DARKMATTERS - The Mind of Matt

You met me at a very strange time in my life...

Read my novel: Complete Darkness

Listen to the PODCAST I co-host: Hosts in the Shell

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Uncharted: Fight for Fortune - Review


Uncharted: Fight for Fortune (PSVITA)

Developed by Sony Bend

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

OK ‘cards on the table’ or rather ‘virtual cards on the crystal clear OLED VITA screen’ – I’m a veteran of strategic card games having played Yu-Gi-Oh!, Magic: The Gathering, DuelMasters, Pokemon and even Star Wars: Collectable Card Game. My only excuse is that I have been busy raising two boys over the last 15 years and they happen to be lads who pack strategic brains – so alongside Chess, The Viking Game / Kings Table (Tafl), Discworld THUD, ShieldWall and even Nine-Men’s-Morris we’ve often indulged in some serious nerd-core strategy card game battles – and many of their videogame associated games.

"if you know what this card is - you are a hard core Yu-Gi-Oh! fan"

So it was with interest that I learnt Sony were adapting one of their AAA videogame action / adventure-em-ups Uncharted into a card battling experience… Uncharted: Fight for Fortune combines the characters and world of the Uncharted series – with different DLC packs for the various Uncharted games and whips up a very playable, easy to pick up but hard to master tactical card game.

The main characters such as Drake, Sully, Elena Fisher are joined by various baddies and side characters such as the zombie like Descendants plus comedy spin offs like a wiseass parrot or ‘Doughnut Drake’ who is an obese take on the hero. Cards are randomly shuffled and you play them in various phases using the VITA’s touchscreen. It’s a fight to the death as you and your opponent start with an allocated number of ‘life points’ and the first one reduced to zero loses.

"gotta collect em all"

Different cards have different attack / defence and each have a resource ‘cost’ which limits when they can be played. The cut and thrust of the turn based game sees you playing a character, equipping them with guns, armour or other bonuses and attacking you opponent whose lifepoints take the damage unless they have blocked you with a character of their own.

The cards are split into three Factions: Heroes, Villains, or Mercs and there is much strategy in working out which will boost your cards in play as various characters have side effect benefits when used together. In a freaking genius move, the cards themselves can be ‘levelled up’ by playing the excellent ‘real’ Uncharted: Golden Abyss – which has been patched to have cards hidden in it and which by achieving PSN trophies in the main game, they boost the effects and levels of the cards in Fight for Fortune.

Chances are that even if you’ve already beaten Golden Abyss, if you like Fight for Fortune you’ll be tempted to go back and play through again to improve your deck…

"wipe them out!!"

The ‘Fortune’ element of the game comes into play as it is the resource you can build up or spend on bonus cards – some games have different win criteria like ‘reach 100 fortune’ which changes how you play as killing the opponent is not longer how you win – rather you must carefully survive and build up your resource…

As well as the single player Fortune Hunter mode where you play against characters from the Uncharted universe, unlocking new cards for beating them, there are multiplayer options either online or ‘Pass and Play’ with a single Vita.

Only you know if you have the smarts and patience for a strategic game like Uncharted: Fight for Fortune – but if you want something different to stretch your brain and immerse yourself deeper into the Uncharted universe, this is a great game to pick up.

"Elena picks a card..."

Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters: 

öööö – Tons of card battling fun on the go!

 4 – indulge your inner geek with some Uncharted love

Uncharted's pin up!

No comments: