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Neoverse Review: A Deck-Building Multiverse

1K View2022-04-26

When I hear the term "Neoverse," what comes to my mind is a multiverse where humanity is so evolved that time and space themselves lead to new realities and endless possibilities. A sci-fi epic conceiving a world where the "unknown" and "reality" combine to form a new universe where those old divisions can no longer be told apart!

So, does the game bearing the name Neoverse deliver on those lofty ideas? Well, sort of.

Developer Tino Games's ambitious strategic deck-builder takes cues from similar games such as Slay the Spire and offers fun gameplay and fight mechanics. Still, if you're looking for any story to provide context for the action, you'll get none of that here.

Since there’s virtually no story, Neoverse wastes no time getting into the gameplay. The game follows a trinity of three hot anime-style babes: Agent Naya, Paladin Claire, and Summoner Helena. Each character offers different playstyles and decks, but only the aggressive shooter, Agent Naya, was available during my time with the iOS version of the game.

Players new to deck-builders might find the opening sequence confusing. I was immediately thrust into battle without much of a tutorial. I had to figure out how things functioned through trial and error. I mean that literally—much of my first hour or two with the game was spent pressing each icon on the screen and seeing what happened. With that said, the gameplay of Neoverse wasn’t actually too challenging.

The game is broken down into battles, with every fifth battle being a boss fight. You have to cycle between attack, defense, and status effect cards, using them strategically in a turn-based system. Different card combinations trigger combos. And while dealing double damage on a succubus is satisfying in and of itself, combination effects play a larger role when facing tougher enemies in later missions. Health doesn't replenish after battles, so building an efficient and powerful deck and pulling off combinations becomes a key focus of the game.

After each battle, you'll gain rewards like coins and skill points which can be used to purchase items, build your deck, and gain new character skills. Different skills can raise character health or even reduce the price of things in the data store. Each item has a unique effect. For example, one of my best purchases was an EMP which removed all armor from my target. Suffice it to say, it saved my hide during the next boss fight.

Still, I would’ve appreciated some context for everything happening here. Why was I doing any of this? Who is Agent Naya? And what exactly is the Neoverse? Every question I had remained unanswered by the end.

Of course, not everyone will care about the lack of narrative as much as me. For those simply looking for gameplay, I can easily see spending a few hours on the couch or while in transit building decks and completing missions.

It helps that Neoverse has some visual flair, including fairly impressive combat animations. Character designs are customizable, though those customization options need to be unlocked. The rotating camera effect was also lovely, although none of the enemies change positions during battle, so it's not the most relevant to the gameplay. Even as I appreciated the camera’s movements, I often had to rotate the camera back into a less dynamic position to make sure I was clicking on the right enemy.

The game’s look has a few rough spots as well. The in-game text is so tiny that I could barely understand what it was saying in some cases. There's nothing I found more frustrating than selecting a card only to discover I had misread it because of the font. I also found the enemy designs often clashed with the aesthetic of the environments and even with other enemies in ways that made it feel like a random jumble of creatures and locations. In at least one instance, I fought robots alongside insects! I guess anything is possible in the Neoverse...

The way it throws disparate enemies together adds to an overall sense that Neoverse is just kind of generic—not bad, by any means, but lacking in anything genuinely awe-inspiring to keep players talking. The game allows for highly varied decks, and the replay value between characters and customizable builds is relatively high. If you're not looking for a story but just to zone out, build a deck, and get into some monster battles, you won't be disappointed with what Neoverse the Trinity offers. Just don’t expect more than that.

GAME RATING: 3 STARS OUT OF 5

What's Good:

● Satisfying combat

Mad cards, yo! With so many cards to choose from, you'll need to strategize how you balance your deck. Too many cards of one kind or simply too many cards in general will hurt your chances of winning battles. Have fun figuring it out!

● Right into the action

For better or worse, no one can accuse Neoverse of drowning you in long tutorials before getting to the actual gameplay. You're immediately thrown into the action; die-hard deck-builder fans will probably love that.

● Replay value

Folks who love customizable features will have a lot of fun here. Different looks, cards, and skills keep you coming back for more!

What's Bad:

● No narrative

I would have loved to see an engaging story that gave context to all the battles and deck-building. Is it too much to ask for even just a basic explanation of why I'm jumping into portals and slaying monsters?

● Generic visuals

The environments and enemy design felt random. Why are Neon Reds and Unknown Hounds teaming up against me in a dystopian urban wasteland? Sure, all these things are awesome, but they just seem thrown together.

● User interface problems

It was difficult to track who I was selecting for combat at times, with so much happening on screen— not to mention keeping track of my deck and choosing the appropriate cards without accidentally tapping on one I didn't want to use. This is something newer players to the genre should be prepared for.

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