Neverland Card Battles
SCORE: 72
Neverland Card Battles is the most interesting Playstation Portable (PSP) card based game I have ever played. Before you totally freak out, Neverland Card Battles is not a gambling game. This PSP title is about a god (Hellgaia) that gets enslaved by five other gods. Some of Hellgaia's powers make it into the cards of Dominators. Fast forward and Hellgaia is starting to get free. This wakes a guardian who brings together those who have the power to fight him off. So the player gets to take the role of Galahad in a card battling quest that eventually leads to the dark god. If this story sounds familiar, it has been used in the role playing arena a lot. The interesting aspect of Neverland Card Battles to me is the card battles. It plays partially like a card game, and partially like Shining Force. Players walk around the field turning tiles to their color. The more tiles the more powerful cards can be used. The characters summoned by the cards can also walk around collecting tiles, fight enemies, etc.
I really enjoyed the artistic style of the drawings in Neverland Card Battles. The cards have great details, but the battle, and movement screens look pretty simplistic. This PSP game also contains blood, and some poor attire choices. Honestly that content could have been left out, and that would really improve the score for Neverland Card Battles.
The music was okay in Neverland Card Battles. Nothing in it really excited me, nor did anything musically irritate me. There is a lot of talk about killing a god that may be offensive (and remember FFG is sensitive to that). There was also language in Neverland Card Battles that I do not let my children use. This PSP game is rated for Teens and older, so you will want to follow that.
Neverland Card Battles has a lot of different cards. With thirty cards in a deck among the two hundred total cards there is plenty of replay possibilities. Neverland Card Battles also includes a wireless Adhoc mode so owners can play friends. The caveat to the replay value is you will have to enjoy this kind of a video game. If you can handle the content, then you will find your money well spent on Neverland Card Battles.
I found the mix of gamestyles in Neverland Card Battles to be the best part of this game. Too many card games are complex, confusing, and difficult to learn. Neverland Card Battles is simple, but also has some great strategic depth to it. The levels contain a lot of intelligent design to them.
Many of the content issues with Neverland Card Battles have already
been mentioned. I really wish the storyline was a little different. The
whole killing a god thing has been way over done in the video game
industry. Why can't we have a good and just God in a video game that the
player faithfully serve? In other words like our real world. Some of the
content issues really could have been left at the door. I did enjoy the
card battles.
- Paul
Graphics: 64%
Sound: 70%
Replay/Extras: 85%
Gameplay: 82%
Family Friendly Factor: 60%
System: Playstation Portable
Publisher: Yukes
ESRB Rating: 'T' for Teen
{Mild Blood, Mild Fantasy Violence, Partial Nudity, Use of Tobacco}
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