Battlejack Preview
When the world of cards and combat collides, it’s anyone’s guess as to how the resulting game will play. After all, one ingredient demands fast reflexes, quick thinking and precise movements whereas the other asks the player to be patient, observant and strategic. They’re not exactly characteristics cut from the same cloth, but occasionally a game comes out that makes this mixture work. Capcom managed to put out a successful combat/puzzle title back in 1996 in the form of Puzzle Fighter II X which has players matching colored tiles together to attack your opponent. The game was so beloved that a sequel was put out the following year, the original has seen an HD rerelease on the PS3 and Xbox 360 and a new iteration hit the Android and iOS markets to largely positive reviews.
However, Battlejack still isn’t quite card/combat as it falls into the puzzle category. Truth be told there aren’t many games that use cards in the combat system. Released in November 2004, Square Enix’s Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories explored the concept and you all remember our review of Magic 2014, but we’re here to talk about a game that does things a tad bit differently. While Kingdom Hearts was about having certain card combos or the highest value of cards and Magic played identical to its tabletop cousin, Battlejack takes a brawl and sets it to the pace of rapid fire blackjack. So, it only seems fitting that we talk about the action first.
Gameplay
Judging from the name, you were probably able to guess that Battlejack heavily relies on the mechanics of blackjack and in making that assertion you would be correct. However, many of the big blackjack strategies such as surrendering, doubling downand pair splitting are nowhere to be found. Other variants such as European blackjack and Spanish blackjack don’t make an appearance either as the game uses the barebones rules of blackjack to dictate the game’s battles. That lack of variety might chase a few die-hard blackjack fans away from the action, but it really shouldn’t as what would be considered a “hand” is just a single turn in a fight and only determines one attack. The closer you get to 21, the more damage you do with a successful blackjack attack being a “critical hit” of sorts. It’s this constant dealing of hands that makes the game so addictive as many factors decide how well a fight goes for you. Luck/RNG does play a fairly major role in the game as it does with many card games, but the way you build your team also dictates the outcome of a scuffle.
Your team is made up of multiple player cards that all have their own elemental affinity (water, fire, earth and light/darkness). The cards dealt in each hand also have an element associated with them. If the element of any card in a hand matches that of one of your team members, that team member will attack your enemy. If you’re dealt a blackjack, all of your fighters will attack regardless of the cards elements. Enemies also have elemental affinities and in a much more simplified strength system than Pokemon, certain elements will do more or less damage to each other. All of this adds to the strategy element of cards while taking away nothing from the speed aspect of battles as a hand be as quick as one second or as long as a minute. Speaking of Pokemon, Battlejack takes another cue from the wildly successful Nintendo title by giving players the ability to not only collect countless player cards but upgrade and level them up as well. There’s something about Nintendo and making us want every cute little animal that we just can’t get enough of, but in Battlejack, you level up your friends by fusing them with other player cards, similar to evolving Pokemon in Pokemon Go, without having to fuse with the same monster. The battles might be simple, but you’ll always be wanting to fight your way to the next world in search of bigger and better player cards and the fast combat caters to that need quite nicely.
Video
As far as graphical prowess goes, Battlejack isn’t much to write home about, like many other mobile games. Luckily, it makes up for this with some beautifully hand-drawn art that meshes well throughout. Forest areas are shaded, covered in green and full of foliage and dungeons are damp, cold and gloomy. Each vista screams its identity through a collection of cute images that never fail to attract some attention.
Audio
On the soundtrack side of things, Battlejack does a fine job of keeping up with the images on screen, but just barely. While it never detracts from the experience, it certainly doesn’t add to it in the same way as the art direction or card collecting. We’ve talked a little in the past on what makes a soundtrack truly iconic or forgotten, and we think it’s safe to say this one falls in the forgotten category – maybe with the exception of some of the sound effects.
As a whole, the game has a fairly engrossing personality for a while with the help of some of these aesthetic choices, but it’s not something that succeeds in sticking with you when you turn off the game. It’s no surprise to this reviewer that it didn’t receive a 2017 game of the year nomination like Super Mario Odyssey or Persona 5. However, what you will find is some addictive bouts of collecting frenzy mixed with the quest to assemble the perfect team. Because, at the end of the day, you will bust in the pursuit of big attacks. It’s inevitable. But getting the most damage from each successful assault will be what separates good teams from great teams. And planning the correct teams for each situation will be what separates the mediocre players from the experts. Balancing these two aspects will be the meat and potatoes of the experience and will ultimately be what keeps you coming back for more. If you like deck-building games and want a healthy helping of collecting and combat, this one’s for you.