breaks down into five stages. First, you roll for your attack and defence points. Attack points are used to move, attack and summon with. Once you have your points, you can summon a card. Then, any action points left you use to move that card around the field. After that, you can attack. Finally you get to draw new cards at the end of your turn.
For everything that you kill, you gain experience points. Once you reach a certain amount, you get a Dice bonus. Each Dice bonus adds +1 to all your dice rolls and max out at 9. Trust me, when you're rolling double nines (even when the dice come up as a one) the game gets really funky! Its as simple as that.
Of course, there are many tricks and strategies to conquer before you become a master of PS3:CARD. After a while, luck has very little to do with a battle and you begin to really shine with your item/monster combos and attacks. I'm still discovering new attack patterns and ability combinations!
GRAPHICS Score: 95%
The graphics in this game are beautiful. Every character, monster, item and map are richly detailed and look really great. Each map has a unique feel to it and has been designed to give an otherworld effect.
The monster designs are all great, with each different type of monster easily identifiable even from a distance. The game designers have used the C-Stick as a pan feature which really helps to put the whole battle arena into perspective.
SOUND/MUSIC Score: 82%
Thought the sound effects are a bit bland and repetative at times, the music more then makes up for it. Each level has its own theme music and it really helps to set the scene for the coming battle.
A few things will begin to annoy you after a while though. The constant sound effects used by the same monsters over and over again, the dice rolling sound effect (this can really get on my nerves) and it seems that there are no options to turn selective things off. Sometimes, I would be happy just to turn that damn dice rolling sound effects off! But, its either put up or shut up and that made me a sad panda.
However, that being said, sometimes, its really great to hear the dying screams of certain cards after finally getting a decent roll and card layout. For example, getting my ass handed to me by shitty rolls all game, then just near the end I get my little Nano Dragon up to invincible (around twenty attack). Then I turn his assault onto the computer, thats right use those defensive cards! Awww, look at that, my widdle dragon has just stomped your shit into oblivion!! Die!! Hahahaaaa!
Ahh, good times. Good times!!
MULTIPLAYER Score: 97%
Though I cannot say what it is like online, with friends, this game rocks. In fact, the more people playing, the more cards are unlocked at the end of each battle. If you're just starting this game and want to build a massive card deck up quickly, just invite some friends over and the rest will take care of itself over a few hours.
There is only team play in this game. That means either 1 vs. 1 or 2 vs. 2, which is a bit sad as a four person kill fest would have been rather cool!
(RE)PLAYABILITY Score: 100%
I've been playing this game for three years straight. I am still not sick of it. I have over 3000 cards, unlocked around 1000, and still have only 42% of the overall cards available.
When playing offline or online, you get a level ranking. This ranking goes up for each victory and goes down for each loss. The higher level you are, the higher chance you have to unlock rare cards after a battle. This means that a few things, not all good unfortunately.
Firstly, it becomes really hard to unlock cards, unless you play it non-stop. Secondly, yes, I agree, it does prolong the longevity of the game, but it does annoy me a little that after three years, I still cannot kill the DarkSide end guy. I need better cards.
And lastly, it really shits me when I get friends over to play it, and they unlock an awesome card that they wont trade to me. Fine! I think, I'll just load up the game when they are gone and trade it to myself, but no!! If you only have one copy of a card, then it cant be traded!! You have no idea how much happiness and hair that little rule has cost me.
CONTROLS Score:94%
Honestly, there is no way they could can wrong here. All you need to do is make a selection and press a button. Any button will do most of the time. But, as I said before, the inclusion of the C-Stick pan and scan really is neat.
Controlling monsters is easy and all the menus auto select the next option you would usually want. This helps when you first start the game as it helps to teach you the basics, but later on, when you're in a rush, it can get a bit annoying as you automatically move the cursor out of the right selection just to spite the GameCubes mind reading abilities! Damn you Cube, stay out of my head!
ATMOSPHERE Score:96%
This game has atmosphere coming out its proverbial wazzoo! Each mission you take has a storyline and depending on who you take, may even reward you with an extra card for your wise choices. Its all text based, but there isn't that much to read so its not a major hassle, and even my less intelligent friends don't furrow their sloping brows in deep concentration of the storyline when playing. They usually just grunt, which to me means "get on with it!"
The storylines apparently continue from the last Phantasy Star games, which are not card games, but are actual online adventure games like World of Warcraft or Guild Wars. I cannot confirm or deny this as I've never played any of the previous installments of this game. I do, however, always keep a keen eye out for them whenever Im in the stores. I don't want to be held hostage by a game again. People laughed at me last time, and that made me an angry panda.
WEB INTERGRATION Score:24%
Not much in the way of an Official site. All the online stuff is done through the game. You can get an account through Sega Online, but everything else is in game.
Kind of a pity really because they could have had a great game site with forums for discussing strategies and card trading. Oh well.
PROBLEMS
There are a few problems with this game. The biggest and most annoying would have to be not being able to back up any of your saves. Copy protecting the memory blocks really mystifies me, as the only thing it seems to do is piss the user off. If there are any power surges, or anything happens to corrupt the savegame, thats it! Its gone and the countless hours you have spent building up your massive decks are all gone.
Another problem with this game is the rigid structure of battles. You can only 1 vs. 1 or 2 vs. 2. What a waste! Why not 3 vs. 1? Why not 4 vs All? It would have really added to the variety of gameplay.
Another problem with this game really isn't the game creators fault, but more on the part of Nintendo Australia, and their utter lack of product support. I wonder how many people in Australia even have a GameCube modem. I wonder how many people even realise that it can support online gaming with ADSL speeds. Way to go Nintendo Australia!
I could go on and on about the incompetence of Nintendo Australia but really, this isn't the platform for it. So, let me just say this, if you want to play this game online, You have to buy a GameCube ($200), buy PS3:CARD ($90), buy a ADSL modem for GameCube ($169), and finally get a monthly account ($50 per month). Total cost to play online $509. Cost of watching Nintendo shoot themselves in the foot..priceless.
OVERALL Score:98%
I finally decided to give this game a 98% rating because it really is a top notch card game. One of the best I have ever played and after three years of ownership, this game still keeps me coming back for more. Very few games can hold my attention for that long, and for the few that do, I give them the thumbs up!
Now, me being the big sissy I am, immediately paid for this game and went home to play it.
For the next three days, each time I got up to stop playing, I was physically threatened. Honestly, I rang up work and told them I couldn't come in because I was in a bit of a hostage situation. They actually had the gall to call me a liar AND dock me pay. I couldn't believe it!!
But, as with most hostage situations, I developed a bad case of Amsterdam Syndrome. Wait, that doesn't sound right.... Switzerland Syndrome? No, Stockholm Syndrome...no, ahh I think it was actually called Munich Syndrome. Yeah, that sounds about right!
PS3: CARD is shockingly enough, a card game. It is an online game that you have to pay for. I checked it out and it really isn't that cheap. However, on the plus side, when you play online, not only do you get to fight against human players from around the globe, but you also get to download quests and extras.
Here in lies the first (and biggest) problem with the game: If your memory file is corrupted (which has happened to me once), you lose everything. You lose your player data, your earned cards, your quests, even your account becomes a bit of a bitch to set up again. The worst part is that the memory files are copy protected, so you cant even back them up just in case.
But, forgetting that particular badness for a second, let us delve into the game basics. PS3:CARD is played out on a chess like arena. Hero or Arkz are the two seperate sides of this game and though they have a few cards in common, both play very differently.
Hero's or Hunters, use weapon cards and equip weapons onto their bodies, while on the Arkz side, they summon monsters and use them to do the dirty work. Both sides require mastering if you're going to play the offline missions all the way through.
I used to prefer the HeroSide, but after three years, I have found that the DarkSide(Arkz) have much more powerful abilities that are easier to use and unlock. But, then again, this may only be because I haven't unlocked the right cards for HeroSide yet!
Okay, you choose your guy, choose your deck, and select a level. Off you go for your adventure! First off, you roll dice with your opponent to see who goes first. Highest number wins. Once the first player turn is established, the game breaks down into five stages. First, you roll for your attack and defence points. Attack points are used to move, attack and summon with. Once you have your points, you can summon a card. Then, any action points left you use to move that card around the field. After that, you can attack. Finally you get to draw new cards at the end of your turn.
For everything that you kill, you gain experience points. Once you reach a certain amount, you get a Dice bonus. Each Dice bonus adds +1 to all your dice rolls and max out at 9. Trust me, when you're rolling double nines (even when the dice come up as a one) the game gets really funky! Its as simple as that.
Of course, there are many tricks and strategies to conquer before you become a master of PS3:CARD. After a while, luck has very little to do with a battle and you begin to really shine with your item/monster combos and attacks. I'm still discovering new attack patterns and ability combinations!
GRAPHICS Score: 95%
The graphics in this game are beautiful. Every character, monster, item and map are richly detailed and look really great. Each map has a unique feel to it and has been designed to give an otherworld effect.
The monster designs are all great, with each different type of monster easily identifiable even from a distance. The game designers have used the C-Stick as a pan feature which really helps to put the whole battle arena into perspective.
SOUND/MUSIC Score: 82%
Thought the sound effects are a bit bland and repetative at times, the music more then makes up for it. Each level has its own theme music and it really helps to set the scene for the coming battle.
A few things will begin to annoy you after a while though. The constant sound effects used by the same monsters over and over again, the dice rolling sound effect (this can really get on my nerves) and it seems that there are no options to turn selective things off. Sometimes, I would be happy just to turn that damn dice rolling sound effects off! But, its either put up or shut up and that made me a sad panda.
However, that being said, sometimes, its really great to hear the dying screams of certain cards after finally getting a decent roll and card layout. For example, getting my ass handed to me by shitty rolls all game, then just near the end I get my little Nano Dragon up to invincible (around twenty attack). Then I turn his assault onto the computer, thats right use those defensive cards! Awww, look at that, my widdle dragon has just stomped your shit into oblivion!! Die!! Hahahaaaa!
Ahh, good times. Good times!!
MULTIPLAYER Score: 97%
Though I cannot say what it is like online, with friends, this game rocks. In fact, the more people playing, the more cards are unlocked at the end of each battle. If you're just starting this game and want to build a massive card deck up quickly, just invite some friends over and the rest will take care of itself over a few hours.
There is only team play in this game. That means either 1 vs. 1 or 2 vs. 2, which is a bit sad as a four person kill fest would have been rather cool!
(RE)PLAYABILITY Score: 100%
I've been playing this game for three years straight. I am still not sick of it. I have over 3000 cards, unlocked around 1000, and still have only 42% of the overall cards available.
When playing offline or online, you get a level ranking. This ranking goes up for each victory and goes down for each loss. The higher level you are, the higher chance you have to unlock rare cards after a battle. This means that a few things, not all good unfortunately.
Firstly, it becomes really hard to unlock cards, unless you play it non-stop. Secondly, yes, I agree, it does prolong the longevity of the game, but it does annoy me a little that after three years, I still cannot kill the DarkSide end guy. I need better cards.
And lastly, it really shits me when I get friends over to play it, and they unlock an awesome card that they wont trade to me. Fine! I think, I'll just load up the game when they are gone and trade it to myself, but no!! If you only have one copy of a card, then it cant be traded!! You have no idea how much happiness and hair that little rule has cost me.
CONTROLS Score:94%
Honestly, there is no way they could can wrong here. All you need to do is make a selection and press a button. Any button will do most of the time. But, as I said before, the inclusion of the C-Stick pan and scan really is neat.
Controlling monsters is easy and all the menus auto select the next option you would usually want. This helps when you first start the game as it helps to teach you the basics, but later on, when you're in a rush, it can get a bit annoying as you automatically move the cursor out of the right selection just to spite the GameCubes mind reading abilities! Damn you Cube, stay out of my head!
ATMOSPHERE Score:96%
This game has atmosphere coming out its proverbial wazzoo! Each mission you take has a storyline and depending on who you take, may even reward you with an extra card for your wise choices. Its all text based, but there isn't that much to read so its not a major hassle, and even my less intelligent friends don't furrow their sloping brows in deep concentration of the storyline when playing. They usually just grunt, which to me means "get on with it!"
The storylines apparently continue from the last Phantasy Star games, which are not card games, but are actual online adventure games like World of Warcraft or Guild Wars. I cannot confirm or deny this as I've never played any of the previous installments of this game. I do, however, always keep a keen eye out for them whenever Im in the stores. I don't want to be held hostage by a game again. People laughed at me last time, and that made me an angry panda.
WEB INTERGRATION Score:24%
Not much in the way of an Official site. All the online stuff is done through the game. You can get an account through Sega Online, but everything else is in game.
Kind of a pity really because they could have had a great game site with forums for discussing strategies and card trading. Oh well.
PROBLEMS
There are a few problems with this game. The biggest and most annoying would have to be not being able to back up any of your saves. Copy protecting the memory blocks really mystifies me, as the only thing it seems to do is piss the user off. If there are any power surges, or anything happens to corrupt the savegame, thats it! Its gone and the countless hours you have spent building up your massive decks are all gone.
Another problem with this game is the rigid structure of battles. You can only 1 vs. 1 or 2 vs. 2. What a waste! Why not 3 vs. 1? Why not 4 vs All? It would have really added to the variety of gameplay.
Another problem with this game really isn't the game creators fault, but more on the part of Nintendo Australia, and their utter lack of product support. I wonder how many people in Australia even have a GameCube modem. I wonder how many people even realise that it can support online gaming with ADSL speeds. Way to go Nintendo Australia!
I could go on and on about the incompetence of Nintendo Australia but really, this isn't the platform for it. So, let me just say this, if you want to play this game online, You have to buy a GameCube ($200), buy PS3:CARD ($90), buy a ADSL modem for GameCube ($169), and finally get a monthly account ($50 per month). Total cost to play online $509. Cost of watching Nintendo shoot themselves in the foot..priceless.
OVERALL Score:98%
I finally decided to give this game a 98% rating because it really is a top notch card game. One of the best I have ever played and after three years of ownership, this game still keeps me coming back for more. Very few games can hold my attention for that long, and for the few that do, I give them the thumbs up!