It is elementary, my dear exile
Deck builders often implement outlandish ideas to get players to try them out, like unique settings or new gameplay elements to keep things fresh. The latter is attempted in Final Game Studios Elemental Exileswith mixed results. The added gameplay elements are definitely the highlight, but since the presentation is nothing special, the title simply lacks the appeal to keep players coming back.
Elemental Exiles gives the player a choice of four characters, with eight more unlockable. Rudimentary starting quests provide backgrounds such as betrayal or vengeance to propel the player through the story. These quests don’t have much to offer; the landmass they take place on doesn’t even have a name, offering only unchanging locations as spaces for encounters. If the chosen hero can defeat all four bosses, the game can be ended, turning the unused encounters into a playground for players to immerse themselves in. While some campaigns add a bit of comedy, such as a Grim Reaper desperately trying to retire, most are just background noise to the far more entertaining combat encounters.
Building a deck is relatively simple overall. There are attack, defense, and skill cards to choose from in non-elemental, fire, nature, or water variants. Some cards also grant light or dark affinity to a player’s turn, which acts as a sort of battle currency that other cards use for additional positive effects. The durability cost of cards means that players generally want to choose a new card for their battle reward, but players can opt to add a small amount of gold instead if healing at an inn or making a purchase is more important at the time. Potions are available to collect along the way to get out of sticky situations, especially when card draw is not in their favor. Players can buy or find powerful blessings and curses that last through multiple combat encounters. These are expensive, but as powerful as the characters’ innate abilities.
This Reaper was also only one day away from retirement.
Each of the heroes of Elemental Exiles has a unique perk that dictates how players can build their deck. These traits are simple blessings that are easily compatible with many cards, making it easy to build an effective deck. One adds two dark points as a blessing to cards with this trait each turn, while another simply doubles the gold the player receives, making it easier to purchase items and cards. Players can find good synergies between the cards, and each of them is useful for at least one of the heroes. It will take players at least a few playthroughs to come across the majority of the cards that can be obtained, so there is always something new to tinker with.
Players can purchase new cards at inns for money, receive them through trade or as rewards from narrative encounters, or win them through battles. Combat encounters end with the choice of three random cards depending on the enemy. For example, facing off against a water enemy will give you three water cards. Only boss encounters are fixed. Normal combat encounters fluctuate with each playthrough, limiting route planning when trying to obtain certain types of cards. Unwanted cards can be dropped with a payment penalty, but many of the cards are suitable for mini-combos, such as nature cards that deal additional damage when played after a fire card, making them at least marginally useful.
Each hero begins their adventure with a deck of ten cards. During battle, they draw five cards into their hand each round and receive five energy points to use. One unique feature is that each card has a durability counter, so players aren’t limited to a small but powerful deck of cards to work with. Generally, the stronger and more complex cards have lower durability, and in some campaigns, players start with a deck of partially used cards. Attack cards are used up the fastest, while defense cards last longer, as enemies don’t always attack the hero. Each round, each enemy fighter reveals whether they will attack, defend, or strengthen/weaken. Some enemy actions can be interrupted by a set number of attacks, symbolized by a broken yellow wheel, which causes them to do nothing instead. These interruptions make strategic sense, as there are cards that provide additional benefits when they interrupt enemies.
Revenge is a dish best served cold.
Combat also features defense cards that only last one turn. Each card has standard defense stats, but there is also an elemental triangle. For example, a water shield is twice as effective against fire attacks, but only half as effective against natural forces. This adds an extra layer of strategy to deck building, as relying too heavily on one element can sometimes make it harder to succeed against some enemies.
In addition to being affected by debuffs, players can also be hindered by Wound cards. These Wounds remain in the deck until they are used, which either deals damage or debuffs to the player. This adds an interesting layer of strategy where it can be beneficial for players to prolong the fight to deal with Wounds. Wound cards can also be traded during narrative encounters, but these situations are rare and should not be expected often.
Narrative encounters can vary quite a bit from playthrough to playthrough, but will become repetitive after a few runs. Some offer percentage chances that something useful will happen, such as a large cavern that may contain treasure, a combat encounter, or nothing at all. Some encounters are just designed to frustrate, such as pushy merchants who will steal their gold if nothing is purchased at exorbitant prices, or a goblin who forces the player to take a card that clashes with their deck building. This element of luck adds a certain amount of risk to narrative encounters. However, it is beneficial to enter every inn on the map. Nothing is free at an inn, but it is the most reliable source of health recovery and offers a random selection of cards, blessings, and items to purchase.
A boss-sized debuff that can be interrupted this round.
Due to luck, it’s likely that more than one playthrough will be required to complete a campaign. Since each playthrough uses the same map, there are few different routes available to complete each campaign’s objectives. Some story-specific bosses can be guarded by many smaller combat encounters, while others wait behind multiple bosses. The constant map allows tactically minded players to plan an optimal route to replenish lost maps and reach specific bosses. However, encounters can still be brutal if you’re unlucky or get suboptimal replacement maps after better ones have been used up.
Although much thought has been given to how Elemental Exiles‘s cards and events interact with each other, but the presentation isn’t as successful. Combat consists of stiff arm movements that result in unremarkable impact points that only change depending on the card element used. Monster designs are varied and appealing enough to stand out the most visually. Narrative events are limited to just a few lines of dialogue and an accompanying image. The music plays quietly and does little to stand out. While this helps to highlight the sound effects, none of it feels impressive. The star of the game is the combat, and everything else is just a facade.
Elemental Exiles attempts to put a new twist on the traditional deckbuilder. It’s somewhat novel to see an identical card every playthrough, as it makes the easiest routes more obvious. The biggest innovations are the durability system and the effects of elemental damage on shielding. While these ideas are simple, they create a whole new type of deckbuilding to delve into. However, there’s minimal story, encounters become repetitive after a few quick playthroughs, and the presentation isn’t exactly enticing. This results in mediocre execution of an otherwise solid concept. It’s fun in short bursts because of the variety, but interest quickly wanes when things start to get repetitive.
Disclosure: This review is based on a free copy of the game provided by the publisher.
COMBAT SYSTEM
INTERACTION
ORIGINALITY
STORY
MUSIC & SOUND
VISUAL INSIGHTS
win
UNDER 20 HOURS
MODERATE
The element damage triangle makes for interesting strategic options
Every card has at least a little usefulness to it
Presentation gets lost behind the game mechanics
Becomes stale after experiencing everything once
